1st Grade Adventures

Wow... it has been a busy week! I've spent the past week and a half in my elementary education practicum, which means I've been assigned to a first grade classroom at a local elementary school and I go there everyday instead of going to class; not that we have any shortage of homework to complete during the practicum however. We have all sorts of observations, sketches, case studies, and papers to do, not to mention preparing lesson plans to teach whatever our mentor teacher tells us to. It is good experience, but I'm not sure I am enjoying it unfortunately. It may be that my mentor teacher doesn't like to answer my questions, or that the students in my class tend to get very off task, or just that I have so many other things going on right now that I am trying to deal with, but I hope it's not that I don't like the profession... because I'm kind of far along in the program to be changing my mind. When I step back and look at it, I like it for the most part... enough to finish it out and do it for a couple of years. And if after I've done it for awhile I decide I don't like it, I'll at least have a degree and be able to do whatever I want. I'm thinking maybe I'll come back and get another degree of some kind... I've been like socio-cultural anthropology lately. Really interesting stuff. Or maybe even psychology or sociology. I don't want to be a psychologist, but I think it is interesting to study for sure.

Anyway, back to the practicum... I have some funny stories :) I've decided that I enjoy children this age in general, but as far as teaching them in a formal setting, I think I'll stick to the upper grades. But as much as I have worried about their runny noses and coughs all over me (I am showing signs today of contracting a cold), I have enjoyed getting to know these 23 six and seven year olds as people. They really do have a lot to offer the world :) Anyway, on my first day, a little girl in the class comes up to me and says, "My name's Ilana, but you can call me tree, because Ilana means tree in French. So if you call me tree that's okay." I just smiled and thanked her. She came up to me again later, and said the same thing, except she switched to some other European language. haha... I had a good laugh over that one. Ilana is a very intelligent student who likes to use big words, and explain everything to everyone. So cute. If she ever messes up or does something inappropriate, she feels horrible and apologizes profusely. The other day at lunch I was walking out to find one of my fellow cohorts to eat with and Ilana found me and began walking with me. After thinking for a moment, she began, "Okay, you can't tell Ryan (a boy in the class) this, or he'll probably kill me." I promised i wouldn't, and after a big deep breath she continued, "I love Ryan, and Ryan loves me!" She said it with guilt in her voice, and it all came out in the same breath... as if it was such a relief to have this burden lifted. "He wrote me a love note, and I wrote him nine love notes in one day," She finished. "Wow... sounds pretty romantic," I said. She affirmed that indeed, it was. Then she ran off to recess. Oh, young love.

sunshine and silly roommates

So I just got home from a crazy day and it just feels so good sometimes to simply sit down. Too bad it doesn't feel like that everytime I sit down. But when you've been working really hard, and have been on your feet all day, gotta love that feeling of slumping down on the couch and not doing anything. Especially when it's sunny out and you can open the curtains and just enjoy the moment. It's actually getting warmer down here now, and it's exciting to not have to wear my big wool jacket everywhere I go. I have the weather forecast on my desktop (thanks to google desktop... you should download it... it's really cool), and all it's showing for the next 3 days are sunshines! Monday looks like it will be almost 70 degrees amazingly enough! Maybe I will do some homework outside.

Just a funny side note, my roommate Rachel and I are the only ones home at the moment, and I am currently listening to her sing songs like "Mr. Sandman" and "Lollipop" etc. in the shower. lol. She is one of those people that is just accidentally a funny person. You can catch her talking to herself or inanimate objects on a regular basis. Although I do that too, but it's not the fact that she does it, but the things she says that are funny. Once my roommate Heather and I were doing something quiet in our room and suddenly, out of nowhere, we hear Rachel pipe up with "I'm bringing sexy back". She still hasn't lived that one down :) Maybe I'll start posting funny roommate quotes on here too. Those are always fun. I'm also going to try and get some pictures up here soon! Keep checkin' back!

hey hey hey

So i decided to create a blog so that all my family and friends back home can read about and see pictures of what I'm up to down here at school. I hope y'all enjoy! Feel free to comment, etc.!