The most disgusting bug ever!

Imagine 20 6/7 year old children, 1 teacher (horribly grossed out and afraid of bugs), and a potato bug!

All of the students were sitting so nicely on the carpet while the teacher was engaging whole class instruction. One female student started not paying attention and it was contagious to the students around her. The teacher told them to settle down or they would need to pull a behavior card. The student promptly told the teacher, "But there's a bug." The teacher rolled her eyes as the rest of the class turned to see the bug. Then, in a mad rush and less then one second, all 20 students were screaming and running to the perimeter of the rug - just like oil spreads when a drop of dish washing liquid is dropped in the middle.

Then the teacher saw the bug! This wasn't a bug, it was a monster! Why are they so ugly? Why are they transparent? Why do they move so fast? Why does it only want to move toward me? Why is it in my classroom? Where did it come from? How am I going to get rid of it?

Luckily, there are some plastic cups in the classroom used for painting projects. The teacher grabbed one of the cups, all while the students were watching relentlessly, and covered the bug after trying to get behind it because it just kept turning and coming after her. She asked a student to get a piece of paper for her. She slid the paper underneath the cup and flipped it over. Heart rate pounding as she prayed it would not crawl out onto her, she took the cup outside and tossed it in the garbage. As she went back into the classroom, another student told the rest, "She threw it in the garbage!"

Well, what else was she going to do with it?!?

Then, the students began making up stories about where it came from including from a hole in one of the ceiling tiles. It was chaos! The teacher gathered her students and told them that it was over. She told them that she was nervous and scared because she does not like bugs, but that she was brave for the students. Now she needed them to get back on task. Luckily, they like her enough that they complied while their brains still thought about this disgusting bug!

The teacher? Me.
The bug? Uglier and more gross than ever.
Me? Glad it is over.

When I told my sister a few days later over the phone, we were both crying because it was so funny! It wasn't funny at the time, but the whole scene was hilarious later.

Other Stuff

My brother went to Alaska on Sept. 8. He arrived safely and we miss him like crazy! We love you, David.

I just finished my third week of teaching first grade. I LOVE it! There are moments that I wish did not happen, but overall, it is amazing. I just got this new kid who did not attend kindergarten, though! This student cannot even hold a pencil! It has been frustrating.

Fitness progress - I am thrilled! I weighed, measured, and tested body fat % last Saturday. I had previously done all of this 6 weeks ago. Well, I did not loose ANY weight! UG! But, then I measured....I took 6 measurements. Chest, waist, hips, left bicep, left thigh, and left calf. Total inches lost from those 6 places is 10 1/4 inches!!!!! WAHOO!!! If I end up with a 28 inch waist, but don't loose weight, I'll still be happy. Fitness isn't only about weight. I also lost 0.4% body fat! Yes! Yes! Yes! Pretty soon, my body will realize that it doesn't need to hold onto that weight any more and it will start to come off so fast (so they say). Anyway, super excited and revved up for the next set of training sessions.

RIF, Pink Slip, Layoff

It is official, but I wanted it to actually be pink. It is called a pink slip for goodness sake!

I was actually waiting for this to happen. Being a first year teacher, it is always expected. Schools always layoff and then most of the time rehire. My district is closing a school though, so they went 5 years up the seniority list in the first round of RIF notices. What is a RIF notice? Yeah, I had to look it up.
Click on the picture below to view the entire comic strip.

RIF: Reduction In Force
In other words, our Jedi strength will be decreased next year!
The district is hoping to save all but 10 to 15 positions. Of course, that is taken with a grain of salt until I have it in writing. Job search, here I come! Maybe this year I can get a job closer to home! Yipee!!!! I can't wait!

Good Ol' Teacher Humor

We who have taught, or love children who have been taught, know this is funny!


From the diary of a Pre-School Teacher...

My five-year old students are learning to read.

Yesterday one of them pointed at a picture in a zoo book

and said,

"Look at this! It's a frickin' elephant!"

I took a deep breath, then asked..."What did you call it?"

"It's a frickin' elephant! It says so on the picture!"

And so it does...

" African Elephant "

NOW THAT'S FUNNY, I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, THAT'S FUNNY! ! ! !

Speaking as a teacher and hopefully a future parent:

I usually keep quiet about my personal views, especially around election time unless somebody outright asks me a question. I live my life kindly and honestly and usually feel good about just that. However, a recent event has peeked my voice! Please know that I am not trying to tell anybody how to live their own lives, but just thinking as an educator and future parent (hopefully some day). When the day comes that we have children, I want to be the one to teach them about our beliefs, standards, and especially about issues of intimacy and marriage. My husband and me; not my kids teachers, friends' parents, coaches, or anybody else. Just my husband and me. Read for yourself what is already happening in our state! I have never heard of students going on a field trip to their teacher's wedding! It just is not right. As an educator, I know that I would never take the students on a field trip unless it was academically connected to our curriculum. Academically. There are just not enough minutes in the school year to teach all that needs to be taught to take time away from their education of the CA state standards. Well, here is what happened and why a "yes" vote on Prop. 8 is so important. Protect our rights as parents and educators to teach our children/students the way they should be taught. Academics at school and beliefs at home.

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SAN FRANCISCO, October 11 – In the same week that the No on 8 campaign launched an ad that labeled as “lies” claims that same-sex marriage would be taught in schools to young children, a first grade class took a school-sponsored trip to a gay wedding. Eighteen first graders traveled to San Francisco City Hall Friday for the wedding of their teacher and her lesbian partner, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. The school sponsored the trip for the students, ages 5 and 6, taking them away from their studies for the same-sex wedding. According to the Yes on 8 campaign, the public school field trip demonstrates that the California Supreme Court's decision to legalize same-sex marriage has real consequences.

"Taking children out of school for a same-sex wedding is not customary education. This is promoting same-sex marriage and indoctrinating young kids," said Yes on 8—ProtectMarriage.com Campaign Co-Manager Frank Schubert. "I doubt the school has ever taken kids on a field trip to a traditional wedding," Schubert said.

When asked by the Yes on 8 campaign, The San Francisco Chronicle reporter said she did not know if the school had ever sponsored a field trip for students to a traditional wedding. Telling the Chronicle that the field trip was "a teachable moment," the school's principal believes it is perfectly appropriate for first graders to attend a same-sex wedding. Officials in other school districts disagree.

"Prop. 8 protects our children from being taught in public schools that 'same-sex marriage' is the same as traditional marriage," said Santa Ana Unified School District board member Rosemarie "Rosie" Avila. "We should not accept a court decision that results in public schools teaching our kids that gay marriage is okay. That is an issue for parents to discuss with their children according to their own values and beliefs. It shouldn't be forced on us against our will," Avila added.

The lesbian teacher's wedding was officiated by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Newsom is featured in a Yes on 8 television ad, released last week, in which he arrogantly declares of same-sex marriage: "The door's wide open now. It's gonna happen, whether you like it or not."

The Yes on 8 campaign's ads explain that if the voters do not overturn the California Supreme Court's same-sex marriage ruling, teachers will be required to teach young children that there is no difference between gay marriage and traditional marriage. “It's totally unreasonable that a first grade field trip would be to a same-sex wedding," said Chip White, Press Secretary for Yes on 8. "This is overt indoctrination of children who are too young to understand it.” The field trip underscores the Yes on 8 campaign’s message that unless Prop. 8 passes, children will be taught about same-sex marriage in public schools. “Not only can it happen, it has already happened,” White said.

###

Media contacts:
Northern & Central California (Sacramento Press Office): Chip White, 916-215-4392
Los Angeles & Southern California: Sonja Eddings Brown, 818-993-4508

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Taken directly from the protectmarriage.com website. But you can also find many newspaper articles about it online here. Protect our rights.

Chicken Wings

Aparently, anybody not doing this (except with your elbows pinned to your sides) :... likes a certain girl in the class! Don't get caught without it! Ug!
AND we had just had a discussion about not hurting the feelings of other people.

Confessions of a Teacher

I know it has been a little while since we have blogged. We just have so much free time between driving to my work and home. Cleaning the house and reorganizing rooms. Moving my sister, mom, and helping the Call family. Grading papers, tests, and creating excel spreadsheets to use in classroom organization. More, more, and more. I just finished my third week of teaching and I just keep saying, "It's only 9 and 1/2 months and I get four weeks off for holidays, so really it is only 8 1/2 months." Time will pass.

I am considering writing a book called, "Confessions of a New Teacher: What they don't teach you in the teacher preparation program." I have plenty of material to use! It may be a good way for me to release and relax too! Should I?

My mom and sister are moving in this week! It is going to be a party every weekend when we come home! YIPEE! Also, my baby sister's boyfriend is coming to visit. This next weekend is going to be fun! Talk to you soon! Thanks for reading. Really....do you think I should write a book?

We have been away!

Last week we were crazy! I had a Mathematics training to attend in Kelseyville. I takes about 2.5 hours to drive there from our home in Rocklin. We still had not gotten the keys to our Middletown apartment, so we drove. Monday and Tuesday we drove there and back! Wednesday we drove there and brought an air mattress and clothes just in case we could get our apartment. Fortunatly, we did. Our bodies were not happy driving five hours a day and me sitting in class for six! Anyway. Wednesday night I cried and I mean cried. I so do not want to be there! The "grocery store" is in the hardware store! I want to be home, teaching in my home area. This validated our desire to return home every weekend and holiday that we can! Rocklin is where our hearts and hopes are. This job in "clearlake" is only a stepping stone to returning back home as soon as possible. In the meantime, we put on happy faces and pretend our way through it. The training was good for me to get to meet some staff. I also got my classroom keys! Each day we had a math problem to solve in the morning. We had to show two different ways to solve each problem and explain why it worked that way. Here is one of my favorites.

Mom gave Mary and John some jelly beans. John said, "Hey, no fair, she has three times as many as I do." So, Mary gave three beans to John. He was still not happy because she now had twice as many as he did. How many more beans does Mary need to give John so they have equal amounts?

Figure it out? What about another way, can you think of one? Let me know what answer you got, if you found another way to solve it, and explain your method! :)

Teaching 5th Grade

Ok --- After LOTS of research and conversation, we have declined the first offer and accepted the second offer. I will be teaching at Lower Lake Elementary School as a 5th grade teacher. I don't know many more details because I just called and emailed 30 minutes ago and have not heard back. No worries. Again, I feel like it is all so surreal. I am actually doing this!

SYTYCD and Job Hunt

Ok, so I have been slacking on SYTYCD posts....but I just can't not say anything about this one. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!!!! Jessica is gone so they bring back Comfort? UG! I wish they would have brought her back as a partner only, not a contestant and not kicked a girl off this week. But, noooooooooo! Not only is SHE back,

but this girl is gone! WHAT?!? OOOOOOO, that makes me mad!

Anyways, about my job hunt. I sent an email to my college classmates a few days ago asking about their job hunts. I was feeling discouraged because I have filled out over 75 applications and only had three interviews without success. I felt better when they emailed me back to say that they had not even gotten a phone call for an interview!!! UG. Well, I had my fourth interview yesterday and while I was driving to it (because none of them have been local) I got a phone call. It was from my second interview (that I thought I had bombed and I wasn't really happy with the way I felt there) and they offered me a job teaching first grade!!!!! I asked for the offer in writing and a few days to make my decision. We are fasting tomorrow. I don't know. We really need the blessing that we have been praying for and it would give me experience to be able to come back here and teach where I really want to be. But, I don't really want to live there and be four hours away from our families! It is so hard to make such a huge decision. What do you think?

Last Homework Submitted

It is officially over!!!! Yesterday I submitted my last homework assignment!! What?! You mean, I don't have anything due EVER???? That's right!! YIPEE!! The next homework I see will be homework coming across my desk for me to grade! YES!!! As soon as my grade posts for this class I will apply for my diploma and teaching credential. Graduation is in September and you can bet that I am walking. I did not really care about walking for my Bachelor's Degree, but I am SO walking for this!!!!

His will be done!

I found out yesterday that I did not get selected to continue in the hiring process at Loomis School District. Needless to say, I cried. My sister was having a difficult emotional day too, so she came over and we cried together as we hugged. I know that there were many people praying for me to get the position if it was God's will; so, it must not be where He wants me to be. I know that He will bless me and has a plan for us, but it still hurts because that is what I wanted! Ha! So selfish of me; I know that His plan is going to be much better -- I just can't see it. Oh well. So, now plan B becomes plan A. As soon as my final grade is posted and I get a letter from the credential analyst stating that I have been recommended for credentialing, I will begin applying throughout California.

So, my sister and I worked out with "Fitness With the Pros" to work off our sadness. It worked, we felt a lot better afterwards! We had fun while we were sweating! I did not know that was possible! Hehe! It is a "Dancing with the Stars" workout. I am sore today. Whew!

How did my interview go?

Well, I am not really sure how it went yesterday. I could not tell if they were impressed or not. It was Glenn, Nancy (Franklin), and Carolyn Nichols from the district. I felt like I answered the questions like I would answer them again today, but there were two of them that they asked me to give another answer for so I am not sure if that is bad. I was thinking about why I usually find interviews challenging afterwards and realized that it is because teaching is an inate ability for me. It just comes so naturally that I don't usually disect what I am doing, so sometimes it is difficult to put into words what I do. I think I did fine, but like I said, I don't know what they thought.

I just keep imagining Glenn thinking about when he observed me and I made that mistake. It has eaten at me everyday since, and I just hope that he looks at all of my strengths as well. I wish I could have been able to tell slightly how they felt one way or the other. Oh well, Glenn said that their goal is to begin calling those they were impressed with for a second interview in a few days, so hopefully I will be one of those.

I Got an Interview Appointment

Seriously, I got an appointment for an interview!!! Loomis Union School District just called and gave me first choice (because I was the first one they could get a hold of) of times. I chose 4:00 p.m. next Tuesday, the 27th!! There will be two principals and other members of the district on the panel interviewing me. Whew! Wow, my nerves have certainly kicked in now! Wish me luck and keep praying for me since I am at a disadvantage not quite being credentialed yet. Thank you!