Right now I am watching "The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler" - previewing it before showing it to my 8th-grade students. I am saddened by the terrible treatment of the Jews by the Germans, but amazed at the courage it took for parents to send their children to live with Polish families to be safer, and for others to risk their lives to save children and others. It was a terrible time in our world's history, but I am grateful to hear stories of the goodness that existed then, too.
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I've been at the UCET (Utah Coalition for Educational Technology) conference yesterday and today to learn about how to use technology to improve student learning. I have learned so much, and I feel like my eyes have been opened to so many new possibilities! Here are the things I'm most excited to try when I get back to school:
I love conferences. I always leave feeling so energized and excited to get back to teaching! Have you read Jennifer Gonzalez's post Find Your Marigold? If you haven't, stop reading this and go read that first.
I want to be more of a marigold. It's so easy to get bogged down in all the hard things that happen in education: the new schedule, the pressure to help every kid pass that ever-looming end-of-level test, the students who ask to turn in late work after you've said (multiple times) that yesterday was the last day to do so. Sometimes it's just easier to focus on the negative instead of using the mental energy it takes to think of the good things that are sometimes hidden. But honestly, being a walnut tree (or being around walnut trees) saps my energy! All that negative energy makes me more tired, more overwhelmed, more stressed. Amazingly, though, having a positive attitude gives me energy. When I take the time to notice the good things - the student who wished me good luck on the Praxis test this week, the fact that I have such a good relationship with my administrators, the TED Talk parody one of my students wrote - I feel more like I want to go back to school tomorrow and take on the world. I am kinder to students, I plan better lessons, and I am more willing to help other teachers. See? I know how important it is to be a marigold! But it's so easy to get sucked into the walnut tree mentality. What do you do to stay positive as a teacher, and to help other teachers stay positive as well?
I'm studying again tonight, and oh so grateful for the Quizlet app. It's smart - it can tell when I'm getting stuck on a term, and it makes me study those terms over and over again. It's easy to use, and it doesn't feel as overwhelming as the 3 million page study guide I've been lugging back and forth for weeks. I took into Texas Roadhouse tonight and studied while we waited for our food. I studied in the car on the way to pick up a table for our new house. And I think I'll study just a touch more before I go to sleep.
But more important than Quizlet is my family. Melissa looked over my shoulder while I studied and helped me created mnemonics for those tricky terms (Bandura is social cognitive theory - being in a band is both social and cognitive). Mckenzie cheered every time I got one right. Dad talked me through some of the practice questions I didn't understand. And Mom created time for me to study. If I pass this test, it will be because of Quizlet and 4 people who are cheering for me every step of the way. My sister and I have lived in our house for almost 4 years now. We moved in with my grandpa the summer before I started my teaching internship and Melissa started her sophomore year at BYU. It's amazing to think how much has happened since we moved here. Both of us have now graduated from BYU. We've had 3 separate roommates (besides Grandpa). I started a book club, and Melissa and I started having "game brunch" on Saturdays. We've made lots of friends, gone on walks to look at new houses, and thrown awesome parties.
But now our time here is coming to an end. My grandpa moved to an assisted living center in November, and now he's selling this house. We have a few more weeks here, but my aunts and uncles came yesterday and cleaned most everything out. I noticed today that the house is starting to echo because it's getting more and more empty every day. I can't help but feel a little sad that this chapter in my life is closing. People keep telling me, "It's so exciting to have a fresh start!" "You're going to love your new house." "What a fun new beginning!" And while I am excited for this new adventure, I can't help but feel a little trepidation. I've never been fond of the unknown, probably because I'm WAY too good at the "What if?" game. What if none of our friends call us to hang out anymore? What if we hate our new neighbors? What if we can't find furniture for the new house and we're left sleeping on the floor with no fridge? All the worst possible scenarios run through my head and I just want to say, "Never mind! We'll stay here forever!" But then again, what if it's amazing? What if our new neighbors become our new best friends? What if this is exactly the fresh start I've been looking for? The library, especially corner tables where I can plug my headphones in and work uninterrupted
Comfy chairs where I can curl my feet up under me That spot just inside Disneyland where you can first hear the music and you know you're really there Every part of temple grounds The family room at my parents' house
8:00 Hit snooze on my alarm
8:30 Force myself to get out of bed and get ready for the day 9:30 Presidency meeting (I am a leader of a women's organization in my church congregation. Today we talked about an upcoming dinner activity, a few women who need support, and the fact that I am moving soon and will no longer be serving in this congregation.) 10:30 Make cookies to deliver later 11:00 Scripture study and prepare for church 11:45 Off to church! 3:15 Home - dinner time (and by dinner I mean just finding whatever I can that looks good because I am SO hungry), look at old family pictures with my mom, relax 4:45 Deliver cookies to a friend who just had knee surgery 5:30 Visit my grandpa 6:30 Back to church for a fireside about grace, faith, and growth 8:00 Game night with friends - my team lost at Wacky Six 9:30 Leave my friends' house only to find that it has been snowing. I have to find my coat and ice scraper to wipe off my car. 9:45 Home at last! Get ready for bed and plan for the upcoming week 10:15 Realize that I haven't sliced yet - late again I was busy today, but somehow I still feel rested and ready to take on the week! Bring it on, Monday! I wasn't even part of the argument,
Just an observer, Taking sides in my head But not out loud. Even when it turned personal. Even when I, somehow, got pulled in. Even when everyone else let it go. I'm still holding my tongue. |
About MeI'm a daughter, sister, friend, and book lover turned English teacher. This blog is all about the things I'm learning as I go through my many adventures. For more info about me, check out the About Me page. Categories
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