TFA PLACEMENT REGION!

I am so excited! I will find out my Teach For America placement region very soon! I made a countdown to keep track of the time until I find out! =D My placement preferences are 1) Los Angeles, 2)Bay Area, 3)Sacramento (potential expansion region, 4) San Diego (potential expansion region), 5) Seattle-Tacoma, 6)Tulsa! I would really like to stay in California because I will have a California Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential K-6. Which means I will be able to teach in Cali without anymore licensure stuff. Otherwise, I have to transfer my credential to the new state, and it's annoying and requires energy and time I just don't have. Also, I have a support system in Cali, and it won't be as expensive to move in Cali as it would be to move to say Mississippi. Lol. Plus, my hair + humidity = disaster! =D

Food, and Valentine's Day

Yum! Food,, food, food! I received a gift certificate from the salvation army and I went food shopping. I got a lot of staples and I'm excited to eat something other than oatmeal and ham. :/ Valentine's Day was okay, I subbed in a 2nd grade class, and got back to my class just in time for the party. Oh, and my most difficult student was sent home earlier, so my job was easy! =D   And I'm getting better sleep with the earplugs I bought with my birthday money. Soooo quiet! Love it!

Teach For America Placement

Well, I've been accepted into the 2012 Corps, but I don't know where yet! They will let me know on March 6th! I am so excited! My top placement regions are as follows: 1) Los Angeles 2) Bay Area 3) Sacramento 4) San Diego 5) Tulsa Oklahoma!

ONLY 25 MORE DAYS!

Teacher Voice... check!

Okay, so one one of my students is having a hard week. Student has been extremely disrespectful, rude, and has run away from me twice already, and it's only Tuesday. Today I had to pull out the don't-mess-with-me teacher voice TWICE! Next time student feels like being disrespectful to me, I'll just say, " Fine. If you are going to be disrespectful, than I'm not going to help you. You have lost that privilege by being extremely rude. Make no mistake though, I will still make sure you get all your work done." I'm hoping that after a few days of this he will realize the value of having someone to help you out. The good news about today is that I finally rounded a corner in my teacher-development. I have finally accepted the fact that as a teacher, I am allowed to show my annoyance/frustration/concern/anger. Just because I am their teacher doesn't mean I need to give them a bijillion chances, and be nice and sweet to them. No, this is my classroom, you will be respectful and make academic progress. There will be positive and negative consequences to your behavior. I am in charge of enforcing those consequences, it is you (the student) that determines the consequences that I must enforce.

Really good Friday!

One of my fav kids finally got his attitude together today! This Kiddo has been so very disrespectful this week! Yet today was great, kiddo did all the work, and we had some great one-on-one tutoring time, where kiddo really learned, both conceptually and the algorithm! Also, we had our monthly hour of Bravo music time, and the kids really enjoyed it. There was a fire drill after recess that was kind of funny.And finally, choir re-started this afternoon. About 40 kiddos showed up! We started learning "Firework" by Katy Perry and they had a ton of fun! After I picked mom up, we got pizza and celebrated my birthday! =D The best thing about today....I get to sleep in tomorrow! lol!

Trying to put a good spin on it.

Car totaled: no one got seriously hurt. Great Uncle died: he's in heaven.

FFFFFRRRRIDAY!

Yeay! It's Friday! Today I was able to skype with some of my besties! Also, I've been enjoying Teach For America videos on YouTube, reading TFA blogs on Teachforus.org, and updating some of my stuff. I've been contemplating the enormous gift that joining TFA is, and honestly, it's kind of scary. I am using these next two years in Teach For America (TFA) as an extended mission trip. Suddenly, now that I'm in, I feel the weight of my responsibility to God and my students. I know that God is going to use me in an amazing, wonderful way, and knowing that I am going to have a great impact in this world is humbling, intimidating, exciting, scary, nerve-wrecking, terrifying, amazing, and really cool. My respect for God's power has increased too. If God can make this much good happen in my life, how boldly and wonderfully is He going to use me in these next few years. God can do anything.

Isaiah 6:8 “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”  And so I go...

Acceptance Letter!!!!

Today I was invited to join the 2012 Teach For America corps. No, I don't know where I'll be teaching yet, or in what grade, but I am so super excited and happy!  I can't start blogging on the Teachforus blog (that'll have to wait till March and my contract signing), but for now, this will do! =D  I will be able to fill out my regional  preference form on Feb 1st. There I will list the cities I prefer, the subject (special edu or multiple subjects please!) and other issues like dates I can't miss...aka graduation and Mel's wedding. =D
I return to UC Davis in spring to finish my credential, graduate and then start TFA training. Should be interesting. The summer training institute is intense, and I mean like 4 hours of sleep a night if you are lucky intense. Thankfully, I will already have a credential and two years of student teaching to help me out!
I <3 TFA!

School is Good

Today I received the okay to move choir to Friday afternoons! Yey! No more 7:30 am workdays! Also, I have till the end of the month to advertise. Choir will start in February!

Good Year So Far....

So, it's been a good year so far. I made delicious salmon with garlic/rosemary potatoes with a white wine sauce. Mmmmmmmm! I played fetch with Molly, and am teaching her new tricks! Last night was awesome! My besties and I played Life, wore glow-stick jewelry, drank yummy margaritas, watched movies, =D AND celebrated the  year (finally) ending!

Here's to a better 2012!  <3