First Week Lessons

I know it's week two already, but here are a few (brief) first week recaps. I have a CRAZY day ahead of me tomorrow & have to get to bed ASAP... :p

Although I am technically the teacher, here are a few things I learned:

1. Making lesson plans takes A LOT of planning. 

    I stayed up every single night last week for 3-4 hours working on my lessons for the following day. Not fun. This weekend I kicked it into gear & made outlines for all three of my preps so this week should be MUCH easier to deal with.

2. Always have a backup idea/lesson plan.

    On Thursday or Friday (I can't remember which!) the power went out for about an hour. That killed my PowerPoint lesson plans with my cool pictures and videos along with the A/C &, on the other side of our hallway, most of the lights!
Luckily I had a laptop with me and being that it was a small class was able to briefly give an amended presentation before sending them to work.

3. I look young.

    When I started interning in college, I started dressing more professionally. My skirts/dresses/shorts have gradually gotten longer, closer to "mom length" as I like to call it. However, the numerous, numerous comments I received as well as one embarrassing incident involving a pink thong have given me food for thought.
The conclusion- In a high school, I need to dress even MORE conservatively. Hopefully our Florida winter will help out with sweaters and such. Right now it's so hot I'm struggling to find outfits that don't make me sweat but adequately cover everything completely!

4. Being with the kids is amazing and fun; the rest of the add-ons that are required are not that great.

   This week I have two cheerleading practices, one CPR/FA meeting, open house, and a new teacher meeting. Enough said.

5. Teaching is expensive
 
So far I bought my own expos, posters,border, paper, page protectors, stapler, tape, pencil sharpener, pens/pencils, numerous odds & ends and an LCD projector.

So a side note for you non-teachers, all those things in your teacher's classroom were probably bought with their paychecks. I willingly bought these things because I want the kids to have the best learning environment possible, but I do think it's out of hand to spend so much money on supplies for my job.

6. Last but not least: my colleagues are great.

When the rest of the English department realized I was a brand new teacher, I received so much help and support. Lesson plan ideas filled my mailbox & inbox, a good luck card with chocolates greeted me on the first day of school, and numerous heads popped in to make sure I was surviving that first week. With a solid lunch group of new teachers I'm set on a great support staff to help get me through this year.


Week two is up & running so hopefully I'll be able to post again soon. :)

Pre-Planning Should Be Called Try-To-Stay-Sane,You-Won't-Be-Ready.

It's now Wednesday. I've been through 3 LONG days of pre-planning for school.

Last Friday I was in early to meet my department heads, check out my room, and bring in some supplies. I spent the morning with one of the ESE heads learning how to write an IEP. I took vigorous notes and was told I would receive my official schedule of where I would be on Monday.

While learning more about my position & expectations involved, our principle's secretary called to see if I had time to talk to our principle. Not knowing I was on campus, I responded that I would be right in the office and dashed off to find out what was going on.

Had I lost my job? Been moved to a different department? There was more self doubt that confidence rearing its head in those moments it took me to find him & sit down in his office.

Luckily, it was none of those things. In a strange twist, an English teacher had decided that day to resign for a position closer to her home. This left my school with a LA vacancy that they needed to fill fast.

Knowing I had my certification in this area as well, Dr. R asked if I would want to take over this teacher's classroom. The schedule contained 3 senior LA classes, 1 junior LA class, and 2 creative writing classes.

After asking Dr. R to give me some time to think about, I frantically called my confidants & weighed out the pros & cons.

Pros-

bigger classroom
more control over content
still having access to ESE population through classes
creative writing is awesome!
seniors are supposed to be the BEST to teach
more involved on campus
classroom right between my new teacher friends

Cons-

uhhh...two weeks til school starts
no supplies
no lesson plans
more responsibility
testing/FCAT
guilt over leaving ESE dept. hanging



In the end I decided that teaching LA will be a more fulfilling position over an ESE Support Staff position. The ESE position would have been much easier, but I am not one to be satisfied with that type of work. Therefore, I accepted the position and jumped in with both feet!

Oh, and then Dr. R asked me to coach JV Cheerleading instead of Soccer. That one was a no-brainer. HECK YES! I talked to the Varsity coach & went right home to review the cheers I knew, think of workouts we could do, tumbling to try.... I can't wait to get started!

Now for my pre-planning experience. Here are the things I wish I had known or if I was remotely aware, wish I had known the capacity to which these items extended.

Things they don't tell you in the College of Ed that they probably should....

1. The teacher cafeteria is to be avoided
    - Now we haven't had lunch yet, but the general rule is to try to stay away from the gossip & negativity that tends to permeate talk around the cafeteria. Even in one short week I've noticed the ones who complain, who are unsatisfied, and who are unwilling to work with others. This is not the profession to want to do things on your own, that's for sure.

2. Every district is slow
   - I thought Orange County in Orlando was bad. Well, apparently it takes a while for things to be done everywhere.
The people at the county are great; it's just the speed with which things get done. Ironically enough, Emily posted today about being courteous to office staff. I do agree that one shouldn't take it out on the staff that are only following procedure & trying to the best of their ability to help you out.
 Conversely though, it has taken an absolute ridiculous amount of time for things to be done. My classroom was full of not one but TWO teachers' things.
In list form:
5 filing cabinets (FULL to the brim)
2 desks
2 computer chairs
2 tables (covered in books for a different subject that I had to remove & take to the book room myself)
26 student desks
5 regular chairs
2 bookshelves
assorted posters & decorations
3 big boxes of miscellaneous stuff
2 large locking cabinets
An old school computer & phone

All the veteran teachers told me to put notes on the things I needed moved & to wait. Well, that didn't sit well with me. How was I supposed to get anything done with all this stuff all over the room? I couldn't even setup my desk with all the clutter around!

Monday I spent most of the day removing books, talking to this person & that person about whose stuff it was & who would remove it, and trying to find some semblance of organization.

Finally, today, the two or three things I marked to be moved (because they were too large to do myself) were taken out!! On even better news, I can finally log onto my Skyward account to access the roster & gradebook! It only took 20 minutes on the phone with tech support. My email should be up by Monday hopefully? Ah, progress.

3. Hip Strategies are so not hip & why trainings require Words with Friends

Marzano is the man of the hour in St. Lucie county.We have been told about numerous grandiose trainings that are to take place in the near future with allusions to how beneficial they will be.

I do believe that these strategies can be helpful and GREAT tools for educators to add to their toolbox; however, I do not think we should have to sit through 3 hour powerpoint presentations where the presenter merely reads from the slides. I can do that at home with a glass of wine much more comfortably!

This is where Words with Friends comes in. Trying to not completely ignore the training today, I read through the handout & marked things I found important & wrote them down as things to take note of/remember. I know what type of learning style works best for me- listening is not it. After about 20 minutes I had finished my note taking & was still stuck with 40 minutes left in the tedious presentation. Thank goodness for technology. I stayed awake & managed to maintain my composure without drooling or nodding off.

Tomorrow holds the promise of another full day of training. Oh. Joy.

4. Roll with It aka Go AROUND the Leaf


Throughout this process I've really had to just go with the flow. As I've stated before, that is not always easy for me, but I think it's a good exercise in what I'm sure will be a parade of changes and adjustments that have to be made with teaching. Things don't always work out just how you want them. Sometimes people don't care if you're lacking a full class set of books when they have 3. They also find it funny when you can't figure out why your door won't open (the key has to be pushed in, held, then pulled out).

Then there are the great friends I know I've already made. They are going to be there to help me get through this first year and to go to happy hour when we've all had a rough day. There are going to be students who really impact who I become as a teacher & that I hope I will positively impact. The school is already such a great community of administration and teachers that really care about their students & each other.

They say educators don't care about their students. I dare them to take a walk in the life of a beginning teacher. The salary isn't worth this kind of work; I know this already! However, the rewards will be amazing...

This school year is the beginning of my journey of teaching, and I am ready to take it on.

Back to School, Back to School!

Wow...These past couple of weeks have literally FLOWN by.

I didn't even get to finish that (extensive) Tampa recap before multiple other events hit me such as: Anna's Baby Shower, my first hot yoga class in Stuart, St. Augustine for some family time, and finally pre-planning at school this week.

On that note, School starts next Monday!! There have been a lot of changes & things that an internship cannot prepare you for as part of this job. More about all that later!

Source

I really will try to do justice to all the things I want to write about, but for now a summary to catch everyone up will have to suffice!

Let's start with Tampa Recap Part II.....
 A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Here is my photo recap. Enjoy!


Brenda's 50th Birthday- Spa, Channelside & Howl @ The Moon

Warped Tour & Other Outings with Kristin

Exercise- No pictures...Just know there was sweat involved. ;) 

The Breakfast Nook

Dinner Done 

With this event, I really wish I had taken pictures of the actual kitchen & foods we prepared. However, I was so involved in getting it all together that I didn't take my camera out at all! 

Anna's Baby Shower

My good friend Anna, as seen in my last post, is having a beautiful baby boy due in September. I was lucky enough to be able to drive over to Orlando to celebrate her bundle of joy. Did I mention Anna is absolutely beautiful pregnant? It's something about pregnancy that makes women just GLOW. 

Anna & her hubby, Brad @ the shower

On a side note, check out that diaper wreathe on the gift table in the background. Through a few online tutorials I was able to take note of how others created their wreathes & tweak it. It had diapers, pacifiers, a bib, a onesie, and a Mother Goose storybook. 

Maybe I'll add a short tutorial? Only if others want to try it out though so let me know! :)

Bodhi Hot Yoga

Though a bit pricey compared to Orlando Power Yoga ($17 a class vs. $10), this studio was AMAZING. By the looks of it, the studio is pretty new; they still had a paper sign in the window announcing they were open as well as their hours. 

Although I had to wait outside the door before the class, I was still about 10 minutes early to their 6:00pm class. The waiting, I found out, was because the later classes utilizes only one staff member in the studio, and they are obviously teaching the class. Therefore, they lock the doors during class to keep patrons' stuff & their own merchandise safe. 

The class was 1 1/2 hours in length. I was worried that it would be too intense compared to the typical 60 minute classes I'm used to, but the pace was slow & produced a great intense burn.  The instructor focused on core strength, and I literally felt my sore muscles immediately after the class. I would have signed up on the spot for classes if not for the cost & distance from my house.

For now, I will have to be content with infrequently attending classes at this amazing studio.

St. Augustine Trip 

Last weekend before the whirlwind of pre-planning started, I made the trek up the coast to St. Augustine. My Uncle Jeff rented a gorgeous beachfront house and invited my dad, nana, aunts, uncles, & cousins all to stay. With enough sleeping room for 12, we bombarded the house on Saturday afternoon & setup house. 

We were a bit obsessed with cheetos this weekend as evidenced by my Aunt Bonnie's cheesy hands. It's not FB Aunt Bonnie, just the blog! ;)

My little cousin Nathaniel was my helper & buddy this weekend. We colored, played games on the beach, and watched movies curled up on the couch.

My family loves to pull pranks. When I spoke with my dad before the trip, he told me of this entire bag of things he had planned to use on everyone. Oh boy. There were fart machines, talking toilet paper dispensers, noise makers, squirt guns, and shocking pens. The picture above is just after my cousin Justin was doused with water while peacefully sleeping on the hammock underneath the house. His dad, my Uncle Jeff, and Justin hugged it out afterwards, no hard feelings. 

Backtracking a bit, I visited the oldest wooden schoolhouse in downtown St. Augustine!! I arrived in town earlier than everyone else Saturday and spent the afternoon amusing myself & getting inspired looking at the teaching conditions of old. 

This is the view of the back of the house, facing the river, from the wraparound porch. My cousin & uncle spent lots of time fishing from that dock & the beach. 

Nathaniel walking out to our private beach from the walkway by the house. 

 The view early morning from the front porch. It was so peaceful and calm! We posted up right past that wooden walkway with umbrellas, snacks, & games. My cousin caught a baby shark the first night, and we even saw dolphins playing out in the water!

And the best for last... That little nugget on the left is my cousin Micah with my very tan dad, Darrell. Micah is such a good sport, and he loves to play pranks. Must run in the family! Part of the running list of jokes this weekend involved speedos. They talked about wearing them this weekend, so this was the infamous fashion show. 

 Anyone else see Dash & Mr. Incredible from the Incredibles? 

 Sorry dad, I know you won't mind the attention!

It is now past my bedtime! 

My next post will definitely involved LOTS of school related experiences; hopefully I'll be able to post about pre-planning before school begins!

Also, some recipes are overdue! I've tried out quite a few awesome ones that I really want to post about. Soon enough!

Tampa Trip Recap Part 1

Here is my original To-Do List:
(modifications/notes made in purple!)

• Catch up with old friends (I would for the most part this was successfully accomplished. I saw almost everyone I attempted to hang out with and am pretty happy about it.)
• Get a cuban (or two) from Larry's Deli. An absolute staple in the area with the BEST Cubans. 
• Tijuana Flats. I've already been once, and I've been here two days. If you recall this post about Orlando I mention it. I feel like my stomach takes over my posts sometimes...
• Go out on the lake- brush up on those wakeboarding skills!   Sadly...It didn't happen. 
• Visit Courtney @ her new place downtown & check out The Taco Bus in Tampa. That place looks amazing!! 
• Howl @ The Moon/Channelside
• Spa trip
• Clearwater or St. Pete Beach -I didn't actually make it out to the beach to tan (a broken car prevented the one planned trip I had) but I made it out to the nightlife & Warped Tour in St. Pete! Does that count?
• Warped Tour @ Vinoy Park
• LA Fitness- I have to make myself workout or all that food from The Breakfast Nook & my other favorites will definitely be showing! Again, another modification. I knew it was going to be hard to workout, but I never actually made it to my gym. I did however hit up Lifestyles with Kristin & run around my neighborhood & walk our dogs multiple times. Not great but not terrible!

And now the details....

The Friends: Background

* I purposely picked the MOST flattering picture I could find on my computer. I can't help it if my friends look like this. ;) Also, I was going to originally do a "how I know them" paragraph, but I think a funny story involving them will be much more entertaining!

Jessica- We met in 8th grade during my first year in public schools at Pine View Middle. At a friends birthday party in 8th or 9th grade, we decided to jump in the lake behind their house. It was January and actually cold for Florida at this point. After changing into our bathing suits & quickly jumping in the lake and back out, we ran back inside to change. At this point, I remember someone yelling (possible me?) about then a dead minnow fell out of their bathing suit bottom. We all yelled, screamed, and laughed hysterically. 

Kristin- After meeting in math class 9th grade, we became super close all throughout high school. One of the most embarrassing moments involves being a mermaid at a party, but I won't tell that one! Instead, a story of cheerleading camp. While in 9th grade, someone brought boxing gloves where different members of our team would playfully box. Kristin and I put on our gloves and then beat the crap out of each other. Her braces bled and my head ended up slammed into a wall. We have since called a truce to never, ever again challenge each other physically. Lesson learned!

Courtney- In college, an Intro to Education course brought us together. The night of Courtney's bachelorette party was crazy from skinny dipping to hookah & finally out at Howl at the Moon. The best part was Courtney's Carl doll which went everywhere with us the first night and even next to Courtney on the floor when she was no longer mobile. This past weekend, we discovered a new favorite drink, a Creamsicle, and reconnected with lots of laughs & gossip. 

Kierstan- We met sophomore year of college in an education class. Kierstan & I have had a lot of fun times out together, mainly in Irish Pubs. However, a funny memory is from our Keys trip. We went out to Duval Street and upon returning were taking care of Kierstan. Her caretaker was a little overzealous for Kierstan and so as she was being dressed for bed she mumbled "No piggies!" to indicate that she did not want her piggie pajama pants. It was a great moment that we still discuss to embarrass her. ;)

Anna- Anna was also in the class I met Kierstan in and her take-no-shit attitude hooked me from the start. My favorite memory is when Anna called me after we left Fifty Brews when she was rolling down a hill into a ditch near where we lived. I could hear the wind & then thumping, and right before she hung up "Brad, let's do that again!" ...Almost 8 months later and she's pregnant with that night linked as the culprit. That night makes me look back & smile.

Chris- While living in Alafaya Club freshman year of college, my roommates & I befriended Chris & his roommates...the rest is history.

With Chris I have many embarrassing fond memories, but the most infamous is the night of the drunk bandana.  It was Halloween, and Chris had quite a bit to drink. He was dressed as Walker Texas Ranger and was acting a fool all night. After he came back inside from ripping water pipes off the building and smashing them on his head, he started talking to a few of our friends. One of them had recently arrived to the party and asked Chris, "What are you a cowboy?" His response: "NO, I'm a drunk bandana!" Suffice to say he is now the drunk bandana whenever he drinks!

I was fortunate enough to visit with ALL of these lovely ladies (& Chris) within the two weeks I was on the west coast of Florida. I've known these wonderful people for anywhere from 3 year to 10 years! I can't say how grateful it makes me to have these amazing friends- especially since I know visiting with them will be few & far between with my move to SoFlo.

Larry's Deli

 A mix between a convenience store & a sub shop, this cozy deli is in the heart of Land O' Lakes, Florida.

In high school, Kristin and I would drive straight to Larry's Deli after school to grab a cuban to eat before cheerleading practice. We would split a footlong. I almost never had leftovers!

The sandwich I bought last week didn't disappoint. Going in at lunch time, the place was packed! Luckily, we called ahead and in a few short minutes the sandwiches were ours! I wish I could have made it back for round two. Until next time, Larry's Deli, you will be missed!

American Idol & Orlando 

Two days after my mom flew out of TPA, my sister and I finished up a busy weekend at The Breakfast Nook & headed to Orlando to watch American Idol Live! My mom & sister have been avid fans for seasons on end. Me, I started watching when my mom bought the tickets. Not to say that I didn't have my favorites (Haley & James), but the hype that surrounds that show has never really been "it" for me. However, I was pleasantly surprised by all the hits that they crooned, most of which I was familiar with. The show was fast-paced and entertaining with lots of medleys and a nail biting finish in which Scotty finally performed for the last 20-25 minutes of the show. 

After walking back to Kierstan's place from the Amway Center, Andraya decided to stay in and relax while Kierstan and I explored downtown. She introduced me to her new favorite local spot- Frank & Steins. I was in heaven with an actual craft selection (MIA in most Treasure Coast restaurants) & promptly ordered an Ommegang 3 Philosophers. We talked and ordered the special- a hotdog any way with these bad boys...

Also, I just found out that there is a Frank & Stein in Stuart! There is hope for craft beers on the east coast! These last few pictures were taken near Kierstan's studio by Lake Eola. We really enjoyed hanging out- thanks for the hospitality Kierstan!!

Painting With a Twist

My mom with her twin, Carol

What an awesome way to spend an evening! At Painting with a Twist, we booked a private room to host Cheryl & Carol's 50th birthday. 

I brought appetizers & wine to snack on, and we dutifully followed our host in drawing this beach scene.

The two hours went by so fast! I think mainly our chatter had something to do with it (possible the jello shots too) but overall we kept a pretty fast pace. For the perfectionist, this is not your cup of tea!

All in the family! From left: Andraya, Lavern, Carol, Cheryl,  me, & Brittany.

               

The amazing thing about the paintings is that no two are alike- while it is essentially the same picture, they all look different according to that artist's interpretation and color mixing. 

Though a little pricey for my college student taste, I would definitely do this again with some friends!

Taco Bus & Out with Courtney
Are you in or near Tampa? Then go try this place right now. I mean it, stop reading my blog & go try them. They're open 24 hours so it doesn't matter what time you're reading this. ;)

 Courtney & I as first-time Taco Bus goers, asked the server what to get. She suggested the quesadilla, and we both ordered them with chicken. 


The Taco Bus may look a little worn in, but the food is so authentic you'll forget that it was just made on a bus. 

Sadly when I was out with Courtney I only took pictures of my beer, but we walked all over SoHo in Tampa trying out different places & laughing the Wednesday night away. Courtney is such a trooper for skipping bowling & staying out late with me on a weeknight! In SoHo we tried out The Lodge, McDentons, and Yard of Ale. All were great! SoHo gets two thumbs up from a first-timer.






In my next entry.....


Brenda's 50th Birthday- Spa, Channelside & Howl @ The Moon

Warped Tour & Other Outings with Kristin

Exercise

The Breakfast Nook


Dinner Done