I'm done.

Let's forget the fact that I'm sick in the middle of summer.  Let's also forget the panic attack I had on Saturday. Let's just forget that the air conditioner is broken and the house is 89 degrees inside.  Let's forget that there are boxes piled in 70% of the house.  Just forget the weeds that are taking over the yard.  Don't look at the pile of laundry that hasn't been put away in a month.  Let's just forget all of that and remember that there are only three more days left of school.  And two of those are half days.  So it's really only two days left.  And one of those days is a field day.  So it's kind of like there's only one day left.

One day.

Things I have learned

I still have four more days to babysit, ahem, teach until school is out. Finally.  I came home early today because I am, yet again, sick.  Lovely.  But as the year comes to a close and I prepare for the new start in the Fall, I have decided to make a list of things I have learned in my first year teaching.... well, "instructing." Not in any particular order:

-  Teaching for 8 hours a day is hard.  Now- I thought I knew this before.  I've taught dance and swimming before, and those things were hard.  It's hard to leave your personal life behind when you teach.  But it's even harder when you teach full time.  There's truly no way (that I know of as yet) to really leave your personal feelings at the door.  I'm thinking that I will need to have some kind of reminder next year...

-   Teaching is fun.  I really do like standing at the board in front of those kids, pretending I know everything there is to know about anything: astronomy, grammar, you name it.  It can be very fun to teach things you don't know very well yourself.

-  Bribing children with candy is totally acceptable.  Sometimes that is the only way to get them to work.

-   Teaching from your desk is not an effective way to help the kids learn.  Especially when there's a phone in your hand.

-   It will always seem like every other teacher has everything together, is positive and successful with every child, and never gets angry.  But I am always doing better than I think (even when I come out of Math, shaking with frustration), at least I hope I'm doing better than I think.

-  Even with direct instruction, kids will find a way to space out.

-  Kids assume the darndest things about you.  Like little Johnny (not his real name), who thinks me and Ms. Cooke are best friends.  We are good friends.  Good work friends.  Only seen at work, though.  Besties for life.

-  Some children just don't get it.

-  Some do.

-  Being positive is always the best option.  Even when you're dying inside from various situations, being positive will always make it easier.

-  Someone else will always outdo your drama.  It makes me grateful for the simple life I have right now.  Hopefully it will always stay this way (wishful thinking?)  My drama is never as bad as others' (except for that one time.  I can't provide details, however, I provided endless entertainment for my coworkers for a couple weeks on some of my drama and complaining).

-  Waking up early gets easier with practice.  Look at me! I'm an adult!

-  Having an adult conversation is something I crave after being around kids all day.

-  Classroom management must start out uber-strict.  Or else the kids walk all over you.  You can lighten up after Christmas.

-  Even with a picture of you and your husband hanging by your desk, and your nametag saying "Mrs.", kids will still not know you are married.

-  Kids who wear uniforms judge what their teachers wear everyday.  "Cute outfit, Mrs. Park."  If I don't get a compliment, I know I've done something wrong.

-  Non-work-related emails will sit in the inbox for almost a week before I have time or energy to open them.

-  There are politics everywhere.

-  You need a strong immune system to be a teacher of snivelchiddlers.

-  Some of the kids who drive you the most crazy, end up being the ones you care about the most.

Just some of things I've learned.  There's much more, I'm sure.  But for now, this list will suffice.  I've learned many things to do, and many things not to do.  It's been a long year.  I hope I get all the suck-ups next year. I can't handle class clowns.

I've become a babysitter

I feel fairly free to admit this.  I'm 99% sure no one from work reads this blog.  And if they do, then oh well.  Nothing I write will be a fire-able offense...  Just maybe offensive.

I have become a babysitter.  My official title is Instructor.  That means I teach part of the time and aide the rest.  I don't have my own classroom, but I am there for a teacher whenever she needs me.  I've really enjoyed my job.  I love the people I work with (even with some of their quirks and drama).  I love that I was able to see whether or not I could do this teaching thing.  I love it.

However.

The past 6-8 weeks has been... rough.  To say the least.  The teacher I work with (who shall remain nameless, but for the sake of this post, we will call her Mildred) has checked out.  Now- all the staff at school right now are burnt out.  It's understandable.  It's been a long, eventful school year.  Much joy and laughter, tears and drama.  But Mildred has checked out.  I spend the day babysitting twelve year-olds because she has decided there is nothing else to teach them.  And yet, there are two and a half weeks left til school is actually out.  This is a problem.

So basically, I find any excuse to leave the classroom, and "prepare for next year".  I actually am preparing for next year, in which I will take the place of Mildred as the sixth grade teacher.  And I will actually teach until they tell me not to, not just sit at my desk and play on my phone while yelling at the kids to be quiet and work on their non-existent homework.

Yes.  I will teach.  Not check out.

Life

Life is challenging.  Life is hard.  Life is surprising.


Today it is all of the above.


And I'm not sure if it will end well in the short term.  Long term will always end well (if I can gain some patience back- see previous post).  But it's interesting what a two minute conversation can do to what you thought was your future.


No.  I'm not pregnant (I just think some people might think that, after reading this post).

Patience is Key.

pa·tience

 [pey-shuhns]

noun

1.

the quality of being patient,  as the bearing of provocation,annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss oftemper, irritation, or the like.

2.

an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness orannoyance when confronted with delay: to have patiencewith a slow learner.

3.

quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence:to work with patience.

I like to think I am a patient person.  A laid-back person.  Chill.  

Lately, I think that quality is running thin.  These sixth graders suck the patience out of me.  Everyday.  And then I come home and have no patience for anything- crumbs on the counter, laundry piled on the couch, evidence of wasted time (let's just forget that most of these things are self-inflicted).

Ask Josh.  I don't necessarily stay patient without complaint, loss of temper, or irritation.  At least there is only 22 school days left.  Then summer will come and I can stock up on the quiet, steady perseverance and even-tempered care before school starts again in the fall and I become the impatient teacher.

22 days.

Instagram Discovered

We've jumped the bandwagon and gotten Iphones, and everything that comes with them: Angry Birds, Plants vs Zombies, etc. etc.  I've joined the crowd of Instagrammers to turn my photos into vintage-looking, somewhat pretentious works of art.  I think Amy would hate it because it makes anyone feel like they are instant photographers...... which is true.  I do feel very artistic when I crop my photos and add the layers to make them look awesome.  Sorry, Amy.

Here are some of my recent favorites.

Our Cherry Tree:

Apricot Tree

And spring flowered walkway:

Josh's Sunday nap (my favorite. He's so handsome.):

Yes.  I try to be trendy.  And I love it.  

My new goal is to post at least once a week.

I need to do it.  For my own sanity.  And for the sake of letting friends and family know how exciting my life is.


For now, these are my thoughts:


Josh started a new semester and quit his job.  Our new goal (we're making lots of those 'round here) is to have him graduating next April.  Hooray!  His grades will be great because he isn't working and has time to study.
Where will we get money if he's not working, you ask? Oh don't worry.  I've been offered a position as next years 6th grade teacher at APA.  I'm an adult! I'll be getting a salary and everything!


Our other goals???


- budget every month
- organize our room
- read scriptures together every night
- organize the basement for our second set of roommates: Jenn and Iain
- sell our car
- weed the yard
- set up the tramp
- ride our bikes
- save money


And those are just some of them.  I realize not everyone wants to read about our intentions.  But writing them down gets us one step closer to accomplishing them, right?  Then they are concrete.  Not to ignore.


We can do it.