10 Things that Make Me Happy

1.      My Family – My family is always there for me no matter what. They always have my back

2.      My Friends – As I discover this adult world I have learned that some of my friends have become like family.  They always know how to pump me up and there for me to celebrate my victories.

3.      Teaching – I have finished my first year of teaching.  It was an amazing experience.  Watching little people grow over a year is a wonderful experience.  Experiencing a child discover their independence is the most rewarding experience

4.      Running – running gets my positive energy following

5.      Reading – I feel like each time I dive into a book I get to live someone else life for a little bit

6.      Music – I pump out my lesson plans listening to tunes.  Music has always motivated me.

7.      Anything pink – I love the color pink

8.      The first snow – I love the magic that the first snow brings

9.      Coloring
10. Organization  

One Blessed Summer

I have had an amazing summer! It was filled with surprises and much laughter.  I was truly blessed this summer. 

1.    Teaching – I have my first teaching job!  I will be at the same school I student taught at and I could not be more excited!

2.    Grandma – My grandma suffered a heart attack the weekend of the 4^th July.  That was probably the worst weekend of my adult life.  She is currently in the hospital.  She has had one surgery and is waiting on one more.  This weekend reminded me how precious family is.  

3.    An unexpected friend – I had a co-worker this summer who had my same sense of humor.  She is a wonderful friend to me and I’m so glad she came into my life this summer.

4.    A closer bond – I have a friend who I have been friends with since I was a freshman in college and this summer we got even closer.  She always has my back.  She celebrates my victories and cries with me during sad times.  She brings a sparkle to the world. 

5.    Driving – This summer I drove an hour each way to my job.  I listened to a lot of audio books! 

6.    Camp – This was my first summer working at a camp.  I really enjoyed working with these kids.  We were outside every day and we swam several times a week.  

Non-Verbal Students

            These students amaze me every day!   They live in a world driven by communication and have to figure out how to convey their wants and needs without using traditional methods.  When these students are given the tools to help them communicate they often run with it. 

            People who work with students with these needs learn to read them very carefully.  Certain movements may indicate that the child is distressed or needs something.  Each non-verbal child I have worked with has taught me something new.  Just because they don’t have words to express what they are thinking does not mean that they are not thinking.  These children are so bright!   

Shoes

Some might say I have a shoe obsession, but I have learned over the years that shoes serve different purposes.   In life you have different activities you have to do and with each activity come a pair of shoes.

My Shoes:

·         Black ballet flats – These are my professional shoes; I have never been a heels girl. 

·         Sandals – Every Friday at my job this summer we had water day.  These were a life saver. 

·         Sneakers – These are my comfiest shoes.   My family loves to hike, so I often wear these on the weekend.

·         Flip-Flops – These are also my weekend shoes.  I also wear them around the dorm.

·         Slippers – I get cold really easily, so these keep my feet toasty warm. 

Summer Reflection

Another summer accomplished!  This one flew by!  I finished my last general requirement class, Geology.  It was a five week class which the quickest I have ever taken a class.  Next class student teaching!

            This summer I worked again with an extended school year program as a one-on-one aide.  I worked in a kindergarten through third room.   The lesson I learned this summer is to treat the classroom adults like a team.  Everyone is trying to do the best thing for the child and you need to talk to one another about your reasoning behind these ideas.  As someone who is trying to go into special education I realize that I will be working with a lot of people between the therapist and all the aides in the classroom.  Communication is key for the child to get all they need.  Through subbing for this program I have been fortunate to see different teacher’s styles.  I have realized that there will never be two teachers that have the same approach.  Each teacher is unique.  I think that each teacher brings their own personality and this contributes to their style.  Seeing so many approaches has left me with plenty of great ideas!

5 Things I Believe In

1.    Hard work pays off – My whole life I have lived by this.  Yes I have been there when you spent your whole weekend working on a project and you go to class on Monday and your teacher extends the deadline.  Think of it this way you have your afternoon off while your peers are working on the project.  One of my professor said that slackers will make it in college, but once they get into the real world it’s going to hit them.  Work ahead you will thank yourself later. 

2.    Don’t be afraid to be your self – I really like to color and some people might consider this childish, but for me it is really relaxing.  Every time I have finals I usually end up coloring for a break.  For my nineteenth birthday I got two coloring books and a huge box of crayons I could not be more excited.  For Valentine’s Day I colored each of my sorority sisters a Valentine’s picture and wrote a note to them.  They really seemed to appreciate it, so sometimes the things that make you unique make you really likeable.

3.    If you care about someone let them know - I think it really important to let people know how much they mean to you.  I text some my friends every day and let them know how much they mean to me.   This is something that I feel is getting lost in our society and being told that you mean something someone is a real confidence boost.

4.    Alone time is a good thing – When I first started college I wanted to be with people all the time as I have gotten older I have realized that being alone is sometimes nice.  After a long day it is really nice to sit down and read a book in a quiet place.

5.    Work on Your Weaknesses – If you try to avoid your weaknesses you are never going to get better at them. Face them head on.  When I was younger I would run away from my weaknesses, but in the end I would save time if I just dealt with them. 

My Favorite Present

My favorite present that I have received is a boom box.  This was my introduction to music.  That Christmas I had asked for several CDs.  After that Christmas I was hooked on music.  Since I was four years old I had been taking dance classes, so music already; played a role in my life.  Through my pre-teen years I would spend hours in my room creating dances to my favorite songs.  Whenever I am stressed out I like to make up dances I always feel better after.  Where my music is played has changed over time, but my love for it has never wavered. 

Puppy

In October my family got a new puppy. I do not remember the puppy days with our previous dog. She passed away last summer. I was only nine when we got her.

As I said previously I work with kids a lot, but not so much babies. Watching a puppy during her first couple months of life has been a learning experience for me. The day my parents brought her home she hid under a desk. I first met her on Thanksgiving break. She was so little and loved to be heled. I played with her a bunch over Christmas break, but the real bonding began this summer. I work during the day and the first few days home she would guard the door not wanting me to leave. This made me feel guilty. Eventually she figured out that I came home each afternoon. After my job we go for a walk.

We just got back from a vacation where she swam for the first time. I was so proud of her. She used to avoid water like the plague. On the afternoon walks we would take her to a stream to warm her up to water. She was so funny in the sand she loved to dig holes and put her head in it.

I am so thankful my family got her. She is the sassiest dog I know. She makes me smile every day

5 songs I’ll listen to for the rest of my life

1.    The Climb

a.    This song means so much to me!  I have had to work hard to get where I am today.  I have had people tell me I can’t, but I have proven them wrong.  The speaker at my high school graduation talked about how sometimes in life you will get knocked down in life, but you have to just get back up.  Each time in college when a test didn’t go well or I had a struggle I thought about this.  I think this song has this message.  This song also talks about how you have to enjoy the journey while getting to your destination.

2.    The Best Day

a.    This song describes my mom and my relationship to a tee.  She is my rock and I do not know where I would be without her.  Sometimes when I get stressed out I put on this song and it calms me down thinking about my mom. 

3.    At the Beginning

a.    I love this song.  It talks about transitions in life and I am in that period in my life where there are a lot of transitions.  You never know who you will meet and who will have a big impact on your life.

4.    Same Love

a.    This song talks about something that I am passionate about.  I believe one day my children will ask about what it was like not to have gay marriage legal.

5.    Let It Go

a.      This song reminds me to not care what people say and to be true to myself.  People my age are constantly criticizing each other.  This song is a true reminder to not listen to them.  I had a wonderful friend my freshman year of college that taught me this and this song always reminds me of her. 

Little

Dear Little,

I hope all your dreams come true.  Sometimes life has a way of creating dreams that we did not know existed.  You have so much to offer the world.  Always keep your beautiful smile.   Being your big has been so amazing and it will be something that I always remember about college. It has been so great to watch you grow as a person.   I’m so glad that you embraced our pirate family.  Thank you for never judging me.  I really think it was fate that made us big and little.  I mean what were the odds that we had class together as freshmen and lived in the same dorm.  I will never forget the fabulous sign you put on my door freshman year for my birthday.  It was pretty impressive you got it up without me knowing.   You are obsessed with the same tv shows as me, so I will be texting you next year to get your opinions, but remember you don’t watch detective shows right before you go to sleep.    You are going to have a wonderful life with your future hubby.  He’s a great guy and he has a good sense of humor.  You’re going to be a great mom.   My biggest wish for you is that you are happy.

Love,

You’re big 

22 Things I Learned 22

1. Don’t be afraid to be yourself the people that matter will stick by you

2.    Alone time is ok you don’t have to social every minute

3.    Study hard it will pay off

4.    Working during breaks will teach you so much

5.    Work out – it helps with everything

6.    Take small risks

7.    When you are really interested in something don’t be afraid to totally nerd out

8.    Read a lot – books have so much to teach you

9.    Dance whenever you feel like it

10. Don’t be afraid to give people a second chance

11. Let those close to you know how much they mean to you

12. Write letters – people have so much to teach you

13. When you listen you learn so much

14. Sometimes you should stand up for what you believe in, but choose your battles

15. Children make you see the world in a new way

16. Wake up with a smile on your face

17.  Even though you may not see some friends everyday they still mean the world to you

18. Loss is hard

19. Driving is not as scary as I thought it was – plus it gives you a lot of independence

20. A little boy can make you see teaching in a new way

21. The important moments are usually the little moments

22. Love life 

Growing Up

You know when you were a kid and someone asks you what you want to be when you grow up.  The thing you don’t think about is paying rent and paying for car insurance.  This week I had to get a new car battery and faced some of the realities of adult life.  At the car place they called me mam.  That was weird.  When I go to schools for field work they often mistake me for a student.    

            There are perks to being an adult though.  You can hop in the car and go to the library when you want to and yes I am a nerd.   You can work a job and make your own money.   I love my job and honestly it probably is where I am happiest.  You get to have deep friendships that mean the world to you.   Some of these friendships will turn into heartbreaks, but other amazing friends will be there to help you through that time.  

My Grandma and McCallie

          I know it has been a while since I have written, sorry this past semester was super busy.  I spent a ton of time in the classroom this semester doing field work and studying.  Now I am at home enjoying my break with my family.  I am feeling really grateful for my family.  My brother is coming home in four days after being away for a while.  I am really excited to see him.  My grandma had surgery today.  She has been on my mind a lot lately.  She is a daily inspiration to me.

            My grandma has not had an easy life, but somehow each day she wakes up each day and finds beauty in everything.  Every time I talk to her on the phone she makes me smile.  She makes me feel so special each time I talk to her.  She is a very giving person.  She collects soda tabs for St. Jude.  She came for both my graduation and my brothers, which is a big deal because she lives in California, so it is a journey to get here.  She has taught me what is truly important in life.

            The other big event in my life is that my family got a puppy.  Her name is McCallie and she is full of sass.  I love her so much.  She greets me each morning.  She loves to cuddle and be held, but she also likes to chew on things.  I was upset when I found that she had chewed a whole into my PJs the other day.  My new strategy is to give her a toy when she is on my lap, so I do not become the chew toy.  She is very smart, but I might be a little biased.   My dad taught her how to high five.  It is so cute!   She also knows how to roll over.  She has brought my family so much joy.   I can’t wait to see my brother meet her.  

What I have learned Freshman year to Senior year

1.    Get involved

a.    I could have never imaged myself in some of the organizations I am in when I was in high school.  So put yourself out there, it is worth it.  You will meet so many different people.  I am involved with two service clubs.  I am also in Equality Alliance, which supports the rights of the LGBT community.  I am also in a sorority.  The service groups have given a chance to have leadership role.  It also gave me a chance to get use to speaking in front of people, which I will be doing as a teacher. 

2.    Friends teach you a lot

a.    Some friends will be there from your freshman year till your senior year and some may transfer.   One of my friends called me on my birthday last year and left a voice mail.  The reason why this is so impressive is because she transfer out of my school my freshman year.  It is so nice that she took the time out of her day to give me a call.  One of my close friends and I have been friends since freshman year it has so neat to watch us to both grow.  My friends have taught me how to be a good friend.  One of my good friends answered the phone when I called her at two in the morning when I was upset.  My friends have taught me that being there for your friends when they are going through a tough time is really important.  This summer my dog passed away and all my friends really helped me get through this time.

3.    Exercise

a.    Exercise is a great way to deal with stress.  When I am feeling really stressed I love to go for a run.  I always feel better after I run.  It is also really easy to gain weight in college.  At my school the best food at the dining hall is the deserts.  If I want to keep eating the chocolate chip cookies I have to keep running.  My school also offers exercise classes that are a ton of fun!  Last year I did Zumba, yoga, and kickboxing.  

Summer of Growth

        This summer I grew up a lot!  I worked almost the whole summer and took two classes.  The thing I gained the most was independence.  Last Fall I got my driver license, but until this summer I had not driven by myself.  Now I drive myself to work every day.  I use not be able to imagine what it would be like to live on my own after I graduate college, but now I am staring to be able to picture it.      

            This summer I also gained my teacher voice.  The kids now take me seriously, most of the time.  Sometimes I worry that I am to stern, but one day I worked in a different classroom and one of the students asked where I was all day.  I guess the kids like me if they want me back.  I have enjoyed working with these kids this summer.  They inspire me daily.  Each of them have their own personifies and they each do things that make us smile.

I think one of the scariest things about working with kids with special needs is that some of them run.  You have no idea where they are going.  My worst fear is that they will get to the parking lot.  I have learned to be quick on my feet. 

This summer has helped me see that I am going in the right direction.  I really want to be teacher and have gained an extra push to work harder in school this summer.  Last summer I worked with high schoolers.  This summer I worked with kids in elementary.  Each experience gave me valuable experiences.  

My Summer Goal

            So my summer goal may sound a little weird, but if you are an education major you will understand.   My goal is to work on my tough guy teacher voice.  You want me to in courage a kid I have you covered, but something I have been trying to work on is using a serious voice.  My biggest struggle is that sometimes kids do really cute things when they are being mischievous and I end up laughing. I think I have been making progress this summer.  I have been subbing as an aide in special education classroom.  Now when I whip out my serious kids actually listen to me.  The kids give me plenty of opportunities to practice it, but I don’t mind because it gives me a chance to practice. 

            Another thing I have been learning is that with different children you have to respond differently.  Some children you can sing songs to keep the class in order.  In a kindergarten class I was in the teacher would sing part of a song and then the students would sing it back.  It talked about a bubble.  The students knew when their bubbles were in they were to be quiet.   Other students need to know you mean business.  Some of the younger students I have worked with need their hand held when we go outside. The school is located by a major road.  Some of the kids have tried to get away from my grip.  I tell the child that they have to hold my hand when we are outside.  It is a risk to the child safety if I let them go. 

High School and Life Changing Experience

          My junior year in high school I took this class called Children’s Literature.  In this class we learned how to read books to children.  I learned the importance of practicing books before you read them to the kids.  Kids love when you do different voices for different characters, but that takes practice.  There are two different approaches to reading a picture book.  I remember loving this as a child.  You can show the students the pictures while you read it or you can have students form a picture in their own minds and then show them the picture.  Every Monday we would go to the local elementary school and go and read to the kids before they went to school.  This was one of my first experiences with kids in a school setting.  This made me want to become a teacher even more.  These kids where so excited about books.  They were really engaged with the books. Our final project in this class was a study on a author.

            This school year I was able to see kids listening to books again.  I work in daycare with preschool age kids.  After I was done with work I would go directly to my field work classroom, which was at the kindergarten level.  The amount of growth that kids make between preschool and kindergarten is crazy.  I would read books to both groups of kids and you could see how much they grow.  Many of the preschoolers had a hard time to sitting through the whole book.  The kindergartners would ask questions throughout the whole book.

My Dog

             We got my dog, Maisie when I was nine years old.  She has been around for more than half of my life.  She is a yellow lab and loves people.  Cats scare her, which is funny because all the dogs you see on t.v. are scaring the cats.  Her hair stands up on her back when she is scared.  I know this is going to sound weird, but my dog is really positive.  She is always happy and inspires me to be.  When I come home from college she has the best greeting.

            The week I came home for the summer my mom text me that Maisie would not stand up.  She is thirteen now.  My parent took her to the vet they think she has spinal damage.  She got acupuncture.  I did not know this existed for dogs, but it really seemed to help her.  She is on a lot of pills right now, but she does not mind because she takes them with peanut butter.  The time of the day when she is most animated is meal times.  Watching her walk makes me want to cry because she keeps slipping. 

            Last summer I worked in a day care and mostly in the baby room.  When I got home I would tell Maisie that she is my baby.  When I was eleven I taught her to sit and lay down.  Sometimes she mixes them up.  She loves to have her ears rubbed.  She also loves car rides.  When she was younger she would hop up into the driver seat when we were in the store.  She rode in the car when I was first learning to drive.  She is one brave dog.  She is hilarious when she goes swimming because she always forgets to hold her head up and she swallows water.   She hates baths, but sometimes she can get pretty stinky.  She gets pretty mad at my mom if she has to get a bath.  I love when my mom brings her in the car to pick me up.  She usually rolls done the back window, so when I come out I can see my panting dog smiling at me.   

Friendship

            I have been thinking about friendship a lot because graduation is coming up at my school.   Friends bring a lot of things to your life; they surprise you, they disappoint you, they lift you up, they make you giggle, they teach a new thing, they will let you down, and best of all they love you.  During the summer I don’t get to see my friends because I live far away from school, but I usually keep in contact with them.

One of my good friends is graduating next week.  She only came into my life last school year, but she has made a big impact on my life.  She has become a role model in my life.  She is an education major just like me.  Her dream is to be a preschool teacher.  She gives me really good advice on what classes to take.  She works really hard and gave up every summer to take classes.  Trust me taking summer classes are a lot of work. I have taken summer classes each summer and most of them have been online, but they are still a lot of work.

In college I have learned it does not really matter how many friends I have it’s the quality of friends you have.  In high school it seemed like it mattered how many friends you have.  I have found some friends that are true friends and they are my biggest cheerleaders.  My one friend is so sweet she is a history major, but she always asked me about my field work.  I always work in a daycare and she will ask me how the kids were.  My one friend’s mom was teacher and she always helps me what is grade level appropriate.  Another friend I have and I have awkward story time.  I know this sounds weird, but some pretty awkward stuff happens to us.

This school year I was a president of a club.  At first it was pretty stressful, but one of my good friends stepped up and helped me come up with some ideas.   I don’t think if she had helped me the club would have turned out as good as it did.  I made some good friends through this club and I found some people that I can really count on.  It’s a community service club and we do different projects to help people in the community.