Teaching is...

I wrote this way back in September to answer some interview questions a friend of mine had about being a first year teacher. It is interesting to re-read what I wrote as a wide-eyed, fairly fresh intern. I still share many of these same sentiments but I have accomplished so much and come so far since then! 

...

I chose to teach because I wanted a career that would feel rewarding. I see every day the difference that I am making in these kids' lives. I also wanted something that I knew I would never get tired of. Teaching is new and different every day. I never feel like things are routine and boring, because there are always things to be done, questions to be answered, and fires to be put out. It definitely keeps me jumping. When I got to BYU I almost talked myself out of it, thinking that I was just following a childhood dream, and not something that I still wanted to do. I thought about many different paths, but all of them led back to kids. I thought about psychology, and child counseling, I thought about school psychology, I thought about social work in the schools, and finally realized that my passion was with children and helping them to have the best future possible. The natural choice after that felt like teaching.

The thing I love most about teaching is the look on a kid's face when they finally understand a tough concept. I also love knowing that I personally am responsible for teaching kids super basic concepts like multiplication and division. These basic things that we know how to do, that we take for granted, and that are such an integral part of our lives...? They know those things because of me. I love knowing that I am making a difference in not only these kids' lives, but in every life that they are going to touch as well. I love the teachable moments that aren't necessarily academic ones. I love those moments where I am not just teaching them about math, social studies, writing... but also about life. I love knowing that I am teaching life lessons and showing them how to be not only good students, but good people. And I honestly love being their crying shoulder, knowing that they love and trust me enough to clue me into the more personal parts of their lives.
A specific example of this may be the other day when one of my boys was being so bad all day. He would not listen, he was talking back, and being openly defiant of me. I dealt with it all day until afternoon recess when I pulled him aside as the others were leaving to question him about his behavior. I asked him if he was being very respectful, to which he replied "no." I asked him why, and he said "Because I'm angry!" I asked him why he was angry and he said "because my dad won't talk to me!" At this point he just broke down crying. I was very grateful that I had asked him what was going on rather than simply reprimanding him, because that would have made the situation worse. Instead I told him I am so sorry that he and his dad are fighting, but that he should not treat other people badly when they are not the ones that he is angry with. Moments like these are powerful teaching moments, and I am glad that I can be there to be that positive example that kids need.
I think one of the hardest aspects of teaching, honestly, is pleasing every parent. Things that work for one kid don't necessarily work for another. I have one child in my class that is severely ADHD and the family refuses to medicate him. That is their personal decision, but as a result, I feel like I am giving this particular child way more attention than is fair to the others, because I am always having to attend to some inappropriate behavior or checking that he is on task or even attempting to get his work done. I have tried countless strategies with him, and I just feel like no matter how hard I try, I am just not getting him where he needs to be. I had been trying to get ahold of his parents for a few weeks and they were not responding. Realizing that I wasn't going to get any help here, I decided to try collaborating with his past teachers, and with some of the other 3rd grade teachers at my school. After this I finally felt like I had some good ideas, and was trying to put them into practice. That very day his father called me, terribly upset that I had been communicating with the mother instead of him, and got mad at me for nobody communicating with him about his son. He was upset that I was sending his kid to one-on-one reading instruction with a reading aid and claimed that "it should not take more than one person to educate his child." He was also upset with some of his sons behavior problems that I "could not control", informed me that I must not be strict enough, and because I was getting reading help for his child and could not eliminate his behavior problems that I was "obviously not doing my job right." He attributed this to my first year teacher status. He was very rude, and his comments quite uncalled for. He raised his voice with me and gave me an earful for 10 minutes, and then hung up without letting me come back with anything or try to get to the bottom of things and figure anything out. After this phone call, he decided to give the principal a call and let him know exactly what he thought of me and my methods. The principal sided with me, but it was still an emotional experience for me. Negative parent contact is the worst, especially when they do not try to actually see the full picture. You can only do so much for a child, and when you feel like you are truly trying your best, giving it every effort you can, and the parents are still not pleased, that's when it gets tough. Parents do know their children better than their teachers do, that is not even a question. But.. Parents do not know how to teach like teachers do. They have not had 4+ years of training for it.  Along those lines, I don't know how to parent like they do. We each have our specialties, and I believe that they should stay separate.
Now that I am actually teaching, I think I am more confident in my abilities as a whole. Lesson planning and grading, and everything like that is tough and incredibly time consuming, but it is not as challenging as I anticipated. However, when it comes to reaching each individual student, I think I am slightly less confident. I did not anticipate such a wide range of abilities all in one classroom. Sure, they are all the same age and in the same grade, but I teach 3rd grade and I have students in my class at anywhere from a 1st grade reading/writing level to a 5th. It is tough to make sure that my instruction is developmentally appropriate for every child. I don't want to lose my lower kids, but I do not want to bore my higher kids. There are also those kids that will ask for help when they don't understand, as well as other students who will silently struggle. They will never approach me or ask for help with anything, because they are either too shy to talk to the teacher/authority figure, or simply don't want me to know that they are struggling. Because of this, finding that balance and making accommodations for every child is a huge challenge.
I think that my teacher program was fairly effective in teaching me how to teach, in theory. It taught me all of the needed content knowledge, and many helpful strategies. However, I think that something as all-encompassing as actually teaching really only comes with sustained practice. I did have hands-on opportunities. I did 2 month-long practicums, but that was in someone else's classroom. I was only teaching a few lessons a day. I was responsible for the grading for those lessons, but that was it. Now I am in charge of everything! Grading, planning (for all day, every day), parent communication, and really, truly knowing as much as possible about each kid and where they are/should be academically, emotionally, and socially. My hardest struggle with my first year of teaching is classroom management. This is something that I am constantly being encouraged to improve on. I had a 3 credit class my junior year at BYU called "Classroom Management", and I got tons of great ideas from it, but once again- this is definitely something that you really just learn by doing. In practicums I used someone else's management system. The kids were already used to it, so they responded to it. Coming up with my own and successfully implementing it has been difficult.
I fully believe that teaching is a profession. Obviously I'm a bit biased, but I can't stand when people say it is not. Teaching is a career that requires specialized training. Not just a few months, but at least 4 years of it. It is one of the fastest-changing fields, so it requires professional development and training quite often. Teachers need to stay up to date on new technologies, and the ever-changing new and best practices. Teaching is also a job that isn't just a job. It's my whole life. I am at school from 7:30 to 6 almost every day and after that I take things home with me to grade and plan. Work does not stay at work. When that much of your life is devoted to something that you've trained so hard for I would definitely call it a profession.
Teaching is being busier and more stressed than you ever thought possible, but so rewarding.
...

I see every day what a difference I am making in these children's lives. Not only in their academic abilities, but their life skills as well. Regardless of tough situations and a tough class, I really have loved this year and I love this profession. :)
♥, Meagan

Dear Grandma and Grandpa . . .

(This blog post is from the beginning of October. Apparently I forgot to post it, because I found it hanging out in my drafts.)

..………………………………………………...

We learned the proper format for writing letters this week. Ones like these remind me why I wanted to teach.

Dear Grandma & Grandpa
how are you doing I love you. I am likeing 3rd grade! my teachers names miss Jardine, she is nice.
I hope you are great! I leaned multition, and divition. we leaned cusive, letters, and Riverton,.
you are a good grandma and grandpa! what was your favorite grade?
will you please write Back?

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,
     Hello! How are you doing? I am doing great and in third grade I am learning so much stuff! I love learning.
     In third grade I have a really nice teacher. We have learnd a lot from her and that is why we are really smart and know everything in third grade. We have learned about area, proper nouns, multiplication and division. We have learned so much from the best teacher ever. At home I like to read and play piano. I love it.
     I have some questions. How old are you. When can I come over to your house and What is your favorite color. please write me back

And then, there's this one...

Dear Granma and Grandpa,
Hello! How ar you? I am oing good I miss you. I hope we well see echuther soon
My sub is (_____) and she is mean. My teacher is mean     I think we shold be oof track we Hav to wat this weak and two mor. I am doing good at Hom
well you wight me back please


Guess who my little toughie is? Oh well. You can't please them all. But I really do love this teaching gig. :)
♥, Meagan

I Can't Complain!

Wow. Saying that this internship would keep me busy was an understatement. This internship is my LIFE! I get to school around 7:30 every morning, then stay until 6 every night when the janitor makes me go home. Then I lug a bunch of papers and notebooks and things to grade home with me and do that most of the night. And when I finally do get the chance to be social... What do I talk about? School. This happened, and this student said this, and oh my goodness I have to get this done... Sheesh. It's consumed me. Don't get me wrong, I really love this job. But it is so hard! I really miss having a life outside of school.

I have decided that nothing is harder than teaching while sick. This last week has been so taxing. I have been trying to get over a cold for about a week and a half now. Last Saturday was the worst of it. I got to sleep in until 9 (I love how that is sleeping in for me now), woke up coughing so hard I couldn't breathe, begged Samantha to take me to the store for cough drops and a Jamba Juice, then watched a bit of TV before deciding that after being up for a whopping 3 hours I needed a nap. I was in and out of bed all day (mostly in), before begging my dad to make me soup, and finally calling my facilitator around 6:30 to freak out about how I hadn't been able to get any lesson planning done yet. I sort of broke down on the phone (so embarrassing), at which she basically told me to go to bed and try again the next day. Normally my whole weeks' worth of lesson plans would be due Monday morning by 8am, but she took pity on my and said to just get Monday done and we could take it a day at a time. I was grateful, but not being ahead of the game stresses me out. Also, I knew that I was being observed for my JPAS (Jordan District teacher observation system where the principal randomly comes in twice in a week-ish time frame to observe your teaching)... and I had an inkling that it was going to be on Monday. So Monday I got out of bed, forced myself to school, and put on a brave, although still coughing, face. I survived my observation that day, switching classrooms the next (again- yay for the track change being in the middle of the week instead of on Fridays like usual...), and another observation Thursday afternoon. This week was the hardest week of my life, I swear it. But I made it through, and I'm pretty positive that I can handle whatever else this internship will throw at me.

I promise more details later. Every day is a new and exciting experience; for better or for worse. I am not short on stories, but I am definitely short on time to write them all down.

With all the ups and downs I feel like this song should be my life motto right about now. It just rings so true to this whole internship thing! Enjoy. :)

"I know some days I'm gonna stumble, and I know the cookie's gonna crumble, and I know life is gonna suck some days... But I can't complain!"

In conclusion: As exhausting and difficult as this experience has been so far, every single time one of my students says something nice about me or gives me a hug, I just melt. It reminds me why I wanted to do this in the first place, and shows me that even when I feel like giving up I am making a difference!!

So, with that in mind: Life is beautiful!... Mostly.
♥, Meagan

Small Moments

I know you are all dying to hear about my internship. Or maybe not, but regardless... I just haven't had time to report much. Here's a little peek at my last minute preparation for it, even if it was mostly just mental prep.

On Wednesday my school was closed, because it was a holiday (Pioneer Day) and school was starting the next day, so it was pretty much do or die at that point. I had to go to Provo to grab some mail since the school district keeps sending it to Provo instead of South Jordan no matter how many times I remind them that I don't live in Provo. After getting my mail, I had time to catch up with friends and roommates, and enlist help in cutting out lamination (yeah, more! It never ends.)  I decided to leave for home earlier than I normally would have had school not been starting the next day. (Eep!) I was a little bit in freak-out mode, as every mile got me closer to home and bed, and school starting the next day! But then, amidst all the driving and psyching myself out I looked out the window and  I saw the prettiest clouds! They looked something like this:

It was then I realized that there is beauty all around me, and I need to take the time to stop and enjoy it... Especially when I feel like I don't have time to. I don't want to get so stressed that all I see is negative. I want to remember to notice the small, simple and beautiful things in my life.

I absolutely love it when the sky looks like this. It makes me feel like I am looking straight at Heaven. This moment just reminded me that yes, this internship is scary and intensely overwhelming, but I am not alone. I have a loving Heavenly Father that will be right there for me every step of the way. When I feel like I'm drowning, and I just can't do it all I know that He will provide the motivation and the means for me to accomplish all things. It was a great moment for me, and it gave me such an immense feeling of peace! From that moment I felt like I could handle things. Even as I woke up and prepared for that first morning, and as the parents/kids started filing in, I was able to calmly greet them and present a well put together front. This peace has carried me through these first 2 days, and I am so thankful for that! I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and the knowledge that I am doing what I am meant to be, and also for the knowledge that I CAN DO HARD THINGS and in turn, accomplish GREAT things. :)

Here's to an undoubtedly fantastic year!

♥, Meagan

Perfection vs. Perfectionism

This week in institute we were talking about self-esteem and why it is so important in our lives and our relationships. One boy mentioned that there is a difference between being a perfectionist and striving for perfection. At first thought I didn't see it, but as he explained: You do not have to be perfect. Do not beat yourself up or go into bouts of self-loathing every time you make a mistake. IT'S OK TO MESS UP! Christ doesn't expect us to be perfect, so we shouldn't either. What is expected is that we strive for eventual perfection, and keep moving towards it. The most important thing is the happiness that we find along the way. As cheesy as that sounds - we really are meant to be happy. This life is all about finding our place in the world, finding what and who we love, and making the best of every situation.

On a related note, I found this quote and I like it: 

"Perfection means not perfect actions in a perfect world, but appropriate actions in an imperfect one."

As I have given this concept more thought this week, and simultaneously realized that my first day of school is 3 weeks from yesterday (eek!), I have realized that this internship is going to be the most intensely difficult (duh), but also the most rewarding thing I have ever done. It will be hard. I will struggle, I will encounter some failures, and there will probably be plenty of tears. This is going to be tough on my perfectionist nature. But... I am confident that there will be moments of greatness. I will triumph, I will laugh, I will love each of my little kiddos, and I will know that I am making a difference. It would be completely unrealistic to expect or even try for a perfect experience. So instead I will just do my best and love every minute of it! :)

❤, Meagan

A Vision of Summer (Friends, Family, Parks, Swimming, and Picnics!)

Lately I have realized that I believe you have to make it through the mundane in order to get to the amazing - the things you really love. I feel like that's what this summer has been about for me. I am learning to work first and play later, which should be my mantra, but all too often is not. My summer started out like this:

Lamination has become the bane of my existence pretty much.

Because of the seemingly endless amounts of cutting, creativity, and writing of lesson plans that has been required of me this summer I have definitely had a woe-is-me, I'm so busy I don't even know what to do with myself attitude about summer so far. But don't worry, because I have recently stepped back and reevaluated things. I have actually had way more fun than I realized along the way. So without further adieu, here are a few of my summer shenanigans!! 

In the process of all this lovely craziness I have decided that SUMMER IS FOR....

...Saran Wrap! Ok, maybe not just Saran Wrap. I think it was the amazing people that I had the time to bond with (see what I did there?) while wrapped in it. I have really missed the social aspect of Provo and BYU, and I had the chance a few weeks ago to spend a few nights in Provo. In another post I mentioned being Saran wrapped to a bunch of other people, and true to form I took forever to get pictures up. But behold: It was fantastic fun. :)

We are having so much
fun! (Lisa is hidden in the back
where you can't see her.)

Robbie is a beast! And I was
falling over (as much as
possible while attached
to 4 other people.)

The aftermath. :)

...Parks! Summer is a time of graduation and celebration. But also lots and lots of playing. Preferably on playgrounds. Who says I have to be a grown up in order to have a big kid job? 

Don't let my happy face fool you. This was a VERY painful experience.
But a cute picture!

COUSINS!! As close as this pretty girl lives,
I do not see her nearly enough!

...Swimming! Going swimming is always the highlight of my summer. Sadly, I have only had the chance to go once this year. But I plan to make time for much more of that. :)

A new swimsuit definitely warranted a cheesy selfie.

...Pretty flowers! I love watching all the roses bloom on my mom's rosebushes. They brighten my day every time I walk through the yard. :)

They went from this....

.....to this in a matter of days! Amazing!

...Picnics!! Picnics are my favorite! I love taking the time to go enjoy the sunshine and eat in the grass with people I love.

We went on a Sunday picnic!
And waded in the creek. :)

I super love this picture. :) 

Summer is also for... Sandals! And soda! And pretty green grass. :) And baseball games! I don't usually love baseball, but we go every year for a company party for my dad. This year I enjoyed it more than usual. I think it's probably because I've been so stressed with getting ready for my internship. I've had some big due dates in the last week or so and since I got it all done I FINALLY had time to kick back and relax a bit. I think I forgot what that was like. :)

I think the scariest part of my summer internship planning is over (at least for now... fingers crossed) but we all know it only gets worse from here. So in the mean time I am going to make time for more fun things! So far all I have is Lagoon on my agenda. We are going next week for a daddy/daughters day! But other than that? I am very open to suggestions. Bring on summer. :)

Wait a minute! My post wouldn't be complete without a song now, would it? Here is one that I have really been enjoying lately. (For obvious seasonal reasons).

"I like blue skies and hot nights, kisses by the firelight... 

Just like summertime. 

And I like cold sips of soda, picnics on the corner... 

Just like summertime!"

Summertime is my absolute favorite. I love you all, I miss my Provo friends like crazy, and as always... life is so good!

❤, Meagan

All You Can Do is Keep Breathing

I finally feel like I can breathe again! And that is saying something. This last week or so has been nuts! I have put a good 5 hours or so a day into planning for my internship. Friday and Saturday I worked on my curriculum map for like 12 hours, which I FINISHED!! Yay!! :) And Monday I spent the whole day (9-3) at the elementary school with Brittany getting things planned out. Monday was our due date, but we were still feeling in over our heads, so we asked for an extension on the lesson plan due dates. We met again today and spent 9-3 at the school. We managed to finish everything but math! So we are going again tomorrow to finish that. My lesson plans for the first week of school are 30 pages long single spaced on Microsoft Word and counting. It's sort of insane, but I look at them and I am so proud!

Almost every time I go to my school I run into one of the little girls that is in my class. She always says hi to me, and it is exciting! She is a cute girl. I've been called Miss Jardine a lot during practicum and whatnot, but every time she says hi to me I'm like... Holy cow! I'm a teacher! It's official. I'm a grown-up. Sort of. ;)

I was running on only 4 hours of sleep today, so I am amazed that I got as much done as I did. I think I am getting really good at being exhausted all the time, which is actually a good trait for a first year teacher to have! So in that case all is well, haha.

On a happier note, I am going country dancing tonight. For the first time in months!! I am so excited. :) I have been saying that I need to get out more, (and it's very true. I'm a hermit, really.) So this will be fun! I've just been a giant stress case this last week or so, and lamenting the fact that I don't have time for anything fun, so it will be good to get out and blow off some steam. If I can stay awake... ;) I was going to take a nap, but I somehow just got suckered into making dinner.
And after tonight? I will take a deep breath and dive into more deadlines. Wish me luck!... And time for sleep.
❤, Meagan

P.S - The post title comes from this song. It's one of my favorites for when I feel like life is too much too handle. Enjoy. :)

Beautiful/Crazy/Busy/Amazing!

I guess I lied about writing once a week. I'm sort of going crazy with all this internship stuff. On the bright side... Somebody needed advice on their own planning yesterday and asked me for help because I seem so on top of things! That was a confidence booster. :) However, right now all I am doing is procrastinating. That's when I get really good at writing in my blog. ;)

The other day I was doing some stats on my internship so far.
I have currently spent about $100 of my own money getting ready for it,
I have spent 7.5 hours (if you count time of people helping me) just cutting out lamination,
I have had about 24 hours worth of (unpaid) meetings so far this summer,
And I have put more hours into preparing for it than I can even count right now.

Someone mentioned to me the other day that they never understood why people go back to college for degree after degree, but then they decided that it's because college is so much easier than real-life jobs! I completely agree, haha. This is nuts.
Good thing I chose to do something that I love!

Status Update:
I had a birthday since my last post! I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22! ;)
I also started contributing to my friend's gratitude blog. I don't write in it as often as I should. (Common theme?) But it helps me remember during all the stress what is so great about my life. And there are lots of wonderful things! Check it out if you so desire. :) http://pointsofgratitude.blogspot.com/
I got to go swimming the other night! It was sort of freezing, and we had to be quiet so their neighbors wouldn't call the cops, but it was fun, and it made this summer finally actually FEEL like summer. (An entire month in.)
Also- I went to Provo and hung out with all my Provo friends for the weekend. It may have involved tennis, handstands, Zumba, and being completely wrapped up/stuck to someone else via Saran Wrap. I was sore for like 3 days! My life doesn't get that exciting at home. I miss college!

Anyway... I really do love this beautiful, crazy, BUSY but amazing life!!
❤, Meagan

I'm a Big Kid Now!

Contrary to the slogan I stole for my title, the purpose of this post is not to announce that I am finally potty-trained. Fortunately, that happened a LONG time ago. Although... speaking of being a little baby... Yesterday my parents and I were in a total panic because my birth certificate was missing. I needed to get my license renewed before Saturday (my birthday!) and my parents had misplaced it. I was all paranoid that the DMV wouldn't accept my other "unofficial" one that we had used my whole life, and I would have to be driven around like a 12-year-old until we could get me a new one. And I was frustrated that my existence/old driver's license would not have been enough to prove that I was 1) BORN, and 2) Who I say I am. So we ordered a new one last night ($42.50! Who knew that shipping on a single piece of paper can cost $19?? Ridiculous.) In the mean-time I was going to just try my luck with the unofficial one.

Anyway... Today I did a lot of grown-up real world things. Like go to new employee orientation for my teaching job! (Guess what I found in the envelope with my social security card when they made a copy of that? You guessed it, my birth certificate. Holy cow.) After that I went and got my picture taken for my teacher ID badge, which I should get in a few days. Then I went to the DMV and got my license renewed. I get a horizontal one this time. I'm a real grown-up now! Now I can go clubbing "at-a-glance". Not that I will... But my picture this time is far better than the last one, so I guess that's good. Since I accomplished all of this before noon, I treated myself to lunch at Costa Vida. Yum! I love that place. :) Then I came home and napped for an hour. One of these days I will even tackle the growing pile of laundry in my closet.

I never reported on the PRAXIS! That was an interesting experience. I had to either wear short sleeves or pull up my sleeves for the test administrators. And I wasn't wearing socks, so I didn't have to pull up my pant legs like everyone else. I did have to leave my jacket and purse in a locker, though, write a whole paragraph pledging to be ethical (in cursive! Those of you who wonder why you have to learn cursive in 3rd grade because you only ever write your name with it?... That is why, apparently. It is "harder to forge. Especially a whole paragraph." I'm pretty sure it took me a lot longer than it should have) and I got metal detector wanded, signed my name to enter, had my picture taken,  and was personally walked to my seat by one of the test center workers. It was super quiet in there, and there were cameras on the ceiling. It was quite an intimidating atmosphere. However, I actually did REALLY well. :) I think I got a perfect score on the math part! I felt like the real test was much easier than the practice ones that I took online. I had no reason to be so scared! It felt so good to finally be done with it after dreading it for months (and paying $150 for a computerized test. Also ridiculous.)

One more thing - I went to a meeting for my internship on Friday, and the facilitator that I was working with informed me that I am WAY ahead on planning at this point. So my weeks of being stressed and overwhelmed have totally paid off! I was super relieved. Probably a little too relieved, because I haven't actually worked on anything for it since then. Oops!

I hope all of your lives are wonderful, and I will try to go back to writing at least once a week. (I guess it's only been 3 weeks since my last post. That's not too bad, right?) I'm a slacker. Between nannying and internship prep I haven't actually had much downtime this summer. Regardless... Life is great! Busy, but oh so good. :)
❤, Meagan

And So it Begins!...

Now that this semester is winding down I think my brain needs something else to worry about, since finals totally aren't enough... So I had this hilarious dream the other night, which is great because normally I can't remember my dreams for more than like the 30 seconds right after I wake up. It was my very first "Oh no, it is the first day of school and I'm not ready!" dream. It has begun, ladies and gents. This internship is getting so real and close!

In this dream I dreamed that I was at the school I am doing my internship at. I woke up like 10 minutes before school was supposed to start (in a bed... in my classroom. Apparently this was not all that strange in this dreamscape.) Anyway... I started flipping out because the kids were going to show up and I was in my pajamas. I was freaking out because I did not have extra clothes to wear at school (What, I have a bed and PJ's but no change of clothes? I would be a horrible boy scout.)

At this point I saw my facilitator walk by (the person that is my connection between BYU and my elementary school) and I called out to her... "Elisa!" (I think that is her name. I will have to check again.) "I am freaking out! I am not ready! Will you stay here while my class shows up so I can go home and change?" But she told me that she was leaving for the day, so she could not help me out. Then one of my students showed up and said "Hi, Miss Jardine!" Then I really started freaking out and I was super embarrassed about my unprofessional attire. What are their parents going to think?? So I told her that I would be back and started running (literally) all over the school looking for a change of clothes.

And then I woke up. And cracked up! I am so glad I don't plan on sleeping in my classroom so situations like this will never occur, hahaha. Oh, my brain comes up with the silliest things. :) I love my life. :)

❤, Meagan

Moving Up in the World!

I apologize for not writing more during practicum. I usually have lots of funny stories and happy moments to share because of the kids, but this practicum I didn't have a ton of those. I felt like it was a very stressful and unhappy month for me, and I try not to write about things that will bog people down. So instead I counted down the days until it was over and hoped for happier things to share. And now I have some!

Alright, folks... Most of you may know this already, but I GOT AN INTERNSHIP!!! I realized I addressed my nerves in the last post, but I couldn't leave all of my avid readers (not sure I actually have any of those) hanging! And I am so excited I just want to tell anyone who will listen. Or read. :)

I will be teaching 3rd grade at Riverton Elementary School! An internship fills the same requirements as student teaching, but instead of being in someone else's classroom I have my very own classroom and receive half salary. Since it is my own classroom, I will be there for the whole year rather than just one semester. I am also on a year-round schedule, so the first day of school will be July 25th, which is super soon. I got offered the intern position last Wednesday, but I didn't know much information until today when my principal called me to let me know some details.

So my day went like this... I was super stoked to go to devotional for the first time in over a month, and one of the Special Education professors was speaking, so I knew it would be great. As soon as I found my friend and sat down, I got a phone call. Recognizing it as from somewhere back home I went out to the hall to answer it. It was the principal of the school I am doing my internship at! He had called to inform me of what grade I would be teaching. When I asked what track (between A and B) he said that since I was the first intern hired, and he will be hiring another one tomorrow that he will let me pick first and the other intern will get what is left over. I was excited, because I wanted A track. That way I will get out of school in June instead of July. (Those of you who are not familiar with the year-round track system this calendar will give you a good idea of what I am talking about.)

We had a little conversation about other expectations and how I will likely be rotating classrooms every time I go off track. But... There is actually an incentive to that. Apparently I get an extra $100 every time I have to do this. Win! After our little discussion he welcomed me aboard and said that the secretary would be getting in touch with me soon.

And she did! She called me about half an hour later and asked for some information so that she could sign me up for "New teacher orientation"! I am so official!! Now that I have some more information about this whole thing it is getting so real! I am so incredibly excited, but also nervous! I'm not really sure when I grew up enough to be in charge of helping to shape 25 young peoples' futures.

Anyway... From our short conversation, my principal seems very nice, and I am looking forward to working with him. (And hopefully a friend, if the other intern is someone that I get along well with.) Life is really looking up and I am definitely moving up in the world. :)

Also look at this website. It's my future home. So excited!!! :)
❤, Meagan