so i spent hours getting my application ready for lansing christian. i made two trips to CU to print off the application because i kept making mistakes. I finally got it right so I mailed it last friday. sometime friday night while i was walking around Grace College's campus in the FREEZING cold i realized....i didn't include my testimony with my application! what am idiot! prolly the most important part of a christian school application and i forgot it! jeez louise! so i emailed it to them sunday night when i got home and apologized profusely. i got an email back that sounded positive, but we'll see. i could total see them discarding my application for that mistake, but i hope not!
k, i'm at work now so i can't elaborate more about the weekend or anything, BUT it was AMAZING!!! i love my sisters!!! (and my boyfriend! he was pretty amazing this weekend!)
Feb 21, 2006
update on the job search
i am applying to lansing christian school and hamilton high school. Hamilton is about 1/2 hour south of Grand Rapids. Not much else is new...I'm just getting the resume and cover letter ready. Talk to you all later!
Feb 20, 2006
I DID IT!!!
oh boy! i just emailed someone at lansing christian to ask for more information about the position!!! i''m scared! and excited at the same time! please pray for me that i would make good decisions!
Feb 19, 2006
Job Search
I've official started looking for a teaching job. I've been looking at all the sites that Cornerstone gave me to look at, but with little luck. I've found one inner city school in Benton Harbor looking for a math teacher, but I'm not so sure I want to go there. I looked at their school stats and it didn't look good. The school as a whole was below 40% in standardized test results, lower than 30% in math proficiency, and the average ACT score was a 16.6!!! yikes! not so sure i want to go there...but we'll see.
I started looking at ACSI's website, and after about 10 minutes of trying to figure out how to search without paying $75, i found LOTS of Christian schools in need of math teachers. The ones i'm kind of interested in right now are Lansing Christian and Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis, MO. Oh another possibility, but i'm sure i'd be working for basically free, is Grace Baptist in Kankakee, IL! Wouldn't that be great if I went to work for our rivals!!! yeah, that wouldn't be too nice. so i've basically ruled that one out.
I feel bad for feeling like this, but I almost don't want to teach at a Christian school right away because I won't make any money. Now, I don't know that for sure, but I want to pay off my school loans asap. so we'll see....that's how things look right now. pray for me while i make important, life-changing decisions!
I started looking at ACSI's website, and after about 10 minutes of trying to figure out how to search without paying $75, i found LOTS of Christian schools in need of math teachers. The ones i'm kind of interested in right now are Lansing Christian and Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis, MO. Oh another possibility, but i'm sure i'd be working for basically free, is Grace Baptist in Kankakee, IL! Wouldn't that be great if I went to work for our rivals!!! yeah, that wouldn't be too nice. so i've basically ruled that one out.
I feel bad for feeling like this, but I almost don't want to teach at a Christian school right away because I won't make any money. Now, I don't know that for sure, but I want to pay off my school loans asap. so we'll see....that's how things look right now. pray for me while i make important, life-changing decisions!
Feb 15, 2006
Valentines Day Flowers
So, my wonderful boyfriend surprised me with flowers. I went the whole school day, worked for the Kendall's, worked out, went to see Dan, and THEN I went home. Much to my surprise there was a beautiful vase of flowers on my desk! What a great surprise! Wanna know what's even better? Dan picked the flowers out himself! Whoa! That's pretty cool! So here's some picks of my flowers...aren't they lovely?
Feb 14, 2006
bad friday...
so i just wrote the longest post ever, but it got erased because it took too long. ahhh!!! here's the brief summary then
1. i had a sub on friday who couldn't interact with people of teach
2. good thing is i got to teach every hour and it was amazing! i loved it! it made me actually want to be a teacher!
3. she made fun of me in front of the class. sent students out of class to take attendence down to the office. tried to start class before the bell rang EVERY hour. talked to the students during the quiz. mocked me for telling her to stop talking to teh students during the quiz.
4. totally left for 3rd and 4th hour...don't know where she was. don't really care either. it was better without her.
so it was the best and worst day combined.
today, faculty was supposed to wear a hat for a faculty member going through cancer...guess who didn't bring a hat? yep, that's me...so i don't know what i'm goin to do when we all go down to the auditorium to take our picture...should be a great day!
1. i had a sub on friday who couldn't interact with people of teach
2. good thing is i got to teach every hour and it was amazing! i loved it! it made me actually want to be a teacher!
3. she made fun of me in front of the class. sent students out of class to take attendence down to the office. tried to start class before the bell rang EVERY hour. talked to the students during the quiz. mocked me for telling her to stop talking to teh students during the quiz.
4. totally left for 3rd and 4th hour...don't know where she was. don't really care either. it was better without her.
so it was the best and worst day combined.
today, faculty was supposed to wear a hat for a faculty member going through cancer...guess who didn't bring a hat? yep, that's me...so i don't know what i'm goin to do when we all go down to the auditorium to take our picture...should be a great day!
Feb 9, 2006
ugg!
my teacher totally ruined my lesson. i was all ready with a graphing calculator activity, and he said, "we'll i've got this really good activity that i made. here why don't you use it." so i looked it over and it looked similar but not quite the same. it wasn't as good at explaining, but i thought the kids might get it. let me just tell you...it was awful! the kids could not understand what the sheet was saying at all! i'm so mad that i took his advice. i was trying really hard at the end of class to be professional and wrap the lesson up. but how do i teach the entire lesson in 5 minutes. supposedly they should've been able to figure the lesson out from the worksheet, but of course that didn't work. so now i'm trying to decide if i totally want to abandon the worksheet for the second class. i think i do. ah! he frustrates me!
Feb 8, 2006
Observation #2
well, i did it. my second observation went great! he loved everything i did! he had a few things to suggest to improve my teaching (like making them take notes or write certain things down), but nothing major. he is WAY more positive than my cooperating teacher which is a nice change. i like being told what i am doing well. who doesn't???
I taught the lesson MUCH better the second time. I didn't realize that my students had hardly ever factored before. I assumed they knew way too much the first time I went through it. Come to find out, they have only factored easy equations 3 years ago. Thanks for telling me after the fact! So the second class, hopefully, has a much better grasp of what is going on. Although I'm not sure the better lecture is worth it. The first class always gets more information and harder information, but this last test they did far superior to 6th hour. So maybe too hard isn't such a bad thing!
k, need to go get ready for tomorrow and go to work!
I taught the lesson MUCH better the second time. I didn't realize that my students had hardly ever factored before. I assumed they knew way too much the first time I went through it. Come to find out, they have only factored easy equations 3 years ago. Thanks for telling me after the fact! So the second class, hopefully, has a much better grasp of what is going on. Although I'm not sure the better lecture is worth it. The first class always gets more information and harder information, but this last test they did far superior to 6th hour. So maybe too hard isn't such a bad thing!
k, need to go get ready for tomorrow and go to work!
Observation #2
well, i did it. my second observation went great! he loved everything i did! he had a few things to suggest to improve my teaching (like making them take notes or write certain things down), but nothing major. he is WAY more positive than my cooperating teacher which is a nice change. i like being told what i am doing well. who doesn't???
I taught the lesson MUCH better the second time. I didn't realize that my students had hardly ever factored before. I assumed they knew way too much the first time I went through it. Come to find out, they have only factored easy equations 3 years ago. Thanks for telling me after the fact! So the second class, hopefully, has a much better grasp of what is going on. Although I'm not sure the better lecture is worth it. The first class always gets more information and harder information, but this last test they did far superior to 6th hour. So maybe too hard isn't such a bad thing!
k, need to go get ready for tomorrow and go to work!
I taught the lesson MUCH better the second time. I didn't realize that my students had hardly ever factored before. I assumed they knew way too much the first time I went through it. Come to find out, they have only factored easy equations 3 years ago. Thanks for telling me after the fact! So the second class, hopefully, has a much better grasp of what is going on. Although I'm not sure the better lecture is worth it. The first class always gets more information and harder information, but this last test they did far superior to 6th hour. So maybe too hard isn't such a bad thing!
k, need to go get ready for tomorrow and go to work!
Feb 7, 2006
yay for encouragement!
Thanks to everyone for their encouraging emails and postings about student teaching. It really helps me get through another day. Senora, if you are reading this, thanks! It's nice to have positive comments from an experienced teacher!
So today my students are taking a test over the first complete chapter that I have taught them. The first class did AMAZING!!! I have hopes that I am teaching them something! The second class did not do as well, but they did not do terrible.
That's all for now. I am being observed tomorrow so I need to get everything together.
So today my students are taking a test over the first complete chapter that I have taught them. The first class did AMAZING!!! I have hopes that I am teaching them something! The second class did not do as well, but they did not do terrible.
That's all for now. I am being observed tomorrow so I need to get everything together.
yay for encouragement!
Thanks to everyone for their encouraging emails and postings about student teaching. It really helps me get through another day. Senora, if you are reading this, thanks! It's nice to have positive comments from an experienced teacher!
So today my students are taking a test over the first complete chapter that I have taught them. The first class did AMAZING!!! I have hopes that I am teaching them something! The second class did not do as well, but they did not do terrible.
That's all for now. I am being observed tomorrow so I need to get everything together.
So today my students are taking a test over the first complete chapter that I have taught them. The first class did AMAZING!!! I have hopes that I am teaching them something! The second class did not do as well, but they did not do terrible.
That's all for now. I am being observed tomorrow so I need to get everything together.
Feb 3, 2006
"Tomorrow is another day..."(Scarlet from Gone With the Wind)
Don't worry folks, I am in much better spirits today. I have realized that I can change and correct my faults. It is hard to change, but it will make me a better person in the long run. Going through a difficult day like yesterday makes me lean on my Maker even more. I'm sure He likes that sort of thing. I always try to get through life on my own strength, but eventually it gets too tough and then I realize that I am not relying on God for my strength.
Another day, another lesson learned...
Don't worry folks, I am in much better spirits today. I have realized that I can change and correct my faults. It is hard to change, but it will make me a better person in the long run. Going through a difficult day like yesterday makes me lean on my Maker even more. I'm sure He likes that sort of thing. I always try to get through life on my own strength, but eventually it gets too tough and then I realize that I am not relying on God for my strength.
Another day, another lesson learned...
Feb 2, 2006
so here's the deal....i don't have the box to make a title. i think i lost it because of the background i chose to use.
student teaching update: i hate it. that's a little strong, but not by much. now i know that i am a perfectionist and i don't like doing things if i can't be the best. so i'm trying to figure that into the situation i'm in. here's what's wrong with my life right now...
1. i struggle remembering high school math. i feel like an idiot when i can't answer student's questions. at least 4 times a week this occurs while i'm lecturing, and about 1-2 times a week this happens in the other classes that i don't teach. i know that i have done the math, and i knew how to do it at one point. i'm just still amazed at how much i've forgotten. (i feel a little better though because the other math student teacher feels the same way)
2. i can't take criticism. my teacher is sitting in the front of the room everytime i teach. he is there to "helpfully" add things i forget, rescue me when i get stuck, and give me feedback on how i did. but let's be honest. the first time i teach the lesson it usually goes terrible. the second time is always better, but i truly think he thinks i'm stupid or dumb. he always tells me different strategies for approaching the next day's lesson, but i either don't know what he is talking about or i would rather figure it out on my own. he basically tells me what to do. and he's always there! he won't leave the room. if he does it's only for 2-4 minutes, but during the time the lesson usually goes better. i feel like i'm being graded and evaluated everyday twice a day. oh, and he no longer says i'm doing "great" or even "fine."
3. i went to a seminar about job searching and how and when to look for a teaching job. but since my student teaching is so wonderful, i don'tknow if i want to be a teacher. so that adds a whole nother pile of stress to my life.
4. i can't find the cords to my IPAQ. i think the ones at the kendall's are mine, but i can't prove it and they think they are there's. (was there enough "theres" there?) that is stressing meout too. i've already lost part of my christmas present.
signing off now before i start crying
student teaching update: i hate it. that's a little strong, but not by much. now i know that i am a perfectionist and i don't like doing things if i can't be the best. so i'm trying to figure that into the situation i'm in. here's what's wrong with my life right now...
1. i struggle remembering high school math. i feel like an idiot when i can't answer student's questions. at least 4 times a week this occurs while i'm lecturing, and about 1-2 times a week this happens in the other classes that i don't teach. i know that i have done the math, and i knew how to do it at one point. i'm just still amazed at how much i've forgotten. (i feel a little better though because the other math student teacher feels the same way)
2. i can't take criticism. my teacher is sitting in the front of the room everytime i teach. he is there to "helpfully" add things i forget, rescue me when i get stuck, and give me feedback on how i did. but let's be honest. the first time i teach the lesson it usually goes terrible. the second time is always better, but i truly think he thinks i'm stupid or dumb. he always tells me different strategies for approaching the next day's lesson, but i either don't know what he is talking about or i would rather figure it out on my own. he basically tells me what to do. and he's always there! he won't leave the room. if he does it's only for 2-4 minutes, but during the time the lesson usually goes better. i feel like i'm being graded and evaluated everyday twice a day. oh, and he no longer says i'm doing "great" or even "fine."
3. i went to a seminar about job searching and how and when to look for a teaching job. but since my student teaching is so wonderful, i don'tknow if i want to be a teacher. so that adds a whole nother pile of stress to my life.
4. i can't find the cords to my IPAQ. i think the ones at the kendall's are mine, but i can't prove it and they think they are there's. (was there enough "theres" there?) that is stressing meout too. i've already lost part of my christmas present.
signing off now before i start crying
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