*testing.. 1...2...3....*
WOW. I didn't realize HOW LONG it had been since I actually posted (let alone actually look on here...) SOOOOOOO SAAAADDDD!!
So as the year ends, shall we do a quick "where did she go"? Yes... let's...
2014: A Retrospective
The start of this year found me starting the second year teaching at Ellison HS, Speech and Journalism.
Jan: Learned my grandma passed away, and came back to Dallas to spend a weekend with the parents and brother, to figure out what to do ... mourn...
Feb. - March: Worked. Spring Break. Worked.
April: Traveled up to Connecticut to bury my grandma. She was cremated after she died and my aunt wanted to wait until the ground thawed. Only my parents and I were able to go, and we took long walks on the beach, reminisced how we missed the water, and of course took our last tour around the house and got some memory pieces. I came back to Killeen on the night of Prom, and went from the airport to Prom. My students were so glad to see me - I love my Newspaper kids so much!!
May - June: School wound down, I was renewed for another year, so celebrations! So awesome to see your students complete their journey and see them off to the next. Afterwards I realized why in the past 5 years I had never done it... it's exhausting to sit through 500+ names!! I was also accepted to teach summer school, so I spent 3 more weeks teaching. I also did graduation for the first time ever, and that was fun!
July - Aug.: Summer was coming to an end, so I spent time on my parent's couch. Naturally. 2014-2015 school year also saw me moving from one classroom to another - and switching from Speech back to English. I kept Journalism and Newspaper - I'd fight for those classes. My parents (and a few students) helped me pack and move my room from half way across campus, and upstairs to downstairs, outside into a portable. Weeeeee...... I took another week to decorate and a few students (I pay in food, they don't say no to that) help to get the room all back to normal.
In July I took the GRE the test to get into Graduate school, missed my entry by 4 lousy stupid points... and decided to look at my options. I ended up being accepted into Capella University, an online school, and am on my way to get an M.S. inCurriculum and Instruction.
Sept.: I had to basically re-learn a few things in English 2, after not teaching it for 3 years, and also how a bigger department does things...
October: Austin Comic Con. Grad classes start. Dallas Comic Con. Teach. (Basically, a blur)
November: Stress: Teaching full time, Grad class heating up, and NaNo!! I made it all work - and won. And I turned 34!
December: Teaching and Grad class ended at the same time, and I passed my class with a 4.0 (an A). Raced to Dallas with my cats and am enjoying 2 weeks off from teaching and 3 weeks before my next grad class starts.
*huff huff*
So... bring on 2015!! This year is my parents 40th wedding anniversary and we - as a family! - are planning a trip to Germany and other places in Europe. That will be around July/Aug before I go back to teaching (because I just am so sure I will be getting my 4th year contract!)
I am making a commitment now to post regularly (yes, I am sure we have all read THAT somewhere...) but I really wanted to have written when I started my 6th year teaching and document the struggles and joys of teaching and going to school myself. So, I will do that for Spring Semester (and beyond) - also I want - need - people to keep me accountable in my weight loss. I have gained all the pounds back over the last 3 years and I can feel my body protesth loudly and I just hate how I look. So I know the tools, and am going to be implementing them. But before I start the great purge, let me just eat this box of chocolates... and cookies.... and more chocolate before Jan. 1.
((((((HUGS)))))))
So as the year ends, shall we do a quick "where did she go"? Yes... let's...
2014: A Retrospective
The start of this year found me starting the second year teaching at Ellison HS, Speech and Journalism.
Jan: Learned my grandma passed away, and came back to Dallas to spend a weekend with the parents and brother, to figure out what to do ... mourn...
Feb. - March: Worked. Spring Break. Worked.
April: Traveled up to Connecticut to bury my grandma. She was cremated after she died and my aunt wanted to wait until the ground thawed. Only my parents and I were able to go, and we took long walks on the beach, reminisced how we missed the water, and of course took our last tour around the house and got some memory pieces. I came back to Killeen on the night of Prom, and went from the airport to Prom. My students were so glad to see me - I love my Newspaper kids so much!!
May - June: School wound down, I was renewed for another year, so celebrations! So awesome to see your students complete their journey and see them off to the next. Afterwards I realized why in the past 5 years I had never done it... it's exhausting to sit through 500+ names!! I was also accepted to teach summer school, so I spent 3 more weeks teaching. I also did graduation for the first time ever, and that was fun!
July - Aug.: Summer was coming to an end, so I spent time on my parent's couch. Naturally. 2014-2015 school year also saw me moving from one classroom to another - and switching from Speech back to English. I kept Journalism and Newspaper - I'd fight for those classes. My parents (and a few students) helped me pack and move my room from half way across campus, and upstairs to downstairs, outside into a portable. Weeeeee...... I took another week to decorate and a few students (I pay in food, they don't say no to that) help to get the room all back to normal.
In July I took the GRE the test to get into Graduate school, missed my entry by 4 lousy stupid points... and decided to look at my options. I ended up being accepted into Capella University, an online school, and am on my way to get an M.S. inCurriculum and Instruction.
Sept.: I had to basically re-learn a few things in English 2, after not teaching it for 3 years, and also how a bigger department does things...
October: Austin Comic Con. Grad classes start. Dallas Comic Con. Teach. (Basically, a blur)
November: Stress: Teaching full time, Grad class heating up, and NaNo!! I made it all work - and won. And I turned 34!
December: Teaching and Grad class ended at the same time, and I passed my class with a 4.0 (an A). Raced to Dallas with my cats and am enjoying 2 weeks off from teaching and 3 weeks before my next grad class starts.
*huff huff*
So... bring on 2015!! This year is my parents 40th wedding anniversary and we - as a family! - are planning a trip to Germany and other places in Europe. That will be around July/Aug before I go back to teaching (because I just am so sure I will be getting my 4th year contract!)
I am making a commitment now to post regularly (yes, I am sure we have all read THAT somewhere...) but I really wanted to have written when I started my 6th year teaching and document the struggles and joys of teaching and going to school myself. So, I will do that for Spring Semester (and beyond) - also I want - need - people to keep me accountable in my weight loss. I have gained all the pounds back over the last 3 years and I can feel my body protesth loudly and I just hate how I look. So I know the tools, and am going to be implementing them. But before I start the great purge, let me just eat this box of chocolates... and cookies.... and more chocolate before Jan. 1.
((((((HUGS)))))))