where did july go?
with summer quickly winding down, i feel the need to update on my mundane life. i don't really know where to start...umm, between putting in bunches of hours at mcdonald's and trying to have summer fun, i've been freaking out about student teaching. i've pretty much got all the readings i want to cover lined up, but the real trouble comes with deciding on how long i should spend on each text. that's what my cooperating teacher is for, i guess! i e-mailed her waaaayy back in early june, but she's yet to reply. this sort of irks me, but it is summer, so i'll just e-mail her again this week. i "officially" start student teaching on the 24th, but i'm hoping to get in the classroom before then.
right now, my stomach is a big wad of mess whenever i think about student teaching. i understand it's a learning process and i'll probably fall flat on my face 101 times, but i really want it to go well. (not having a panic attack would be good too)
in addition to figuring out book lists, writing prompts, assignments, i've spent a ton of time studying for the PLT. the PLT is ohio's teaching certification test. i've got to pass it before i graduate in december so that i'll have my teaching certificate. if i don't pass it, i'll still graduate with a bachelor's degree, but won't be able to apply for teaching positions until i get the certificate. i took the PLT last saturday at wright state. it was okay. with 12 short answer and 24 multiple choice questions, i can't really tell how i did. it's just a wait and see kind of thing now. but i hope to god i passed, because i don't want to pay over $100 to take it again.
this summer has brought some personal disappointments. because i'm so busy during the school year with class, i never have time to read. chelsee and i go to barnes & nobles so much that at the end of each semester i have a pile of books i plan on reading. well, with all of the crap discussed above, i've barely read anything this summer. two books! that's it... Garret Freymann-Weyr's After the Moment (which is amazing. read it.) and Sarah Addison Allen's Garden Spells (i sped through this in 1 day). it's pathetic that i've only picked up two books. i am working on my third right now... Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver. i picked it up earlier in the week while browsing b&n's young adult section. this is totally Twilight without the vampires and with much better writing. usually with books that i'm into, i have a need to devour them as quickly as i can. but with Shiver, i want to let the characters simmer. so i'm going to take my sweet time with Shiver and let myself fully enjoy the story.
i also haven't been making much progress on Waffles. everyday new ideas, characters, dialogues and situations pop into my head. and since i've been neglecting my need to sit down and write, i've resorted to jotting down notes on scrap paper. hopefully i'll be returning to Waffles soon and will use these miscellaneous notes to create more fiction.
recent news: one of my favorite managers got transferred to another mcdonald's. today was her last day. it was a sweet and sour day, because i want melanie to use her focus and good management skills at a mcdonald's that needs her. but i don't want to let her go and lose all of her great qualities as a person and manager. she's been a great boss and an amazing friend. we've shared many tears and personal stories that i would be reluctant to share with other employees. melanie was there when i broke down after putting my beloved cat to sleep. she understands my nerves and attempts to prevent situations that will cause them to swell. she's one of the best and i'll miss her dearly.
i'll make sure it isn't another month before i update again...
right now, my stomach is a big wad of mess whenever i think about student teaching. i understand it's a learning process and i'll probably fall flat on my face 101 times, but i really want it to go well. (not having a panic attack would be good too)
in addition to figuring out book lists, writing prompts, assignments, i've spent a ton of time studying for the PLT. the PLT is ohio's teaching certification test. i've got to pass it before i graduate in december so that i'll have my teaching certificate. if i don't pass it, i'll still graduate with a bachelor's degree, but won't be able to apply for teaching positions until i get the certificate. i took the PLT last saturday at wright state. it was okay. with 12 short answer and 24 multiple choice questions, i can't really tell how i did. it's just a wait and see kind of thing now. but i hope to god i passed, because i don't want to pay over $100 to take it again.
this summer has brought some personal disappointments. because i'm so busy during the school year with class, i never have time to read. chelsee and i go to barnes & nobles so much that at the end of each semester i have a pile of books i plan on reading. well, with all of the crap discussed above, i've barely read anything this summer. two books! that's it... Garret Freymann-Weyr's After the Moment (which is amazing. read it.) and Sarah Addison Allen's Garden Spells (i sped through this in 1 day). it's pathetic that i've only picked up two books. i am working on my third right now... Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver. i picked it up earlier in the week while browsing b&n's young adult section. this is totally Twilight without the vampires and with much better writing. usually with books that i'm into, i have a need to devour them as quickly as i can. but with Shiver, i want to let the characters simmer. so i'm going to take my sweet time with Shiver and let myself fully enjoy the story.
i also haven't been making much progress on Waffles. everyday new ideas, characters, dialogues and situations pop into my head. and since i've been neglecting my need to sit down and write, i've resorted to jotting down notes on scrap paper. hopefully i'll be returning to Waffles soon and will use these miscellaneous notes to create more fiction.
recent news: one of my favorite managers got transferred to another mcdonald's. today was her last day. it was a sweet and sour day, because i want melanie to use her focus and good management skills at a mcdonald's that needs her. but i don't want to let her go and lose all of her great qualities as a person and manager. she's been a great boss and an amazing friend. we've shared many tears and personal stories that i would be reluctant to share with other employees. melanie was there when i broke down after putting my beloved cat to sleep. she understands my nerves and attempts to prevent situations that will cause them to swell. she's one of the best and i'll miss her dearly.
i'll make sure it isn't another month before i update again...