1. I can stand in front of the class, holding a copy of the paper that I want them to hand in to me, describe the paper verbally, and say the words, "please pass this paper down your row to the middle so I can collect it from you," and they won't do it. They can be looking at me the entire time, have their folder open, and I can see their completed homework sheet in that folder, and SOMEHOW, it doesn't get done! The most ridiculous example of this had the student with the piece of completed homework IN HIS HAND, then he set it down to sharpen his pencil, came back, looked at the homework with a blank look on his face, and he put it back in his folder. I could hardly believe it.
2. They hand in completely blank copies of their homework. But hey, at least they put their name on it, so I know who to give the zero to.
3. They put their entire head underneath the sink faucet in my classroom to "cool off" on hot days.
4. They throw each others' shoes on top of the light fixtures.
5. They wear shorts and t-shirts on 40 degree days and sweatshirts and long pants on 80 degree days.
6. The boys wear black socks to mid-calf with slide-on flip flops. It's one of the weirder fashion statements I've seen out of them.
7. They leave behind all manner of things in my classroom: books, binders, calculators, cell phones, SHOES, tennis balls, sweatshirts, bracelets, glasses...one student once left behind a shoulder bag. Inside: a laptop and an iPad.
8. Even though they know that I will be deducting points for things they turn in late, they still fail to turn in their major assignments on time. HALF of my 2nd hour students haven't yet turned in their papers that were due a week ago.
9.They ask me if they can borrow a calculator so that they can finish their math homework in the middle of my Spanish class.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Things That Are Awkward: Wedding Edition
New series! "Things That are Awkward!" I'm sure I'll be able to get a LOT of mileage out of this one. :) Plus, it was time to get a light-hearted and funny post.
Disclaimer: These are GENERAL things that I have found awkward about weddings. These observations in no way belong to any particular wedding that I have attended in the last few years.
1. Pastors that deliver a sermon specifically tailored to the two people that are getting married. I find that awkward because then it's like this pastor is talking directly to these two people (who, most of the time, have their back to the congregation), and the rest of the people in attendance are just kind of...eavesdropping.
2. Greeting/thanking someone in the receiving line by the wrong name because you have no idea how they are now related to you.
3. Couples that dance ON each other instead of WITH each other. I don't CARE if you are married. Keep it classy. Don't subject us to that. At least act like you have some control over yourselves.
4. Guests that a) under-dress, b) over-dress, or c) slut-dress. Let me spell it out for you: if your outfit is jeans+wife-beater, fancier than the bride's dress, or a negligee, you will be forcibly ejected from my wedding. By me. And/or my bouncer.
5. This is not characteristic of any weddings that I personally have attended, but it's pretty awkward when the bride wears white when EVERYONE knows that she shouldn't be. But rules were made to be broken, right?
6. When the ceremony takes place at a church with steps up to the pulpit, you have to stagger your attendants. Not just one per step, but make sure that they don't stand in a straight line. Otherwise, a short attendant on a lower step will end up have the next person's back and/or butt at their eye-level, and that's pretty awkward.
7. Stuffing cake in your new husband or wife's face and smearing it everywhere upon cutting the cake. Men especially should not do this. You have just ruined about three hours worth of meticulously applied makeup. Again, keep it classy.
8. Couples in attendance at the reception that stand way too close to each other. Yeah, we get it, you are a couple. You don't need to stand so close together, especially when talking in a group. It's just as bad as having sex in front of us, in my opinion. And for heaven's sake, STOP "stealing kisses" from each other. "Stealing kisses" by nature is done in SECRET. Kissing constantly in front of all of us is called exhibitionism.
Stay tuned for more Things That Are Awkward. :)
Disclaimer: These are GENERAL things that I have found awkward about weddings. These observations in no way belong to any particular wedding that I have attended in the last few years.
1. Pastors that deliver a sermon specifically tailored to the two people that are getting married. I find that awkward because then it's like this pastor is talking directly to these two people (who, most of the time, have their back to the congregation), and the rest of the people in attendance are just kind of...eavesdropping.
2. Greeting/thanking someone in the receiving line by the wrong name because you have no idea how they are now related to you.
3. Couples that dance ON each other instead of WITH each other. I don't CARE if you are married. Keep it classy. Don't subject us to that. At least act like you have some control over yourselves.
4. Guests that a) under-dress, b) over-dress, or c) slut-dress. Let me spell it out for you: if your outfit is jeans+wife-beater, fancier than the bride's dress, or a negligee, you will be forcibly ejected from my wedding. By me. And/or my bouncer.
5. This is not characteristic of any weddings that I personally have attended, but it's pretty awkward when the bride wears white when EVERYONE knows that she shouldn't be. But rules were made to be broken, right?
6. When the ceremony takes place at a church with steps up to the pulpit, you have to stagger your attendants. Not just one per step, but make sure that they don't stand in a straight line. Otherwise, a short attendant on a lower step will end up have the next person's back and/or butt at their eye-level, and that's pretty awkward.
7. Stuffing cake in your new husband or wife's face and smearing it everywhere upon cutting the cake. Men especially should not do this. You have just ruined about three hours worth of meticulously applied makeup. Again, keep it classy.
8. Couples in attendance at the reception that stand way too close to each other. Yeah, we get it, you are a couple. You don't need to stand so close together, especially when talking in a group. It's just as bad as having sex in front of us, in my opinion. And for heaven's sake, STOP "stealing kisses" from each other. "Stealing kisses" by nature is done in SECRET. Kissing constantly in front of all of us is called exhibitionism.
Stay tuned for more Things That Are Awkward. :)
Monday, April 9, 2012
A Refreshed Heart
Today was rough. I'll just state it simply and bluntly. ROUGH.
For some reason, I was unreasonably stressed about school today. It was like it was the first day of the semester all over again. I had prepared this great lesson as part of my culture unit for today and I had mapped out the last two weeks of my full-time teaching lessons. Unfortunately, I had to run these plans by my CT for her approval, and this was stressing me out big-time.
There's just something about student teaching that has broken down my confidence in myself when it comes to teaching. I can't really point to any one event in particular. Just a bunch of little every day occurrences that make me feel like I'm not good enough to do this.
Over Spring Break I had wayyyy too much time on my hands for idle thinking and over-thinking. I actually seriously considered giving up on teaching altogether after this semester and heading straight into a Masters' program after I finish my undergrad next winter. And I still haven't ruled that out. I have days where I think, "What on EARTH am I doing? Am I even any good at this?"
Unfortunately, I still don't have an answer to those questions. But give it time.
The theme of devotions at class tonight was Philemon 1:7, which is one of my FAVORITE verses:
"Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother (or sister!), have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people." The people in my class refresh my heart every week. We had such a good prayer sesh after devotions, sharing and crying and praying for each other and carrying each other's burdens. That refreshes my heart.
"Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother (or sister!), have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people." The people in my class refresh my heart every week. We had such a good prayer sesh after devotions, sharing and crying and praying for each other and carrying each other's burdens. That refreshes my heart.
Here's another thing that refreshes my heart: Being able to call someone at midnight when I can't sleep and having that someone understand without me even having to explain. It was a particularly horrible night and I still didn't end up sleeping very much. But this friend refreshed my heart with her love and encouragement.
In fact, a lot of you refresh my heart every day with your love, encouragement, and prayers. I thank God for all of you. He uses you to get me through my days and nights.
I hope that my writing can be a source of refreshment for your hearts as well. Sometimes I write just to get my thoughts and frustrations out, but other times I write because I know I can't be the only one with the thoughts and questions that I have. I pray that everyone who comes across this blog sees a testament to God's faithfulness and the work He accomplishes through His people. I also pray that I have been a source of encouragement for you, even if I have never met you.
Until we meet, either again or for the first time, God bless you.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Today Was a Good Day.
Believe me, if you had been inside my head this morning when I woke up, you would have been as surprised as I am about how this day turned out. :)
I was beyond exhausted when I woke up. I stayed up too late last night (and we're talking the wee hours of 10:00pm here), finishing up school work and refining the next day's lesson plan. Pretty much the only thing that kept me from calling in sick was knowing that I was responsible for today's Spanish classes because I was beginning a unit and delaying it would throw EVERYTHING off. So I hauled myself out of bed and made it work.
Upon arriving to school, I was reasonably nervous about teaching my unit. It's about why we learn other languages and focuses on the culture and life of Cuba. Basically, it's about 100% different from the curriculum that GMS uses (TPRS, for you educators out there) and I didn't know what to expect or how the kids would receive it. Instead of just listening to a story and mastering vocabulary words and structures, I was asking them to analyze events and motives and articulate how they felt about them.
To my surprise, it went over so much better than I thought it would! The meat of my lesson focused on making comparisons between life in the U.S. and life in Cuba. For example, did you know that the average Cuban worker makes only $0.33 a day? I passed out bags containing 33 cents so that the kids could see this figure and hold the coins through the bags to connect to their learning. After the comparisons, I told a shortened version of the Elian Gonzalez story and showed a newscast from the morning that the INS personnel forcibly removed Elian from his uncle's home in Miami.
The students were surprised and made uncomfortable by the video clips and stories I was telling them, as I had hoped they would be. We had a mini-discussion on who was at fault, who was acting illegally, etc. Back in 2000 when this whole fiasco was going on, the central issue was the custody battle between the uncle and Elian's dad back in Cuba. However, the media latched on to the supposed "illegal immigrant" issue and blew that up even bigger than the custody battle.
But did you know that Elian was in fact living in the U.S. legally? Back in 1966, lawmakers passed the Cuban Adjustment Act, which says that any Cuban person fleeing the country as a refugee was admitted entrance to the U.S. without prejudice because of the dangerous living conditions and totalitarian communist government. That person can stay in the U.S. for up to a year, provided that they pursue naturalization and citizenship. In 1995, the Clinton administration made some revisions to this Act, which stipulated that any immigrant that was intercepted in the water between the coasts of Cuba and the U.S. would be sent back to Cuba. But, should that immigrant walk ashore in Florida, he or she is granted that protection afforded by the Cuban Adjustment Act. If you don't believe me, check out this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet_feet,_dry_feet_policy
Elian washed up on the shore on Thanksgiving Day. So technically, he legally attained the right to stay here as a Cuban refugee because he wasn't intercepted in the water. "Pisar la Tierra" (which means 'to step on or tread the land') is and has been an important ideal for Cubans since the exodus began in the 50s and 60s. It not only holds emotional importance as recognition of a dangerous journey completed safely, but it also holds legal importance in that they can stay here without fear of being deported.
It was really great to share this kind of story with my kids today because they don't often get the chance to really think about and chew on issues. They're spoon-fed the Spanish language, but they don't get to interact much with the culture. I had one student tell me that he enjoyed today's class simply because he felt comfortable raising his hand to volunteer an answer because he knew it was a correct answer. This student in particular has been really struggling in Spanish so far (Ds and some Fs) because he has trouble keeping up with the fast pace of the class and how the material is taught. I could see from today that his grades are not for lack of trying. He was really interested in these issues and he articulated himself well when I asked the class for their thoughts. I was really happy to see that this lesson achieved the goal of showing the lower-achieving students that they can still succeed in Spanish class.
Unfortunately, I can't do an entire curriculum of culture and discussions and deep thinking. But I am thankful for the days that I do get for doing this kind of thing because it gives the opportunity for different students to shine instead of the same old fast thinkers all the time. :)
I was beyond exhausted when I woke up. I stayed up too late last night (and we're talking the wee hours of 10:00pm here), finishing up school work and refining the next day's lesson plan. Pretty much the only thing that kept me from calling in sick was knowing that I was responsible for today's Spanish classes because I was beginning a unit and delaying it would throw EVERYTHING off. So I hauled myself out of bed and made it work.
Upon arriving to school, I was reasonably nervous about teaching my unit. It's about why we learn other languages and focuses on the culture and life of Cuba. Basically, it's about 100% different from the curriculum that GMS uses (TPRS, for you educators out there) and I didn't know what to expect or how the kids would receive it. Instead of just listening to a story and mastering vocabulary words and structures, I was asking them to analyze events and motives and articulate how they felt about them.
To my surprise, it went over so much better than I thought it would! The meat of my lesson focused on making comparisons between life in the U.S. and life in Cuba. For example, did you know that the average Cuban worker makes only $0.33 a day? I passed out bags containing 33 cents so that the kids could see this figure and hold the coins through the bags to connect to their learning. After the comparisons, I told a shortened version of the Elian Gonzalez story and showed a newscast from the morning that the INS personnel forcibly removed Elian from his uncle's home in Miami.
The students were surprised and made uncomfortable by the video clips and stories I was telling them, as I had hoped they would be. We had a mini-discussion on who was at fault, who was acting illegally, etc. Back in 2000 when this whole fiasco was going on, the central issue was the custody battle between the uncle and Elian's dad back in Cuba. However, the media latched on to the supposed "illegal immigrant" issue and blew that up even bigger than the custody battle.
But did you know that Elian was in fact living in the U.S. legally? Back in 1966, lawmakers passed the Cuban Adjustment Act, which says that any Cuban person fleeing the country as a refugee was admitted entrance to the U.S. without prejudice because of the dangerous living conditions and totalitarian communist government. That person can stay in the U.S. for up to a year, provided that they pursue naturalization and citizenship. In 1995, the Clinton administration made some revisions to this Act, which stipulated that any immigrant that was intercepted in the water between the coasts of Cuba and the U.S. would be sent back to Cuba. But, should that immigrant walk ashore in Florida, he or she is granted that protection afforded by the Cuban Adjustment Act. If you don't believe me, check out this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet_feet,_dry_feet_policy
Elian washed up on the shore on Thanksgiving Day. So technically, he legally attained the right to stay here as a Cuban refugee because he wasn't intercepted in the water. "Pisar la Tierra" (which means 'to step on or tread the land') is and has been an important ideal for Cubans since the exodus began in the 50s and 60s. It not only holds emotional importance as recognition of a dangerous journey completed safely, but it also holds legal importance in that they can stay here without fear of being deported.
It was really great to share this kind of story with my kids today because they don't often get the chance to really think about and chew on issues. They're spoon-fed the Spanish language, but they don't get to interact much with the culture. I had one student tell me that he enjoyed today's class simply because he felt comfortable raising his hand to volunteer an answer because he knew it was a correct answer. This student in particular has been really struggling in Spanish so far (Ds and some Fs) because he has trouble keeping up with the fast pace of the class and how the material is taught. I could see from today that his grades are not for lack of trying. He was really interested in these issues and he articulated himself well when I asked the class for their thoughts. I was really happy to see that this lesson achieved the goal of showing the lower-achieving students that they can still succeed in Spanish class.
Unfortunately, I can't do an entire curriculum of culture and discussions and deep thinking. But I am thankful for the days that I do get for doing this kind of thing because it gives the opportunity for different students to shine instead of the same old fast thinkers all the time. :)
Thursday, March 8, 2012
I Wish I Could Just Sit and Watch SpEd Basketball All Day
Hmm, a week later, it's probably time to update. :)
Health-wise, things have gotten neither better nor worse. It's just kind of staying the same. And for right now, I am okay with that. I know how far I can push myself on a certain amount of energy and I know how much work I can get done with that energy. I'm usually just about drained once I get home from school, but thankfully, my family and prof have been understanding about me getting my work done and giving extensions when needed.
It's been a bit of a rough week in Room 200, but only in 6th hour, so that's a good thing. We started a new trimester on Monday, which means two new Intro to Theater classes for me and about 50 new names and faces to learn. :) 6th hour Spanish has a handful of troublemakers that I'm still figuring out how to handle. They certainly test my patience and it's a battle with them every day. The other 3 Spanish classes are going pretty well though, so that gives me a boost in my confidence in myself as a teacher.
A highlight for this week happened today: the Special Olympics Basketball Tournament! Grandville MS hosts the tourney and invites Caledonia MS and Hudsonville MS. Each school forms 2 teams out of their Special Education students, and those 6 teams play each other in various combinations for the better part of the school day. Teachers are encouraged to bring their classes down to the gym for part of their class period to cheer on the players and show their support.
So that's what we did during 4th hour Theater today! I absolutely loved it. It brought back many really fabulous memories of Special Needs Week out at the Grounds. I just love the spirit that special needs kids have. It was really great to see the kids working together and passing the ball to each other. The higher functioning ones would pass the ball to the lower functioning ones, and they even gave players on the other team a second chance to shoot the ball if they caught the rebound. I was just so proud of them. :)
Time for bed for this little girl. Dios os cuide y os proteja. (which means "May God take care of you and protect you")
Health-wise, things have gotten neither better nor worse. It's just kind of staying the same. And for right now, I am okay with that. I know how far I can push myself on a certain amount of energy and I know how much work I can get done with that energy. I'm usually just about drained once I get home from school, but thankfully, my family and prof have been understanding about me getting my work done and giving extensions when needed.
It's been a bit of a rough week in Room 200, but only in 6th hour, so that's a good thing. We started a new trimester on Monday, which means two new Intro to Theater classes for me and about 50 new names and faces to learn. :) 6th hour Spanish has a handful of troublemakers that I'm still figuring out how to handle. They certainly test my patience and it's a battle with them every day. The other 3 Spanish classes are going pretty well though, so that gives me a boost in my confidence in myself as a teacher.
A highlight for this week happened today: the Special Olympics Basketball Tournament! Grandville MS hosts the tourney and invites Caledonia MS and Hudsonville MS. Each school forms 2 teams out of their Special Education students, and those 6 teams play each other in various combinations for the better part of the school day. Teachers are encouraged to bring their classes down to the gym for part of their class period to cheer on the players and show their support.
So that's what we did during 4th hour Theater today! I absolutely loved it. It brought back many really fabulous memories of Special Needs Week out at the Grounds. I just love the spirit that special needs kids have. It was really great to see the kids working together and passing the ball to each other. The higher functioning ones would pass the ball to the lower functioning ones, and they even gave players on the other team a second chance to shoot the ball if they caught the rebound. I was just so proud of them. :)
Time for bed for this little girl. Dios os cuide y os proteja. (which means "May God take care of you and protect you")
Thursday, March 1, 2012
The Results Are In...
Good news: My blood work came back just fine, nothing abnormal!
Bad news: My blood work came back just fine, nothing abnormal....
The purpose of the blood work was to check for contributing factors for anemia, such as low iron. The iron's fine, the Vitamin D is a little low (but that's to be expected since we're nearing the end of winter and haven't seen much sun lately), and my blood cell counts are all good.
Even my thyroid is fine. No hypothyroidism here.
No pain in my limbs and back, so it's not fibromyalgia.
So what's next?
It's unlikely that it's a sleep disorder since fatigue is the only symptom I have. I sleep at least 8 hours per night, often 9 or 10, and I don't wake up more than once per night. I sleep all the way through, I don't snore, and none of my roommates has said that I have woken up gasping for breath as if I'd stopped breathing in my sleep (these are all symptoms of sleep apnea). It would appear I sleep just fine. I just don't feel rested when I wake up. I feel TIRED when I wake up.
My doctor said that this indicates some sort of disconnect with my sleep - that is, I sleep, but I don't REST. He said if the blood work comes back normal (which it has), and a sleep specialist has nothing to say (he'll decide on a referral to one tomorrow), then it's probably Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or CFS.
Unfortunately, it's difficult to be sure because there's no test for CFS and there's no cure. It's more like a diagnosis that comes after ruling out a bunch of other things, which is what my doctor is in the process of doing. It's a syndrome that some doctors don't even take seriously, which makes me a little frustrated. I already have trouble convincing people that this exhaustion is real, and now DOCTORS are saying it's not real? Good grief.
So anyway, that's where I'm at. Thank you so much for all of your prayers the last two weeks. I really appreciate all of you. :)
Bad news: My blood work came back just fine, nothing abnormal....
The purpose of the blood work was to check for contributing factors for anemia, such as low iron. The iron's fine, the Vitamin D is a little low (but that's to be expected since we're nearing the end of winter and haven't seen much sun lately), and my blood cell counts are all good.
Even my thyroid is fine. No hypothyroidism here.
No pain in my limbs and back, so it's not fibromyalgia.
So what's next?
It's unlikely that it's a sleep disorder since fatigue is the only symptom I have. I sleep at least 8 hours per night, often 9 or 10, and I don't wake up more than once per night. I sleep all the way through, I don't snore, and none of my roommates has said that I have woken up gasping for breath as if I'd stopped breathing in my sleep (these are all symptoms of sleep apnea). It would appear I sleep just fine. I just don't feel rested when I wake up. I feel TIRED when I wake up.
My doctor said that this indicates some sort of disconnect with my sleep - that is, I sleep, but I don't REST. He said if the blood work comes back normal (which it has), and a sleep specialist has nothing to say (he'll decide on a referral to one tomorrow), then it's probably Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or CFS.
Unfortunately, it's difficult to be sure because there's no test for CFS and there's no cure. It's more like a diagnosis that comes after ruling out a bunch of other things, which is what my doctor is in the process of doing. It's a syndrome that some doctors don't even take seriously, which makes me a little frustrated. I already have trouble convincing people that this exhaustion is real, and now DOCTORS are saying it's not real? Good grief.
So anyway, that's where I'm at. Thank you so much for all of your prayers the last two weeks. I really appreciate all of you. :)
Monday, February 27, 2012
Lil' Health Update..
Eh, it's probably time to get that "Why I am exhausted every minute of the day" thing looked at.
So I have a physical scheduled for this Wednesday morning before school to check all the regularly-functioning body parts and some blood work specifically for the tiredness bidness.
Those that have spent a significant amount of time with me know that I do not like to admit defeat. I do not like to admit weakness. I do not like admitting that I can't do something.
And I do NOT like going to the doctor.
I try to avoid it whenever possible. The last time I went to the doctor for an illness was when I was in kindergarten and had croup. I don't think I even went to the doctor when I got chicken pox because my brothers had it right before me and my parents knew the routine by then. Except for seasonal colds, I maintain near-perfect (or at least, passable) physical health. KEEP ME AWAY FROM THE DOCTOR.
But as much as I hate going to the doctor, I need answers. I need to figure this out.
I can't keep living like this, with no energy. Today I was operating on about 60%. On most grading scales, that's failing. I'm failing! But in the life I lead, failure is not an option. A "Body and Mind Failure" Day does not exist.
So we keep on keepin' on.
If you are a person who prays and you feel so inclined, please pray for me. It's been a rough several weeks. And I'm afraid it may be awhile before it gets better.
So I have a physical scheduled for this Wednesday morning before school to check all the regularly-functioning body parts and some blood work specifically for the tiredness bidness.
Those that have spent a significant amount of time with me know that I do not like to admit defeat. I do not like to admit weakness. I do not like admitting that I can't do something.
And I do NOT like going to the doctor.
I try to avoid it whenever possible. The last time I went to the doctor for an illness was when I was in kindergarten and had croup. I don't think I even went to the doctor when I got chicken pox because my brothers had it right before me and my parents knew the routine by then. Except for seasonal colds, I maintain near-perfect (or at least, passable) physical health. KEEP ME AWAY FROM THE DOCTOR.
But as much as I hate going to the doctor, I need answers. I need to figure this out.
I can't keep living like this, with no energy. Today I was operating on about 60%. On most grading scales, that's failing. I'm failing! But in the life I lead, failure is not an option. A "Body and Mind Failure" Day does not exist.
So we keep on keepin' on.
If you are a person who prays and you feel so inclined, please pray for me. It's been a rough several weeks. And I'm afraid it may be awhile before it gets better.
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