So I know it's been forever, but just a quick update for today. I promise a full one soon!
* Work is going pretty well. My students are learning and improving, so that makes me happy. I'm still learning so much, but I think I'm doing alright.
*It's December 8 and all the windows are open and I'm wearing capris. I love this weather!
* Only 3 weeks until Florida! It will be nice to see people and go to a wedding.
* We bought a Wii!! We just need more games for it, but so far we're really enjoying it.
* I entered a cookie contest at work. It's me and 3 administrators from my campus. I'm a little afraid that it will look like I'm trying to kiss up, but I was the first one to sign up and I just love baking cookies.
* Mom and I are going to make cookies next weekend. I know it won't be the same as it always is, but I am excited to have the cookies go give away.

More to come soon!

bad news, good news

So Wednesday night a couple of teachers and I went out to dinner. Aaron met us there and we had a good time. We walked back to the car, and lo and behold, someone STOLE my license plate! It was my Indiana one. I had been talking to an insurance agent trying to get it all figured out, but I hadn't been able to get insurance yet. This is a slight problem in getting plates and everything like that. Well, miraculously, after a phone call from me and two from my dad, I managed to get insurance. Why did it only take a couple phone calls after more than 6 weeks of going back and forth with these people! At least I have insurance now and can get the title, registration, plates and my license this week. Finally I can be an official resident of Texas!

here's Lyla!

so little!

look at the size difference!

cuteness!

We adopted a kitten today! She is a 14 week old Siamese mix. We don't get to bring her home until Tuesday cuz she has to be fixed and declawed on Monday. We are so excited! We just hope that Liam won't care too much. He's not too good with big cats, but my aunt assures me that most cats will just ignore kittens and don't feel as threatened by them as they do by big cats, so we hope it goes well. Aaron has Wednesday and Thursday off to spend with them and get them used to each other before we leave them alone. I can't wait!!!! I will post pictures here and on picassa when we get her home.

school

So the first week is over. I didn't have any kids this week, as it took literally until Friday at 3 to get the schedule figured out. I will start pulling kids on Wednesday, to give the teachers a chance to know that I will be pulling their kids. I am just excited to get started. I am a little concerned about ho some of the people I work with and for are taking the needs of some students. With this whole Response to Intervention mandate by the government, students must show that they are not responding to whatever interventions, modifications and accommodations are being made in the regular classroom. This means that if a student is succeeding in the room while having all of his tests read to him, he won't be referred for special ed. But this student can't read. i don't understand how we can just read everything to him and have him succeed in passing his tests and stuff, but not teach him to read while using this accommodation to test his knowledge in other areas. I know that I am a new teacher, but I don't feel like I am being idealistic in trying to get all students to at least read on a functional level. This is not the reading on grade level that NCLB is mandating, but these children won't always have someone there to read everything in the world to them. I know that it will all get worked out and that the students that need my help will get it, I'm just a little frustrated now.

I was very glad for a 3-day weekend, and a short week next week!

work update

So my room is as ready as it can be. I still don't know quite what I am doing and how it's getting done, but we'll figure that out next week. I got it all decorated and ready for kids this week. Here's a few pics.......

The door

the front of the room

the reading corner

There's more posted at my picassa website: http://picasaweb.google.com/snicolehamilton
Let me know what you think!

I have about 15 kids right now. We'll see how that pans out and how scheduling works to see and serve them all. I'm just excited to get started. I've had about a month of training, so I'm just ready to actually do something for and with the kids. We'll see how I feel at the end of next week, but for now I'm really excited. Keep me posted on how you're doing!

it's the small things

So, we went on a bike ride, like we have taken to doing lately. We live on this huge hill and I have yet to be able to make it up the hill after the ride, no matter how long or short the ride in between is. Today on the way back, I actually made it up the hill! That makes me so happy and proves that I really am making progress. We have started working out together multiple times a week and I think I am starting to see progress in doing more. I haven't seen it in my clothes or anything like that, but that will come I am sure. Just to say it again..... I MADE IT UP THE HILL!!!!!

getting closer

So my classroom is coming along. Aaron helped me this afternoon and we're going in tomorrow to get some more done. I've got baskets for all my books and am getting it organized by level. That is such a process. I am glad that it really is only something that needs to be done once and after that only new books need to be added. This is defiantly not a task I want to repeat. I still don't know exactly who my kids are, but I was told I will know early next week. That will help me schedule my time. I found out I don't have an aide, which is not cool. I thought I did, so that defiantly changes some of the things I am going to be able to do with my kids. We'll figure it out next week when I finally get to meet with my teachers and figure out my kids. We did a lot of staff orientation this week. A lot of it could have been condensed, but oh well. Next week is all staff stuff, so we will finally get to meet all of the people we will be working with. That will be very beneficial.

On another note, I really like where we live. They are really good to the residents. We had a pool party with hot dogs and a raffle (where we won a gift card to a restaurant). Once a month they give us breakfast on a Saturday morning. Tomorrow it's pancakes and french toast. I'm pretty excited for it. I found out that a teacher lives in the building next door, so we are going to carpool as much as possible to save on gas. That's pretty exciting to me.

the zoo

So we went to the zoo today. Overall it was a pretty good day. It was reeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaly hot. I got a bunch of sun, and that makes me happy. We actually rode our bikes there. Going out was not really too bad. It was early, so it wasn't too hot and it took about 45-50 minutes to get there. The way home was a totally different story. It took about an hour and a half with multiple breaks and walking my bike about 2 of the 8ish miles. I thought I was going to die. I'm kinda disappointed in myself for thinking I could do it when I know I am out of shape and that we didn't plan better or wait to do it until later in the fall. I do fell good about making it as far as I did, especially considering the amazing heat we are having.
Here is us
We saw a crazy animal that we have no idea what it was. It was breathing and moving, so I know it's alive, but if anyone has any idea what this is, let me know!

I have a classroom!

So I went to my school today and was pleasantly surprised. When i interviewed, they showed me the current resource classroom and said for this coming school year it would be turned into a bilingual second grade room and I would get a room in the portable out back. Well, when I went today to take in my stuff, I have the room in the building! That made me so happy. The previous teacher left me so much random stuff... books, materials, resources. It is literally an entire wall of stuff that she left. I'm going to go in tomorrow and spend all day getting the furniture moved around and set up. I am so excited! I know I'm a big dork, but whatever. Yay for getting stuff accomplished!

i'm a big girl now

It has been a crazy week! As of a week ago, I was in Bloomington packing things up and getting ready to move. Wednesday we got about 4 hours of sleep due to lack of packing. Thursday we went to southern Indiana and Holiday World with his family. Friday was a very long day of driving all the way to Fort Worth. We made it without any hitches (unlike my dad who had 2 flat tires before he got out of Illinois!). Saturday was a big mess. We were supposed to have movers between 10 and 12. They showed up at 3 after me calling the office multiple times. Then there was an issue with the payment, so they almost left without moving anything. (We are on the 3rd floor with a washer and dryer.. no fun.) We got them to work for an hour, then they tried to charge us for 2 and we all just got fed up and their supervisor just told them to come back. In the end I think we got a free move of some of our stuff, but the underlying message here is DO NOT USE STARVING STUDENTS MOVERS!!!!! So we moved the rest of the boxes up and spent Sunday unpacking and getting some stuff arranged. We still have a bunch of boxes everywhere and it's kinda driving me nuts. I started work today, so we'll see how all of this development stuff goes this week and next. I have so many little things to do: license, title for my car, license plates, car inspection, change my cell number, unpack, get my classroom together.... the list goes on. I just hope I can get it all done in a relatively timely manner so I don't go crazy. Wish me luck on being a grown up!

here it comes!

I got an e-mail today from one of my principals. It was about dual language training. I am in a dual language school (Spanish and English) and they want me to see how the classrooms are run so I can help my students better. When I called and got the dates, she also told me to call the Special Ed director to see if I need to go to any of the other trainings in early August. I need to e-mail my principal back to tell her I got the information as well as find out when I can get into my classroom and start setting things up and looking at the curriculum and what I will really be doing this year. As of right now, I don't really know what I am doing. I know where my room is, but I don't know the number. The more I think about it, the less I actually know about my job. I know that I am working and getting paid, but I'm not quite sure what that work is going to entail. There's not much time to figure it all out, so I'm sure that it will all come together soon.

My house is pretty much a mess right now. We started packing a couple of weeks ago when I thought I would be moving at the end of the month. Now we're not moving until the end of July, so there are boxes and piles of stuff to give away sitting everywhere. It's really getting on my nerves. I can't walk or go anywhere without seeing a pile. It will be over soon and we have figured out how to get everything down there, so that is not as stressful anymore. There are only a couple more logistical things to figure out, but they will come around.

Well, lots to do tomorrow, so I should probably go to bed.

the ups and downs

So the pool opened, but then it closed yesterday.... who knows. I give up figuring it out.

We had a great time in Texas. We found a great apartment and I am totally excited. It was the first one we went to, so we could have saved ourselves a lot of time and trouble if we had just stopped there, but oh well, we had to explore. We'll be moving at the end of July, so time is running out. I have a job and a place to live, so I guess I really am growing up. Life is good right now.

pool

So I called again today and complained. Evidently they haven't passed their water tests yet, thus they can't open. The pool has been filled for 3-4 weeks and they haven't passed yet?!?!?! I've worked at pools for 5 years and only had to close a pool once and that was 2 weeks ago. It does not take this long to get a pool filled and balanced. It really kinda scares me to get in it if they can't get it together to even open it.

So I just went outside to go lay by the pool for the afternoon, and it's not open. It's Memorial Day, 80 and sunny. Why isn't it open???? I called and complained, but the chances of someone actually opening it are slim as there's no one in the office on holidays. GRRRR!!!!

We're starting to pack to move. I can't wait until next week when I will have a date to move in. We're going down and spending a few days to look at places and sign a lease. That will give us a time frame so we can start planning everything and getting it all done. That will be such a relief, even if it means that we don't have much time.

I got a digital camera for graduation, so now I have been taking a bunch of pictures and posted them. Check them out!!! http://picasaweb.google.com/snicolehamilton Let me know what you think!

the next phase is beginning

I am no longer a college student. That just feels really weird to say. I graduated on the 5th and finished my student teaching last week (darn snow days!). I am not a student, I am now a teacher. How weird is that? All of my stuff is sent in to get my license in Indiana. I also have a job! That is the most exciting part. It was a whirlwind interview process, but I accepted the job and am ecstatic. Now comes the equally whirlwind process of finding a place to live and moving to Texas. That's right, I'm going to Texas. The Fort Worth area. I am so excited and ready to get into a new situation and ready to explore. I found a bunch of apartments online, so now we just have to find a time both of us can get down there to look at them and the neighborhoods in person. I am so excited!!!!! I have a special ed/resource room serving preK-3. It will be a great learning experience, and since almost all of my field experiences, including student teaching, have been with the little ones, so I think this is a great position for me. Everything will all work out, I know. It is slowly coming around when we will move and how we will get there, so that is reducing my stress level. Let me know what life is holding for you!

Student teaching is almost over. That is good, but also is a little scary. Now I just have to get a job somewhere. I am applying and getting those things done, but at the same time, it is ultimately up to them to hire me. I will either know really soon, or not know until August. I'm hoping to know sooner rather than later, but who knows. It makes me nervous not having a place to live after August 3 and potentially not having a job or a place to move to. I am such a planner that it is really hard to not know anything to go off of. I can't look for a place, as i don't know what part of the cities to look in. EEK! I know it will all work out in the end, but that doesn' t make it much easier for me right now.

sigh

I am so excited that Spring Break starts tomorrow. Things are coming up that will take up my time, but I'm still hoping it will be a relatively relaxing week. I want to work some to make up for the many, many hours I am missing due to interviews and such, so that will be a bit of the week. I also need to go home (again!) for my dad to change my spark plugs and put new brakes on my car. That will be a fun 6 hours in the car...... Oh well, it needs to be done.

School is alright, I'm a little bored. I know that I will get a job in the special ed side of education, but I'm just not sure exactly what I'll be doing, but I know there will be a steep learning curve. I will be very interested to see how the annual case reviews go during April. There is one that I'd really like to go to involving a student from my first grade class, but I'm not sure that I will still be there as it has been moved to sometime in May. I would just liked to have been in a conference on the classroom teacher's side, as well as a student that I know a little bit better, but we'll see what I can do.

I am going to order some tracking sheets for my planner so I can keep a written account of my exercise as well as meal planning pages for the week. I am very excited and motivated to change my life right now. I weigh the most that I have ever weighed and that scares me. I know I need to change a lot of things about how I am living my life, and what better time than now. When school gets out,and I am working more, I am going to join Weight Watchers Online so I will be held accountable in some way. I am a visual person, so seeing something in black and white on a page or screen is what I need. I think I will order the pages in the next 2 weeks or so, when I get paid and figure out what all pages I want as I have a coupon.

Hopefully there will be a happier post in the next few days. I am so excited for noon tomorrow!

Special Ed

It is a different world than regular education. The schedule is rarely consistent, and while there are definitely always things to do, they can't always be done due to where the students are at the time. We may have time to teach them, but they may not be in their classroom or they can't leave it. We work with a wide variety of students, a wide variety of disabilities. From learning disabilities, turret's (sp?), autism, mental retardation, the range is a little amazing. A lot of the work is one-on-one or very small group where you can see the progress and help each student. We do have a couple of reading groups which are a bit larger and always scheduled, but other than that, the week was a little catch as catch can. I'm very excited to take over some of it on Monday. I'm a little concerned about how I am supposed to write lesson plans for a lot of the day. We are in other people's rooms assisting with lessons, not writing them. My supervisor doesn't have any experience with what an inclusion teacher does, so she is expecting me to do complete lesson plans for everything that I do. One of the reading groups is completely scripted and we follow the scrip to the letter, as the program is brand new to the students and is very regimented. These students need structure and repetition to learn their reading skills, and I am not about to type all of the words for each of these lessons when they are printed and read from the book. We'll see what happens.

I've had heartburn for about 2 weeks now. I'm thinking that I should go see a doctor, but I'm not quite sure when that could happen. I could wait for Spring Break and go to the Health Center then, or I could go to Prompt Care sometime this week. I just don't know what is going on, and I know I should go figure it out, but I don't have time.

Mesa

It is a beautiful place down there! The mountains and the weather, just amazing. I couldn't get over how brown everything is, but hey, it's the desert. I think the interviews went well. Now it's just a waiting game and getting everything they want turned in to them. I should hear back in about a month.

Tomorrow is my last day with my first graders. It's kinda wierd. I've been visiting other classrooms and really been out of my own and really let go. It's been really cool to see other rooms and age levels. I am getting really excited about starting my second placement. It will be good to really be in a special ed placement and get something out of it. I'm getting really excited!!!!

Snow Days

They are great when you are a kid. They kinda stink right now. In the last 2 weeks, we have missed 5 days of school and had 4 delays. That leaves one day out of 10 that we got anything done. I'm still not sure exactly what to do planning wise. I feel like at this point I just need to scrap everything that I had planned to do this week (as it was mostly a continuation of last week) and just move on next week. I really can't wait to find a job and move to somewhere warm where what you plan actually happens because you are at school on the days scheduled. It's just all a little frustrating. I was suppossed to get my midterm last Monday and ended up doing after school on Friday, and was suppossed to be observed today, but not being in school, we'll see when that happens. It also means that I have to make these days up. That is an entire week that I will still be in my placements after I was suppossed to be. I'm getting darn close to graduation at this point. I can't imagine having to go back to school after graduation because of snow days. I hope this all ends soon, or at least we go to delays instead of cancelling school for 3 days in a row.

In terms of graduation, I ordered my cap, gown, and announcements this week. It's getting real now. I have found a couple of jobs that I think I would enjoy, but I don't know if I should apply for them now or not. I'm not even halfway through my student teaching and chances are I would have to fly west to do interviews and I can't miss any more school. They all want a copy of my licence, which I of course don't have yet. It's just all a little daunting and scary. I'm really excited to be out there and on my own, but it's still scaring me a little. At least these snow days have given me a chance to look at some districts and jobs that I may like.

OK, I need to look at what we can get done tomorrow with a delay and finally doing our V-day party in the afternoon. It's just plain craziness.

it's coming along

The semester is coming along nicely. It is a lot of work and I spend every night doing something for school, but that's OK. Working while doing this isn't as horrible as they told me it would be. I am not working much every week and I get a chance to at least get some grading done while I am there, so it's OK. My binder is filling up with lesson plans quickly, as everything I teach has a lesson plan type and printed. Now I'm a horrible person and type them up, but don't actually use them during the lesson. I usually have it typed up and sitting on my computer as I am too lazy and cheap to print them all at home. I usually go to campus and print everything off, so it happens one a week or less often than that (usually the night before my supervisor is coming to see me). Oh well, at least I am actually typing them up in the first place. We had our first 2-hour delay yesterday. That was nice. I forgot about those. It's a nice break without having to make up the whole day at a later point. My typing has definitely improved throughout this. Typing pages upon pages every day will do that to you. On that note, I should get back to lessons, but there are a few more things to tell you.

I am so excited that the Colts are going to the Superbowl! That will be such an exciting day. I got an AFC Championship shirt yesterday and a visor. We had a Colts day on Friday and I didn't have anything to wear, so now that they are playing in the big game, I would assume that we will have another Colts apparel day before the Superbowl. Now I have something to wear!

I didn't get into Teach for America. I was very bummed and kinda pissed off when I found out. Now that means I have to look for a job somewhere. Anyone have an suggestions where I should go. Anywhere. Nationwide. Out of Indiana and the Midwest. I want something different for the next few years. I will probably come back in 2-5 years, but for now, I need a change. I need to get on with at least looking for what's open now and what may be open in the fall. I'll start doing that next month when I have a weekend at home.

Ok, back to being a teacher. I really am enjoying it. Let me know what you are up to!

tomorrow

So tomorrow begins the next phase of life.... student teaching. I have a general plan of what I am going to teach, but no specific lesson plans yet. I want to go through what I have with my teacher first. I realized as I was planning this stuff out, that I have no idea ecactly what and how to teach first grade language arts. And concidering that's really all that focus on, I should learn how I'm supposed to teach it. I'm sure that it will all work out and I just need to relax, but this will be an amazing learning experience.


As for today, it's my last day off and neither Aaron nor I have to work at all today. We are going to get a whole bunch of stuff done and feel accomplished.

Christmas was pretty cool. It all worked out in the end and we didn't have to wait forever to get our presents. I got a bunch of games, which I love. I want to have a game party now, just to play them. The sad part is that we don't have a whole lot of friends who like to play games. We'll figure it out eventually. Anyone want to come over and play???? We each also got an iPod. That made me so excited cuz he always used to steal mine, and then it broke, so now we each have our own. It is so nice to be able to listen to music while working out. I got a new planner. I know, I'm a dork. I don't really care though. It makes me happy and organized and I'm OK with looking like a dork.

I'm hoping that I will sound more normal by tomorrow too. I doubt it will happen, but I can hope. I've been sick for a week now and I am feeling better, but still sound horrible. My head is all full and now it has moved to my chest so I am coughing, but I don't feel as bad. We'll see how it all works out.

Have a great new year everyone!