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Week 38 of Teaching – The End of My First Year

Posted on May 19, 2011 by auburnchick

Wow!

I can scarcely believe that I just finished up the final week of my first year of teaching…

Because I had administered my final exams last week, my students got to watch movies during what would normally have been the time in which they had tests in my class.

I chose to show Invictus to my 9th-12th graders.  The issue of apartheid went along with my classes’ final assignments.

Mall Cop was the movie I selected for my 6th graders.

Yeah, I know…not very educational…but the kids enjoyed Kevin James’s crazy antics.

I had allowed my students to bring in food.  These kids know how to plan a party!  They brought in a great selections of goodies!

When the final bell rang on Wednesday, you should have heard the kids hollering.  They were so relieved that they were finished with tests and school, in general, for a few months.  They left a mess as they departed…

However, their fun was not quite over.

They came back to school today to have a “Fun Day.”  They met at the school where parents and teachers drove them to an elementary school where they hung out on the playground (I’m assuming…I did not go) and acted like…well…like the kids they are.

They returned to the school in time to enjoy one final celebration…

Honoring the Seniors…

The school has a tradition of collecting all of the high school students and ringing the bell one final time.  Before the bell rings, though, students have a countdown…

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1…

RING

And that was the end.

I eased away from the celebration (I’m not much for parties) and made my way back to my classroom.

As I entered, I took note of the recently cleaned white board…the clean desks…the textbooks lined up on the bookshelves…

My desk was free of lesson plans, assignments, and other school-related documents.

It was time to reflect.

Ten months ago, I had stepped into my classroom for the very first time.

I was scared to death.

I was extremely nervous.

I did not know what to expect.

I only knew that I had a heart for children.

I also had a passion for learning that I wanted to instill in my students.

My students were not the only people learning new things in my classroom, nor was I the only teacher imparting lessons.

I was a student, and my students, in turn, were my teacher.

What did I learn?

  • I learned that teaching is probably one of the most exhausting professions in the world.  People often joke that teachers only have to work 8am-3pm and get summers off, but what they fail to realize is that teachers never get the job out of their minds.  We eat, breathe, and sleep lesson plans.  We invest a great amount of energy in our children’s cognitive, physical, emotional, and social well-beings.  I learned that you don’t go into teaching if you don’t want to completely submerge yourselves in the lives of the young students you will cross paths with every day.
  • I learned that my primary job is to teach…not to try to be my students’ friend.  I learned that if a student becomes angry and treats me like crap for a few days in a row, not to take it personally.  Teenagers are emotional.  Sometimes, they don’t like or want to work.  Tough.  I figured out that I am the teacher, and I’m not going to ride the emotional roller coaster of teenager-dom.  I did that once…25 years ago.  It sucked.  Besides that, students need to know that teachers are consistent, and that expectations don’t change just because someone is having a bad hair day and needs to announce it to the world.
  • I learned not to be too trusting.  I got burned this year.  Badly.  It grieved me much to find out that there were people who acted one way to my face and talked about me behind my back.  One thing I’ve always liked about myself is that I’m trusting of people’s intentions and take what they say to me at face value.  As a result, I have learned that I need to keep myself just a bit detached in the name of self-preservation.
  • I learned that teachable moments happen when you least expect them.  It is often during these unplanned moments when lessons become the most relevant.  Good teachers recognize these opportunities and expound on them…treasuring them later in their hearts.
  • I learned that eating three bowls of split-pea soup the night before going in to teach a class is not a wise decision.  Every student teacher should have this adage memorized.
  • I learned that the best-laid plans often come to naught, and it’s okay to scrap them and go with Plan B.  Admitting that you made a mistake and recognizing that a lesson plan isn’t the best fit with your students or the topic is not a sign of weakness but a sign of professionalism and maturity.
  • I learned that challenging students are not placed in our paths to frustrate us.  God places us with these children to help us grow in this profession.  Good teachers look for opportunities like this rather than ways out of teaching those kids.  Good teachers dig their heels in and refuse to give up on these kids, no matter if they are being cussed at in class or bad-mouthed in the hallways.  Good teachers do everything they can to reach the unreachable.
  • I learned that every female teacher needs a few pairs of “sassy” shoes…especially pink sparkly sassy shoes.  Believe it or not, teachers can make connections with their students through the shoes they wear.  This is a lesson that EPI classes fail to impart on up-and-coming new teachers.
  • I learned that one of the biggest keys to being an effective teacher is being prepared.  I did nothing if not be prepared this year.  Rarely, did I walk into a classroom without a formal plan of what I was doing that day, and I could tell that my students appreciated this greatly.  Students need structure.  They thrive on it.  They need to know that the teacher knows what he or she is doing, and that there’s a method to the madness.
  • I learned that another big key to being an effective teacher is strict classroom management.  In one of my classes, things got out of hand.  I allowed this to happen by not adhering to my discipline plan during the last term of the year, and it showed in my students’ attitudes and the way they treated me.  I learned that if students start slipping, even at the end of the year, it’s okay and, actually, vital that we go back to Square 1.
  • I learned that a lot of people offer “advice” without truly understanding what it’s like to be in a classroom with students all day.  It amazed me to listen to parents tell me to “overlook” behavior or that this or that child would never do such-and-such.  I learned that good teachers take the advice with a grain of salt and proceed with what they’re doing, after personal reflection confirms that such procedures are, in fact, sound.  Good teachers adhere to the sound methodologies taught during their education classes.  We don’t learn them for nothing!
  • I learned that instruction must be tailored to the individual needs of every student present in my classroom.  This was a difficult lesson to learn, and I fear that some students lost out because I did not learn it early enough.  Good teachers recognize that one-size-fits-all does not work and purposely sets out to reach each student at his or her own academic level.
  • I learned that teachers cry…a lot…especially the first year.  I know this because I did this.  Part of the reason was that I was completely overwhelmed with five lesson preps.  That is an inordinate amount of work for even the most experienced of teachers.  For a newbie, it is excruciatingly difficult.  Many of my tears flowed in frustration with myself and my inability to reach a couple of my students.  I am a perfectionist.  Anything less than that makes me feel inadequate.  Teaching is hard, and crying is a perfectly acceptable release from the stress.

There are so many more lessons that I learned…twenty posts could scarcely contain them all.

The most important thing I learned through my first year of teaching is that I love what I’m doing.  I know without a shadow of a doubt that this is what God had in store for me.  Everything that I’ve done up to this point has prepared me for this new chapter of my life.  Ultimately, my life’s purpose, though, is not teaching.  It is about glorifying God through my service, which I completely dedicate to Him.  Though I may not always be allowed to talk about Jesus, I can share His love through my interactions with the students, staff, and parents I come into contact with each day.

My first year of teaching will always stand out as one of challenges, ups and downs, sadness, and joy.  I will never forget the students who crossed my path this year.  I am grateful that God gave me this opportunity, and I look forward to serving Him in this profession for as long as He will allow me.

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: | 5 Comments »

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Posted on May 18, 2011 by auburnchick

Joyce has created quite a smorgasbord of questions for us today!  Join in, link up, and visit others.  It’s a fun way to spend the day!

1.  What reveals more about a woman – her refrigerator or her purse?

As a fan of such shows as Criminal Minds, I can’t help but think that a forensics team would have a field day profiling me based on what’s in both!  However, in my not-so-professional opinion, I think that a purse reveals more about a woman.  For instance, if you were to be brave enough to take a look at mine, you might think that the fact that I have twenty pens, different sizes of band aids (which came in handy yesterday when I handed out two to a graduate during commencement services), feminine products, allergy/headache/migraine medicine, anti-gas pills (thank you, split pea soup), and a host of other items, I am a person who likes to be prepared.  I also like to help others.  I once had ant bite creme in my purse…way back during my travel soccer days.

2.  When was the last time you went to the zoo?  Where?  What’s your favorite zoo animal?

The last time I went to the zoo was when I visited my dad at his home in Euless, Texas (between Dallas and Fort Worth).  He took us to the zoo there.  It was the middle of the summer and very hot.  I love most animals.  I see God’s hand in every creature…the way He designed every single create to function in its natural environment.  It’s amazing.  I think my favorite animal from that trip was the meerkat.  What a darling little animal!

Now, I have a funny zoo story for you.

When I was in the 9th or 10th grade, my small class took a field trip to the Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery.  After the boring play was over (sorry…I just wasn’t into Shakespeare back then), we went to the zoo.

Now, please understand that the boys in my class were dorks.  Not your regular teenage male dorks.  They were teenage Redneck dorks.

One guy in particular was very annoying. 

His name was Joe Don.

As we walked past the gorilla cage that day, Joe Don decided to have a little bit of fun.  He started running back and forth in front of the cage.

It didn’t take the gorillas, who were much more behaved than my classmate, long to get annoyed.

In frustration, the biggest gorilla picked up a pile of gorilla poop and aimed for Joe Don.

He saw what was about to happen and ducked.

The poop hit the face of a young elementary-age girl.

Oh.  My.  Word.  While this was truly funny to behold, it was also sad for the girl.  Of course, all of us high-tailed it to another part of the zoo.

Back to the questions.

3.  What social issue fires you up?

Funny you should ask this, Joyce!  My classes recently completed research projects on social issues and activists.

I think the issue of literacy gets me most fired up.  This is not just because I’m a teacher.  My aggravation with literacy issues dates back to when I had gone to a pre-testing session to prepare for being a paraprofessional in the school system.  Because I did not have a college degree, I had to pass a general knowledge test.  Here’s how bad things were.  This test was the most basic kind.  The district provided “classes” to help people pass the test.  We were given a pretest to gauge how well we would do on the actual test.  Then, if needed, we could sign up for tutoring. 

As I stood in line to get my English pretest graded, I could not help but overhear person after person who had failed the test.  In fact, the conversation that I also overheard between participants was disheartening…full of grammatical errors, etc. 

What are we teaching our children these days?  I get kids in my classroom who cannot write complete sentences…in the upper levels too!  It’s shocking and, quite honestly, sad.  How are these people going to function in the working world?

4.  Are you a coupon clipper?  If so, are you extreme?

Ok.  Here’s the deal.  I consider myself an extreme coupon clipper who is currently on hiatus because of starting my job as a teacher and attending school full-time.

Heck…I even have a tab at the top of this page and links on the right for couponing information.

I was unemployed (with the exception of subbing) for two years.  I learned how to save money, let me tell you.  I have posts on how to organize a coupon binder, how to stack coupons, and how to do other things.  I know how to do this.  I lack the time.

The Mr. has recently begun trying to coupon.  He grabbed my binder the other day and cleaned it out.  Almost everything had expired.  I think he’s tired of paying boatloads of money for groceries when he remembers the days of me saving $200 and paying only $20-$30 for two or three weeks’ worth of groceries.

I.  Kid.  You.  Not.

As soon as I finish with my certification classes this summer, I plan on starting over.  I will also make sure that when my new school year starts, that I make couponing a personal priority.  I am determined to rediscover balance in my life.  I hate paying full price for things.

5.  What is one of your favorite souvenirs brought back from your travels?

You’re gonna laugh when I tell you.

Yarn is my favorite souvenir.

When Chicky was playing on her travel team, we visited many, many cities.  When I packed, I always left room in my suitcase for yarn.

I’m telling you the truth. 

I think I left so much room for yarn that one time, I forgot to pack undies.  Seriously.  Thank goodness for Target!

I made it my mission to visit yarn stores wherever we went.  It was not uncommon for me to leave the hotel early in the morning, visit a store, and make it back with minutes to spare before having to leave to take Chicky to a game.

I associate our travels with the yarn stores I found and the yarn I bought.

My most memorable bag of goodies came from two yarn stores in Las Vegas.  I had just finished my last classes for my bachelor’s degree.  I was floating on cloud nine, and I decided to celebrate.  I bought $300 of yarn that day, carrying in three or four bags of yarn when I returned to the hotel.  It was a graduation present to myself and served as souvenirs from that fun trip.

6.  Lemon Meringue or Key Lime?

Key Lime all the way.  I have a friend who lives down the street who makes the most fabulous Key Lime Pie.  I usually get her to make two of them for me during Thanksgiving.

7.  What is the most beautiful word you know in any language?

Jesus.

8.  My Random Thought

I know I’ve been rather wordy today, but I just have to share a story.  You’ll like it, I promise.

Have you ever wondered what happened to old-fashioned manners and chivalry?

Well, wonder no longer. 

It still exists.

Case in point…

My Rooster has had a best friend for a while now.  SHE is the cutest thing, and the Mr. and I have long wondered if there was something more to the friendship.

Dancing Girl (which is what she’ll be known as on this blog) has “liked” my boy for a while now.  However, Rooster has never shared those kinds of feelings with us, even though I’ve asked, point-blank.

Well, two weeks ago, Dancing Girl’s dad pulled the Mr. aside after church and told him that a few days before that, Rooster had sent him a text…

Asking if he could have a relationship with his daughter.

Pick yourself up off the floor now.

Dancing Girl is not allowed to date, and neither is Rooster.  Those are my rules.  I don’t believe in dating unless it’s with the purpose of getting married.

But, I am realistic enough to know that I can’t stop kids from having certain feelings.

We’re already good friends with Dancing Girl’s family.  We have attended the same church for quite a while now, and the kids attend the same school.  Dancing Girl is on the dance line at Podunk High School.  Her parents are active members of the band and work with the youth group at church.

We like them.

We like her.

We went out to eat together last Friday evening, and after dinner, we (the parents) discussed the parameters of the “relationship” (while the kids were waiting in their respective vehicles texting each other madly, I’m sure).

The kids will be allowed to visit each others’ homes, chaperoned of course.  They’ll also be allowed to attend Prom next year, should they choose to do so.  We’ll do the things we’ve always done and include them with family outings.

The biggest change, though, was on Facebook.  They both are now “in a relationship.”  I guess that makes it “official,” eh?

Anyhow, I think it’s really sweet that Rooster asked Dancing Girl’s father for permission.  It’s old-fashioned and downright sweet.

I’m a proud mama right now.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | 20 Comments »

A New Plan

Posted on May 17, 2011 by auburnchick

Observe:

And this…

Those are my neighbor’s houses and beautiful lawns.

I pity them.

They live next door to me.

Now, remember that I am a lowly paid teacher at a private school.

I have no money for a new yard.

A representative from a fertilizer company once knocked at my door and made presidential-worthy promises to fix my lawn.  I blogged about it here.

His promises were in vain.

My yard still looks like crap.

I’ve given up…for the time being…until the amount of moolah in my paycheck increases.

However, the other day when I went into the yard to pull weeds from the front flower beds, I noticed something…

Can you see it?

If you look closely, you’ll notice that the good grass from my neighbors’ yards is spreading to my yard!!!

So, I have a new plan.

Rather than waiting for my paycheck to get fatter, which could take forever given the economy, I figure that I can just bide my time and let my neighbors’ yards take over mine!

It should only take about ten years or so.

Of course, I’ll have to dodge the homeowner’s association, but it’s made up of mostly old people, so I should be able to outrun them.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

7 Weeks To Go

Posted on May 16, 2011 by auburnchick

Well, week one of my final term of certification classes is behind me.

Let me tell you that I did a LOT of reading last week.  I had three chapters of my Psychology Applied to Teaching textbook to read.  Each chapter was over forty pages long.  I found out that I will NEVER go back to school and get a degree in psychology.  The stuff, while kind of interesting, is very confusing.  I’m of the firm belief that you’ve gotta be a little nuts yourself to actually want to study psychology.  LOL

What I did find interesting was reading about the way that students learn. 

One of my assignments last week required me to describe five learner characteristics of the students that my problem based learning plan will be geared for.  I had to closely study the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional characterstics of high schoolers, and the information helped shed light on why I encountered some of the problems in one of my classes.  I will definitely use the knowledge I gained to be more empathetic during the rest of my career.  I also learned that instructional strategies must be tailored to address these characteristics.

Once again, I was reminded that a lot of thought must go into lesson planning.  Lesson planning is not just about knowing the material you are teaching but knowing your STUDENTS. 

I think that too many teachers try to fit students into the cookie cutter molds of traditional teaching methods, and this simply does not work.

Trust me.  I learned this the hard way this year.

As far as assignments for last week, I created the first component of my problem based learning plan.  I had to select the “problem” and incorporate the learner characteristics mentioned above.

Here’s the title of my plan:

Concerned members of the community address ways to assimilate young hurricane refugees into the local school system and the community at large.

I selected this topic because this is, in fact, something that my community had to deal with after Hurricane Katrina devastated parts of Mississippi and Louisiana.  Podunk, USA was inundated with disaster victims, and local officials struggled with the issue presented above.

I feel that this is something that is relevant to my imaginary students’ lives, and it is something that I could, realistically, bring into my classroom.

The instructor for this class is fabulous, let me tell you.  Although she had said that she would provide feedback by Tuesday, on Sunday, she had provided feedback to those of us who had submitted our assignments early.  I adore this instructor.  She’s very nurturing but tough on the important issues.  She has the ability to analyze assignments to the smallest detail yet provide positive, corrective feedback at the same time.

My classroom management class is going well, although the text in one of my books paints an unrealistic picture of life in the classroom.  I hope my classmates aren’t lulled into a false sense of security.  Some of the tips provided in the book do not work so seamlessly in the real world.  However, this particular book does have some good resources that I feel I can tweak to my particular needs.  I think I’m going to save the book at the end of the course rather than sell it.

This class is rather easy, and I have already completed quizzes for this week and next.  As soon as I finish this week’s PBL assignment, I plan on completing week three’s assignment for the management class. 

My diversity class is proving to be the easiest one of all.  I only had one assignment last week…a quiz.  This week’s assignment is to write a critical review about last week’s chapter.  I decided to go ahead and write it after I took the quiz while the information was still fresh in my mind; hence, I am now one week ahead in that class.

My goal is to quickly finish the assignments in my classroom management and diversity classes so I can focus on the brain-intense PBL class.

And so I have seven more weeks to go.

The clock is ever so slowly ticking down…

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Homemade Laundry Detergent Review

Posted on May 15, 2011 by auburnchick

You might remember that a few days ago, I made my own, homemade laundry detergent using the Duggar’s recipe found here.  I also made my own, homemade fabric softener with the recipe I found here.

I promised to report back after I had tried them out, so that’s what this post is about!

Let me first tell you that I am dumb sometimes.  If you’re a family member, there’s no need to comment with “Amen” to this statement.

The whole time I was reading the instructions for the detergent, I kept thinking, “Why are they saying that this makes ten gallons when you’re only supposed to put everything in a five-gallon container?”

Well…duh.

I figured it out…after the fact.

First, let me back up a bit.

When last I left you, I had mixed the detergent and left it to cool off overnight.

What happens when you do this is that the mixture turns into a gel.

When I washed my clothes, I used 1/2 cup of the gel…BEFORE reading that you’re supposed to put the gel mixture in some sort of container…halfway…and then fill up the rest of the container with water.

Hence, you double the amount of the detergent, making ten gallons out of five.

Ding, ding, ding!

Hence my stupidity.

Regardless, the full-strength detergent did not harm my laundry at all.  The Hawaiian-smelling essential oil made my laundry room smell like a tropical island.

Ahhh…

I had also used some of the oil in my fabric softener, so it was smelling really good when the laundry finished washing.

After my clothes dried, I pulled them off the lines and folded them.  I did notice that the washcloths and tshirts weren’t as crispy, as promised by someone who had reviewed the fabric softener.  They also did not smell like vinegar…a primary ingredient of the softener.

I am going to keep using these recipes…that’s how happy I am with them.

This morning after church, I took an old, empty container of store-bought detergent, washed it out, and filled it halfway with the gel I’d made.  I topped off the bottle with water and wrote the following instructions on it:

I am pleased beyond compare.  This is a very frugal, eco-friendly way to do laundry.

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

Week 37 of Teaching

Posted on May 14, 2011 by auburnchick

Week 37…the LAST week of instructional time…I could not believe it!

On Monday and Tuesday, I allowed my ninth through twelfth graders class time to work on their Seventeen Second Miracle movie projects and character analyses.  Not surprisingly, some students had not, at that point, even started filming!

I was disappointed because I had handed out the instructions the first day we went back to school after Spring Break, and I had constantly referred to the project during the weeks that followed.

My sixth graders presented their book report projects.  I had randomly assigned each student a book about a slave, and students had to create timelines depicting key events from the books.  They also had to locate maps and pictures of their particular people as well as write a paragraph summarizing the book.

They did a great job on their projects, and I proudly displayed them on the walls lining the hallway outside my door.

On Tuesday, I accompanied officers of the Student Council to the local chapter of the American Red Cross where they presented a check for money collected during the previous week’s fundraiser.  The director of the chapter was not there when we arrived, but we were told that he was expecting us and was rushing from Podunk High School (where Rooster attends) to meet us.

Podunk High School had raised over $5,000 during a Wear Your Favorite T-Shirt day.  They had heavily advertised the event on the radio, and people had donated large bills as they had driven through the school’s car loop.  I think the fact that a local radio station broadcast live from the school also helped.  People even dropped off nonperishable items, which were collected and taken to Alabama.

I will tell you that the director of the Red Cross made my students feel completely welcome and appreciated for the much smaller amount they had raised.  I think he recognized a couple of facts:  1) Our school is tiny in comparison to Podunk High School, and 2) My students displayed sincere hearts and joy when they handed over the check.

Uber professionalism, I tell you.  I will gladly work with this organization in future events.

Wednesday was a BIG day in four of my classes…

MOVIE DAY!!

Because I had divided the students into groups comprised of students from different grades, I asked teachers if I could have the tenth and eleventh graders during my first period.

I wanted everyone to watch their videos together.

I crammed thirteen bodies (including mine) into my tiny classroom and started up the projector.

My tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade boys’ video was the first one we watched.

Oh.  My.  Word.

It was funny.

It was a little creepy.

It.

Was.

Terrific!

We howled in laughter at parts and sat at the edges of our seats at others.

Music was used so well in this video, let me tell you.

The video began with a guy (all roles were played by the students) who found out he’d been fired from his job.  In desperation, he decided to kill himself with a sword and wandered to a shed to do the deed.

Just in the nick of time, a friend happened upon him and talked him down from his intended action by hiring him on the spot.

As the scene ended, the song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” played.

It was so funny!

The “miracles” proceeded with each person on the receiving end conducting his own “miracle” until the storyline finally came back full-circle.

It was excellent!

Next up was my twelfth grade girls’ video.

Their video took a more serious tone as a family was saved from being ripped apart from internal strife through the use of “miracles.”

They, too, did an excellent job and conveyed the message well.

My eleventh grade girls (plus my tenth grade female student) were last.

Their video blew me away.  The angles in which they shot the clips were smartly selected, and the storyline was excellent.  They had several voice overs and flashbacks, and they wrapped up the video in a very unique way.

I was extremely impressed!

Later that day, my ninth grade boys and girls got to watch their videos.  They did a good job, although I think the basic premise of the book was not clearly conveyed in their movies.  However, considering that they are my youngest high schoolers, I was very impressed as well.

That afternoon, I graded the assignments, including the character analyses, which counted for 25% of the total project grade.

As I read the mini-essays, I could not help but notice the improvement that all students had made in their writing from the beginning to the end of the year.

I guess this is kind of what’s supposed to happen, right?  Well, being a first-year teacher, this was a new experience.

Students really did a great job analyzing and relating to the characters they had selected and applying the lessons of the book to real-world applications.

When I left school on Wednesday, I was still glowing from the experience of watching as pride and satisfaction had filled my students’ hearts.

All of the long hours spent lesson planning had been worth it.

The next day, my eleventh grade students told me they had uploaded their movie to YouTube, so I shared the link with Jason Wright, the author of the book (who I’m friends with on Facebook, by the way…not to name drop or anything *wink).

His response was filled with joy and surprise.  Unknown to me, until my students rushed into my classroom to share, my ninth grade boys had also uploaded their video to YouTube, and Jason Wright had commented on it!  They were so excited!

My eleventh grade girls were shocked to see that they had over 100 views of their video and a comment from Jason Wright as well.

He should consider those his seventeen second miracles for the week because he certainly put smiles on my students’ faces.

On Friday, my sixth through tenth graders turned in their final reading logs, and I was such a good steward of my time (i.e., I rushed) that I managed to grade them all before I left school at the end of the day.

Hence, I’ll have no grading to do this weekend!

One other VERY neat thing that happened last week was that one of my students won the regional Optimist Club’s speech contest, beating out a panel of six other boys.  One of his competitors had participated in over twenty competitions recently in preparation for this one.

My student will compete later today in Tampa for the state title.  It’s the first time that a student from my school has made it to this level of competition in this contest.  Please say a prayer for him.  He is VERY nervous.

I cannot believe how quickly the week flew by.  Next week have finals and then they will get to end the school year with a “fun day.”  Then, it will all be over.

Wow.

I’m saving my closing thoughts about my first year of teaching for next week, so stay tuned!

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: | 5 Comments »

RIP Coach Dean

Posted on May 13, 2011 by auburnchick

I first met Coach Dean several years ago as he walked off of the high school practice field one afternoon.

He stopped me, asked who my child was, and then proceeded to rattle off all of the wonderful qualities about my child.

Coach Dean was not paid to stand on that field each day.

He was a volunteer.

He attended practices and games, pacing the sidelines with the other coaches.

When I shared the news of his passing with Rooster this morning, Rooster’s face fell.  Rooster recalled a few of the funny things that Coach Dean had said to the players and a few of his antics during away games.

The kids, simply put, adored him, and the parents did as well.

Thanks for the memories, Coach Dean.  The sideline will seem empty when soccer season rolls around again.

Filed under: soccer | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

It’s Time for a Little Experiment

Posted on May 12, 2011 by auburnchick

This morning as I put a load of sheets in the washing machine, I discovered that I was just about out of laundry detergent.

Because of the extreme couponing I’d done over the last two years, this was the first time I had been out of the stuff in a very long time.

Of course, I have had absolutely no time to print, collect, or file coupons, so I am very out of the loop and, hence, out of detergent.

For a while now, I’ve pondered the idea of making my own detergent.  I’ve read about it on blogs, but I could never quite bring myself to do it.  Plus, I had twenty bottles of detergent waiting to be used, so I felt justified in putting off the decision.

Coincidentally, when I called today Christina for our daily chat, she mentioned (quite on her own) that someone had told her about the Duggar recipe for homemade detergent.  I quickly googled and found the link.

Well, then I decided to search for a recipe for fabric softener and found this one (check out the reviews that follow the recipe).

Being the woman of action that I am, I decided to put things off no longer and went straight to Walmart after work…

The first thing I did was grate the soap…

Then, I mixed it with the water and stirred it until it melted…

Next, I poured hot tap water into my “bucket” and added the washing soda and borax…

By the way, both of these items were on the bottom shelf on Walmart’s laundry aisle.  They were a little difficult to find, so if you go out shopping, don’t give up!  The soap that I grated above was on the shelf above these boxes.

I stirred until everything was mixed completely and finished things off by adding more hot tap water.

I put the lid on the container and set it aside to thicken.  Tomorrow, I will add the essential oil I purchased, “Hawaiian something,” and give the stuff a test drive.

After finishing up with the detergent, it was time to work on the fabric softener.

I could not believe how few ingredients it required…

First, I added the baking soda to the distilled white vinegar.  In case you didn’t know, when you mix these together, you get bubbles…lots of them…so you have to pour slowly!!

Then, I added quite a few drops of the essential oil.

That was it!

For the first time in a while, I am looking forward to doing laundry.  I cannot wait to test out these new mixtures.  I’m hoping that I like them as much as the reviewers who wrote so glowingly about them.

These recipes are touted as much for their earth “friendliness” as for their economy.  I spent less than $20 on everything (not counting the plastic containers).  I have enough ingredients to make these recipes several times, and when you consider that you only use 5/8 of a cup of the detergent (the entire recipe made five gallons) and one cup of the fabric softener (the recipe made over a gallon), then this is a very good way to save some moolah.

I will report back on the results of this experiment.

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , , | 5 Comments »

Wednesday Hodgepodge – Graduate Style

Posted on May 11, 2011 by auburnchick

Joyce is such a dear for hosting this weekly meme.  Post your own answers and link back on her blog.  Now…on to this week’s questions!

1.  How many times in your life have you moved into another house?

I’ll start counting from the time I was ten years old (I am the daughter of a single mom who moved countless times before I can really remember).  Let’s see…I moved from my house in Colorado to a HUMONGOUS, plantation style house in south Alabama.  Then, after I got married, I moved to my first apartment with the Mr.   He was finishing school at Auburn University.  After he graduated, we moved to an apartment in Tallahassee.  Then we moved to a nicer apartment (an upgrade, if you will).  After Chicky was born, we bought a duplex (our first house).  A few years later, we moved to a rental home in Miami.  A couple of years later, we moved to an apartment in Coral Springs.  A couple of years after that, we moved to a house…another duplex.  Then we packed up again and moved to Podunk, USA.  Our first home here was a rental house.  A few months later, we moved into the home we were building.  We’ve lived in this house for almost eight years.  So, if I can count correctly, I have moved nine times since I was ten years old.

Whew! 

BTW, with each move, I’ve lightened my load…gotten rid of tons of extra, unused items.  Moving often helps keep a person from becoming a pack rat.

2.  What subject would you study if you had a year to devote to it?

Hmmm…tough question.  I am completely burned out from school right now as my certification classes have been very time consuming and difficult.  If I could take a subject by choice, I think I might select a foreign language…maybe French. 

3.  What in this world breaks your heart?

Animal abuse is one of those things that just makes me cry.  Having three fur babies of my own has made me appreciate that animals have personalities and emotions.  Yet, they depend on humans for their care.  I feel a lot of anger when I hear of people who are negligent or physically abusive toward these helpless creatures.  Sigh.

4.  What is one item that symbolizes the times in which we live?  Why?

I think the cell phone best symbolizes the time in which we live.  We are a nation of people on the move, so we want and need to be able to multi-task.  Today’s phones can do just about everything…they keep us connected to our jobs, family, and friends. 

5.  Share a favorite bumper sticker or t-shirt slogan.

My favorite bumper sticker was one that said, “Is that your face or did your neck throw up?”

Yeah, I know it’s gross and juvenile, but when I saw it, I laughed so hard.  Obviously, I never forgot it.

6.  How do you like your spaghetti?

I like my spaghetti with a non-meat, tomato sauce on top.  My favorite thing to eat right now is Olive Garden’s Spaghetti Pomodoro.  YUM!

7.  What is one piece of advice you would give a recent or soon to be recent graduate?

This is appopriate because I teach a class of seniors.  My advice to them is to always strive to do their best and not settle for anything less.  I want them to hold themselves to the highest standards possible.  Doing so will help them stand out in the working world and will allow them to put their heads on their pillows at the end of each day knowing that they’ve made the most of every moment.

8.  My Random Thought

Last week, I told you about the problems Chicky was having getting hired for a governmental lifeguarding job.  Well, I am happy to report that the very next day, Chicky got hired to teach a preschool class at my church’s summer preschool program.  She also filled out her paperwork to be a lifeguard for the Red Cross.  She and Rooster took their CPR recertification exams last weekend, so they will be working together for the second year in a row.  She also filled out an application to work in my church’s nursery.  She’s hoping to be called two or three nights a week.  So, thank you for your prayers.  I love it when God answers quickly and in such a tangible manner.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | 20 Comments »

Playing With Color

Posted on May 10, 2011 by auburnchick

As you know, Chicky came home from college last Thursday.

You might remember that I mentioned that she is now sporting a new hair color…a brighter blonde.

Well, she took one look at me on Friday and said, “Mama, let me color your hair.”

Now, my hair has become very important to me.  I’ve been straightening it daily since she came home for Thanksgiving (don’t you dare lecture me on how bad it is for my hair…I know this already).

Anyhoo, I really, really like my straight hair, and I’ve actually grown used to the white strands that are appearing more frequently.

HOWEVER…

I like to play.

Oh yes I do.

So, on Saturday, after my EPI classes at the college, I told her that I was agreeable to her offer.

The next day, we drove to Sally’s for some supplies…

As I said, she’s becoming a pro at this.

Of course, my confidence in her was shaken a bit when I heard her say, quite a few times, “I hope this turns out okay.”

Uh huh.  It’s only my hair you’re playing with…me who has to go in to work every day.

Regardless, I was committed to the task.

Here’s a picture of my hair before we got started…

I really can’t complain about the color.  Those highlights are natural.

She mixed the stuff together…

She expertly applied the pink goo, turning my head into a giant ball of cotton candy.

Then, we waited.

I set my timer for thirty minutes, but she grew nervous and made me jump in the shower with five minutes to spare.

Here was the result (forgive the wildness of the hair…it was only blow-dried, not straightened)…

Although the color looks okay from the back, the front was another matter.

Down along my part, my hair looked yellow.  I also had a thick section right in the front that was darker.

I had tried to tell Chicky that my hair does not take color well.  In fact, I had given up trying to color it on my own because it’s so darned stubborn.

Regardless, I absolutely knew that I couldn’t go to work that way, so we hopped in the car and drove back to Sally’s.

This time I bought two boxes of Ash Blonde.  I wanted a “whiter” blonde, not a golden blonde.

She mixed the stuff up…

Ahhh…no Pepto Bismol head this time!

I set my timer for 45 minutes and waited.

Chicky grew nervous.  I was too, but I figured I had nothing to lose except a couple of hundred bucks if I had to visit a professional to fix a mess later.

Here were the results after…

The result is better, but it’s not quite what I wanted.  However, my hair is not yellow anymore, so I am happy.

The only thing I don’t like about coloring my entire head of hair is that it does look like it came from a bottle.  I really prefer to look more natural, which is why I always liked getting foil highlights.  While my pocketbook hated them, I liked the fact that my hair looked like I’d been in the sun.

My students gave me mixed reviews.  Most prefer my original look.  That’s fine.  I appreciate their feedback.  My friend, Jane, however, loves my new do, which made me feel so much better about it.

Chicky loves the results as well, and she’s already planning on when I’ll need to color my roots.  She’ll still be here to do them for me.  She’s positive that the results will get better as my hair grows accustomed to the color.

We’ll see.

I will probably eventually dye it back to a color close to the original one and let it all grow out.

Either way, it was another great bonding experience with Chicky.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | 4 Comments »

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