Random Ramblings

So... I have survived a day of teaching with no hearing in my left ear! I was just sitting around last night, I shifted my weight, then-- BAM!-- something moved in my ear and I couldn't hear anything out of it! I used ear drops, water-- everything I could think of to wash my ears out, and nothing worked! I gave up until the end of the day today; I just got back from an urgent care center and I can hear, as the doctor said, "in stereo!"

It was tricky to keep the students in the dark about my lack of hearing because I could not hear them!! Somehow, I did! Tomorrow I get to meet with parents because it is parents as partners day, and tomorrow will be interesting!

Chris is watching this "Vick Divide" thing on ESPN. It makes me SICK!! I am SO tired of hearing about Michael Vick and his crime. I believe dogfighting is WRONG, and I think that when you chose to be a celebrity, you open yourself up to press, both good and bad, no matter what your race. ESPN solicited volunteers to be in the forum, and the only people who cared enough to show up are racists. All they have done is complain about how the press is biased against black people...

One gentlemen spoke up to say that it is all about the choices you make, and I AGREE. Vick made a bad decision. He is a celebrity. DO the math. HE deserves all the bad press he is getting... he asked for it!! To think that th Humane Society is in the wrong and boo them and their work.... I am just tired of hearing it...

*stepping down off of my soapbox*

In other sports news... the Braves COULD possibly make it to the playoffs!!!! They are three games back for the wildcard. They need to win this series, and, possibly, the next 6 games. I believe they can do it!! Gooooo Braves! :)

Nothing new or exciting is really happening. Chris and I have realized that we have NO free weekends in October, but that is okay! :) They are filled with good stuff-- Mountain Day, Joshua's birthday, Daniel's birthday, Chris' birthday, a wedding, and a church meeting!!! Yay! We are, however, taking the time this weekend to hang out and chill and get some work done around the house.

I am a horrible wife. I would be embarrassed if any member of my family or circle of friends stepped inside our home. I have not done laundry in a long time, and I have not cleaned up any part of this house in at least a week. It is a MESS. I keep thinking I will clean it up every night when I get home.... ha. It will be cleaned this weekend!!

I am encouraged by a second year teacher I have talked with. She told me that she does not do nearly the same amount of work this year as she did last year. I am eager, now, to get to next year. I will, however, always treasure my first year... just not all the effort and work I am having to put into it... :)

Let's see... this week is the norm... then October! I can't believe we are getting into the last months of 2007. SO funny to think that the year that I was so anxious to get to is almost over...

Anyways. I have been rambling long enough! I hope everyone is doing well! I am thinking of posting some pictures reeeal soon... as soon as I figure out how! :)

Refreshment

My last post was written under some heavy emotional stress. I had slipped and vented to some teachers, and I was afraid that my words were coming back to haunt me. Thankfully, however, they did not. I have learned my lesson, though... keep my mouth SHUT; pray constantly for strength to stay positive no matter what. There used to be a time when people noticed how I was always happy and positive. That has not happened in a while. I also used to be really shy and not open about my true thoughts and feelings...

Anyways. My week wrapped up, and it is over. Thank goodness!! It was a long week, and Friday was a long, long day. I had my first HUGE discipline issue in my first academic class. What a way to start the day!!! A student was injured in my class; he was hit in the eye by a "hornet." A "hornet" is a rolled up scrap of paper shot using a rubber band. I did not see it happen, and I did not know how to make a student confess. I had a serious, serious teacher snap decision making moment...

"I WILL pull the assistant principal in here to question EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU until the guilty person FESSES UP!" It was a stretch, but worth a try...

Fortunately, the guilty child raised his hand, and I was shocked. I took him outside in the hallway to grill him...

Me:"What possessed you to do this?"
Student: "Everyone else was doing it."
Me: "That is YOUR reason? That is what you have to say for YOUR actions?"
Student: ...
Me: "You know this is an automatic referral to the assistant principal, right? You caused injury to someone else."
Student: "I tried to apologize..."
Me: "Doesn't matter. You HURT someone. A warning is not a serious enough consequence. A teacher consequence is not enough."
Student: ...
Me: "Go back in and finish your work. I will send the referral in after class. I am VERY disappointed in you and your actions."

And indeed I sent it in at the beginning of the next academic. I stretched the truth about the whole principal referral because I was not certain. I had to ask another teacher before I referred him. I found out that I was not lying, and I spent the beginning of class sending in a referral. He is now in ISS until Thursday. He will also be punished on the football team; I heard you are kicked off the team if you receive ISS.

It really killed me to give him ISS because he is a smart student who is relatively well behaved. He just made one bad decision, and he got caught. He does, however, constantly interrupt my class and has issues staying in his assigned seat. His best bud is also in ISS until Wednesday, so the beginning of next week will be peaceful!

After a crazy week, I have spent a wonderful Friday and Saturday with my family. Chris and I drove up to Atlanta last night to go to the Braves game, and, even though we lost, we got to see Mark T. hit a homerun and Frenchy make an assist from the right field to home plate. It was also Friday night fireworks. We then spent today being lazy and watching college football. We ate out for lunch, and we enjoyed a football dinner of pizza, chips, soda, and brownies. Chris and I just got home twenty minutes ago.

Georgia JUST made an AWESOME game winning play against Alabama. My weekend just improved even more!!! :) It's great to be a Georgia BULLDAWG!!!! I wish I could be with my sister, celebrating now, but we needed to get home. I enjoyed spending time with her this weekend.

My weekend will keep getting better with church tomorrow! I am looking forward to a Sunday with my church family. I really really wish that my church met more than once a week!!!

Anyways! Now that the excitement of the GA game is over, I am off to sleep! Happy weekend to all, and to all a great night! :)

Attitude

Sometimes I have a bad attitude. I generally try to be positive, but when I am flustered, overwelemd, and/or stressed, my evil side tends to come out and prowl.

I try to tame the monster and watch who is witness to the monster, but, like any monsters, it can get out of control.

I am afraid it has gotten out of control.

Please, if you think to, say a small prayer for me and my attitude. I know I need to pray that God gives me strength and discipline to train myself and cut the 'tude, as I used to say. Why should I have a bad attitude when I have it so good?

I hope that people see my positive side more than my negative side. Especially at school...

Anyways. Hopefully I am just paranoid. But right now I want to cry...

Oh, well! God is good, and I am finished with my "homework" for the night. The Braves are on and Frenchy just made a good play... yay! :)

I hope everyone is having a good week.

So thankful I married a country boy!

So I had a funny post here, but nothing is private anymore (as in, this harmless story could be used against me in my profession), so I had to remove it. It is a funny story, so if you want to know... just ask...

Long week...

I am relaxing right now with some Grey's Anatomy season three... I accidentally forgot to bring home some quizzes to grade. Whoops! :) The next two days will involve drafting personal narratives, so there will be some easy days for me. Friday will be stressful, though, because the BOE will be at the school, and I know that they will be stopping by my room to see what is going on. woo hoo! I hope they like what they see.

Today has been overwhelming to say the least. I have found out that we are planning our units and lessons wrong, so now we have to meet to plan our next unit right! It is so scary about how our actions as teachers really really impact our students! It was so overwhelming for me two weeks ago. I handed a test to my mentor teacher that most of my students did not do well on, and her question for me was if they failed the format or the content. That thought never crossed my mind, and if they failed the format, it is MY fault that they failed. It was an awful feeling that I cannot even describe. I came home and cried. For a long time.

My learning curve as a teacher affects them, but it is not just me! All teachers have those horrible years. The years where they look back and pity their students. That will be this year! I am taking it day by day right now... hoping I will be able to keep my job for next year. I love MCMS! I want to stay!

Oh, well. Nothing too exciting is going on anyway. Chris and I are just hanging out... eating food, watching TV..

We went to Talulah Gorge on Labor Day. I had a lock in with my students Friday night. We went to Gwinnett on Saturday and hung out with my friends and family for a little bit. We enjoyed church on Sunday... as always! :) We got to eat lunch with Brother Ronnie and Sisiter Jennifer, too. Yay! It makes me sad that I only see my church family once a week. I wish I could see them more!

Enough with the rambling... I am going to rest and chill. It is a midweek present to myself! :) God bless!

A New Home

I was having some issues with Wordpress, so I have moved our blog to a new home before I posted too many entries to feel attatched. I had wordpress so Chris could post as well, but he is not as keen to post as I am, which is sad since he is such a hilarious writer! Maybe I will get him on here a few times...

This is our new blogging home, so change your links and bookmarks!

Thanks for being flexible! :)