New Toy

Okay, so I have a new app on my iPod that allows me to write blogs on it. This post is to test it out to make sure it works before I spend a lot of time working on a post that gets lost out in cyberspace somewhere. And it will also be a short post since I have to be at work at 5 am tomorrow.

Stuck in the Middle with You

I have survived my first week at the middle school (okay, it was only four days, but I'm going to call it a week). So far, so good. My students seem pretty good, there are a couple that struggle with motivation, and a couple of little behavior issues, but nothing too terrible. With all of the horrible things that you hear about middle schoolers, I think I've got a pretty good group of kids. I know that frustrating times probably lie ahead,  most likely in the area of motivating the students, but I am looking forward to the challenge.

The days don't seem to be quite as intense as at the early learning center. It is amazing how big of a different the independence level of the students makes in your day. I'm no longer needed for bus duty or lunchroom duty. I don't have to make sure that a student doesn't over stuff his mouth and choke, and physically prevent students from licking the tray. This also brings the added perk that I have sucessfully made it through four whole days of student teaching without getting food or bodily fluids spilled, spat, wiped, dropped, or smeared on me. I also have time to use the bathroom every now and then (no kidding, at the early learning center, there were days when I only got the chance to take a bathroom break during my lunch) and a I have time to sit and relax a little while I eat my lunch (as opposed to gulping down my food as fast as possible so I could get back to my classroom.

Most of the four days was devoted to meeting the students and staff, trying to learn names, (I'm actually doing pretty good) and adapting to the new routines. I'll begin teaching math lessons this coming week, so I've brought the math curriculum home to study and write lesson plans over the weekend (but on a cheery note, I do remember more algebra than I thought that I would).

The highlights of the week were probably one of my students, Justin, coming in to class early after lunch to discuss Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (he is reading the Harry Potter series for the first time), and playing hangman with Cory, our deaf student, during in-house (it is just like homeroom) so I could practice my ASL alphabet (which is improving, I'm sure that I will learn some more signs as the quarter progresses). Gilligan Thursday during in-house was also a pretty fun time (on Thursdays my cooperating teacher allows his students to watch Gilligan's Island on dvd during in-house). 

All in all, a good start so far!

Halfway Point

Yesterday marked my last day at my elementary school placement. Monday, I head over to the Middle school. I'm not sure what I expected on my last day, but it felt a little bit anticlimactic.  I received lots of well-wishes from the teachers and staff, and hugs and goodbyes from my students. I'm not sure that all my students really got that it was my last day and they weren't going to see me everyday anymore. (However, I'll be back for conferences on the 17th, and I'm still in the district, so it's not like I'm going too far away. I'm going to miss the students and staff, but I am looking forward to starting at the middle school on Monday. I've exchanged a couple of emails with my new cooperating teacher and am looking forward to working with him. I'm a little nervous about making the switch from working with early elementary students to working with middle school students. It will be an adventure, though. I'm sure I will learn lots and enjoy the middle school as much as I enjoyed my first placement.

Quarantined!

I figured it was only a matter of time, I spend my weekdays working with small children and my weekends in the grocery store, and last week it did. The dreaded H1N1 caught up with me. So, starting last Sunday, I spent five days in my own little quarantine chamber of my house. And, for those who might be thinking, something along the lines of 'hmm, that might be a nice little break,' it was not. A high fever and a hacking cough are not good times. 

To put this in perspective, I was too sick to knit for most of the week. That is pretty sick for me. But, by Thursday, I was able to finish my newest socks in a bright, cheery colorway.




The pattern is called Hermione's Everyday Socks and the yarn is Yarn Love Juliet in the Belle colorway.I'm impressed with how they turned out and how quickly they went despite my being sick.

Friday I left the house for the first time since Sunday, heading to work for an eight hour shift, followed by another eight hour shift starting at 5:45 on Saturday. The two shifts went alright, but left me too exhausted to participate in any sort of Halloween type festivities.

I still have a bit of a hacking cough left over, but I'm excited to get back to my students at school. Especially so, as it is my last week with them before I head to the middle school for the remainder of my student teaching. It is hard to believe that I'm so close to being finished with my first quarter of student teaching. Time is flying by so fast!

I've cast on for another pair of socks, I'm using a stitch pattern from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knit Socks called purled ladders. I'm using Stroll sock yarn from Knit Picks, which I just a renamed version of Essential sock yarn. It is a great yarn, holds up nicely in the wash, is super soft, and comes in a bunch of great colors. I'm currently using a colorway called Aloha Multi, which is a combination of browns and teals. 

I'm also planned on starting a sweater for my nephew for Christmas from the Weekend Knits Issue of Interweave Knits. It's called Dax's Jacket. I'm making it with royal blue and emerald green stripes. It should turn out super cute! Once I get going, I'll be sure to put up some pictures.