Student Teaching Week 1

Case 1: Third period: Math 7 and totally out of control. There is one boy that has a desire to prove the teacher wrong constantly, we'll call him "Case Study I." There are two boys who talked so much during class that they are seperated and sit on complete opposite sides of the room. This doesn't stop them from talking. We'll call them Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum. Next, we have a boy who just loves attention and will spat out every single answer, even if you are asking another student to answer, we'll call him "Case Study G." Finally, we have a girl that sits in the front row and thinks the world revolves around her. Although her personality is cute at first by being extremely confident about herself, one soon finds her confidence and outspokenness is truly just obnoxious. We'll call her "Case Study G."
Let, us now begin our journey of Student Teaching: January 2011: Day 1: Period 3.
Teacher has to address an emergency. I take over going over a homework problem.
Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum start talking across the room. I ask them to be quiet.
The class continues to talk.
I explain that this is homework and the more we get done in class, the less they have to do at home.
Case Study I makes the remark that since we're working on it in class it is not homework.
I say something to counter his smart-aleck comment.
I continue to work on the problem with the students. I ask for someone in Row 2 to help out. Case Study G answers (he is not in row 2). I ask for someone in another area to answer. Case Study G answers. Finally, I tell Case Study G that he has helped a lot and let's try to give someone else a chance.
Meanwhile, Case Study G brings out her cell phone and says she's listening to someone's ringtone and is playing with her phone. And making everyone send their attention her way. I tell her to give me her phone. And continue with the math problem at hand. She gives it to me. I continue. She raises her hand and says "Can I have my phone back?" I ask her to read the rules that are written on a poster in the room and especially focus on number one (which talks about electronics). I continue with the math problem. She continues to ask about her phone and I tell her we'll talk about it later. Then, the teacher returns and takes over again. And now, Case Study G has a favorite saying EVERY time she sees me... "She hates me. She took away my phone."

The sad thing about all of this was that only 5 stinkin' minutes had passed since the teacher left and returned. I might not be the students' favorite yet...but at least they know I mean business. Case closed.

But, overall student teaching will be fun. This week was crazy just trying to get used to everything, but I'm sure there will be exciting stories ahead.

Where to Start

I'm to the point that I have so much to write that I don't want to do this. So, to keep it tolerable....this is just a glance into the last month of KateLyn and Andrew.
Finals done. (Andrew officially done with his Bachelor's!)
Christmas with the Jenkins including: bowling, good ol' Johnny's, Christmas morning, movies, church, a Jazz game, Temple Square lights, Tuscano's, birthday soups. Fun Times.
Nights without having to tutor. (tutoring was replaced by some great TV shows :)
I bought a Christmas tree for Christmas 2011.
Laziness.

The truth is, we've been so lazy lately that I'm utterly terrified for this week to start. I'm scared for my long days ahead. With how many naps I've taken (yes, I actually took naps) and how I've slept in....my body is going to go into shock this week. Here we go...

This time of year is one of reflection. And really it's quite crazy to compare where I was at this time last year and where I am now. Quite a bit. I wasn't even engaged last January. And here I am now...an old married hag that only has three and a half months left of school . It's so interesting to think how much can change in one year. This year is just so different too because we really don't know what our life will be after June. So many unknowns ahead... this year could get crazy!! One can only imagine what is in store for us in 2011.

Holidays!!!

Life has just been crazy busy, but absolutely wonderful lately. (By this statement you can see finals are not affecting me too much). So much has happened I guess I'll just really quickly recap.

Thanksgiving: Idaho. We had lots of fun. The roads weren't terrible and with our new tires, we made way good time. We went to Harry Potter, ate, went sledding, ate, boys went hunting, ate, put up the Christmas tree, ate, played games, ate, boys played in the turkey bowl and other stuff too. It was just fun and relaxing. Here are a few pics and a few explanations to go with (some will need it). Like I said, the boys went and played in the ward turkey bowl. It was football in the snow. They came back tired, wet, and cold. Andrew even came back with a battle wound on his neck. You can tell the game got pretty wild. Some ruthless player gave Andrew a run for his money and left him with that mark to remember it. Sadly, the perpetrator was my dear brother, Jeff. Welcome to the family, Andrew.

This picture is of Andrew on Mikenzy duty while the rest of us do dishes. Ever since they have moved to CDA, Mikenzy, who also loves the movie Enchanted (remember this detail), has decided that there is one Ken doll that is Andrew and one Barbie that is me. There is no tricking her and pretending another Barbie is KateLyn or another Ken is Andrew...she knows! Well, one night, she was playing with Andrew and KateLyn (the dolls). She gets this soft tilt of her head and looks at the dolls then leans them together and says, "True love's kiss." It was the funniest thing I've ever seen.

When we got back, life was still cruisin'! I found out that I passed that test I needed to to get certified! I found out where I am student teaching! Andrew has a countdown for his last semester of his Bachelors! And Katie got home from the mission! It was really fun to see her/really meet her for the first time! I'm really excited to get to know her better and it will be nice for the Jenks to be back together again.

Can I get a Whoop Whoop!

This week was finals week for the girls I tutor. (They have tri-mesters.) One night I was studying with the eighth grader till 11:30 at night. When I got home, I laid in bed for an hour thinking about what we had studied. The weird thing is, it was about Ancient India and Egypt...neither being my forte. So, my mind was just making up terms for vocab words. Heck, I was even making up vocab words I think. It was nuts. The whole time I was saying to myself: KateLyn. Go. to. sleep. You. are. a. nutcase. But, it didn't help. I just laid there.
This is why I could never study right before I went to bed. I go crazy. My roommate use to go to bed way later than I did. She would tell me that sometimes I would sit up in my bed, turn to my desk and write something down and then go to sleep again. I was not keeping a dream journal. I was writing answers to my math homework. I wouldn't be able to get the answer as I was working on my homework, but I'd dream about it and sometimes then figure out how to do it. This is what school does to you. It makes you looney. It haunts you to the end that even in your dreams you can not escape its looming effects.
Thank goodness for graduation.

Three days till we head up North and I don't think I could be more excited. The one thing I dread is the fact that I know it'll go too fast. But, yay that it's finally here! We will prob leave Tuesday night and stay at the parentals' house in South Jordan (heck it saves a half hour of driving the next day plus get to see some fam). And then get up early Wednesday and head on up. We're hopefully going to stay till Tuesday morning. I wish it was longer, but school calls us back :) Dang.

But, it's going to be good. Time for Food Fest Thanksgiving Stlye 2010! Yeah, Baby!

It's Over (for now)

My test is over! Hopefully it'll be over and I won't have to take it again! Now I just have to wait four weeks to see if I passed the state requirements to get a license. If not... I guess I'll be taking it in a few months :) Oh joy!

This week was pretty normal, except I have to admit Andrew was in pretty high spirits the past week. For good reasons though. The Jazz had five amazing wins. The past five games they have made quite the comeback to take the W's on all the Eastern courts they visited. D-Will's name is not only allowed to be spoken in our house again, but is spoken with a bit of reverence :) Ha. Okay....maybe not that far. Let's just say the Jazz rocked it and D-Will is the man.

Friday night we went to study (me for my test, Andrew for classes). But, before we went to the library, we headed to Fuddruckers for dinner. Oh. My. Word. The best grilled chicken sandwhich I have ever had I think. It was awesome. I want to go back and eat it again very soon. Mmmmm!

I just wanted to publicly announce that Andrew is pretty cool. I have to do it on my blog, becuase I know he doesn't read it, so he won't be able to make fun of me for doing this corny little paragraph. But really, when I say D-Will is the man, I really mean that he's a cool guy, but not THE man. Andrew definitely gets that title. He is not only taking his last 12 credits of his B.A., but also working 25 hours. It's not an easy job either. I know it stinks and he is working his booty off. He's great. He's good. Glad he's my hubby.

The end

And then there were none....

Down the Toilet

Let me tell you a little story about a boy named Gordy. One day, Gordy skipped lunch. By dinner time, his mother knew he might be extra hungry, so she provided him with a few extra of the goods. Even though Gordy was so full, there was still some food left in his bowl and he could not resist. When his mother checked on Gordy the next morning, he was not sick, but in fact dead. Cause of death: eating himself to the grave.
Story two: After the loss of his brother Gordy, Shri was taking the news pretty hard. Luckily, Shri had his other brother, M.P. who would never leave his side. They were close in looks, attitudes and understanding. In fact, you could hardly tell them apart. Shri and M.P. had been inseparable for quite some time and had made it through some horrific events in their lives. This was not the first death they would help each other get through. Unfortunately, Shri was past the point of help. One day, Shri grew upset with M.P. With the emotional trauma of losing Gordy, Shri was not in his best mental state. Shri had hit his limit and pushed M.P. off a huge rock. M.P. was caught between the rock and a wall with no way to escape. Shri left, only to leave his dear brother M.P. to die.

This stories are terrible to tell and hear, but must be told. These are indeed true stories that hit very close to home. I was their mother. Yes, I was in the middle of all this. I could have prevented it. I could have been there more often. I could have listened better. Now, I am only left with one murderous shrimp to call my own. What has this world come to? I do take full responsibility for the deaths that have come and promise not to go to Wal-Mart to purchase any more living things that would come to the same fate as the late Gordy Goldfish and M.P. Shrimp.
To the boys flushed down the toilet I say this: Rest In Peace.
And, as you can see....This is why I am not an animal person.