Missing everything....

Note: This post was written in August. As I was at the start of my student teaching, I was even too busy to find a picture and post this. What's missing here (gloss, graphics) says more than even the words I wrote...


I miss reading....for fun - not for information

I miss writing....babbling away with my keys clicking

I miss my brain.  It used to be mine, but I donated it to the education department this year.

I miss sitting out back in the shade watching my boys play.

I miss biking, hiking, and fishing.

So many things I need an entire 'nother summer to catch up on.

Just a few days of summer left and I will be reaching the final hurdle in becoming a teacher - student teaching.  I keep wondering how I will manage. Will I be good? Will I flop and have that big "growing" experience?

I just keep thinking that soon my life will be mine again - all mine.

I will read for fun - out back in the shade while the kids jump on the trampoline.  I will transition from retail supervisor to substitute and tutor until I get that golden contract.

I think I need to make a paper chain and tear off a link each day until graduation. Maybe place a stack of books under it that I'm going to dive into .....

Where she went....

     If you are a long-time follower, you may remember this post : Just Jump . I had decided to take a leap and get a degree. I intended to become a children's librarian.  To my surprise, one does not just become a librarian, one must level-up from a teaching degree.
     Here I am, four and a half years later......

Finally!!!

     Even though I needed to take the time to read all those textbooks and write all those papers, I miss, miss, miss my fiction!!!  I am looking forward to reading and writing for fun!  For now, I'm reading some quick, fun YA reads during this busy holiday time:

. January will be all about NOT sleeping.... 

  I've been saving this one. I just read the caption on Goodreads that says it's "The Shining #2". Nope, no sleeping happening during that read!

Merry Christmas everyone!   And GOOOOO BOBCATS!!!!

Still up for a fun/serious mash-up??

     I'm still here!!  I am in the midst of student teaching and up to my earballs  in grading, lesson planning, and data analysis.  It's an incredible time!   I love the students. I love the teachers. And I love the job.
     I'm still reading as many books as I can squeeze in and can't wait to be back on here sharing them and joining in on blog events. For today, I'll leave you with this fantastic selection recommended by one of my most fabulous instructors:



The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen
Winner of the  Canadian Governor General's Literary Award

       This book is what I consider a sleeper.  And I don't mean it will put you to sleep! My copy had no jacketflap intro an just starts out with a journal entry.  I started reading this and laughing out loud at the story this pre-teen boy was telling about life in secondary school. Being set in Canada, I'm not sure what grade that is, but he's still pretty young as a character.  He's trying to find his place in his new school and town, but there's the universal of youth - clingy nerds and bullies at school.

     It starts out with Henry's brutally honest descriptions of people he encounters at school and home, but then he starts talking about "IT". IT is something that happened that changed his entire life.  IT is the reason he reluctantly journals his daily life.  He has you questioning, "Will Henry turn out ok? Can he keep it together?"   I'd say you could run out to B&N and grab a copy, but being a Canadian title, this may be one time you need to hit up EBay or Amazon.

I give The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen   5 stars

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I think I got it!

      I found a blogger help forum that said I could give myself permission to contribute and switch from author to administrator. Still it's so weird! It's like my clone is running my blog now!  

     I still can't understand why switching emails in the settings wouldn't provide me with a verification prompt. It kept sending me notifications that it changed - but nothing changed!  I guess I will just have to let it go and blog on.......



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Okay, this is getting scary......

I'm just about to be free to blog for the summer and now I'm teetering on the edge of an abyss! Does anyone know why when I change my primary email for my blog I only receive a notification of change in my new email, but no verification of change in my original email?

Any recommendations for backing up the content of my blog while I figure this out?

I'm thinking I may have to move to another blog host if I can't get this figured out, but I really don't want to!


Edit test.....

Here goes....

      Once again, I'm holding my breath that my blog won't lock me out!  I'm in the process of switching to a different email carrier and the Google sign-in will not let me switch to my new address. I've already confirmed the address in the old email acct, but.....still saying I can't log in with my new one.

It says not to try fixing anything for 30 minutes....let's hope that will do it.   Any tips/suggestions???

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On creativity in education

 

   A funny thing happened after I posted about not having a chance to write creatively under the guidance of our professors. Sure, I know all about the writing process: brainstorming, drafting, editing and rewriting, but what about character development? And plot? How am I supposed to teach students to love writing if all they do is write facts? Sure, I'm well prepared to teach them to really examine other people's work, but that's like expecting them to love vegetables when all I ever serve is cake.  
     So, I found myself face to face with the Dean of Education at an awards ceremony.  After she gave us our pins, she kept asking over and over if we have any burning questions for her. Everyone was so quiet and the conversation was spotty, so the fourth time she brought it up I finally asked her, "Where's the creative writing in our program?" I told her I need something more than just my own experience (which is nil) in writing to teach kids to write well. If they learn to love writing, they will love reading even more.
     As expected, she brought up the new guidelines for education which are heavy on the facts. Then she surprised me by saying she really didn't know why creative writing instruction was skipped over and that she would bring it up to the faculty. So there you have it. I'm not just full of hot air, I actually did something about it. I didn't solve my own problem, but maybe, just maybe, some future students in Bozeman will be taught by experts how it's done.

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