New Journey

So, it's been over a year since I last posted! So much has happened. Noah is now two years old! He's completely amazing! He has gotten a second set of tubes and they are really helping. I hope he out grows this pretty soon!

Brandon graduated from seminary. He's now Rev. Brandon. We moved to his first appointment in Tennessee. We're so happy to be out of Atlanta. We seem to be doing better as a couple now that we aren't in Atlanta.

The biggest change since my last blog is we now have a daughter. Her name is Sarah Elizabeth. She was born April 17, 2008. She's wonderful and we are so happy to have her in our family.

I start work on Monday. I'll be teaching 7th and 8th grade Math at Jonesborough Middle School in Jonesborough, TN. I was just hired a week ago today! I don't even have the textbooks and I haven't seen my classroom!! Kind of crazy!

Life is good! :)

ramblings

Life has just been too crazy to keep up with a post that I don't think anyone reads.

The CRCT is this week. That's our state standardized test. If we don't pass, it'll be the 4th year in a row that my school hasn't made AYP. I'm not sure that we will pass it... we'll see what happens.

On a personal note, Noah had surgery on Friday. he had tubes inserted into his ears. His ears were packed full of fluid and weren't draining. :( He's doing just fine...just a little fussy!!

Well, gotta get to bed!!

Guess blogging isn't going well

So, I decided to check here to see when the last time I blogged and noticed that it's been ages! I guess I'm not a very good blogger.

I'm now in my second year of teaching. My first year was a learning experience. I'm glad it's over. I feel that I'm doing a better job this year at teaching. It's the other stuff that's going on that makes me feel less effective...

First of all, I had a baby in July. I started school 4 weeks late. My sub didn't do what I expected her to do. She didn't even get through one unit and I left her two units. She also only graded 2 things while I was out. These were her words, "I don't take things home..." I was so mad. Progress Reports were due the week I got back. I have been behind since then. Not only do I have to catch up from being 2 units behind the rest of the teachers and all that grading, but I'm learning to live with a baby at home. Plus, my husband is having a hard time keeping up with his seminary work because of our son. We'll get through this semester some how...

So, that's what's going on with me...

Maybe I'll get better at this posting thing...who knows...

Karoline

Two weeks until school starts...

I can't believe that it is only two weeks until school starts. I was offered a position at Summerour Middle School in Norcross, GA. I'll be teaching 6th Math on the International Baccalaureate team. I'm excited and nervous, all at the same time.

Brandon and I found a home in Lilburn, GA. We signed the lease yesterday. It's a cute little three bedroom in Old Town Lilburn. It has a nice yard for our cat. I hope we're happy there.

So, we're busy packing... I have lessons to plan... life is busy. Nevertheless, life is good, and God is good.

The end of my internship...the beginning of a new life...

So, internship is not a good place to try to keep up with a blog, thought it would have been a good way to keep track of everything that happened during my semester. It is almost over now. I only have 14 days left with the students. I am no longer teaching any of my classes. My cooperating teacher has taken them back over and is now preparing for the end of grade test. I am tutoring students during 2nd and 3rd period for the EOG. These are 8th grades that are in jeopardy of not passing the EOG. Hopefully they will.

This has been a crazy semester. Not only did I have to do all the stuff required of an intern, plus keep up with the lives of 75 sixth grades, but my husband and I had a rough patch. I wasn't sure if things were going to work out. During that time, if I didn't have my kids and my lessons, I don't know what I would have done. I truly need something to help me take my mind off of what was going on at home. Things have been worked out and were almost back to normal.

I am in the process of apply for jobs. I have been on 8 or 9 interviews and I still don't have a position. I don't think I interview well. Hopefully I'll get a job. I'm so disappointed and discouraged right now. I'm hoping to get a phone call back sometime soon saying I have a job.

I do have some good news. I have been awarded the Outstand Prospective Teacher award. This is given to the top 10% of student teachers/internships in the university. It is a very prestigious award to have. I am very honored to have it, though I don't think I deserve it. I feel that I have done the job that was expected of me. I don't think I've gone above and beyond what any student teacher/intern should have done.

We're moving to Maryville, TN for the summer. I am going to apply for a couple jobs. I want to have a full time and a part time job. Brandon and I need the money. Moving to the Atlanta area is going to be very expensive. Hopefully we'll be able to save enough money this summer to be able to make the move.

Brandon got some excellent news. He has received a full tuition scholarship for Candler School of Theology at Emory University. We won't have to pay tuition for any of his seminary career as long as he keeps his grades up. Hopefully he'll be able to do that.

So, in about two and half weeks, we will start the next chapter in our life together. We have lived in Cullowhee, NC for almost 4 years. It has had it's ups and downs. We will miss it, but we are both ready to leave. I hope to keep my blog posted with what is going on.

Adjustment...

I am adjusting to life as a student teacher. I sure hope that being a teacher doesn't take up as much time as student teaching does. I don't seem to have much time at all. I'm always doing things for school right now. I know once my Technology Portfolio and my Teacher Work Sample are done, I won't be as busy. My technology portfolio is due Monday. So that'll be on more check on the to-do list of licensure.

The last two weeks have been not just a big adjustment period for me, but also for my students. I didn't realize how much of an adjustment it would be since I worked with these same students last semester. The students have gone through a period of trying to test my limits. They were not as focused as they should have been and were turning in poor quality work. They have gotten their act together now.

I had to fix some problems with parents this week. This is an art that I really need to work on. I don't always keep my cool. I'm getting better. It has helped that most of my communication with parents has been through email. I do have a conference next week though...

Ok, back to work on my technology portfolio...wish me luck!

Break is over...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

It seems like it was only yesterday that I took my last final. Two days from now, I'll begin Intern II. There just doesn't seem to be enough time! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...

Well, I did well grade wise last semester. I was able to maintain my 4.0 GPA! YEAH! I only need to do that for one more semester. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

I got news on a non-academic grade. I took the Praxis II in November. I got the results over break! I passed! YEAH! I was a little nervous. I left the test thinking I would have to retake it. It was the hardest test I've been through. Well, I called in to the automated system to get my test scores. The computer told me I got a 200. From everything I read, 200 was the highest you could score on the test. So, I thought there was so kind of glitch in the system. There was no way I could have scored a 200 on that test. I called customer service. The operated chuckled at me as she told me that I indeed scored a 200. So, that's one more thing to check off on the to-do list for my teaching license.

I am excited about the upcoming week. There's a teacher workday on January 3. I get to put up bulletin boards and get things ready for the semester. I am not taking all of my classes on at once. I start with my 3 math classes. (It's only two preps.) The following week, I pick up reading (we are doing literature circles the first two weeks, so planning won't be too hard.) I pick up our science class the week of MLK Day. Then I'll teach all 5 classes at least until Easter. Then I start handing them back to Mrs. Moody. I am very nervous about this semester. I hope I do well.