7th graders?!?!?!

I'm an 8th grade teacher (well, at least I was last year), and now I have been given the task of teaching a LA class of 7th Graders too. The difference is astounding! 7th graders have just come from Elementary school and I can tell! They're so excited and have so much energy that I don't know what to do with them all! They always get me on tangents too. My 8th graders would try sometimes, but usually took the hint that I liked to stay on topic. These 7th graders though want to announce anything that pops into their heads that is connected(sometimes loosely) to the topic at hand. All I can say is that it will be an interesting year.

Where my thoughts are.

Potato always asks me: "What are you thinking?" Most of the time, I have problems putting my thoughts into spoken words on the spot. I find writing my thoughts helps me organize and formulate the gabbled mass into something a little more coherent.

Right now, a lot of my thoughts have been about marriage. I have to admit that I am really enjoying planning the fantasy wedding through the online means available.

I am also weighing out some heavy thoughts in my mind concerning my faith and marriage to someone not of it. That lead me to the link below which gives me even more to think about.

Faces East link

Boxes!

I don't know why, but I got a little bit ambitious in doing my textbook inventory for my classroom. After school, I decided that I would take down all the old textbooks on the top of my bookshelf in the corner of my classroom. The old book piled as high as the ceiling! I took them all down and placed them on the table and floor next to the shelves. It looks like many of these books are as old as the school itself! (late 1960's I believe) In order to get rid of them, I have to box them up and send them to surplus.

I decided that while I have the students for a few more days, I'll put them to work. No sense in having me do all the packing an hauling of books if there are teenagers with energy to spare.

Now the only problem was finding enough boxes to put all these books in. (There are literally hundreds!)

I went to a local grocery store and asked about boxes. The lady there was so helpful! She even went to the back of the store to look around for some more. When she came back, she handed me what she found. Another customer in the store over heard and saw I was looking for boxes. She said, "I have a ton of boxes in my truck. You could have them if you want." she was so great! She drove her truck over to where I had my car parked and gave me the choice of all the boxes I wanted. (She was taking them to the dump anyway.)

I couldn't believe how helpful and nice both these women were. So polite and kind. It made me feel good not only that people helped me, but it made me feel good about people in general. I like to believe that people are good at heart, and today it was nice to find that to be true!

The Brain on Spirituality

Interesting story on NPR I listened to yesterday.

Prayer May Reshape Your Brain...and Your Reality

Found Again

While thinking to myself today, "Hum, that might be a good thing to put in a blog post...if I had a blog", I came to the sudden realization that I had in fact started a blog. Like many good ideas started in earnest but lacking a certain consistency in my life, this blog fell to the wayside. That was not my intention of course when starting this, but it took me over a year later to realize I had abandoned this project. Now that it is found again, I should put it back to use.

Something most interesting is how much time can change perspective. Just a quick read through of some of the previous posts gave me a small glimpse of my life that was not necessarily forgotten, but definitely different from my thoughts and feelings now. Maybe not different in the sense of totally opposite, but different as in not the same. Again, that's time for you.


Now, as to the thoughts instigating the rediscovery of my old blog: wedding dresses. Oh, I know, but I am a girl. ;)
While browsing wedding dresses, I came across three I wanted to share with someone and talk about. So I emailed some links to my mother.

Dress #1
Dress #2
Dress #3
(Don't look at these, Potato!!!!)

After she got the links, we talked on the phone. I asked her which one she liked best. She said Dress #2. Now, I like all of these, otherwise I wouldn't have sent these links, so it's not like it was a guessing game. I asked her reason. Summed up, she liked it because it would cover me more. It hides more of my fat. Oh, she said it kinder than that, but when I asked, "What's wrong with Dress #1/#3?", she ho-humed and said something like, "Look how tiny that girl's arms are!" silently but effectivly reminding me of the flabby arm curse passed down the generations.

Now when looking at wedding dresses online, I'm far from fitting into the model's size of dress. Honestly though, princess seamed dresses like #1 and #3 have always flattered me. On my wedding day, I'm not looking to hide away and cover up. I want to feel beautiful in what I'm wearing.

It wasn't till hours later when thinking about my mother's comments that I realized what an attack on my body image they were. Oh, she didn't mean her comments as an attack; those type of comments have become commonplace between us. When I was living with my parents a year ago, I would have never questioned what my mom had suggested or implied about myself in dress #1 or #3, but time, experience, life, has changed my perespective, my reality. Maybe it means I won't hold my mother's opinion as high as I have in the past, but I'm still glad I sought it.

The Reality of the Situation

I did a phone conference interview yesterday with a middle school principle and some of his staff. The position is for teaching 8th grade Core classes. It really sounds interesting, and I enjoyed learning about some of the programs and things going on at that school. Then, at the end of the interview, the principle offered me the job position. Wow! I didn't know I had impressed them that much. It's my first job offer, and I'm very happy and excited about it. At the same time, I'm a little apprehensive. I'd be teaching 8th grade, and while I'm not worried about my capability to do so, I don't have any experience with students younger than 10th grade.

Another aspect of this teaching position is the location. I've come to accept the reality that I would have to move a significant distance away from my family in order to secure a teaching position. The high school near my family’s residence rejected me on basis of my lack of teaching years. I didn't try the middle schools in the area thinking that I would have the same problem. I don't mind moving; I've come to accept it.

It's just going to be hard to start over again. I thought I had found a place in my parent's town because I started making friends and was becoming part of the community there. But after a few weeks away at Upward Bound, none of them have contacted me to see how I’ve been doing or anything. I know, out of sight, out of mind. It’s true. I just thought that I’d get a text or phone call asking how I was doing or informing me of how things are going on up there. Maybe starting over won’t be so bad.

After talking with my dad about the position at the location of the position, I’m inclined to follow it. He said that the location is pretty nice, and that some of his co-workers also thought it is a good community. The position’s contract should be for only one year, so I can always rethink my decision in a year if I don’t feel it’s working out. I’m not getting any bad vibes or feelings about taking this job; it’s just my own fears and apprehensions I feel.

Writing on the Wall

I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned the hard way that some poems don't rhyme and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end.