2008: A year to remember.

Every year is important. Every second is important. But in my short 23 years on this planet, 2008 was the most insane, fun, life-changing year. I decided to make two lists: The Best and The Worst of 2008. These are all-encompassing lists (events, people, movies, music, books), in no particular order. Some of them have comments with them; others I feel might not need them. Either way, I thought it would be a fun way to recap my year and reflect. The Best of 2008

• Graduation: I finally did it!
• Joining Teach For America. I would not be able to be the teacher I am without this organization; I am constantly inspired by other corps members and their stories. It is such an honor and privilege to be a part of this movement that is truly making progress toward ending educational inequity.
• Moving to Phoenix, AZ. 
• Ulcerative colitis (Seems weird that it makes the Best List, but I found out so much about myself through being that sick. Also, I learned to appreciate my health in a new way!)
• My roommate, Heather. As previously mentioned, I know I hit the roommie jackpot. I can only hope to be so fortunate next year, since she is getting married in June!
• The Shining Stars of Room 206. They are amazing. As tough as some days are - and they can be brutal - I can not imagine a more amazing first class. 
• My PD. She is awesome. 
• Netflix. 
• Finally growing out my nails. 
• November 4, 2008. Enough said. 
• The Twilight book series. 
• The Ped Egg. As seen on TV. It is amazing. I've been quoted as saying it changed my life. 
• Ikea. 
• Fresh & Easy. Thank goodness for that grocery store. 
• Teacher's discounts. Amazing!
• Cheap, easy, popular Halloween costumes. I was Alvin. It was pretty awesome. 
• Sonora Brewery. 
• Osborn TFA Happy Hours. 
• Our pink Christmas tree. 
• Finally being able to teach expanded notation in such a way that my kids get it! 
• Last Chance. Also life-changing. (The retail hierarchy is as follows: Nordstrom's, Nordstrom's Rack, Last Chance. Nordstrom's clothing for $6. Cue the angelic choirs.)
• My students speaking to the cafeteria and janitorial staff in Spanish. 
• 3rd grade at Mary Buren Elementary in Guadalupe, CA. 
• Kindergarten at Georgia Brown Elementary in Paso Robles, CA. 
• AK winning ASI Pres. 
• Seeing Eric Hutchinson at Cal Poly. I kind of freaked out when I found out he was coming.
• Furnishing my first apartment. 
• The amazing staff at my school. 
• The 3rd grade DL teacher at my school. Don't know what I would do without her!
• Pandora Radio. 
• Rose Linda Bulls. 
• Discovering the "Magic Music" that lulls my students into almost silence. Jack Johnson and Hollywood Love songs on piano.
• Getting carpet in my classroom. 
• Actually having my own classroom!
• T.I.'s "Life Your Life." Seriously: Numa numa song + Rhianna + catchy lyrics = amazing. 
• Jason Mraz's We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. Great CD. 
• Perez Hilton. 
• Hulu
• Facebook Flair. 
• TFA acronyms. Love them. 
• Road tripping to Phoenix with Rachel. 
• The way being back in California feels now. 
• Hearing about my friends' new, exciting, grown-up lives. 
• Finally living near a Chipotle. 
• Palatte diner. 
• My first paycheck. 
• Voting in an historic election. 
• McTeacher's Night. I got to make McFlurries!
• The movie Iron Man. 
• Phoenix adventures. Dive bars that aren't really dive bars. Antique shops that aren't really antique shops. This city is full of surprises!
• Finding out I can manage a classroom full of 7 and 8 year olds!
• Watching my students' fluency scores grow. 
• Seeing my students use blending to sound out words. 
• Hearing my students say "I like it when..." "I appreciate..." and "I am concerned about..." 
• Cooking for myself. 
• Having faith that I did make the right choice. 
• My dad coming to be here with my for my colonoscopy. 
• The amazing second grade team at my school. We've had our bumps in the road, but I really couldn't ask for a more supportive team!
• Seeing my students get excited about Spanish week. 
• Rocking my students' worlds simply by rearranging the furniture in our room. 
• Z Pizza. 
• All the shopping in Phoenix. 
• Living right down the street from Chase Field. 
• Decorating my graduation cap with my mom. It served its purpose: the only way my family was able to find me was by seeing the pipe cleaners on top!
• My first Ikea shopping trip with my mom to buy things for my apartment. 
• Staying at the Clarendon. 
• Going to the Cardinal's training facility. 
• Standing up for myself. 
• Chatting with my mom on g-chat. 
• Going to my first teacher job fair with my mom in San Jose. 
• Starting a penny drive in the third grade classroom I student taught in that raised over $80 before I left. 
• Watching my brother get closer to his dreams. 
• Being so blessed. 

The Worst of 2008

• Ulcerative colitis. Seriously, ew. Not fun. 
• Colonoscopy. 
• Endoscopy. 
• Finding out the jokes about teacher salaries are true. 
• Not seeing my mom all the time. 
• Being far away from my girls. 
• ASU dorms. I was not made to share such a small bathroom with 3 other people. Thankfully I had a great roomie there, too!
• Trying to find a church. 
• Feeling helpless with some of my students. 
• Wondering if I am really making a difference. 
• Being scared I made the wrong choice. 
• AC bills in Phoenix. 

I am glad my worst list is so small... I really have nothing to complain about. I am blessed beyond my own comprehension. I cannot believe all of the wonderful things that have happened to me this year. I know 2009 will be another amazing year; it will go by even faster than 2008!

Things I Am Looking Forward to in 2009

• Spring Training!
• The draft. 
• Spring Break. 
• My kids kicking butt on the 2nd and 3rd trimester benchmarks. 
• Finishing my first year of teaching. 
• Starting my second year really knowing what I am doing!
• Summer 2009. Don't know what it holds yet, but I am excited!
• Heather's wedding. 
• Going to the Grand Canyon. 
• More Phoenix adventures. 

I hope I didn't forget anything. :) 

Much love. 

What are you fighting for?

Wow. I am so thankful that some people have been blessed with this gift:

Hahaha...


 And my favorite (I've seen Steve Connell slam and I think I'm in love: it's a Facebook group!):

Good stuff.

Lately, I've been missing Another Type of Groove. :) This made me feel better. ♥

It's been a while...

It has been a while since I posted anything significant about my life, and I figured now is a good time to change that. As I am sitting here on my kitchen counter, waiting for rice to finish cooking, I will update whoever reads this on my life here in Phoenix. Let's start by saying that I love love love the weather right now. It's chilly at night and in the morning, so I can bundle up in a coat and drink something warm. During the day, however, the weather is warm and the sun - of course - is shining. Perfect. I cannot believe it is November. The middle of November! I went to an outdoor church service today, and I couldn't have wished for more lovely weather.

I am also really starting to love this city. There are so many cool places to go and eat at and see! I still have yet to try fry bread, and I really should do that soon. I have found some great coffee shops and places to eat that I just love.

It's such a great adventure making a new place your own. Our apartment is coming along beautifully! We have a great futon, a lamp and an amazing giant red storage ottoman in our living room. We put up a bulletin board for pictures in our dining room, and we even have some art above our mantel (and by art I mean a poster of the movie inspired by the book series my roommate and I are currently obsessed with: Twilight). I love walking in here at the end of the day. It is so cozy and simple and unlike any other place. In it's complete uniqueness, it is so ours. We have definitely made our mark here.

Speaking of the apartment: I have really been enjoying time with my roommate. We have had lots of roomie dates in the last couple of weeks, and I find her to be a very encouraging person to be around. She has a really sweet heart and a very gentle presence. She is calm and serene. I hope that rubs off on me! I am constantly reminded that most people do not have that kind of experience with roommates; I realize how blessed I am to be in this situation.

My classroom has turned into a sanctuary of sorts for me. I love being there. I love being surrounded by my students' work and I love the life they bring into the room. I have had some great days of teaching, but more often than not I leave with a headache and wondering if I really am making a difference for them. There are days with bright spots, but rare is the day when I leave thinking "That whole DAY was amazing!" Not that I lack a million things to be grateful for, but I tend to focus on the negatives at the end of the day. I am working on that. Even still, I love being in our classroom; I really do feel like that space has turned into a space we all own. I hope my kiddos feel that way, too; I have tried to create a safe place for them.

I am getting better at taking care of myself. I clean my room and the apartment pretty much every weekend, which I found out makes me feel very peaceful. I love to clean! (Thanks, Mom.) I cook batches of chicken for myself on the weekend and I try to stock up on lots of frozen veggies so I can always eat something healthy. I have been reading a lot more, which is relaxing for me. (And I've been reading books other than Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse! I started reading Three Cups of Tea which is fascinating.) I am trying to spend time outside whenever I can. I am striving to create an existence for myself outside of my classroom, and I've been somewhat successful! I think it will keep getting better, too!

Next time I'll share more about teaching, but in light of the fact that I am trying to diversify my life a little right now, I think I'll end my post without talking anymore about school. Oh, except to say that for Halloween I was Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks (thank you Auntie Helene, GigiLou, Renee and Maddi for the inspiration!) and I was a huge hit! All the kids, from kindergarten to the big 6th graders knew who I was and got excited when they saw me. It was great.

My current Top 10 Favorite Things:
1. The Twilight series (seriously, it's been a while since I've been so consumed and interested in a story).
2. My roomie, H!
3. Pandora Radio.
4. Facebook Flair.
5. Matt Nathanson Station on Pandora.
6. Cooperative Learning Groups. (I'm doing less, they're doing more!)
7. My new Rusk shampoo. Smells delicious!
8. Pennies for Peace (I want to talk to my principal about starting a campaign at our school).
9. Brain Pop. (Seriously, this website is aahhhh-mazing.)
10. My new jersey sheets. So comfy.

 ♥ much love ♥

This is why...

...I love YouTube. These kids are awesome! ♥

Don't Squeal...

...Unless it's a Big Deal! I am having a tattling problem in my class; my students really like to tell on each other for the most silly things! I am going to be trying some lessons this week to get our class perspective changed. My students need to understand what warrants telling the teacher, and what is just tattling for tattling's sake. I have been trying to combat this with compliments. During Community Circle for the last week, they have been practicing complimenting each other on doing good or appropriate things during class. I have been really surprised and pleased to hear them say very specific examples of classmates following rules or being kind to others.

On Friday, I had the best Community Circle yet. One of my problem students who can be incredibly defiant and when he puts his mind to it he can completely derail a lesson, apologized to his fellow students for his behavior that day. He had been pretty defiant and had caused a lot of problems in the morning; my other students have gotten very good at ignoring him, but it is obvious when he is annoying the other students. This was the first time he has ever apologized for his behavior without prompting; usually his apologies are in response to punishment. This time, he wasn't even in trouble! He decided to apologize all on his own! He looked at his classmates during Community Circle and said, "I want to say I'm sorry for how I acted. I'm sorry. Next time I'll be good. I will work on it." I don't think I hid my shock very well, and when I looked at my students, they were just as surprised. Then we all started smiling, and there was a chorus of, "Thanks, C!" It was the best moment of my teaching career so far. I think I am actually starting to get through to him!

Later that afternoon, he tried to talk another student - who had hit two students and pushed me - into calming down and going to the office because he really shouldn't do this "the hard way." He said, "Hey, you can do this the hard way or the easy way. I did it the hard way and I had to stare at the wall in MRC all day. You don't want to do that. Just go to the office and you won't be in as much trouble. If you keep doing this, you'll get in more trouble!" C was a completely different student all of a sudden! I left school on Friday walking on clouds because I was feeling like I might actually be making a difference in this student's life. I hope to see my students make more and more strides in their ability to be human with each other; I want to see them actually treating each other with respect.

That's all for now...

♥

Oh, no, it's just an earmark...

I think I love this guy...

Twilight...

I was warned. Friends told me it would suck me in, and I would not be able to stop reading. Yet even after being warned, I was completely surprised at how hard it was to tear myself away from the book Twilight! I found myself completely entranced in Edward and Bella's world; waiting anxiously to find out what would happen next. I ended up being thankful that I had to spend the day at home yesterday because I got to finish the book! (I was home because I lost my voice; I have been fighting a cold and my voice finally gave in.) I went to the bookstore last night to buy the second book in the series and I'm already halfway through it! Thursday night our school had a fundraising event at the McDonald's down the street, and I worked a register! I have new found respect for people who work behind the counter. It is a hectic job. I had fun seeing some of my students and their parents there and we were able to raise a lot of money. Back to resting... ♥

The end is near...

The final debate was last night! John McCain even mentioned Teach For America. But, as per usual, both candidates said things that were not true... Thank goodness there are organizations out there committed to making sure people get the facts! Check it out! ♥

Story of a Sign

Thanks to my awesome Uncle Bill for sharing this video on his blog. And remember Joseph Gordon Levitt, the cute kid from Angels In the Outfield? Check out his YouTube Political PSA. Much Love. ♥

Open windows

The most seriously exciting thing is happening in Phoenix: it's cooling down! The nights are wonderfully cool. I have been able to have the windows open the last two nights, and I am really enjoying that. I was really nervous about how hard it would be to get my students back into the routine of school after a week off, but they were wonderful today!

We had a great day and, in my opinion, had the best writing lesson to date. It was fun and I saw a huge improvement in the amount of detail in the writing. The whole lesson was just fun for me, too. All I did was say "Oh my goodness, I had the BEST time during Fall Break! I can't wait to write all about it and share with you!" Then I wrote "I had a great time during Fall Break!" on the overhead, put the pen down and said "I'm done." My kids just stared at me. Not a peep. They were speechless. I reached over to turn the projector off and one student yelled "WAIT!" I looked at him and said "What's wrong?" and he said "That's not it! That's not enough." To which I replied, "Well, that's what I wrote."

I acted like there was nothing wrong with that one sentence. Suddenly all the students were, for lack of a better description, freaking out and telling me that I hadn't written enough and I had to write more. I just looked at all of them, put my hands in my pockets, shrugged and said "I don't know what else to write. That's all I have to say about it." They insisted that I write more, so I asked them what they wanted to know. They peppered me with questions: "Who did you see?" "What did you do?" "Where did you sleep?" "What did you eat?" "How did you get there?" "How long were you gone?" "What did you wear?" "What interesting things happened to you?" I looked at them - feigning complete shock - and said, "You didn't get that from the sentence I wrote?!" They yelled "NOOO!" so I wrote the answers to their questions; we read the new, detailed paragraph together, and I asked them if that was better. They said "Oh, yes!" and I turned off the projector, got serious, and said "Sometimes in your writing, I have lots of questions like that. Today I want you to think about all the things you wanted to know about what I was going to write, and answer those questions in your own writing."

Amazingly, they did! I have never seen some of them write that much before. It was so much fun! They were writing quietly for over 15 minutes! That was the best part of my day, hands down. Off to sleep... ♥

Relentless pursuit....

Being a first year teacher is challenging. That might be the understatement of the year (maybe the century). After four years in college studying education, a year and a half preparing through the credential program and six weeks of Institute with Teach For America, I still end every day realizing there is nothing that could completely prepare me for this experience. Thankfully, I have many tools and resources available to me. Even still... Teach For America instilled in me (and the thousands of other CMs teaching across the country) the belief that everything that happens in my classroom is a result of my teacher thoughts, beliefs and mindsets.

While this certainly strengthens and widens my locus of control, this belief also means that every day I reflect not only on how the day went, but also what I did or did not do to produce those results. When things do not go the way I had hoped, I have to step back and consider what really guided my actions in the situations and lessons that caused the day to be less than stellar. This also means that when I find myself making excuses for my students based on what their lives are like outside of school, I have to stop myself and remember that while I have no control over that, I do have control over my classroom and how they behave while in it.

Furthermore, by taking on this challenge, I have committed myself to having high expectations for my students; that means I cannot make excuses for them or myself. Add to that sense of responsibility and belief in the power of my own mindsets and thoughts the overwhelming amount of lesson planning, management planning/implementation and copying I have to do and you have one stressful experience. As stressful and overwhelming as this can be, I have to celebrate the things that go well in order to maintain my sanity. Like last week, my students took their math SWYK (Show What You Know) for the week, and all 23 achieved a "Meets!" (At my school we use the assessment grades of Falls Far Bellow, Approaches, Meets and Exceeds which is in line with how the state assesses students on standardized tests.) That Friday night, while grading the SWYK, I was grinning because I realized they got it, and I helped! Other moments that I celebrate and that keep me going are ones like what happened the other day in class: a lot of students were getting chatty and I stopped my instruction to move clips and wait for them to calm down. One of my students said in a frustrated voice, "C'mon, guys, be quiet! You're wasting our learning time and I want to learn!!" The happiness I felt from that one comment lasted for days. I still smile thinking about it.

Those are the mindsets and ideas that I can only hope my students grasp: that our time together is important; that we need to respect our learning time because we will not get it back. If I am going to relentlessly pursue Meet and Exceed results for my students, they need to be invested in our learning time; otherwise nothing I do will help them succeed. I feel so blessed to be a part of my students' lives. In spite of all that many of them have going on at home that could drag them down, for the most part they show up every day excited and they are eager to do their best. I only hope they know how much I care about them and their futures.

On a personal note: I finally finished unpacking all of my things and my room is completely set up! I really feel like I live here now. I even went on an excursion on Sunday to find a Dunkin Donuts because we actually have them here in Phoenix! I was so excited. Also, my roommate and I found a discarded futon frame and lugged it up to our apartment (it is a beautiful cherry wood frame with only a few scratches), leaving only a mattress to be purchased. Last weekend we got one, so we finally have a couch in our living room. This apartment is really starting to feel homey.

 I try to always have music playing in my classroom, and recently I have been playing a lot of Jack Johnson (it's like magic music). Every time I hear his duet with Ben Harper - "My Own Two Hands" - I feel inspired.
I can change the world 
With my own two hands 
Make a better place 
With my own two hands 
Make a kinder place 
With my own 
With my own two hands

 Much love!

Netflix

So, I did it. I joined Netflix. And then spent a few hours on Saturday making my list. I can't wait to start getting those movies in the mail! :) Oh, the small pleasures. Teaching seems to be getting easier. I have figured out that I do not like going into school early, so I have to stay later after school to get things done. I have also been working on leaving school without any work to take home; that has made the last week really relaxing at night! I am hoping to make that a habit. The kiddos are really starting to get into our routine. I am learning their little quirks and how to get them to do what I need them to do. 7 year olds really like to be timed! I guess anything that feels like a competition... I am really excited that we are getting into a routine. They make me so happy (most of the time).

 I went to my first Diamondbacks game yesterday! I even bought a shirt. And I have never been in a stadium with a retractable roof; I am so glad the roof was closed last night because it was so hot! Here's a blurry self-portrait from my cell phone last night (setting: my bathroom). I wanted to show my parents my first D-backs shirt! :)


 

 ♥

When do we learn Spanish?

Here I am, in week three of teaching! Day one was a little on the overwhelming and surreal side. The week leading up to the first day, I was busy just trying to get the hundreds of boxes out of my classroom! Most of those boxes were not even my second grade materials, so I had to open them, figure out what was in them, and then try to figure out where they needed to go. The Sunday before school started, my amazing parents were in town to help me finish moving into my apartment so they helped me actually set up my classroom. The next two days I spent running around getting last minute supplies for the first day, like carpet squares for the students to sit on (we still do not have carpet in our classrooms).

But the morning my students arrived, I was so excited. My stomach was fluttering and my heart was racing - all of those cliche feelings. We sat down for our first community circle and introduced ourselves and shared some of our favorite things. Then we talked about what we had done this summer. The rest of the day was a mix of procedures and teambuilding activities. Towards the end of the day, we sat down on the floor again and made a list of things that had happened in school to us that we did not like; we then talked about how we should act so that those incidents don't happen. I guided the discussion so that we touched on what I already knew I wanted my 5 rules to be. That night I went home and put all of their ideas together in the 5 Class Agreements (we do not call them rules, we call them class agreements because we agreed that those norms would make our classroom a safe, fun, happy place where we could learn together).

 Day two I introduced the Class Agreements and our rewards and consequences system. We practiced what following and not following the class agreements would look like. We read Oh! The Places You'll Go and talked about what they wanted to be after college in 2023. Then we talked about how it would take hard work to get there and that 2nd grade is important to get us ready for 3rd grade, 4th grade, etc so that we can become what we want to be. We spent the rest of the day practicing procedures and doing more teambuilding activities. I was pretty relieved that the first week was only 3 days. I needed the weekend.

Last week, week 2, was more procedures and investment. We have gotten really great at lining up and walking in the hallway! Which sounds like a ridiculous thing to be thrilled about, but when you have a classroom of 23 7-year old students - 16 of which are boys - lining up and walking quietly can be one of the most challenging things. We have a class compliment chain, and every time another teacher or staff member compliments our class on our line around the school, we add a paper chain. When the chain reaches the floor, the students will get a surprise! They have already earned 12 links, and it will probably take us about 10 more to reach the floor. I am really proud of them, and they are really proud of themselves. We talk a lot about how we are a team, and that is physical proof of what we can accomplish when we work together.

 I am getting nervous thinking about teaching in Spanish, because only a small number of my students even speak Spanish with their families. The majority of my students are native English speakers. Although they will be learning Spanish from the very beginning - starting with the alphabet - I am expected to also teach them grade-level content in Spanish without translating for them. I know this will be a huge challenge, and though I am thrilled to be taking it on, I am also nervous that they will get frustrated and give up during Spanish week. More to come soon, I promise, but for now I need to go call some parents!

 ♥

Oh boy...

So, long time no blog... Life has been completely insane. Institute is crazy but amazing. I am learning so much here from other Corps members, CMAs and all the faculty advisors. The training is intense, but I have never felt more prepared to have my own classroom, even after studying to become a teacher in college. The focus on teaching as leadership has opened my eyes to aspects of teaching that I had never seen before. There is also a huge emphasis on reflection, particularly reflection on how one's mindsets, thoughts and beliefs as the teacher directly impact student actions and achievement. I have never before so thoroughly examined my own ideas and beliefs about teaching and student potential.

On a personal note, I have also spent the last two (almost three) weeks sick. Originally myself and the clinicians at the ASU clinic thought it was food poisoning, so I was treated for that. I did not get any better, however, and after further testing I was determined to have a parasite. I have since finished another round of antibiotics and while I am feeling better, the nurse practitioner is not completely satisfied with my progress and when I come home to California next week I will be going to my doctor for further tests. I am hoping that what I am currently dealing with are just the after affects of having a parasite. Here's hoping...

With all that, I have had some really great things happening. I finally moved into my new apartment! I actually have my first address that isn't my parent's address. I love the apartment. It is so cute and quaint. We have a fireplace and even a balcony with a nice little view of downtown Phoenix. Oh, also, my apartment is about 5 minutes from Chase Field (where the Diamondbacks play). I cannot wait to go to a game.

I start new teacher training in a little over a week, and then on August 6 my students show up for the first day! I am so excited... I am still trying to figure out what my management system and class theme will be. Another teacher and myself thing we have come up with a good theme, but we're still working out the kinks.

With that, I have to share a quote from the Velveteen Rabbit that our Literacy Specialist shared with us today on our last day of Literacy courses. "What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day ... "Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real." "Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit. "Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt." "Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?" "It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, much of you has been loved off and parts of you can get shabby. But these things don't matter at all because you are Real ... Once you are Real, you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always." 

So there it is, my update. I hope life is beautiful and blessed for you! ♥

One day...

All children will have the opportunity to receive an excellent education.

So, here I am in Phoenix, preparing to become a teacher with hundreds of other Corps Members dedicated to closing the achievement gap and ending educational inequity.


...And it's absolutely boiling hot! Yesterday, for example, it was 112 degrees. But we are inside so much it doesn't bother me too much. I just have to remember to drink lots of water. And I have found myself chugging gatorade a lot, too. I know I'm sweating a lot, but it is usually so dry and hot that I don't really notice, so I am often worried that I will get really dehydrated without noticing.

Heat aside, I love Phoenix! It is such a cool city. It is growing so fast. There is so much to do, but right now I don't have a lot of time to do it. We are in the middle of Institute, which is 5 weeks of intensive teacher training. We get to start teaching our summer school classes on Monday, and I am really excited! One of the most exciting things about being here with this group of people is that everyone is so motivated and passionate and hard working. It keeps me on my toes all the time and the energy is incredibly contagious. I already feel like a more dedicated, prepared and passionate teacher just for being here with this organization. Plus, they take such good care of us.

For some reason, I have not managed to take very many pictures, but here are some I took last week during Induction, which feels like it was years ago! One is of a cactus, of course, which are my new trees. And the others are of the Arizona Cardinals training facility here in Phoenix, where we ate dinner one night and got a tour of the facilities! We even saw the locker room and the bathroom where the famous scene from Jerry McGuire was filmed. How cool is that? My life is pretty amazing right now. Even when it is overwhelming, I have to take a step back and realize where I am, what I am a part of, and how blessed life is right now.







And, last weekend, I graduated from college! That was an exciting experience. I did not expect to feel so joyous and relieved!




That's all for now...

♥

Coyotes!

So, Phoenix is really different! Exciting, but very different.

I am so thrilled to be here with such a dynamic, passionate group of TFA-ers who want to change the world.

I know where and what I am teaching!! I will be teaching in an elementary dual language classroom. The district principals were incredibly welcoming to the four TFA teachers who will be starting at three of the schools in July, and we are all really happy to be in such a supportive district. I know I will learn so much from the next two years!

Being in Phoenix, I have new trees...



And last night, on our way to a restaurant in Scottsdale, coyotes ran out in front of our car! Needless to say, we were pretty thrilled by that experience.


♥

One more week...

In one week I will be road tripping it to Phoenix for Induction, where I will be learning more about Teach For America and what it means to be a Corps member, as well as interviewing with schools for a teaching position. I am so excited, but it still hasn't sunk in and I don't think it will until I actually have a job. I am so excited to be starting this new chapter in my life! And I am incredibly thankful for all of the support I have from my amazing friends and family; this would not be possible for me without all of them. But for now I have to keep focused on my last week of student teaching and what I need to complete in order to get my credential! ♥

Peace is possible

Sometimes I find myself discouraged by so much of the blatant selfishness I see in the world around me. Of course, I am also guilty of being selfish most of the time, but I find it hard to be encouraged and inspired to keep trying to be unselfish when, for the most part, I see that only selfish, self-promoting behavior is rewarded in our society. On Friday, however, I witnessed in my classroom the true beauty of compassion and selflessness that brought me very close to tears. It is rare to see such caring behavior in anyone. This young child acted with the sole intention of helping another child and to make the situation better so the other child would not have to cry and be upset. It was beautiful. It reminded me that peace and love and compassion are possible in this world. Please take the time to check out The Mosaic Project. It is a wonderful non-profit organization dedicated to bringing peace to the world through educating and empowering children (my favorite people).

   

 Also, please check out Good Search, a website/search engine that donates a portion of their search engine advertising profits to charities. The great thing is, you get to choose the charity you want to support and each time you search using Good Search, money is given to that organization. The child in my class, The Mosaic Project and Good Search are simple yet powerful reminders of how a few people can begin to make a real and definite change in the world. We can be sure that peace is possible, but we have to take steps in our own lives to make it happen. Much love, Amie

Inspiration

So I've been thinking a lot about inspiration recently. What inspires me to want to be a teacher? What inspires me to smile and find the positive in a situation that I would otherwise be upset about? Inspiration is so important, and everyone is inspired by different things. I am inspired by so many people, but I am most often inspired and encouraged by the little people in my life - the children I am supposed to be inspiring! Teaching (and I've only had a small taste of it) is so humbling... Every day I learn more about how little I know and how much room I still have to grow as a human being. My mom and I have been shopping for necklaces the last week or so. We decided that in lieu of getting matching inspirational tattoos (my dad was not thrilled with the idea and ultimately I think we both would have chickened out), we wanted to get matching necklaces that would remind us of each other after I graduate and move away. My mom is my best friend and I am really going to miss her when I am in Phoenix... Anyways, we are trying to find something that will both serve as a reminder of the other person and as an inspiration to be the kind of women that we want to be... We think we might have found something, and I promise I'll post a picture once we do. On the note of inspiration, I always leave the beach feeling inspired. Inspired to take more time to look at everything around me an appreciate all the beauty that the world has to offer. Here are some pictures of a recent trip to the beach that I found particularly relaxing and inspiring:

I love the beach! And, for a another dose of inspiration... Taylor Mali is a teacher and award-winning spoken word poet who writes incredible pieces about teachers and the experience of teaching. Here is a video of a great poem that is always encouraging and gets me fired up to teach! Finally, here is a quote that always makes me stop and think, and I have read it so many times... I will have it posted in my own classroom someday and I hope it might inspire my students to consider each thought they have... “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” ♥

Poetry and music in the classroom

So I went to a presentation the other night on poetry and music in the classroom. I learned a lot about how to integrate both of these important artistic expressions into the classroom, but I am still a little wary about how exactly I will use them. In any case, we all wrote a song together with one of the presenters about student teaching. It might make you laugh, but it is very true....

"Student Teaching" (sung to the tune of "Gilligan's Island")
I'm their new face today
They will like me I hope and pray
And if they don't that's okay
They still have to do it my way
Because I'm here to stay

 I cannot even begin to imagine what having my own classroom full of students will feel like. I can only anticipate these emotions times 1,000! It is, however, an adventure I cannot wait to experience.
 ♥

So here I am...

...Blogging. 

As many of you know (or may not know) I am moving to Phoenix, Arizona this June to begin my two years teaching as a Teach For America (TFA) Corps member. I wanted a way to keep all those whom I love up-to-date with my life as I leave my amazing family (at home and at school) to start my journey as an educator and advocate for better education opportunities for all students and live out my favorite quote: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." 

And so this blog was born. 

I stole the title from an email from a dear friend, Tylor. I have starred this email in my Gmail inbox (if you don't have Gmail, I seriously recommend you consider getting an account: It's amazing) and read it when I find myself in need of some encouragement that it is more than fine to feel unfinished. My life, as I am, is still Becoming. And I am constantly learning new ways to be the change I want to see in the world around me! 

On to Phoenix. I am really excited to be a part of the Teach For America organization! Though I have been sure for quite some time now that I wanted to be a teacher, I think I finally found a way to make the kind of impact I truly want to make. I think TFA really fits my personality and interest in not only education, but leadership, advocacy and giving back. 

So, as I end my first post here, I will leave you with a link if you're interested in learning more about my life with TFA for the next two years. I also ask for your continued prayers and/or good thoughts as I face what I know will be a rewarding challenge. 

TFA Phoenix

♥ 

Amie