fast forward to the end of my first year teaching.

I am finished my first year teaching. WOW!

It was incredible. I love being a teacher. There were tough moments, heartbreaking moments and moments where I didn't think I could go on. There were also days and moments that made me feel so happy and appreciated. I feel that God put me in my school so that I could impact the lives of so many people.

I also feel that God put me here in this little city in BC not just for the teaching but also because He wanted me to do great things in my church and because there is someone incredibly special here that I was meant to be with.

I've been singing on a praise team in my church since November and there is a guy on my team who has a beautiful voice and we've gotten to be great friends and recently we've been dating. He is a great guy and he makes me so happy.

I'm enjoying my summer. No school, no work, still getting paid, and tons of time to share with a great man.
OK, enough gushing.


I had such a great first year. My students are fantastic - for the most part. And I made good friends on staff and I really feel I'm using my talents to the fullest extent. I helped lead the chapel band, I taught all the science courses and... I directed a play. And it was awesome!!!!! My kids blew me away opening night. They were great. Once I get my pictures I'll post them.

That's all for now. The cows have been fed and we have to go to a party.

2nd day of school = bad; 3rd day... much better

so my second day of school was terrible. There is a particular class - 28 students, lots of rowdy boys, chatty and disrespectful kids who decided (and told another teacher this too) that since I was a first-year teacher they could get away with everything. My other classes weren't quite as bad but they wanted to test me as well. I think I handled myself ok but I was not happy at the end of the day (slight understatement).

I stayed at school until 11:00pm (I went home for supper though) and prepared for today - seating arrangements, desks in rows instead of groups, extensive and different lesson plans (no more fun things until they behave) - when the kids asked why it was different I told them it was a test and they failed. Today was much better. I still had fun, but with that one large class... they will be taking notes until they learn how to behave and participate appropriately in class.

Just a little bit of planning and set up for tomorrow and then time to relax. Tomorrow will be a great day - only Chemistry (which has been going very well) and Biology 12 (a small class of great students).

Ah, the first year teaching. Nothing anyone told me really described it. The amount of work didn't surprise me, it's the other things.

First day of school

I had my first day of school. And I think it went great!

I wasn't nervous at all - maybe for less than two minutes before any of the kids arrived but that was it. Once I saw the kids, I put on my happy welcoming face... and I was a teacher.

I asked my students a lot of questions and had them tell me about themselves and I think I have a great bunch of kids. It'll be a good year.


I'm a teacher now! Wow, I'm kind of grown up.

I just bought a car!!!!

The vehicle I was going to take to Chilliwack unexpectedly died last week - a few days before I was supposed to move.
So, today I bought my very first car!

I got an emerald green 2002 Kia Rio. And it is tiny!! And cute!

I got insurance and registered it, so it is mine now! Huzzah!

Now, I have to pay for it. :(

So, now I'm moving this Thursday evening/Friday morning with my tiny car and my dad's truck. It'll be fun!

Huzzah, Huzzah, Huzzah!

Stress, beautiful music and one adorable dog.

So... I am starting to get stressed out. I am moving in less than 2 weeks! (11 sleeps) and after I move I have to start teaching full time. Every once in a while I think to myself/scream to myself, "I'm going to be in charge of a classroom for a whole year! No one to fall back on. eeks!!!" Then I try to forget and go on my way. The last month has gone by so fast. I've been staying at a friend's house most of the time since the beginning of July. Her mom is out of town finishing her Master's, and my sister, another friend and I are helping out by making the house not feel so empty. Heather is amazingly talented, (it makes me sick) she's recording her second CD this summer, and I'm being treated to a concert right now while she practices with her band. Check out her website: www.heather-hutchison.com or www.myspace.com/heatherhutchison The songs are from 2 years ago but the new CD is coming out soon. Wow, I wish I had that kind of talent. Anyways, I'm trying to pack up my life and head to Chilliwack. I have a wonderful apartment - or at least it sounds wonderful - I haven't seen it yet. The people I'm renting from are a young couple (she went to Dordt, small world) and they just built a brand-new house, designed so they could rent out a suite. It is really close to school and sounds wonderful. I'll even have a guest bedroom! *Hint, hint, come and visit me * - Bibby, Heather's guide dog, just came up to me and looked at me with her sad puppy eye, "Pet me and love me because I'm cute!" (she's a beautiful black lab and so adorable) - Excuse me, I'm petting her for a moment. -

Tomorrow I'm going to ED Fest to see Emerson Drive and Johnny Reid, and it will be wondeful! and then Wednesday I'm going to see "Weird Al" Yankovic - I know it is nerdy and my brother and sister are going with me. It will be fantastically hilarious.

And in other news, me and the entire Edmonton metropolitan area are dying of heat. 36^C/97^F is way too hot for northern Alberta, we just aren't used to it. But huzzah, it is starting to rain, yeah thundershowers!

Well, back to packing, maybe.

Christmas in June

Where can you find Christmas trees, Santa Claus, Rudolph, and tinsel in June?



No, not in your basement/attic (although maybe) but in West Edmonton Mall. There's a Christmas movie being filmed in the mall (Christmas in Wonderland)and the entire mall - largest in the world - is decked out like it is Christmas. It was a little unreal walking through the mall the other day, I just wanted to sing "Joy to the World!" mmm... Christmas carols. The movie will probably suck but it inadvertently brightened my day.



I sprained my ankle a while back, and since I do it a lot I didn't pay much attention, but it didn't get better so I decided to see someone about it. I went to physiotherapy and my clinic is big on accupunture in conjunction with traditional physio. I love accupunture!! If you haven't had it, it's amazing. These tiny little needles (which don't hurt, unless they do crazy muscled grab points) in the right spot provide instant results. The human body is amazing. The ancient Chinese knew what they were doing way before anyone in the Western world even got a clue about medicine. Anyways, because of those little needles and my physical therapist I can walk again, and I'm not lobsided. Huzzah!

My grandparents celebrated their anniversary this weekend. It was really nice and I had a great time. My sister and I sang, and although I royally screwed up on one of the songs, my sister recovered beautifully and everyone thought we were wonderful. Over the course of the evening I got really good at my one conversation, it went like this:

Some relative: Wow, I haven't seen you in such a long time. What are you up to?
Me: Well, I just graduated from Dordt with a B.A. in secondary education in Chemistry and Physics.
Relative: Already? Has it been 4 years already?
Me: Actually it's been 5 years.
Relative: *Puzzled look*
Me: I changed my major *sheepishly*
Relative: Do you have a job yet?
Me: Yes, I'm teaching at ___ Chrisitian School, teaching science and even a drama course.
Relative: You're going to teach high school science? For your first year? Won't that be difficult.
Me: Well, yeah, that's what I prepared for, not elementary, not English but high school science.
Relative: Oh. *pause* Well, you must be so excited.
Me: Yes!
etc.

I seriously had that exact conversation with 90% of the people I talked to that evening - I had that same conversation with the other 10% prior to that evening.

My parents leave for a month-long trip to Europe today, and I get to be in charge. Mwahahaha! (My siblings probably wouldn't agree totally, but... whatever) Mwahahahaha! It should be nice for them, and it should be very nice for me, I've gotten used to living on my own so it is strange to be home. Strange, but in a sense nice and appreciated because I know that I won't have that ever again and I'll probably miss it when I'm all alone in my apartment talking to myself - I won't have cats.

Pictures to come when I get them on my computer.