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.

Canada is too cold! and other musings

I know it's a cliche - kind of, "Canada is cold" but really it is. At least in my area of the country. Here I was, used to the pleasantly warm climate of Iowa and then, I got back to Canada bam! COLD! The furnace in my house turned on!! (the furnace never turns on, my parents like to keep things an outrageously cold 60 degrees in the day, 66 when people are home) It even snowed in Calgary last night! Thankfully it hasn't been that cold, but it's only a little above freezing here. I'm not a happy camper, at least in that respect.


But, I'm having a good summer so far. I love my job at the U of A. and it is so nice to be home and to relax a bit. No more school for me! until I actually have to teach in school.

Other big news: My grandparents are having their 50th anniversary celebration this weekend. Everyone is in town, all of my aunts and uncles and their kids, great-aunts and uncles, cousins I don't know. It's going to be a "big to-do in Nottingham". It should prove to be a fun day even if some of the organizers are going a little over the top. We are having coffee and some refreshments after church and they are going to decorate the basement of the church and there has too be 'x' amount of squares, 'x' amount of cookies, 'x' amount of cake, etc and the 'x' is on the order of 10^2 - that's hundreds to the non exponent-savy. (I needed to throw in a little math/science nerdiness, too much left brain use recently) It's a little crazy but I'll just smile and serve cake awkwardly because it's at the church that we left :)
The actual party should be good though, great food, time to talk to the long-lost relatives and my sister and I are going to sing.

I'm getting so excited about teaching and setting up my classroom. I just bought Harry Wong's "The First Days of School" and I've been reading it, taking notes and just imagining my wonderfully run classroom complete with procedures for everything.

Sidenote: Andrea, you should read it, it's really good, Wong is the guy that Cella loves, you probably saw a video by him too.

See I actually posted within the time frame I set out. So there doubters - you know who you are.

Really, I'm still here

First off, I'll start with a promise to anybody who still reads this blog – I give my solemn oath that I will post at least once a week. I didn't post much when I was student teaching because I was either way too busy or I didn't have anything to write about except for complaints and I didn't want to do that.

Here's the news:
I had a phone interview with a school in B.C. while I was still at Dordt and they wanted to see me in person.
I graduated on Friday – Huzzah! I even got a degree. Got to say "Hi!" and "Good-bye" to friends and had an emotional last day - no more Dordt for me. Then I drove home Saturday and Sunday.
With very little sleep I left the house at about 5:00 am Monday morning to catch a flight to Abbotsford B.C. I went to Unity Christian School in Chilliwack, got the tour and they sold teaching at their school to me. I got to see some classes, talk with other teachers, and interact with the students and then I was offered a contract. And I accepted it!
I'm gonna be a teacher! I'm so excited about setting up my classroom and actually teaching - it'll be my class now, not someone else's with different rules and procedures.

Everyone told me that science teachers were in demand and I'd have no trouble finding a job, but I didn't have that many options that stuck out for me except for Lynden - which didn't happen and then Chilliwack - I think that there were only a couple of schools was a good sign for me. And, I probably wouldn't have considered Chilliwack if I hadn't already been interested in the Fraser Valley area (Lynden/Abbotsford, etc.) I really feel that God placed this opportunity in front of me and kind of blocked out the other ones. This is where I should go.

Now I need to find an apartment in August in Chilliwack, get a car, a teaching license in BC and then start thinking about actually teaching in Septemeber. Wow. I'm a grown-up now - kind of.

This summer I'm working at the U of A again - I've got a great job with great people. It'll be fun.

And again... I will post this summer.

new school

I started at my new school this week and I just want to go back to my last school - where the kids were friendly, staff was supportive and friendly, people didn't insult me for being Canadian (I can put up with a few jokes, but...)
The teacher I'm working with isn't one for talking much either, so I just sit around silently watching. It's boring.

But, I still want to be a teacher. I'm glad that my first experience was awesome though.

It's spring break here at college and I'm still at school. It's weird, this is my first spring break that I'm not home. All of my Canadian friends - have a rrrrrroll up the rrrrrim for me.

Well, I'm done my first session of student teaching, and I absolutely loved it. It was a great experience; I learned so much and I know that I'm going to be a teacher for a long time.

I'm going to miss my school and students but I'm excited about starting at a new school.

I had 4 interviews in the last few days. Most of them went really well and I'm really excited about a few of them. I think I might end up in Washington state. (Email me if you want the details - I don't want them on a public blog)

Once again, I love teaching!!!

I'm alive!

I know it is a long time coming, but I'm alive and loving student teaching! I don't even have the time to check blogs anymore, let alone update my own blog. But, here it is, I'm making time.

I am student teaching now, and I love it!!!!!!!!! It is so much fun and really rewarding. I'm on my fourth week of teaching at my first school, and I don't want to leave in two weeks because I finally have almost all 126 names of my students memorized and I know how this school works and my cooperating teacher is great. I don't want to leave and go to a new school.

I am so glad that my 5 years of college haven't been wasted and that teaching is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

I'm teaching two (large) sections of 8th grade Earth Science - I like the class, I like the students, but I am NOT going to teach junior high if I can help it. All I have to say when they are out of control and crazy is, "I did not sign up for this!" But they should be angels on Monday - they got a pretty big lecture on their behaviour.

I also have two sections of junior chemistry - which I love. That's the age I like the best, and the subject that I like the most as well. It's so much fun.

And on Wednesday, I take over for the general/physical science course with the freshmen. And we're starting Chemistry!! Then I'll have full responsibilities, eek! But, I'm excited. Hopefully I can teach them and they'll learn.

I'll let you know how it goes.

"Winter"-peg

We are in Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA now. I'm the only Canadian in choir and that fact has been made very clear to me today. So many people were making fun of Canada, but I stood up for my home and native land.

Tour has been great, lots of fun and good times.

But... my feet hurt!!!!!!!!!!!
I should never have placed fashion before comfort (at least without buying insoles).

Time for bed! Good night!

Oh, It's snowing here.

And... if anyone knows the Fountain Tire commercial: "Goin' to Winnipeg."

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year

I finally went online today, so here's the first post in an incredibly long time. I hope some people haven't given up on reading my blog.

My sister and I took the bus home this year. It was a really long ride but not terrible and in some ways it might have been better that we were taking the bus rather than flying because I'm sure we would have gotten stuck in Denver. After about 40 hours on the bus, we made it home.

I had a really nice Christmas, we went to my grandparents and had a great Christmas dinner, and one of aunts from Ontario was here and it was really nice to see her.

I've been working at Wendy's again, and man, I am so thankful that I won't have to ever work at Wendy's again after this break. Those long shifts with - how shall I put this diplomatically - not the most intelligent or motivated people is very taxing on my patience. There is a reason I went to college! Although after working with a bunch of high school kids again, I'm kind of wondering if teaching high school students is the best idea. Meh, it'll be a different relationship and I'll get to boss them around more effectively.

Hallelujah! I just found out that I not only passed Linear Circuits, my evil engineering course, but I got a B. I think that if I had turned in my research paper, I could have gotten an A. I checked my grades fully expecting to see an F, I was only hoping for a D. Wow, I was so scared I would have to take that course again or some other super hard Physics course.

Well, Happy New Year!

I hope to see most of you soon!

- Amanda

Brrr!

It's cold! Too cold. And I am not happy.
If there was snow, the cold would (maybe) be bearable, but cold weather without snow is just useless.

I have to go back out into the cold and my ears haven't warmed up since the last time I was out. (And yes, I'm pouting.)

I love American Thanksgiving

It's great to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving twice a year.
American Thanksgiving rocks! I get a super long weekend for a holiday that has no real significance to me, no family obligations, and there is good food, friends to see and so much more.
I get to meet so many new people because of Thanksgiving. Two years ago I went to Laura's place and met her extended family, last year I went to Erin's and met her extended family (and all the strays -people, not animals- her family has picked up) And this year I got to meet Jeremy's family: parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, cousin's crazy mother-in-law... It was fun.

I went to Minneapolis and I stayed in Laura and Karissa's apartment. It was such a great trip and even though Laura, and I were sick with colds it was an awesome weekend. I met new people, made new friends and totally kicked ass in Settlers of Catan. Anyone up for a game sometime? Seriously.

Visiting friends’ apartments is really making me look forward to the time when I have my own apartment/house (hopefully by August). I can’t wait to have my own place that I can decorate and really make my own.











Here's us at the California Pizza Kitchen ( I took like four pictures this weekend - oops) Side note: If you ever have the opportunity to go to this restaurant, go; it's great.

townhouse 11/17/06

shit-iness

I feel like shit today. I've got such a bad cold, I can't breathe, or talk, and everytime I move my head my brain hits my skull and pain reverberates through my head. It sucks.

and to top of the feeling crappy physically, by reading someone else's blog I found out a close friend had her baby on Friday. And to make things worse I probably won't see that friend or the baby for a long time, and that makes me depressed.

But maybe I'm just depressed for other reasons. Sometimes life is a bitch.

I'm going to be a teacher!

I found out where I'm going to be student teaching next semester - at least for the first half.
I'm going to be at the Rock Valley public school and I talked to the teacher I'll be working with and I think we will get along and that it will be a good experience for me.

It is so mind boggling to me to think that next year and next semester (!) I'll be in charge of a class. I really hope that I'll be able to teach well, and show my kids that science can be really exciting and interesting and that I'll be able to be caught up on all the lesson plans, and that I remember/understand what I'm supposed to be teaching, and agh!!! I'm going crazy already.

But, I don't have to deal with that now.

ugh, brain hurt

I had my terrible, killer, engineering test today. And it was terrible and extremely hard. I think I got two questions correct (out of like 8) and I'll get some half points. But, ugh! it sucked.

I'm still alive - barely.

It's a good thing I'm not going to be an engineer; you wouldn't want me to design your car-stereo or blowdryer. It might go boom!