Are You in Good Hands?

Some days, absolutely nothing happens and I think “Well I would like to blog, but I don’t have anything to write about.”  Other days, though, life just seems to go by too fast.  Today, has definitely been one of those days. 

The past few days I have been keeping myself busy with work and meetings.  Today I traveled to meet my cooperating teacher for student teaching.  While at the school I was able to meet and talk to the principal, my cooperating teacher, and a teacher I worked with during one of my field experiences.  I enjoyed being at the school and getting a better idea about all that would await me next year.  Plus I learned more about how my cooperating teacher runs her classroom and what I should expect.  I really like my cooperating teacher and the principal, and am excited about the team of teachers that I will be able to work with as well.  The meeting helped to clear up some questions, while also creating a few more.  I tend to be a type A personality, surprise surprise right?  Well, due to my type A personality, I like to have all my ducks in a row and know every detail ahead of time.  It drives my family crazy.  Student Teaching is not something that I can know all about before beginning.  I am learning that I have to be willing to go into this with the realization that it will be a learning experience.  I will not know all of the information and details, nor do I completely know what to expect.  BUT, that does not deter my excitement.  I know that the entire experience is in the Lord's hands.  I know that this is the path He wants me to take, and because of that I can honestly answer yes to the Allstate commercial when it asks, "Are you in good hands?"

Remember those projects I needed to work on?  Well, I finally got enough motivation to tackle a few.  I had been needing to create some bulletin boards for my work.  For some reason, these bulletin boards were some of the hardest I've ever done.  I lost one of the letters I created, and of course I didn't have any paper left in that color.  Well my OCD self couldn't handle using a different color so I had to buy another packet of paper before I could finish the lettering.  Then I spent way too long making sure things were centered and symmetrical.  Maybe I have a problem?  It took me a couple nights to complete the project, but overall I'm pretty happy with them.  Although, I think they look better in person than in the pictures.

I’m hoping to find some time tomorrow to redo my room a little and work on some Pinterest projects.  Here is to hoping for a productive day tomorrow!

 

Summer, Student Teaching, and Six Flags

Summer has been in full swing for the past four weeks.  I don't handle too much free time well, so I have definitely been keeping myself busy.  I've been working several jobs, baby-sitting, creating some teaching materials, playing games with the little ones, creating bulletin boards, and more.

This year I am a co-leader for Vacation Bible School again.  Last year we created a bulletin board where we could post sign-up sheets for volunteers and updates on the planning process. We wanted to do the same thing again this year.  This particular bulletin board took quite a while, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  As if you can't tell from the picture below, this year's theme involves cars. :)

I’m working on creating some other bulletin boards as well, but I haven’t quite found the time to put all of the pieces together yet.  I am hoping that I will be able to find the time here in the next week or so.

Part of the reason that I haven't found the time to finish some projects, is because I spent three days with my fabulous friends.  We went to Six Flags to celebrate Tracy's (aka Tra Tra Van Zan Zan) 21st birthday.  I drove to her house on Wednesday, where Sarah T. and Rachel met up with us later that afternoon.  We spent so much time talking and laughing.  I am not sure how we could have so much to catch up on in just four weeks, but it was wonderful to have that time to share stories.  It's weird to spend everyday with these girls for months on end, and then to suddenly spend 3 months apart.  Not only did I get to spend way too much time talking, but I also got to spend a day at Six Flags with my fabulous friends.  We have done something special for each person's 21st birthday, whether it was a 21 clue scavenger hunt, 21 presents, 21 boxes to get to the present, etc.  Tracy had to ride 21 rides before she could receive her present.  We thought that it would be an easy task...but it turned out to be a challenge.  We ended up riding one roller coaster 5 or 6 times in a row, but we managed to ride 21 rides by the end of the day!  I may or may not have had so much fun that I still have very little voice today. ;)

We took a picture at each ride to help us document how many rides we had been on that day.  (Side note: Aren't these girls amazing?  I am so blessed they are in my life.)

Another highlight of the trip was that I was able to cross "ride a roller coaster backward" off my to-do list.  Riding Batman backward was....amazing!

After some shopping on Friday I had to say goodbye, knowing it might be our last time to see each other before school starts again.  It is crazy to think how much more will happen in that amount of time, especially since one person is traveling all the way to China and Korea this summer.

While the end of my mini-vacation came too soon, I found out some exciting news when I arrived home.  The teacher who I will be with for my student teaching called me to set up a time to meet with her next week.  I will be with a second grade class in an amazing school district.  I am so happy to know my placement and be able to start to make some preparations.  I remember thinking about student teaching as an elementary student myself.  I remember having a student teacher in my class and thinking how I would have to do that one day, and how absolutely terrifying that would be.  While I am nervous, and I am also really excited to begin this journey.  God has called me to serve in an area in which I find so much passion and joy.  I can't wait to serve Him and follow His calling.  It's all becoming so real, and I couldn't be more excited to see where this experience will take me.  Now that I know my placement, I have found that it is even more fun to do some of my teacher shopping.  My mom and I found a teacher store and I may have gone a little crazy shopping there.  I scored big on lots of cute borders.  Oh how I can't wait to have my own classroom to put these to use in.

 

Well I should probably think about getting some sleep soon.  I have church in the morning afterall.