(no subject)
2008, or, what I bothered to record of it:
January
Teaching is fantastic.
So is Kevin.
So is sort-of having some time off before the semester starts.
February
I started orientation yesterday at the new job (hardware store). Working with my brother-in-law (without anyone really knowing) is going to lead to quite a few interesting adventures, I'm sure. The day I went to put in my application, I guess there were several comments made on the headsets to 'check out the redhead filling out an application', leading my brother-in-law to find me filling out the application, and subsequently being horrified (at the comments of his coworkers, not at the prospect of me working there).
Most of the employees there strike me as...well, for lack of a better word, shady. The boys are also tools (heh). They did this thing yesterday where they would keep looking in the break room at me filling out paperwork, then leave, then thirty seconds later stick their heads in the break room again. Finally, one of them comes in and introduces himself:
"Nice to meet you."
"This place sucks."
"Oh, okay."
"No, seriously, everyone here is really cool. Except Tom and Ed. They're dicks."
"Tom and...whooo?"
"Ed. He's a dick."
"Ohhhh...thanks for the heads up."
...way to tell me that my brother-in-law (who, incidentally, is one of your superiors) that he's a dick.
In other news, student teaching is still going ridiculously well. I am just tired all of the time. I've gotten quite a nice jump on this week's homework, which is nice as I don't have to complete it the day the assignments are due. My teacher is going to be out with pneumonia (sp?) for the next three days, which should be interesting.
March
Quick update--
I am still alive, barely. I am the proud survivor of my very first panic attack. It was weird, I came home from student teaching on Monday and sat down at the table to have lunch. In my mind I was running over things that I had to get done, as I normally do, when all of a sudden I realized I was shaking. I figured maybe I was cold or getting sick, but I had to go lay down. I talked to a couple people who suspect it was, indeed, a panic attack. Granted, these are not medical experts, but I think it's something to keep in the back of my mind.
I need to sloooooooooooow down.
In other news, my manager asked me to quit school to go work full-time at the hardware store as his head cashier. I politely said no, as I have bigger aspirations.
He came in the next day with a 'masters degree'--a photoshopped diploma (from Misketonic University?) with my name on it. When I laughed but still said no, he then pulled out 'Plan B'--a gallon-sized Ziploc bag filled with Now and Laters. Apparently, there are 'Plan C' and 'Plan D' in the works.
My brother-in-law also suspects he may have a crush on me. Ew. Ewewew.
However, he is in talks with corporate (although I am not supposed to know this) to make me assistant head cashier, so that I can remain part-time. The raise is appealing, as is the fact that my added responsibility is to change register tape (HA). However, I'll feel a little worse about walking away when I have my degree.
In other other news, the MSSE kids (although I suppose we are not kids) are all going out tonight after class, which I am rather excited about. I consider our cohort to be fairly close, with no cliques, which is refreshing. However, we all realized we never hang out aside from school. I think we all need tonight to, well, self-medicate.
And I have Sunday and Monday to do nothing but slumber. :)
April
In other news, student teaching ends on Friday. I am relieved and sad all at the same time. I may go back to work with kids on writing during some after-school sessions. I am also going to go on a field trip with them to the museum. I also got invited on their NYC trip but do not want to be responsible for monitoring 13-year-olds in the city...I swear I'd have a heart attack if something happened.
School is far too crazy right now. I'm still (still!) behind on work, and I have a meeting to discuss a 25-page paper with my professor today (of which 9 are written, plus 5 pages of appendices).
I got promoted at work to assistant head cashier, which is awful in the respect that my biggest work accomplishment is being promoted at a hardware store, but awesome in the fact that I got a $1 raise and I can now do some tasks which require (a little) more thinking and less customers. One of my coworkers currently hates me for getting the promotion, which she thought she would get...and it makes me sad that some people aspire to being assistant head cashier at a hardware store. Keep dreaming big.
I enjoy grad school a lot in the respect that I have a much, much easier time talking to my classmates. I enjoy the camaraderie.
May
My first placement is over. I miss it already, sort of. I don't miss waking up at 6:30 A.
My second placement is DELAYED! I am still awaiting clearance from the superintendant of whatever school district I am supposed to be placed at. My advisor clued me in, however, from a little spy work, that it may be at Saratoga High. This makes no sense to me as I consider Saratoga to be a suburban placement. He assures me that since it is the Saratoga CITY school district that maybe I slipped through the cracks, in a sense. I think I would enjoy the placement and especially enjoy being colleagues with my advisor (hello, reference), but I don't think I would enjoy the commute and the waking up at the buttcrack of dawn.
Had a good night out with the MSSE folks last night. 25+ met up at Sutters to hang out, mostly social studies, a few math and science too. Afterwards a bunch of us trucked it over to WTs, which was a good time.
In many ways, it was like reliving middle school over again, esp. dramas with crushes. I witnessed the heroic efforts to hook up two people in the program (she likes him, everyone knows except him, the guys in the program agree he needs to get laid, he almost fucked it up, blah blah blah). ...it's funny, in a sense, since I kind of had a silly schoolgirl crush on him too, although I am happy and comfortable in my relationship with Kevin, so I am glad that they (maybe?) will have something going on, hopefully. If that made any sense. Like I said, it was so middle school. Plus she is super-sweet, and I wouldn't have a shot anyway because a) I lag behind aesthetically (from her) and b) I lag behind intellectually (from him).
I also had to deal with the silly middle schoolish drama of my partner having a crush on another guy in the program, and her being convinced of him hooking up with an aspiring bio teacher...I did not want to admit to her that I kind of agreed. That's not how I roll.
I also had to shrug off the many advances made by another guy in the program, a former football player and aspiring math teacher. He kept doing things like touching my arm and buying me drinks, and ended up asking for my number. I am not looking forward to Tuesday and having to explain that I'm in a committed relationship. Additionally, nothing clicked with this guy aside from being friends (he's from Long Island, ew). I honestly think, as well, that he was viewing me through beer goggles. But it was humorous, at the very least.
It's really funny drinking with a bunch of aspiring teachers, as we have all done nothing but workworkwork this semester and as a result, we're all a bunch of lightweights.
I found the ID card belonging to (I think, anyway) one of the basketball players. I sent a Facebook message to let him know that I found it and wondering how to return it to him. I think this person may think I'm some sort of crazy, Great Danes-obsessed fangirl (do those really exist?).
June
My summer vacation is still relatively uneventful. I am still unemployed and have now reached the point where I am climbing up the walls.
My class started yesterday. It is a throwback to the undergrad days where the professor lectures for two hours and I lose concentration after the first. At least I can preoccupy myself during the day by completing reading for the class. The other students are none too friendly. I tried making small talk with a couple of them yesterday, in which they politely listened to what I had to say and then sat in awkward silence.
It's a shame, too, since our class is comprised of mostly teachers and I would love to network.
Other than that, not a whole lot has been going on. I spent a ridiculous amount of time in Albs over the past couple of weeks. Good to see my friends, bad to live in excess. I also called my cooperating teacher for the fall to arrange to pick up some materials. I'm not looking forward to trucking it up to Cohoes again, although I think I am going to enjoy working there in the fall.
July
In one week, two of my former coworkers have passed away.
I was, of course, upset by the first one but the second one has hit me harder. It's funny too, because when we first met I thought this kid was the biggest tool on the planet. He ended up being a good friend.
I've kind of spent the day moping, re-reading various text messages he'd sent me, re-reading the letter he gave me on my last day there and trying to find out details about what happened via Myspace/Facebook. There was a car crash on Friday night as he was returning home from Berne. Those are all the details I know, aside from he was driving his mother's car and the necessary procedures management has to take with corporate.
I think I'm just going to type this out here in case I ever lose that letter.
(I've intentionally left in all the grammatical errors and misspellings)
Heather,
I know our time was short, but you were always a good sport. Really your cute and have a really nice personality to boot. Not to be corny but it's too bad your too cute for me. Anyway I had a really fun time with you at Harbor Freight. You will be missed (I hope I will still see you, but just in case)! I hope that your summer is a blast because a girl as awesome as you should have a good time. You deserve to treat youself for all your hard work. I just hope you get what you want out of life...because you are something different. Now a days you don't meet a girl like yourself, so just take care of yourself.
<3 Thaddeus
P.S. Don't ever let anyone make you feel like your not beautiful Heather because you are, I never told you but someone should!!!
August
Classes thus far are easy-peasy. I am a pro at calculating latitude and longitude, apparently.
Our seminar for student teaching met tonight. Social studies kids + awesome teacher = fun times!
Our teacher informed us that four social studies positions will be opening up in his district at the end of this year. This gives me renewed hope in the job market, and also motivates me to impress him in class/compile a phenomenal portfolio (as he is the department chair...and therefore an "in").
Still no word on my job. I'm hoping I don't hear back until after this weekend so that I can attend the Scottish Games, which I have not been to since I was very small.
I'm also psyched that I will get a ~$130 refund from the bookstore as the four books that they say are required for my seminar were never ordered, and also never read, by my teacher.
Student teaching starts next Thursday. I am very nervous. I have heard nothing about orientation meetings, which means I will have to contact my cooperating teacher.
That's about all I have to report on. I am exhausted.
September
There are not nearly enough hours in a day.
Student teaching is STRESSFUL, all capital letters. I feel as if no matter how much work I do, I am always behind. However, most of my classes are good, save for my 11R class. They are a difficult group of kids. Additionally, they fail to understand the meaning of the words "quietly" and/or "silently", and why they are saddled with homework as a result of their inattentiveness and lack of focus. I wish corporal punishment was legal.
My clinical supervisor informed me my problem is I care too much. He also informed me that my lesson plans have the best literacy skills he has ever seen.
My social life has dwindled to essentially nothing. What little energy I have left is spent on hanging out with Kevin, who doesn't completely understand why I'm exhausted all the time. At his fancy-shmancy private college, they only require two hours of student teaching a day.
I did, however, venture down to Larkfest with Ellen, Tracy and the baby yesterday. After Tracy and the baby left, Ellen and I imbibed a little bit, and it is painfully obvious that I have zero tolerace. After two beers I was feeling like a stumbling, bumbling idiot, although I was not acting like one, thank god.
Fin.
October
In the past two weeks I have:
Kicked a girl out of my class
Said 'hell' in front of another class
Flirted my way out of a speeding ticket
Beaten the #1 guy in my fantasy football league
Laughed at myself for actually being in a fantasy football league
Made, and worn, a crown
Taught in said crown
Driven in the snow :(
"Dueled" with a student (I was Alexander Hamilton)
Moderated a debate on the Electoral College
Made a giant Electoral College projection map
Gotten a blister from sharpening 239805729875283 colored pencils for my class
Skipped 2 geography classes
Not read for said geography class
Managed to get the fourth highest grade on the geography exam
Been called "one of the boys" by the faculty
And so on, and so forth. I feel as if I have 5-6 little stories to tell every day, but never have time to relay them here.
November
Today is my last(ish) day of student teaching (I say -ish because I have a student who is turning in a project on Monday, so I will go in for her presentation).
I have a great R the Sub story, do not let me forget to relay it here.
I have to print out various thank you letters, and attend another final evaluation because I fucked the first one up. Hopefully this does not adversely affect my letter of recommendation too much, as it was an honest mistake. I should also find blank copies of the reference letter form.
I was not sure what to get my cooperating teacher as a thank you gift, so I purchased a book on James K. Polk, "the most underrated president in United States history." Hopefully it will at least elicit a chuckle, and then he can return it to get something he really wants.
In my Global class this past week, I've been teaching the rise of Islam. I feel as if whenever I teach anything about any religion (this applied to the rise of the Roman Catholic Church as well), I'm doing a sort-of dance up by the chalkboard, seriously hoping that nothing comes out of my mouth that could be misinterpreted in any way, shape, or form, leading to an angry phone call from a parent. I seriously hope I never teach Global for real.
I feel very relieved and stressed all at the same time about today.
December
Well, I walked across the stage today, at the very least.
This year:
-I hope to update more frequently, with more detail.
-I hope to get a job. A REAL job.
-I hope to organize myself a little better.
-I hope to not let the small stuff overwhelm me.
January
Teaching is fantastic.
So is Kevin.
So is sort-of having some time off before the semester starts.
February
I started orientation yesterday at the new job (hardware store). Working with my brother-in-law (without anyone really knowing) is going to lead to quite a few interesting adventures, I'm sure. The day I went to put in my application, I guess there were several comments made on the headsets to 'check out the redhead filling out an application', leading my brother-in-law to find me filling out the application, and subsequently being horrified (at the comments of his coworkers, not at the prospect of me working there).
Most of the employees there strike me as...well, for lack of a better word, shady. The boys are also tools (heh). They did this thing yesterday where they would keep looking in the break room at me filling out paperwork, then leave, then thirty seconds later stick their heads in the break room again. Finally, one of them comes in and introduces himself:
"Nice to meet you."
"This place sucks."
"Oh, okay."
"No, seriously, everyone here is really cool. Except Tom and Ed. They're dicks."
"Tom and...whooo?"
"Ed. He's a dick."
"Ohhhh...thanks for the heads up."
...way to tell me that my brother-in-law (who, incidentally, is one of your superiors) that he's a dick.
In other news, student teaching is still going ridiculously well. I am just tired all of the time. I've gotten quite a nice jump on this week's homework, which is nice as I don't have to complete it the day the assignments are due. My teacher is going to be out with pneumonia (sp?) for the next three days, which should be interesting.
March
Quick update--
I am still alive, barely. I am the proud survivor of my very first panic attack. It was weird, I came home from student teaching on Monday and sat down at the table to have lunch. In my mind I was running over things that I had to get done, as I normally do, when all of a sudden I realized I was shaking. I figured maybe I was cold or getting sick, but I had to go lay down. I talked to a couple people who suspect it was, indeed, a panic attack. Granted, these are not medical experts, but I think it's something to keep in the back of my mind.
I need to sloooooooooooow down.
In other news, my manager asked me to quit school to go work full-time at the hardware store as his head cashier. I politely said no, as I have bigger aspirations.
He came in the next day with a 'masters degree'--a photoshopped diploma (from Misketonic University?) with my name on it. When I laughed but still said no, he then pulled out 'Plan B'--a gallon-sized Ziploc bag filled with Now and Laters. Apparently, there are 'Plan C' and 'Plan D' in the works.
My brother-in-law also suspects he may have a crush on me. Ew. Ewewew.
However, he is in talks with corporate (although I am not supposed to know this) to make me assistant head cashier, so that I can remain part-time. The raise is appealing, as is the fact that my added responsibility is to change register tape (HA). However, I'll feel a little worse about walking away when I have my degree.
In other other news, the MSSE kids (although I suppose we are not kids) are all going out tonight after class, which I am rather excited about. I consider our cohort to be fairly close, with no cliques, which is refreshing. However, we all realized we never hang out aside from school. I think we all need tonight to, well, self-medicate.
And I have Sunday and Monday to do nothing but slumber. :)
April
In other news, student teaching ends on Friday. I am relieved and sad all at the same time. I may go back to work with kids on writing during some after-school sessions. I am also going to go on a field trip with them to the museum. I also got invited on their NYC trip but do not want to be responsible for monitoring 13-year-olds in the city...I swear I'd have a heart attack if something happened.
School is far too crazy right now. I'm still (still!) behind on work, and I have a meeting to discuss a 25-page paper with my professor today (of which 9 are written, plus 5 pages of appendices).
I got promoted at work to assistant head cashier, which is awful in the respect that my biggest work accomplishment is being promoted at a hardware store, but awesome in the fact that I got a $1 raise and I can now do some tasks which require (a little) more thinking and less customers. One of my coworkers currently hates me for getting the promotion, which she thought she would get...and it makes me sad that some people aspire to being assistant head cashier at a hardware store. Keep dreaming big.
I enjoy grad school a lot in the respect that I have a much, much easier time talking to my classmates. I enjoy the camaraderie.
May
My first placement is over. I miss it already, sort of. I don't miss waking up at 6:30 A.
My second placement is DELAYED! I am still awaiting clearance from the superintendant of whatever school district I am supposed to be placed at. My advisor clued me in, however, from a little spy work, that it may be at Saratoga High. This makes no sense to me as I consider Saratoga to be a suburban placement. He assures me that since it is the Saratoga CITY school district that maybe I slipped through the cracks, in a sense. I think I would enjoy the placement and especially enjoy being colleagues with my advisor (hello, reference), but I don't think I would enjoy the commute and the waking up at the buttcrack of dawn.
Had a good night out with the MSSE folks last night. 25+ met up at Sutters to hang out, mostly social studies, a few math and science too. Afterwards a bunch of us trucked it over to WTs, which was a good time.
In many ways, it was like reliving middle school over again, esp. dramas with crushes. I witnessed the heroic efforts to hook up two people in the program (she likes him, everyone knows except him, the guys in the program agree he needs to get laid, he almost fucked it up, blah blah blah). ...it's funny, in a sense, since I kind of had a silly schoolgirl crush on him too, although I am happy and comfortable in my relationship with Kevin, so I am glad that they (maybe?) will have something going on, hopefully. If that made any sense. Like I said, it was so middle school. Plus she is super-sweet, and I wouldn't have a shot anyway because a) I lag behind aesthetically (from her) and b) I lag behind intellectually (from him).
I also had to deal with the silly middle schoolish drama of my partner having a crush on another guy in the program, and her being convinced of him hooking up with an aspiring bio teacher...I did not want to admit to her that I kind of agreed. That's not how I roll.
I also had to shrug off the many advances made by another guy in the program, a former football player and aspiring math teacher. He kept doing things like touching my arm and buying me drinks, and ended up asking for my number. I am not looking forward to Tuesday and having to explain that I'm in a committed relationship. Additionally, nothing clicked with this guy aside from being friends (he's from Long Island, ew). I honestly think, as well, that he was viewing me through beer goggles. But it was humorous, at the very least.
It's really funny drinking with a bunch of aspiring teachers, as we have all done nothing but workworkwork this semester and as a result, we're all a bunch of lightweights.
I found the ID card belonging to (I think, anyway) one of the basketball players. I sent a Facebook message to let him know that I found it and wondering how to return it to him. I think this person may think I'm some sort of crazy, Great Danes-obsessed fangirl (do those really exist?).
June
My summer vacation is still relatively uneventful. I am still unemployed and have now reached the point where I am climbing up the walls.
My class started yesterday. It is a throwback to the undergrad days where the professor lectures for two hours and I lose concentration after the first. At least I can preoccupy myself during the day by completing reading for the class. The other students are none too friendly. I tried making small talk with a couple of them yesterday, in which they politely listened to what I had to say and then sat in awkward silence.
It's a shame, too, since our class is comprised of mostly teachers and I would love to network.
Other than that, not a whole lot has been going on. I spent a ridiculous amount of time in Albs over the past couple of weeks. Good to see my friends, bad to live in excess. I also called my cooperating teacher for the fall to arrange to pick up some materials. I'm not looking forward to trucking it up to Cohoes again, although I think I am going to enjoy working there in the fall.
July
In one week, two of my former coworkers have passed away.
I was, of course, upset by the first one but the second one has hit me harder. It's funny too, because when we first met I thought this kid was the biggest tool on the planet. He ended up being a good friend.
I've kind of spent the day moping, re-reading various text messages he'd sent me, re-reading the letter he gave me on my last day there and trying to find out details about what happened via Myspace/Facebook. There was a car crash on Friday night as he was returning home from Berne. Those are all the details I know, aside from he was driving his mother's car and the necessary procedures management has to take with corporate.
I think I'm just going to type this out here in case I ever lose that letter.
(I've intentionally left in all the grammatical errors and misspellings)
Heather,
I know our time was short, but you were always a good sport. Really your cute and have a really nice personality to boot. Not to be corny but it's too bad your too cute for me. Anyway I had a really fun time with you at Harbor Freight. You will be missed (I hope I will still see you, but just in case)! I hope that your summer is a blast because a girl as awesome as you should have a good time. You deserve to treat youself for all your hard work. I just hope you get what you want out of life...because you are something different. Now a days you don't meet a girl like yourself, so just take care of yourself.
<3 Thaddeus
P.S. Don't ever let anyone make you feel like your not beautiful Heather because you are, I never told you but someone should!!!
August
Classes thus far are easy-peasy. I am a pro at calculating latitude and longitude, apparently.
Our seminar for student teaching met tonight. Social studies kids + awesome teacher = fun times!
Our teacher informed us that four social studies positions will be opening up in his district at the end of this year. This gives me renewed hope in the job market, and also motivates me to impress him in class/compile a phenomenal portfolio (as he is the department chair...and therefore an "in").
Still no word on my job. I'm hoping I don't hear back until after this weekend so that I can attend the Scottish Games, which I have not been to since I was very small.
I'm also psyched that I will get a ~$130 refund from the bookstore as the four books that they say are required for my seminar were never ordered, and also never read, by my teacher.
Student teaching starts next Thursday. I am very nervous. I have heard nothing about orientation meetings, which means I will have to contact my cooperating teacher.
That's about all I have to report on. I am exhausted.
September
There are not nearly enough hours in a day.
Student teaching is STRESSFUL, all capital letters. I feel as if no matter how much work I do, I am always behind. However, most of my classes are good, save for my 11R class. They are a difficult group of kids. Additionally, they fail to understand the meaning of the words "quietly" and/or "silently", and why they are saddled with homework as a result of their inattentiveness and lack of focus. I wish corporal punishment was legal.
My clinical supervisor informed me my problem is I care too much. He also informed me that my lesson plans have the best literacy skills he has ever seen.
My social life has dwindled to essentially nothing. What little energy I have left is spent on hanging out with Kevin, who doesn't completely understand why I'm exhausted all the time. At his fancy-shmancy private college, they only require two hours of student teaching a day.
I did, however, venture down to Larkfest with Ellen, Tracy and the baby yesterday. After Tracy and the baby left, Ellen and I imbibed a little bit, and it is painfully obvious that I have zero tolerace. After two beers I was feeling like a stumbling, bumbling idiot, although I was not acting like one, thank god.
Fin.
October
In the past two weeks I have:
Kicked a girl out of my class
Said 'hell' in front of another class
Flirted my way out of a speeding ticket
Beaten the #1 guy in my fantasy football league
Laughed at myself for actually being in a fantasy football league
Made, and worn, a crown
Taught in said crown
Driven in the snow :(
"Dueled" with a student (I was Alexander Hamilton)
Moderated a debate on the Electoral College
Made a giant Electoral College projection map
Gotten a blister from sharpening 239805729875283 colored pencils for my class
Skipped 2 geography classes
Not read for said geography class
Managed to get the fourth highest grade on the geography exam
Been called "one of the boys" by the faculty
And so on, and so forth. I feel as if I have 5-6 little stories to tell every day, but never have time to relay them here.
November
Today is my last(ish) day of student teaching (I say -ish because I have a student who is turning in a project on Monday, so I will go in for her presentation).
I have a great R the Sub story, do not let me forget to relay it here.
I have to print out various thank you letters, and attend another final evaluation because I fucked the first one up. Hopefully this does not adversely affect my letter of recommendation too much, as it was an honest mistake. I should also find blank copies of the reference letter form.
I was not sure what to get my cooperating teacher as a thank you gift, so I purchased a book on James K. Polk, "the most underrated president in United States history." Hopefully it will at least elicit a chuckle, and then he can return it to get something he really wants.
In my Global class this past week, I've been teaching the rise of Islam. I feel as if whenever I teach anything about any religion (this applied to the rise of the Roman Catholic Church as well), I'm doing a sort-of dance up by the chalkboard, seriously hoping that nothing comes out of my mouth that could be misinterpreted in any way, shape, or form, leading to an angry phone call from a parent. I seriously hope I never teach Global for real.
I feel very relieved and stressed all at the same time about today.
December
Well, I walked across the stage today, at the very least.
This year:
-I hope to update more frequently, with more detail.
-I hope to get a job. A REAL job.
-I hope to organize myself a little better.
-I hope to not let the small stuff overwhelm me.