Break Time!

Now that it's summer break I suppose I should use this extra time to blog a little more.  I love writing down what's been going on in life, and in my brain!

The last few weeks of school were jam packed with to-do's and a lot of emotional moments.  I didn't think I would get as attached to my kiddos as much as I did, since I only had them for half a year.  BUT, of course I did.  They are a wonderful group of kids and I wish I had them for a whole school year.  

One of my teammates gave me the idea to do this for each of my students as an end of the year gift.  They each sat in front of the board and the other kiddos wrote nice things about the person of the moment.  They didn't get to see what others said until the received the photo the last day of school.  They all wanted to do one for me too, so this is it!

I learned SO much between student teaching at the start of the year, and taking on my own class for the second half.  I made mistakes, had epiphanies, cried, laughed and hopefully became a little bit of a better teacher.  

I look forward to a new year in the fall, starting fresh with a new group of kiddos, right from the beginning!

I'm devoting this summer to wedding planning, getting back into a healthier life style, and spending time with the little ones that I watched before I started teaching.  

I can't decide how much of the wedding details I want to disclose on the blog before the wedding.  I want our guests to wait to enjoy the final event with me and Nick!  Our goal is to get majority of the wedding planned this summer, so during the school year I don't have much to think about.  

Let's see, what have we accomplished so far?  

We have a venue and a date!

We visited about 10-15 venues before making our final decision.  The location we decided on is not what I ever pictured for my future wedding (probably because I didn't know anything like it existed in Colorado).  I always said I wanted to get married in a meadow, but instead we are getting married someplace a little less expected and with incredible views of Colorado.  It was a toss up between the chosen location and one in Estes Park, but it came down to the proximity to our lives and those closest to us in Colorado.  It seemed stressful and expensive to have a destination wedding in our own state.  Here are a few "sneak peak" photos of our venue.  If you've been venue shopping, or know the area, you can probably guess where this is!!

I have a wedding dress!

I made appointments to try on dresses with some of the women closest to me the first Saturday after the school year ended (I was eager).  We had a fun day of trying on dresses, lunch and girl time.  Our first visit was to The Green Bride, in Downtown Littleton.  This store is very unique.  They sell new and used gowns and a portion of gown purchases goes towards supporting Dalit Freedom Network to help free young girls and women out of human trafficking.  While Karen was incredibly sweet to work with, and I found a gown that I ALMOST went back for, I didn't find my gown there.

Jessica & Katie helping me hunt!

Our next stop was Blue Bridal Boutique in Denver.  I had a wonderful experience and service at Blue Bridal, and narrowed it down to two gowns I liked.  But still, neither of the dresses made me giddy enough to buy.

I finally did what I didn't really want to do, and went to David's Bridal the following Monday…because they were having a clearance sale and I was determined to find a dress on mega sale.  After trying on a few dresses, I walked out in a style that I never imagined would look flattering on my short wasted figure.  The reaction from my mom, God mom, God sister and friend Katie were enough to sell me.  But when I saw myself I was a bit in shock.  I didn't cry or get overly expressive/emotional like I've always seen on Say Yes to the Dress, but I felt comfortable, classy, sexy, and my age!  

It's a winner, oh and Gramma approves too! ;o)

More wedding planning updates to come!

HAPPY SUMMER!

Love in the Dominican

Jessica sure is on top of her posts!  I know how much she's been wanting to complete the Whole 30 challenge, and Jess...I'm so proud that you pushed through it and accomplished your goal!

I suppose I need to post an update on life, seeing as it's nearly May and a lot has happened recently.

SCHOOL:

The last 3 1/2 months have been incredible.  Incredibly rewarding and exhausting.  

I successfully made it through 2 1/2 months of teaching, capped with parent-teacher conferences and spring break, and now onward towards the finish line.  I was extremely nervous going into conferences for obvious reasons: Number one, I am a brand-new teacher and number two, I've joined this class midyear.  Conferences were surprisingly positive. Parents seem very happy with the changes and expressed that their kids really enjoy having me as their teacher.  I'm trying to take the positive feedback as a sign of my skill or potential, but I doubt myself as a new teacher daily. I guess I just need to keep in mind that I am new and I will grow on a daily basis.

We're already preparing for the end of the school year which seems to be flying towards us at full speed.  My kids have shown a lot of grown, but the most obvious growth to me (since I didn't know them last semester) is their growth as capable, responsible, loving little beings.  I get such a thrill when they gain reading levels, when they yell out "Oooooh I get it" during math, or when they tell me how much they love to read.  BUT, the real thrill is when someone includes a friend who is lonely, who uses their manners, who takes the higher road in a sticky situation, and who shows their love in the classroom.  I want nothing more than for these kids to grow up into thoughtful adults that contribute to our society in a positive way.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Over spring break Nick took us on a tropical vacation that we both deserved and needed.  We headed to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for 6 days of sun and warm tropical water.  Before Nick planned this vacation, I made sure he knew that I'd rather "take our relationship to the next chapter" than have the vacation, but that I'd be ok with the vacation if he had a plan.  After 5 amazing years, it was no secret that I was ready for an engagement..after all, I'd known for at least 4 years that I wanted to marry him.  I did my very best to go into the trip with no expectations, but in the back of my mind thought that if he was going to do it, this would be a great opportunity.

Well, he did it! I asked him later if I even said yes, it seems that I did. :)

Now for the details:
Nick apparently had the ring long before booking the trip.  He is SUCH a planner,  I'm not really sure why I ever questioned whether or not he had plans to propose.

The week before, Nick met up with my dad for some "financial advice," aka his daughters hand in marriage.  The following day we had a family night planned, and looking back, I now realize how well my parents and Nick's mom held it together.

We were in Punta Cana for 3 days before he popped the question, so I was losing hope.  The night before, we were walking along the beach and a couple was having a romantic moonlit  meal by the water.  Nick kept asking how on earth they were able to do that.  I became "al-sassinator" and said that he PLANNED it, he called the front desk and PLANNED it.  Which followed by me crying on our rooftop cabana bed saying, "I thought it could happen, but it's just not going to happen."  I'M SORRY NICK, I'M SUCH A JERK, hahaha!!  He told me later that in that moment he didn't know what to do, but that he was laughing inside.

The next day I woke up feeling better knowing that in the end I had my best friend with me and whether or not he proposed didn't change the fact that I love him and I knew we would end up as husband and wife eventually.

We went on a day trip to Saona Island.  It started with a beautiful catamaran ride to the island.  Once we got there, we enjoyed a delicious Dominican lunch and drinks.  Nick and I strolled up the beach stopping for pictures along the way.  We found an awesome palm tree growing over the water and started taking pictures.  Nick set up his GoPro to capture the beauty.  I started to sense something was about to happen when he was looking up and down the beach to watch for people.  Then he started acting a little nervous, I guess...taking deep breaths and being a little sporadic in his affection. Once I realized what might be coming, I too became VERY nervous, but was trying to stay present in the moment.  At one point I felt super nauseous with anticipation, and kept thinking to myself that maybe it wasn't what I was hoping but maybe the rum had gotten to him. :-D

Finally, he took a deep breath and began his speech to me.  I truly tried to stay with it so that I could look back and remember the moment.  I've heard from so many friends that they don't remember anything and practically blacked out as their boyfriends proposed.

He held me close as we were ankle deep in the water.  He said so much and what stands out is that he knows I will be an amazing mother and wife, and that he loves how goofy I am.  I know there was so much more to it, but I guess I did partially "black out" or the adrenaline took over too much and I can't quite sort out what else was said.  Then he got down on one knee in the water, and pulled my ring out of a little envelope he had created to store the ring in his wallet those past 4 days.

First I wanted a hug and a kiss, then I was ready for the ring.  Of course my hands were swollen because of the heat and humidity, but it's a perfect fit.  Nick got all of it on GoPro and he had a plan all along..I should have known!

I spent the rest of the day on cloud 9, with Nick, and I know he was relieved to not have to keep that big secret anymore...or the ring in his wallet.  We took a speed boat from the island to a natural pool where we got to pick up starfish.  They made for some awesome ring photo opts.

We are thrilled to become husband and wife, and continue writing our story together.  I'm so excited to be able to call him my fiancé, and soon my husband...and then after that, the father to my children, YAY!!

I'm sure most of my blogging after this will be wedding related.  We are on the hunt for a venue, and quickly learning how fast expenses add up, ugh!

Until next time,

~Alex~

Running my teacher marathon

I've been a teacher for 5 weeks now and it feels like I've been running a 5 week marathon.

What an incredible month is has been!  I've never felt so much stress, anxiety, exhaustion and work with an equal amount of love, support, fun, and growth.  The "negative" feelings are less than the positive feelings, therefore I'm able to keep on running this marathon!  I've always heard what it was like to be a first year teacher and now I understand what everyone has been talking about.  But I'm not only "first year," I'm starting mid year which comes with the positives and negatives. 

My class is wonderful.  They have confirmed my love for children of all ages and abilities.  I have a diverse group (as does our whole school) and it makes day to day school life exciting, interesting and eye opening.  Each one of my kiddos has already taught me SO much after only 5 weeks, and I know by the last day of school my love for these sweet souls will have grown even more.  

The men and women I work with have been incredibly welcoming and helpful.  (No, I'm not just saying this because they might read this post, its true…you ALL are the best!!).  My first week I was flooded with support and continue to receive daily support in all fashions.  So, THANK YOU PE family, you've made this mid-year transition a great one.

Some funny moments so far:

• On day one I had a little lady rat on one of my boys and tell me that he wished he were older so that he could be my boyfriend.
• I've been called mom and grandma, yes grandma, about 100 times…which isn't unusual as a teacher, but after they asked if I was a teenager, I thought MOM wouldn't happen so soon let alone GRANDMA.  
• My students have an idea of how much time I've been spending in my classroom on the weekends and before school, they suggested I buy a small mattress to keep under my desk so I can just sleep there.
• …then they went on to discuss a good place for me to keep my clothes and food.  But then became really concerned when they realized I might not have a place to shower or wash my clothes.  I'm glad they care about hygiene!
• I gave them the "you don't want to see Grumpy Ms. Fanelli lecture," and then I was asked if I would turn into Grumpy Cat if I became Grumpy.
• My kiddos asked me about Nick one day and wanted to know what he looks like.  Then one kiddo admitted to knowing what he looks like.  I asked her how, and she said her mom looked me up on Facebook.  I guess I should have figured the FB snooping would start immediately. Yikes.

Kids say the darnedest things, and they make life so fun!  

It feels incredible to finally apply my studies and begin my career.  It's also so comforting to know that every day is a new day and every day is a learning experience not just for the kids, but for me too.  I love going in to school every day and I cherish my personal time more than ever.  I hope this mid year experience prepares me for an successful 2015-2016 school year.

Until next time… (which could be another 5 weeks, if I'm still running this marathon!)

-Ms. Fanelli ;o)

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Warning: This is a long one :)

Wow…like always, time flew!  It seems like we just celebrated a new year, and in just a few days we're doing it all over again.

The past several months I've experienced busy like never before.  My last post was a little over a month ago, when I was counting down to graduation.  Since that post, A LOT has happened.  I completed my Teacher Work Sample, completed my Capstone, presented my Capstone, interviewed a few times, said goodbye to my amazing CT and our sweet 2nd graders, graduated, and was hired on as a 3rd grade teacher!  Talk about whirl-wind, mostly because all of this seemed to happen within days of each other! Oh and between all of that there was Thanksgiving, my mom's birthday and Christmas.

All I can say is that being busy has lead me to great opportunities.  Let's rewind. My Teacher Work Sample:  That was a 7 week unit on habitats that I planned for the second grade team.  I had to complete a write up of our school and classroom demographics, several formal lesson plans, assessments, and data analysis, all while teaching the unit in my classroom.  As mentioned previously, there was always little time for science, but I did enjoy exposing the kids to the topics in a new way!  The completion of this project was my first check on the to-do list before graduation.  What a great feeling to finish that and what a great experience to plan a formal unit with in-depth data analysis.

After completing the TWS I was able to focus on my Capstone.  For those of you that don't know what a Capstone is, it's just another fancy word for a final project that demonstrates application of everything we have learned in our program.  We had the option of four different project types, I chose another formal unit plan because to me that is something I'll reference in the future.  I did a literature review on the use of Backwards Design for unit planning, and used that method while planning a six week weather unit.  I now have 20-something formal lessons having to do with weather, and some cute project examples to go with it.  We had to present our project on a board with our peers, supervisors and family members as our audience.  It was a casual conversation with everyone as they roamed around, so that took away some pressure.  I was proud to showcase all of my hard work and the creative bug that lurks in my bones.  After the Capstone presentation, I was officially DONE with school and just awaited our graduation ceremony.

While all of this was happening, I was putting my feelers out for potential jobs.  Since I graduated mid-school year, I planned on finding a long term sub position, a para/assistant position, or figured I'd simply substitute through spring until I was hired on for the following school year.  I interviewed at a charter school for a para position and was kindly decline for the position, but asked to apply again later in the coming year when they began interviewing for teaching positions.  I think that was the doing of a greater power because even though I would have loved to work with kids in any fashion, teaching is what I REALLY wanted.  

Shortly after getting this news that I wasn't offered a job, the principal where I did my student teaching emailed me letting me know she sent out my contact information to several schools that were on the hunt for teachers.  Almost immediately I received phone calls from secretaries wanting to set up interviews.  I scheduled an interview for a 1st grade position the Friday before my graduation.  About an hour after my interview I got a call from the school saying they loved meeting with me and they thought I'd be a great candidate for a 3rd grade position they had opening up.  So, I scheduled another interview with them the Tuesday after graduation.  I walked out of that interview with some major pep in my step, feeling like it went incredibly.  I was planning on hearing from them by the end of the night, knowing they had other candidates to interview.  About 10 minutes later, while I was still on my drive home, I received a call from the principal saying they loved me and wanted me to come in to do a "read aloud with a purpose" and a Q&A with the students and any parents that wanted to be there.  Talk about nerve racking!  My CT dug through her books for me and helped me pick out a good read aloud, she went over some key ideas she felt I should bring up with the kids, and she allowed me to practice on our second graders.  Let's just say, SHE IS THE BEST.  For more than that, but having her support during such an intimidating time was absolutely needed.  I went in to meet this class on the day before winter break.  This meant I had to leave the second graders in the middle of an emotional day (for me, because I've fallen in love with them), hurry over to the school for this extremely scary moment, and then rush back to be apart of the winter party. Like I said, this was the day before winter break…anyone that knows kids knows that this means excitement is high in anticipation for a break from school, all of the parties and goodies going around, and the holidays nearing.  I wasn't sure what I was in for and my heart was beating out of my chest.  I sat in my car for about 10 minutes before going in and focused on my breathing.  I felt silly and hoped no one was eyeing me from afar, but it calmed me down and I finally jumped out and walked in with as much confidence as I could muster up.  When I got inside, there was no lag time…I was escorted immediately into the classroom and was greeted by about 24 clapping 3rd graders and about six skeptical parents.  I heard a student say, "Is she a teenager?!" and that was my opportunity to show everyone my personality by laughing and making a joke about how young I look.  The assistant principal and one of the other 3rd grade teachers were apart of the audience as well.  I went in with tunnel vision and just focused on the kiddos in front of me and did what I had so much practice doing the past 4 months.  Kids are kids, they just need to feel loved, understood, and they need to be engaged.  With that combination, they're easily wrangled!  I felt like the students were so captivated by this book, and were so eager to learn from me.  Once I finished reading, I took questions. The kids focused on asking about things that would stay the same.  I had to reassure them that I would do all that I can to keep their classroom feeling like home, and that we would work together as a group to form our own "classroom traditions" throughout the remainder of the year.  It seemed as though everything went wonderfully, and as I walked out of the school with the 3rd grade teacher that was observing, she kindly informed me that I "nailed it" and that everyone loved me.  

Finally, I could breath!  

I hurried back to my 2nd graders and Annie (my CT), because I so badly wanted those last few hours with them.  It was hard to focus on everything going on but I did manage to cherish that time and realized how much I had fallen in love with those precious souls.  I was watching the clock, thinking about when they might be making a decision.  About an hour after I left my "teaching interview," I looked at my phone and noticed I missed a call from the principal at the new school by seconds.  I ran up to the teacher lounge and called back.  The principal and assistant principal got on speaker phone and happily announced that everyone loved me and they wanted to offer me the position.  I can't even explain the emotions I was feeling in that moment.  The years of hard work between my undergraduate degree and graduate degree, the hours of unpaid student teaching, and the stress of completing final projects all while job hunting, had come to this…just 4 days after graduation!

Opening presents from the 2nd graders 

How cute is this?!

I am proud to call myself a 3rd grade teacher starting on January 5th.  

Many people roll their eyes at such an underpaid position (some even say we have an easy job because we just play with kids all day….if that's you, you better watch it!! Hah), but then there are those that realize that teachers are absolutely not in it for the money, but rather the little lives they will have the opportunity to contribute to.  I am PROUD to call myself an underpaid teacher, and I will work my butt off so these kids get the love and education they deserve!

Now, this is an interesting situation.  I'm not going in for a long term subbing position, this class is completely MINE for the remainder of the year.  The teacher I am replacing was offered a position in the district doing something she has wanted to do for years.  She had to take the opportunity when it was presented to her, and because of this, I now am a full time teacher!  The excitement and stress right now is HUGE.  I have a classroom to move in to, and lessons to plan!  The walls are bare and though I'm extremely excited to fill them up with collaborative creativity between me and my students, I'm having trouble visualizing how I'm going to get everything organized in time.

This is my classroom, soon it will be revamped with Fanelli style ;-)

I've already received so many welcoming hugs and encouraging words from the teachers and staff at my new school. The teacher that I'm replacing has been incredible with her support, too!  I've decided to do my very best to not go nuts with what needs to be accomplished before the 5th, and I've realized that I truly need to take one day at a time.  Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays are beginning to die down, I can devote my time to my classroom starting Monday.  

Rewind again:  Before I found out about my new job, I celebrated my graduation with some of the most important people in my life.  I had a group of about 14 people including my family and a few close friends come cheer me on as I was one of the few masters graduates to walk the stage.  That means that they were gracious enough to sit for another hour or so while a couple thousand other graduates followed.  

**THANK YOU GUYS, I KNOW THAT WAS LONG!!**

Trying not to trip.

My brother, Dominic.

Mom, Dad, Gramma & Nana.

My love Nick, and his mom Carol.

Look, It's JESSICA!!

The Clevelands. 

Wahoo!

Following the ceremony, we all gathered for drinks and later an amazing dinner.  The time spent with them, and the love and support from everyone was unlike anything I've felt before.  Let's just say, there were a lot of tears shed.

Nora

High school and College friends forever!

I love them.

One of the best moments was receiving a gift from my parents that took so much time, effort, and love, to compile.  They contact a number of family members and friends from all chapters of my life and asked them to contribute wise words, words of encouragement, memories, etc. that would later be compiled with pictures and published for me.  This book turned out amazing and the words on those pages were priceless.  Every page made me cry, smile, laugh, and feel so overwhelmingly loved and supported.  

**TO THOSE OF YOU THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THAT BOOK, AND WHO HAVE LOVED AND SUPPORTED ME ALONG MY JOURNEY, THANK YOU!**

There is nothing more valuable than a support system that sticks by and cheers you on through any ups and downs life has to offer.  I have one gosh-darn-incredible support team that I know will be with me through every chapter of life!

 

The Book. Simply AMAZING.

I think I better wind this post down.  There will be many more posts to come, especially as I start my new chapter as a 3rd grade teacher…Let the fun begin!

~Alex~

3 MORE WEEKS!!

Wow, Jessica and I have been MIA lately.  I guess that's a sign of our busy lives.  I've missed blogging about all things life, but I see the blogging routine increasing about mid December!!

THREE WEEKS until I graduate, and about a month until I say "see ya later" to my sweet second graders.  I can't believe how quickly the last several weeks have gone.  It feels like just yesterday I was getting nervous to start my first day teaching.  Now it is routine to teach all day every day with the wonderful guidance of my CT.  

Some highlights and updates from the past few weeks:

Last week I finish teaching my 7 week habitat unit.  I learned so much about planning a unit, and teaching the content.  I found myself having to rearrange on a weekly basis due to our rotating specials schedule and several "weird" days like days off and field trips.  The science and social studies block is scheduled for the last 30 minutes of the school day, but we only get about 15-20 minutes to teach because of transition time and end of the day clean up.  It was a struggle to get too creative with my lessons because there just isn't time.  Luckily the topics are embedded into their reading and writing curriculum, so the kids are able to make content connections all day every day.  

One habitat activity I ended up doing almost ever week was a QR code scavenger hunt.  It's a sign of the times when the kids are able to wonder around the class scanning QR codes with their iPads to learn more about a topic.  They asked often if they could do their scavenger hunt during free time, and it was especially flattering to get complimented by the other second grade teachers.  Though the QR code learning isn't my idea, I came up with all of the rhymes and riddles to guide the class and created questions to go with each code.  It was fun to introduce to the class!

I began job hunting a few weeks ago, starting with a job fair.  I made a few connections that day and had a few meetings since then.  My goal for spring, as I may have mentioned before, is to find a long term sub position or some sort of para or aide position.  This would be ideal to ensure full time work in spring and to give me an opportunity to get to know the school and/or district I'm in before accepting any full time teaching positions next fall.  If I'm unable to find a good fit, I will just substitute teach through the spring.  I had a meeting with one principal about a possible long term 3rd grade sub position.  He seemed very interested and really wants me to start subbing for their school so they can get to know me and I can get to know their community.  

Last week I had my first "real" interview.  Wow, that was intimidating.  With a panel of 6 people, the largest group I've ever interviewed with, it was definitely a test of my nerves and confidence.  Luckily, they were all SO warm and welcoming and after a few minutes I felt like I was just chatting with a group of coworkers.  It is a charter school in our area, and they're looking to hire a few para's for the spring. This will likely lead into a full time teaching position in the fall.  I felt really good about my interview, but as a new candidate to the education field, who knows if a great interview will be enough.  Sometimes years of experience is more important.  I'll hope for the best, at least so I have an option for spring!

The end is near:

It's November 24th and there is so much ahead of me in the next few weeks.  My teacher work sample is due by December 1st so that my advisor has time to review it before we submit it.  That means I'll be finishing that TODAY (that's the goal at least).  It will feel SO wonderful to get that off of my to-do list!!  My Capstone presentation is December 8th so I have about two weeks to finish up my unit plan and create a board for the presentation.  At this point, the only thing against me is time.  I've gotten past the difficulty of deciding what I want to create, and the lit review which was like pulling teeth for me to get through!!  The rest is simple to complete, just very time consuming!  If I can complete everything between today and Wednesday, that would be a miracle!

I am SO excited for this next chapter of my life! I never expected to pursue a masters degree as a bachelors student.  I'm so thankful and proud that I did, and that I found a field that I truly love.  I'm excited to put all that I've learned into practice and to create my own exciting learning environment for my future students!

Until next time!
(Which could be a few weeks, hah!)

11 Weeks Down 7 To Go!

…and halfway through the 12th week!

Another 3 weeks came and went in a blink of an eye.  A lot has happened in those three weeks between student teaching and personal life.  

The biggest accomplishment I completed with my second grade team were our conferences.  It was the school's first year doing student led conferences.  There was a lot of push back from families, they were worried they would not get any one on one time with the teachers to discuss their child's progress.

We began preparing for conferences the week before fall break, and the week after is when we began coaching the kids.  They filled out several goal sheets for math, reading and writing, and charted their progress on bar graphs.  We helped them compile a file folder of their work and they rehearsed it several times.  It was pretty cool to see how positive this process was.  Students were proud to share their work with their peers when they practiced, and really took ownership of everything they have accomplished this far in the year.

The moment of truth was conference day when they came in with their parents, and led the whole conference. My CT and I stood back, and only jumped in to answer questions or point out something the student may have forgotten.  Parents were happily surprised at how the conferences turned out.  They were proud to see their children take the lead roll and acknowledge their own work.  They seemed especially impressed with the students personal evaluations of themselves.  They had to choose which behavioral areas they were good at and which they needed to focus on.  EVERY student made an honest evaluation of themselves, and some of their parents were blown away that they were able to honestly reflect on their behavior and performance in the classroom!

Overall, student led conferences seemed to be a success.  I am glad I was able to be apart of this type of conference, I now have experience in traditional conferences and student led…all experience is beneficial for my future as a teacher!

We had a week of fall break a couple weeks ago!  I forgot how necessary the scheduled breaks are. They always seem to come at JUST the right moment.  I was beginning to feel excessively overwhelmed, and the break was just what I needed (and I know the rest of the school needed the break as well).  I was able to spend time with my family and boyfriend, hang out with my cousin who came to town, and love on my parent's new puppy.  On top of that, I caught up on a lot of TWS work, and my Capstone!  But of course, I will feel like my head is just above water until I graduate and ALL of my assignments are submitted!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a job fair at UNC.  I hadn't been back to Greeley since I graduated in December of 2009, wow did 5 years go by in a flash!  I met with a few counties and schools, and overall had a VERY successful visit.  What I'm most excited about is the connection I made with a local charter school's principal.  We talked casually for a bit about my background and what her charter school was about.  As we progressed, it hit me who she was…my 6th grade teacher from way back when!!  Small world, isn't it?!  Before we realized our connection, she seemed very impressed with my SLP & Aud. background and wanted me to come back a little later for a more in depth conversation.  When I went back, she told me about a paraprofessional position opening in January, which could potentially lead to a 2nd grade teaching position in the fall!  She wants me to come into the school for a tour and interview with the rest of her team.  I can't explain how EXCITING this is!  It could be a perfect situation, to have time in the school getting to know its community and culture before (1) deciding if I want to take a full time teaching position there, and (2) taking on a classroom for my first time.  It would make the transition into my first year teaching a lot more graceful already knowing the school and the people!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed, saying my prayers, and telling the universe what I want…I hope it all pans out, and I can finish student teaching and jump right back into a school!

Halloween is Friday (in case you weren't aware, haha!).  I can't wait to share our teams Halloween costume with everyone.  It sure is cute, and the kids are going to LOVE it!!

Just a few more weeks left and so much to do…back to work I go…!

8 weeks down 10 to go!

As I wrote the countdown in my title just now, it came to me why I've been feeling like butterflies, frogs, volcanoes and cry babies have been hanging out in my body lately!  I'm at that point on the mountain where I've been climbing and climbing, and I'm getting pretty warn out, but I'm so close to that down hill turning point.  

There's no point in pretending that it's all grand, the honey moon period is over!  Well wait, I shouldn't say that…I'm still in love with teaching, still love my class and 2nd grade team, and my CT is awesome.  Thank goodness for all of that.  What isn't as romantic is juggling full time teaching (and not getting paid), a TWS, a Capstone project, after school babysitting, and a personal life.  Let's just say the stress and the constant pit in my stomach from being overwhelmed has set in.  I have no problem crying it out though, and moving on.  I'm good at working myself up and feeling like life is crazy and scattered, but I always manage to get things done that need to get done, and I will continue to push through the second half of fall semester!

What's been put aside while I've been juggling the other stuff:  Exercise, a healthy diet, water, deep cleaning, hanging with friends… hah, all the things that probably keep me sane!!  The result: a few extra pounds on the scale, those awesome back muscles I was building are slowing going away, breakouts constantly (due to stress, diet, lack of water…), and probably contributing to my emotional state!  Hey, at least I'm aware of it…right?! haha

My goals for this week:  

-Try to work in at least a little bit of exercise, I need to start somewhere and a little is better than nothing! 

-WATER WATER WATER…man I need water!  

-I will devote time after work on my projects, even if it's only 30 minutes.  A little every day adds up and I need to push myself through it in order to get these projects done.  

-A healthier diet…I'm so good at eating healthy, but I'm also really good at eating what's convenient when I'm busy--or eating all the treats in the lounge at school.  I will do my best to make healthier choices, then I know my body will start to crave the good stuff again, and my skin will clear up a bit! 

-Taking a deep breath, and taking one step at a time-Because really, that's all I can do!

I needed to whine and pout and make personal goals public.  It's a coping mechanism I suppose.  Also, knowing I'm not the only person going through this program helps.  I know my classmates are feeling a lot of the same feelings.  WE will get through it and be proud that we did!  AND graduation day will be that much more rewarding knowing the amount of time, work, commitment, and money we put into our future!

Now I can move on and get the job done!!  

Besides the excessive stress, everything is great (bahaha!).  I began teaching my TWS unit which is a 7 week unit on habitats.  I'm learning how low on the totem pole science and social studies are.  It makes sense, because the other subjects are foundations for so much.  But it's also pretty sad because these subjects are the ones we usually get to do extremely hands on and interactive lessons with. 

By the time I get started teaching after math and factor in about 5 minutes to clean up at the end of the day, I end up with about 20 minutes to teach science!  I'm learning a lot about the stresses of teachers and how they struggle to fit in content throughout the day, and why science and social studies planning is definitely not a priority…and sometimes skipped all together!  On the flip side I've learned how important it is to embed multiple subjects into lessons.  Our school uses a reading program that embeds a lot of the science and social studies into it, thank goodness for that!  Our kids seem excited about the content though, this age LOVES learning about animal habitats!

I had my first "formal" observation by my university advisor.  That went well.  She had great things to say about my teaching style.  It's nice to get that kind of feedback and to be reassured that you're good at what you love!  I know Nick will be surprised to hear that she loves my voice and presence in the classroom.  I know that sounds like a weird compliment, but I tend to speak quietly and have to make a real effort to project my voice.  She said my demeanor is one that the kids will soon love and trust if they don't already, what a compliment!  

I know I have so much more to learn and that much of my learning will not happen until I get into my own classroom.  I cannot wait to have that responsibility and that is a stress I will welcome!  

That's all for now, have a wonderful week everyone! Hopefully by my 10 week check in, some bricks will have lifted off my shoulders…there's a good chance since week 10 is fall break! WAHOOO!!!!

Pick a keep calm, any keep calm.  But really, I just need to KEEP CALM! :-p

6 Weeks Down 12 To Go!

Well I experienced this today! Feels so good to get over a hump and move on to the next step!

The countdown is how I track my progress.  I can look back at another completed week and give myself a pat on the back for getting through it!  Not that it's a negative struggle, but it sure is a LOT of work and a lot of exhaustion!

The past two weeks were probably one of the hardest yet.  There was just SO much going on, I felt like I needed an IV of coffee and a group of cheerleaders to cheer me on.  HAH, funny thing is…we did have a group of cheerleaders come by for spirit week!

Let me explain the current events of my life:  Well, EVERYONE I love most was out of the state at one point, and at least two "parties" gone at a time.  I never knew how lonely that would feel, even though the only person I see on a regular basis is Nick.  My parents left for a trip out of the country, my brother was in Florida for work, and as soon as he got back to Colorado, Nick left for a business trip to New Hampshire.  It made for an extra emotional week knowing my biggest supporters wouldn't be close.  It's weird that during a typical 2 week period, I may not see my brother or parents once…but knowing they're all out of town makes my heart heavy, and miss them more than normal!

So, while I was busy being emotional because my dear ones were too far, I was also juggling after school babysitting, house sitting for my parents, spirit week, the realization that I need to get cracking on my TWS (teacher work sample) and Capstone, and the realization that no matter how confidant I feel as a teacher to be, there is still SO MUCH to learn that I won't be able to learn until I get my own class.

Let's just say I've had the biggest pile of bricks on my shoulders, the largest frogs and butterflies having a party in my throat and stomach, and all the while I've been SO HAPPY and EXCITED for every day of school with our class.  I guess that's proof that I'm on the right path..that no matter the stress, I'm still glad to be doing what I'm doing! (or maybe I'm just giving myself a pep talk via my blog post, baha!)

After all of that these past few weeks, TODAY I finally felt some relief.  Both my brother and Nick are  back in town so that's a bit of weight lifted.  My parents get home in a couple days, which means I can worry less about them and won't have to house sit anymore.  AND TODAY I finally found some clarity for my TWS and Capstone and cannot wait to get going on them!  Just the clarity of my ideas is enough to calm my nerves.  Thank goodness I can breath a little better now!

Other teaching news:  I had my first of 6 observations, an "informal" observation.  I taught our normal morning routine, and was observed doing "Daily News" with the class.  Every morning we sit in whole group on the floor, one student comes to the easel and reports on their news.  Together we write it as a class and practice grammar, punctuation, phonics, etc.  This is a time for our students to build community by learning about one another, feel a sense of pride to report in front of their class, and to practice A TON of aspects of writing that they need to know and use on a daily basis.  Daily news is fun for me also.  My CT has so many fun names for long vowels, short vowels, word patterns, silent letters, etc… So it's fun to practice those with the kids.

I've begun teaching reading and writing groups on occasion.  I love small group because it's a good time for the kids to get to know my teaching styles and expectations without my CT around, and for me  to get a better glimpse of their progress and how each child learns a bit differently.  It's fun to see their personalities come out in these groups as.  My CT let me plan for our middle (meaning at grade level) writing group for this weeks lessons.  She guided me on their targets, but I was in charge of planning each days work and will be responsible for making sure they are meeting their targets.  I'm glad to take on more responsibility!

Let another week begin!

4 weeks down 14 to go!

Wow, the past month has zipped by, especially the last two weeks.  Every day in the classroom I feel more and more sure about my decision to become a teacher.  I wake up in the morning excited to see our 22 smiling faces, and look forward to learning from our 2nd grade team.  I love that even though our daily routine doesn't change, each day brings something new and different!

I began leading morning work about two weeks ago.  Every morning when the kids come in, they have their routine "check in" procedures (making lunch choices, handing in HW folders, etc.), and then they sit down for morning work.  This is either a poem to read, questions to answer about the poem or DOL's (daily oral language, this is reading and writing practice).  From a teaching standpoint, this is easy.  I just monitor the students, to be sure they are on task and trying their best.  Then, we all go over the work as a class.  Easy, right?!  WELL, this is where being a teacher REALLY comes to play.  Finding these routine moments to insert extra learning.  I feel like I'm constantly on a game show, trying to come up with good questions to ask the students, and how to relate it to past lessons or connections to the real world.  This part takes some practice, you have to be on your toes and ready to expand the student's learning.  It's fun, sometimes challenging, and I feel like I'm part of an improv show!

Another great milestone was my first full day of teaching!  My CT was gone and so it was me and a substitute.  The sub works at our school, and for my CT on a regular basis so she's pretty familiar with the routine.  She was so kind in letting me take over, and just stepping in where it would be beneficial to have two teachers!  She was great to work with, and complimented my teaching, which meant A LOT!  Since then, I only take over here and there throughout the day.  The students are learning routine a bit still, therefor so am I.  The things that don't change much each day, are the things that I typically lead since I'm familiar with them. In about 2 weeks I will hopefully be doing 75%-100% of the teaching on a daily basis.

My class helped me celebrate my 27th birthday on September 4th!  It was the most exciting birthday song I've ever had!  I passed out cookies, the kids sang to me, and I got 27 "high-fives" from them.  They sure know how to make someone feel special!  In the mornings the kids with birthdays get to announce it on the intercom.  My CT sent 3 kids up to announce my bday.  They each said "Hi my name is ___" then they said "and today is Ms. Fat-nellys, I mean Fanelli's birthday!" hahaha, it was pretty amazing!

A gift from PTO, a candle and Panera gift card!

We went on our first field trip this past Friday.  I never thought a field trip would be more exhausting then a full week of teaching.  Holy cow, manning 3 boys with selective hearing was a lot.  They taught me more about patience and reasoning, and they made me appreciate our school routine that much more.  With that said, it was a FUN day at the Highlands Ranch Mansion.  We learned about our towns history, and got to participate in some cool activities like a hay ride, a petting zoo, and crafts!

Check out the size of this bunny at the petting zoo!

Adding their art to this map

As I've said on Facebook, the teaching is the part that gets me up and going in the morning.  I'm thrilled  that I'm so motivated for an 8 hour day on my feet, watching these munchkins expand their knowledge every day.  What doesn't thrill me as much, is our TWS and Capstone project that have added some stress to the weekly schedule.  TWS stands for teacher work sample, and it's basically a formal unit plan we have to create and teach.  We did a MTWS (mini teacher work sample, right grad friends?! I've forgotten already lol!!) in one of our classes, so the format is familiar.  The difference is the size of this particular project.  I'm doing my TWS focusing on habitats.  This should be interesting because its a science lesson, and we all know how much of a priority science and social studies take in the classroom these days (not!).  My CT said we will make it a point to fit it in when I'm scheduled to teach, though.  Wish me luck!

I've also finally settled on my Capstone project.  Our capstone is a big final project that incorporates pieces of everything we've learned while in our grad program.  We have the option of several different project types, and just before graduation, we present our project to our peers and professors.  I am doing a literature review of Backward Design. Backward Design is a specific way of lesson planning that is HUGE within the district that I'm teaching in.  I figured I should educate myself on the topic, from from to back, so I can go confidently into an interview with this district and show them how much I know!  I have A TON of reading and writing ahead of me, but I am sure I will finish with a very informative piece of work!

Here's to another month of school, and another month closer to accomplishing a huge goal in my life!

Ted, he's cute.

2 WEEKS DOWN, 16 TO GO!

Rockin' my school spirit! GO EAGLES!

My first two weeks student teaching came and went in a flash!  I am glad to report that I am so completely happy with my school location, and Cooperating Teacher (CT) assignment.  It feels so good to finally be in a classroom full time, where I can get to know my students better…and I'm feeling especially lucky to be learning from my CT and her 4 other 2nd grade team mates! Here is a brief recap:

My CT:

She is absolutely amazing.  She has 14 years of experience, and definitely knows how to run her classroom successfully!  She is super laid back, and the good kind of sarcastic ;-)  She seems happy to have me in her class, and after only two weeks I feel like we mesh well together. After my first week she gave my the sweetest card, it's the small things that mean the most!

She let me take over a few of the fluency tests (they're super simple to do, but I'm glad she's trusting me to take over with assessing so soon!).  Overall, I know she will be my biggest influence of my masters program, and I will learn the most from my time spent in the classroom with her!

Our students:

I'm feeling incredibly lucky to join her class this year, the students are AMAZING!  Seriously, they seem so mature and self sufficient compared to other 2nd graders I've worked with in the past!  They seem so eager to learn and are (for the most part) SUCH good listeners.  I love the unexpected diversity of our class, too.  They each come from such unique backgrounds which makes every day fun-to learn more about them.  

I was able to learn MOST of their names in the first day, and after day 2 I knew them all.  I was pretty impressed with myself because learning names is something I struggle with.  It helps that we don't have anyone with the same name.  

I received my first love note on my very first day.  I will keep it and look at it on my down days.  Not only is the message sweet, but her spelling is what makes it awesome! haha!!

"Ms. Fanelli You are the bust techer"

Funny Stuff:

I was pretty impressed with how quickly the kids were able to remember my name.  BUT, I was also quite impressed with the versions of my name that I heard.  Instead of Ms. Fanelli, I heard:

- Ms. Finally

-Ms. Finy-elly

-Ms. Financy

-Ms. Fritelli

-Ms. Felly

-Ms. Frinelli

-Ms. Frilly

I bet there's a few I'm missing.  The creativity is awesome!!  I heard "Ms. Financy" the most from the same little girl, so much that my CT accidentally called me that once.  I finally started telling kids that I'm Ms. Smelly Fanelli (to help them remember)…but then I quickly stopped that when I realized what I was getting myself into, whoops!!

Week 3 begins tomorrow, and so does the beginning of the REAL stress this semester.  My teacher work sample and capstone project.  These will be the things that keep me up late at night, and possibly the things that make me go into hiding until graduation…we'll see how I end up handling it!