YOU KNOW YOU'RE A TEACHER WHEN...

There are a few things I have noticed about being a teacher now that I am officially done with school and am in the process of finding my first teaching job. Here is my list of you know you're a teacher when...

YOU KNOW YOU'RE A TEACHER WHEN....

1. It's SUPER hard and sometimes discouraging to find a job, but we all knew that coming into this profession.
2.You get excited about school supplies emerging in stores.
3. You are not so excited about school supplies emerging, only because the means the end of summer vacation. But hey the kids are thinking the same thing.
4. You already have your teacher/sub bag packed and ready to go! (Even though it's only the beginning of August)
5. You are so proud that you get a 15% discount at Michael's! Even on sale items mind you! *Only one of the many perks of being a teacher.
6.You find yourself still getting up at 6 during the summer because you are still on "school time".
7. You find yourself ready for bed around 8 but you still stay up till midnight finding random things to work on.
8. You run into a past student and it completely makes your day.
9. You are more excited about getting your teaching certificate in the mail than your college diploma. Although, both are proudly hanging on my wall!
10. You are THRILLED when you happen to stop at a garage sale and find a box of kids books that would be perfect for your classroom. Not only is it a heck of a deal but the box basically encompasses your childhood.

 Only a few of my childhood favorites!
*Junie B. Jones (My all-time favorite book as a kid!)
*The Littles
*The Boxcar Children
*Bailey School Kids
*Little House on the Prairie
*Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle


*TO BE CONTINUED: There are a ton more YOU KNOW YOU'RE A TEACHER WHEN...to come along with my many experiences as a teacher.

First Grade=Fun!

Here it is almost the end of summer and I have yet to officially have a teaching job. While I am still waiting to hear on the part-time 2nd position, I have to say that I am starting to get impatient. Luckily, a few days ago a first grade position opened up at a different school! As soon as I saw the posting I began dancing around with excitement. Not only is it another opportunity to apply but it is in the first grade. I can not be more excited! I have grown to LOVE first grade and I can't imagine teaching anything different (although I would because I can and because I'm so desperate at this point-I would even teach 5th...and that's stretching it!).

After I looked at the posting and re-read it to make sure it was legit, I immediately began throwing all my application stuff together. It was much easier the second time around! And with already one interview under my belt, I can go in to an interview and know what to expect. Let's be honest....interviews the second worst part to job hunting...the first being being the newbie and that first day...I dunno about you all but I hated being the new person and I absolutely hated the very first day. Although I don't think I'll feel that way as a teacher....the first day as a first year teacher may be a little scary but it's going to be so exciting.

Now my application and all that other good stuff is on it's way to the desk to the superintendent. Can I get a WOO HOO! Now once again I am a contestant in the waiting game.BLAH! (signal jeopardy theme song....)

Fingers Crossed!

Phew! I officially survived my first teaching interview! While I was so nervous, I felt that I completely knocked it out of the park. Now for the waiting game (definitely the worst part of job hunting). I am WAY too impatient to sit around and wait for either the most exciting news which would sound like this,
"We would love it if you would be interested in becoming part of our team and accept the position as a second grade teacher" or more depressing news,
 "I'm sorry to inform you but the position has been filled". Yeah, I would rather hear the good stuff. With crossed fingers and lucky pennies, I hope that I will be hearing the great news rather soon!!

"As One Door Closes...Another One Opens"

Once again, I have failed to make weekly (or even monthly) posts. I blame it on the insane amount of work that came with student teaching and graduation. Well since my last post (which was nearly 4 months ago), I completed my student teaching experience and graduated from college (FINALLY!). I am now a college graduate, a unemployed certified teacher :) However, I received some exciting news today that I just can't wait to share! I have my first teaching interview tomorrow! Not only is it in the school where I did my student teaching experience, it happens to be the same school in which I was once a student myself. The position is a part-time second grade teacher but I couldn't be more ecstatic to be returning to the school! Only a month after graduating college, earning my degree, and obtaining my teaching license I have been chosen to be interviewed for a position. Now, I am trying not to get my hopes up because it's only an interview but it's one step closer!

Since graduation, I have found that being done and out of college can be rather depressing! I look back and think, "Wow, those were some of the best years of my life and now I'm sort of in after-college limbo!". If I could go back and do college again, I would! Even when I think about the times I stayed up all night to study the night before an exam or worked all weekend to complete a project, I would go back and do it all again. That brings me to the title of this post, "As One Door Closes, Another One Opens". There couldn't be a better saying out there for this time in my life. My college experience has come to an end but it is now time for the door of future teaching experiences to open. I am so excited to begin this new journey as an actual teacher (no longer a student!!!!). I'm crossing my fingers that tomorrow's interview goes well and that I will walk away with a job. Everything happens for a reason and I can't wait to see what the future holds for me.

Happy Birthday (Week) Dr. Seuss!!!

Oh what a week this has been in the first-grade classroom! All week we have been celebrating the amazing works of Dr. Seuss in honor of his birthday this Friday. Last week I had the students make portraits of themselves as Dr. Seuss characters. These turned out so cute and oh so adorable! With the help of a wonderful parent, we were able to make the cutest Dr. Seuss bulletin board, which was inspired by "Oh, The Places You'll Go!", to display our Seuss characters.

Tomorrow will officially be Mr. Seuss' birthday so we have dedicated the ENTIRE day to celebrating him! Of course through fun, engaging, and oh-so seuss-tastic activities the students will have no idea that they are actually learning, rather than just having fun :)

Here are a few pictures of our bulletin board and the "green egg" cupcakes that I have made for our celebration!

To leave with some of my favorite Dr. Seuss quotes:

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go"~Dr. Seuss

 Oh, The Places You'll Go!

"Today you are you, that is truer true. There is no one alive, who is youer than you!" ~Dr. Seuss
 

Green Egg Cupcakes!

First-Graders Know The Direct Line To A Teacher's Funny Bone...

Okay I guess since I can't keep up with my blogging, a blog-a-month is going to have to do!
So much has happened since I last blogged (which I believe was about a month and a half ago...geez!) that I am hoping I'll remember all the fun things I wanted to share!
First off, student teaching is amazing. I honestly can't believe I have been in the first-grade classroom for 7 weeks. With only 7 more weeks to go, I am both super excited but super depressed! I am SO ready to be a college graduate and finally hold a degree (one that I literally worked my ass off for) but I am so not ready to be unemployed and no path to head down. That, quite frankly, scares the bejezus (spelling?!) out of me! However, that being said, I would love to move back to my college town (truth be told, living back home in the valley is just not my cup of tea) and find a teaching job, but word through the grape vine is that there are going to be job openings at the school, that I am teaching at, within the year. I will gladly take any job! Anywhere! (Okay not anywhere....but I'm not going to be too picky!)

Enough of the exciting and nerve-wracking post! Now, the real reason I remembered that I even had started a blog about 6 months ago was so that I could post all the hilarious things my first-graders do and say. Today, as I was the teacher for the day, I was reminded of my blog and thought of some very cute and funny first-grade comments. So I titled this blog appropriately.

Taking it back to my first couple of weeks of student teaching, I had a student (random student mind you, not one in any of my classes) come up to me and ask if I was a new teacher. Replying with a simple nod, the boy continued to stare for a few seconds. As I was just getting ready to walk away he yelled out "Your really pretty!" Now let me just tell you, at least first-graders know how to give nice, not offensive, comments to women! Pretty sure many, not all, men need to take note! Okay that was my cute "kid-comment", now it's time for the funny ones!

I began my morning routine, like I do everyday, with a cup (or two) of coffee in my hand. I usually drink it pretty fast because with out it, I would definitely be one of "those" teachers. Coffee=LIFE! So anyways, I had finished my coffee and continued on with our morning work. Next thing I know, the bell has sprung to life and it is time for recess. One thing that should be known about teachers is that they seriously have little if no time for bathroom breaks! This day I was in need of a break, and had planned to go during recess but I couldn't break away from getting ready for our next lesson.

So like clockwork, I realized I needed to pee as soon as the bell to end recess rang. Most days I could hold it,but that day was a "two-cups of coffee kinda-day!" I couldn't hold it so I briskly walked to the nearest bathroom. As soon as I walked in to the bathroom, I knew it was going to be impossible to be back into the classroom before all the kids arrived because there was a line of girls waiting to use the restroom. Noticing that one of my own students was next in line, I told her that I had to cups of coffee and that I really needed to go. Asking her if I could jump ahead of her, she just looked at me with a very serious face. The next thing that she said to me literally almost made me pee my pants. Okay....I know a lot of people may not think these "kid-comments" are funny but let me tell you, when your a teacher some of the things kids say can make your whole day better! Okay back to the story.....where was I...oh! So this student of mine, just gave me a very serious look and proceeded to say....

Student: "Ms. Jones...you drink too much coffee...Your an alcoholic."

I just stood there, laughing and thinking to myself..."I dunno what you think coffee is but it definitely isn't alcohol...trust me kiddo your spelling and reading lessons would be a lot harder to teach if my coffee was alcohol"
HAHA! I just couldn't help and laugh and tell her that while I am addicted to coffee, the two beverages are completely different. Not to mention that one of them helps me show of my oh-so-awesome dance moves. ;)

So there you have it! A few short-stories of my many, daily conversations with my amazing group of first-graders. Never boring, never dull, and always putting a smile on my face :)

A New Year and a New Beginning

The months have come and gone and I have once again slacked on my blogging! I had planned on blogging more during my final semester, before student teaching, but with the insane craziness of it all I never seemed to get around to it. But I have made it one of my new year resolutions to blog more, especially now that I am officially about to begin student teaching!!

In only a few days time I will be setting out on the wonderful journey of student teaching! I would be lying if I didn't say my nerves are getting to me, but I know that it is going to be an amazing and worth-while experience! I can't believe it is finally here, and I truly can't believe in only 4 short months I will be graduating from college with a degree in Elementary Education. Wow! Where has the time gone?!

So with my many resolutions (the first one being to actually complete more than one of my resolutions:) ) and the exciting adventure of student teaching I am prepared to take on 2012 and begin with a fresh start!