Grow Where You are Planted

A student came to spend the day in my class to see if she liked the school. For the first 20 minutes she was there, she was crying in the hallway. When I talked to her, she wouldn't even look at me. I had to send my entire class out for a short recess to try to lure her in. She took my monster pillow as buddy and she clung onto it while tears streamed down her face during transitions. She told me numerous times she wanted to go home. She rejected other students politely when they asked her to play during the actual recess. I don't think she even made eye contact with anyone yesterday. By the end of the day, she was all smiles. I don't know what happened or who said anything or did something, but she left like as if the traumatic experience never happened that morning.

She will be my 22nd student on Monday.

Photo Update

{Theme banner in the hallway that I never posted}

{"High Fives" for the students...

parents wrote a note to their child for them to find the next day after Back to School Night}

{Proof that I caught some 2nd grade fishies!}

My First Week

My first day of school was awesome, but I did not make it through the whole week. On Friday, I was sent home right after getting there because a the day before, I was told that I have walking pneumonia. Apparently, I looked like death and all of the teachers there have taken on positions of mother in my life.

More on the first week later. First things's first: I'm going to go relax.

My first day was

AWESOME!!!

Now off to day 2 with a cold...

{Even monsters have manners.}

{2nd graders go through First Communion and Reconciliation}

{Float on into second grade and grow-Welcome decoration in the works}

{Computer center..."Posters. Use them wherever you need to fill space!"}

Slowly, but Surely

{My cozy corner for calendar time, morning meeting, and read alouds}

{My word wall...soon, above it will be Daily 5 instruction}

Fresh Start

{68 days}

until

a fresh start;

a new adventure;

reuniting with old friends;

missing current friends;

getting lost in the city;

finding myself.

Clique, I know, but it works.

Humble Me

"You humble me Lord

Humble me Lord

I'm on my knees empty

You humble me Lord

You humble me Lord

Please, please, please forgive me"

FINALLY!

I am finally walking across that stage at graduation and...

I HAVE A TEACHING JOB!
I am the 2nd grade teacher for a Catholic school for the 2010-2011 academic year!!!

And yes, it is all because I finally let go and let God :o)

Back to the Books

I have given up on the job search because of the lack of jobs at this time and furthering my education by going to graduate school at Radford! The only problem is finding motivation to start studying for the GRE's- ick!

Location, Location, Location

I seem to have a crew in the states and in Vietnam looking for a teaching job for me. Both crews have found jobs that are available, it's just the matter of seeing if someone will hire me and, well, where I want to be. Of course, there are plenty of strings attached where I go. There's not an easy path and funny it may be, I don't think they're worn in either.

The pro's and cons to both are simple: I won't have the comfort and the people that I love in my life for a year if I relocate across the world. Brian and I are currently doing it again for the second time and I can't bear to do it. If I stay in the states, I am missing out on an adventure, but am able to start my career and get experience that everyone claims to not hire anyone if they don't possess even an ounce of it.

Everytime I start thinking about it, my throat seems to start closing up in anxiety. I almost wish I was starting a new semester instead.

{Until then, I'm going to enjoy spending time with my family}

Plans After Graduation: Leaving the Country

Next month, a little after Brian leaves (again), I will be flying to Vietnam! I'll be taking a 19 day long trip, that might last longer than 19 days, and seeing Vietnam again. This time with my aunt and grandma. At first, I thought it was going to be a miserable trip because I thought I was going to be dropping off my grandma, but come to find out with another phone call 24 hours later, she changed her mind!

Not only do I get to see my roots with more mature eyes and eat amazing food, I get to spend more time with my grandma...and hopefully find a job at the same time.

Oh, and P.S.- It's currently 90 degrees there. I can't wait!

[One of my favorite memories was walking through the market]

Here and There

Here: I just had an interview for an SOL tutor position at my school last week.
There: I just got off the phone with a school in Guatemala City.

I honestly have no idea what to do or where to go. I absolutely hate the fact that nothing, not one thing, is certain after graduation. I am panicking at the thought of it all. I haven't heard from anyone about the job here nor will I know about the job in Guatemala until Monday or Tuesday.

I want just ONE thing certain after I graduate. Is that too much to ask for?

I'm Susan and you should hire me.

So the application process has already started. I feel like this desperate crazy person applying for everything and anything I can get my hands on in the teaching word. This is with the exception of lunch aides and janitors. I would take the secretary job if it would get me to the door to a classroom. Keep your fingers crossed and wish me all of the luck in the world, please!

Gratitude towards VT

Dear VT,

Our class thoroughly enjoyed the mammal kit that you sent for our science lesson. The dead animals made the lesson quite lively.

Sincerely,

Ms. Danh

Sunrise

For once, I am actually not looking forward to daylights savings time because on my way to school, which is extremely early in the morning, the sun has been rising along 460. It is absolutely gorgeous. I couldn't ask for a better way to start the day.

Vaccines, Hand Sanitaizers, and Cold Meds

I have no idea what is going around, but it's just gotten everyone in a tizzy. In the office, there are 5 huge boxes of little bottles of hand sanitizers. Those were the left overs after distributing one bottle per student and faculty member. That's over 500 bottles.

The other day, we sent home a form for parents to fill out if they want their child to get the swine flu vaccine at school for free. Somehow, the schools in the county are giving them for free to all students. Yes, we did talk about every single detail at the faculty meeting. No, we will not be strapping children down to give them the shots.

Let's hope that nothing to horrible happens that day.

I really am regretting not keeping up with my vitamins over the summer. I just got sent home because my vision got blurry, was feeling dizzy and nauseous, and my head was pounding in just one spot. I couldn't tell you what that was about. I'm actually glad to be home in a warm bed and not having to worry about passing out in front of the class.

Best of all, it's an early release day so I don't have to worry about missing too many hours.

Constitution?

So the unit that I'm teaching right now in social studies is government. The question that I asked the class as an intro question to the day's lesson last week was, "What document is the foundation of our government?" It's not the Constitution, if that's what you're thinking. It's the 10 Commandments.

More Sniffles

I really really REALLY hope that I just have some sniffles. There's been talk about swine flu at other elementary schools and about the vaccine given to faculty members in the county. I am keeping my fingers crossed and pray that no one at the school has to deal with this!