The Equivalent of Screaming Into a Pillow

    Good evening everyone!  It has certainly been an exciting and hectic week...  I had lab work to get done Monday, baking and other preparations for the last few days for both parties taking place this afternoon, (hopefully the one I couldn't be at went well, or else I may be in trouble...), a team meeting during a delayed opening, finishing my pedagogy, (FINALLY), AND, to top it all off, we're officially moving in six weeks, which means they're starting to show our apartment tomorrow.  That is a long and very stressful list of things that I have had to get done without a lot of time to do any of them.

    Firstly, I did get my kidney biopsy results back with not a lot of good news, (not that I was expecting any).  My Lupus has spread to my kidneys, as we had thought, so now it's time to devise a plan for treatment.  Hopefully it won't be too difficult, but I'm anticipating at least some mildly uncomfortable side effects and/or long term damage to some other organ in my body.  It has been great feeling relatively normal these last few weeks, but I know that eventually I'm going to have to face whatever is coming and it won't be good.  Needless to say I have so much support it's ridiculous, so I wanted to publicly thank my husband for his understanding and his unrelenting patience when it comes to dealing with me when I'm needy.  I'd also like to thank my parents, both of whom have provided me with enough support, advice and love to last even the longest lifetime.  I honestly don't know what I would do without my family.

    Speaking of family, my mother has graciously offered us a place to stay.  We'll be moving back to my childhood home very soon, but it's a very different place.  We will practically have our own private apartment upstairs, complete with a full bathroom, bedroom, common area and even an office, (in the foreseeable future).  There is a lot of stigma surrounding adults moving back in with their parents, but in my situation it's actually a positive thing.  Moving back home does not always have to symbolize failure or disappointment.  It can actually be a great opportunity to get back on track, save money, live a healthier lifestyle and get in touch with your goals and aspirations.  Both my husband and I are very excited about this opportunity and this arrangement and look forward to reaching our goals so we can live the life we want to live.  If you told me six years ago that I would be living with my husband at my mother's house, I would've told you that you were crazy.  I'm very excited about the prospect of happiness and look forward to moving into a better environment.  Although, I'm not a huge fan of the moving process in general...  Boxing everything up and storing it for years at a time isn't my idea of fun, nor is moving said boxes from Point A to Point B in various vehicles.  I'm not looking forward to the process, but I am definitely looking forward to the end result.  We've already got a head start on cleaning because of all the scheduled showings, so it'll be easier to pick through the debris.  We're hoping to be out of here by Thanksgiving break at the latest.

    In teaching news, I've been working on setting up teacher observations anywhere and everywhere: within my school and subject area, outside my district, outside the state, etc.  Every opportunity is precious, so I have to make them count.  I'm looking forward to seeing how other professional teachers teach and the strategies I can take away to use in my own future teaching practices.  In seminar we've been asked to think about what constitutes a "professional teacher" and I'm hoping to find out through these observations.  If I've learned anything from this process so far, it's that the preconceived notions you may have going in aren't necessarily going to ring true by the end of your journey.  In other teaching news, I created this great lesson plan for a Halloween-themed "hero's journey" activity that I would really like to do with the kids, but don't think it'll happen because of time commitment issues, (and the fact that the 30th and 31st has already been planned...).  I just wanted to do something fun with the kids and take a break from the monotony of The Odyssey, but it may not be in the cards I guess.  I'll keep you posted on how it goes if it really does come to fruition, but I'm not holding my breath on this one.

    TV this week has been sparse, but I did get some Once in.  It was crazy confusing this past weekend.  The best part of the entire episode was Hook, (or Killian), and Emma's date, which was almost as awkward as I thought it would be.  Still very sweet, but we definitely need a second date in the near future.  That should give Hook time to sort out what the hell is going on with his hand.  I have absolutely no clue what's going on with Rumple at this point.  He seemed to have changed last season with his marriage to Belle, especially after he gave her back the real dagger.  But now, he's being a complete asshole to everyone for what seems like no reason.  The sorcerer's hat has triggered so many memories and events so far, so it's importance is imminent.  I'm excited about the prospect of introducing more elements of Fantasia into the mix, but when the poor apprentice got sucked into the depths of that black hole inside the hat I got a little scared.  The hat seemed so innocent and unknowing in Fantasia and now it's this evil black hole weapon thing...  I don't know how I feel about all this, but I do know by now that when Rumple wants something he will stop at nothing to get it.  Who knows what's going on with him ever?  I do think it's cute that Henry is attempting to infiltrate Rumple's "lair."  We'll see how well that works out.

    There's one more thing I've stumbled upon this week that I thought was interesting.  There's a community of book-loving readers on YouTube called "Booktube."  This community regularly posts videos and vlogs regarding book reviews, suggestions, book hauls, and more.  Each Booktube vlogger brings there own personal flair to their channel and I'm intrigued enough to explore this new community that might actually interest me.  I've been looking back into vlogging again and this might be an avenue I travel down, considering my profession.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.  I have everything I need to start, just need the time and the confidence to do it.

    That's all I got!  Even if I don't start my own Booktube channel, I will do my best to revamp my Book Reviews page on here and keep it updated as frequently as possible.  Now that I'm starting to read more for leisure it should be a lot easier.  Fingers crossed!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Back to the Grind

    Hello!  It has certainly been a nice week to come back to school.  I didn't realize that I would miss my students as much as I did, but it was terribly boring at home without them.  Unfortunately, it seems like they've been equally bored without me.  We're probably only a quarter through The Odyssey and they're already drowning in it.  Needless to say my cooperating teacher and I have our work cut out for us over the next few weeks.  But it is glad to be back.

    School has been a lot easier since we decided on co-teaching.  I've found that I'm able to get more work done, help out a little more around the room and get to know that kids a little better each day.  I already know them well enough, but just thinking about the rest of the year with them makes me feel great.  I'm looking forward to taking over come next Trimester, if I'm really ready.  I've already seen some massive improvements in some of the kids who were struggling before.  One in particular, one of my initial problem children, has proven to himself that reading isn't as bad as he thought it would be by actively seeking out books in a series he's loving right now.  Also, today actually, he was the only one in my class to get a 100% on our first grammar quiz!  I ran to catch up with him in the hallway outside my classroom after I graded all of them and he had the biggest smile!  It's stuff like this that makes me remember why I wanted to go into this profession and why I can't give up.  Right now I'm focusing on finishing my pedagogy statement that was supposed to be due last week, as well as other stuff for seminar a week from today.  Did I mention I'm hosting seminar next week too?  Time to decorate the classroom, bake a bunch of stuff to feed the masses and hope all goes well.

    As far as my health is concerned, nothing has really changed.  I feel that I've recovered better than expected from my biopsy and have had little to no complications.  That being said, I have noticed a few things I'm not happy about...like my hair falling out at a rapid rate and my feet and ankles swelling to abnormal sizes.  The fact that I now have cankles bothers me more than the fact that I'm slowly going bald.  The hair I can fix with a haircut, but when that might happen I have no idea.  I'm kind of looking forward to going back to short hair, as long as it looks like it did the last time I cut it.  I'm not sure how to fix the water retained in my lower extremities, but hopefully once we figure out what's wrong maybe it'll go away.  Now both doctors want me to get more blood work done by Monday, which is almost impossible considering I have NO time to run to both labs in one day, or even in two days really.  Plus it's not like the blood work will show anything different or anything that might help these side effects go away.  I'd rather not stay this way for longer than I have to...

    For TV this week, I'm going to focus on Once Upon a Time, Legend of Korra and Arrow, so put on your spoiler hats people.  So far Once has been juggling both the new Frozen storyline as well as the Regina plot to find her own happy ending.  I had a discussion today with a co-worker about possible angles and details that might give us viewers a clue as to what's really going on in Storybrooke, considering everyone apparently knows each other.  We know that Rumple is full of crap, the Snow Queen knows both Elsa and Emma, and Robin still has feelings for Regina.  Hook trying to blackmail Rumple was pretty cute, but I'm almost positive that Rumple will make him pay for that later on.  How is it Rumple is behind all of this stuff?  He knew that the house him and Belle spent their honeymoon in belonged to Merlin, (the hat from Fantasia gave it away), and he had contact with Anna, at least back in the Enchanted Forest, which he apparently doesn't remember, but I don't know if I buy that because he knows the Snow Queen, her relationship to Emma AND why she's here in the first place.  There's obviously something in it for him, so I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.  What really bugs me is the relationship between Emma and the Snow Queen.  I think that Elsa's family tree might go a little further than she knew, but whether the Snow Queen is really her aunt or maybe someone a little closer is still up for debate.  They tend to drag these things out, so we may not even get an answer until the end of this season.  Also, did anyone else scream when they realized WILL IS BACK?!?  This won't be the last we see of him, but he was oddly familiar with the Snow Queen's business, so that's interesting...  So many questions, so little time!

    In Legend of Korra, we get to see where Korra has been this whole time, leading up to the big reveal at the end of TOPH!!  I was so excited to see someone from the original Avatar series other than Katara I almost fell off my chair.  We had been teased about a potential Toph/Avatar reunion last season, but I didn't think they would do it so soon.  Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to wait a little longer for that conversation, considering that tomorrow's episode looks like it'll focus more on Mako and the new Earth kingdom.  I hate it when they do that...

    Arrow hasn't disappointed either as of late.  The murderous death of Sara came as a shock to me, honestly.  I didn't think they would kill her off at all.  We do know that she knew her attacker, so it's only a matter of time before Oliver connects the dots, probably with a little help from Laurel, who will most definitely take up a Canary alter-ego.  I hate the fact that Felicity was so close to bagging Oliver just to walk out on him to join The Atom, (unbeknownst to her, obviously).  I was really hoping for that connection, but I guess they just can't let it happen.  I am curious to see how they incorporate Thea back into the mix, now that she's been training heavily with her real father.  For what purpose still remains to be seen. but I sense a sibling cage match in our future at the very least.
    That's all from me for now.  I can't believe it's already the middle of October...  I feel like this month is moving by so fast and I don't have time to get everything done that I need to!  With everything I still have to do for school, work and my illness it's amazing I even find the energy to leave my bed every day.  Did I mention that my husband and I are crazy and we're thinking about moving soon?  When that'll be we have no idea, but hopefully it's before May.  We'd like to not freeze to death this winter or succumb to poverty, but who knows?  Everything in my life is still up in the air and it looks like it'll stay that way for awhile.  At this rate, I'm relieved to still have my sanity.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Changes

    Hello all!  As you might have noticed, I didn't post on Tuesday this week.  This was slightly because of pure laziness, but as I was debating whether or not to post at 11:30pm I realized that maybe I shouldn't.  Maybe I should post once a week instead of twice.  So I've decided to limit my blog posts to just Thursdays because of my lack of interesting educational content and the fact that my semester is ending, so my work load will only increase.  Plus, by Thursday I would've watched all my important shows so I can talk more about them.  So basically what I'm saying is that I'm downgrading for now.  Hopefully this summer I can update and expand my book list to include more reviews.

    I haven't really been up to much lately, just getting caught up in my work and praying that this last month of school goes by quickly.  As I have mentioned before, I started my new job on Monday and even though the weather was a bit dreary it was still fun.  I can't wait to go back tomorrow and I can't wait until May when I can be promoted to Site Director at a different location.  More hours and more money would make me very happy!  I also have another interview next Tuesday with the summer camp in this area, so hopefully I will come out of it with a summer job as well.  I'm feeling really good about this opportunity and getting to work with children is a lot more fun than retail, so I'll take it!

    Speaking of working with children, I've been working one-on-one with one kid in particular for a case study I'm doing in one of my courses, of which I'm supposed to be working on right now.  She goes to my local school where I substitute and she's one of my favorite kids.  I've made a good impression on the eighth grade class and I'm glad they know me and think that I'm the coolest sub ever.  It makes me feel great to know that they look forward to seeing me.  The kids at my local school have made such an impact on me and my outlook on teaching, so I don't know where I would be without them.  The case study has been a complete success and I'm going to be really sad when I don't get to see them anymore next year when I'm doing my internship.

    As for television this week, (from Sunday onward), I have a lot to review, so SPOILERS ahead...  First up is The Amazing Race, in which after all that hard work pushing the blonde country singers down to last place, it was a non-elimination round, (DAMN you Phil!).  It seems as though every time there's a team that should obviously go home or really needs to go home they do not go home.  First they saved Team "Brenchel,"which was a travesty, and now this.  All I know is that I hope the Globetrotters make it to the end because they are literally the best part of this show so far.  I am happy about their upcoming trip to Italy though.  Finally, somewhere that's not a third-world country!

    Next is Once Upon a Time, and BOY was it a doozy...  I mean really?  Did you HAVE to kill off Neal?  I understand the concept of "a life for a life" but WHY does it always have to be Rumple or Neal?!?  I'm betting that they will bring him back somehow, (probably another death...), but where and when I cannot say.  I just know that without that event, this episode probably would've been pretty boring.  Although I do like the relationship between Regina and Robin now that she finally realized he's her OTP.  Again, not sure when that will end up actually happening, but I'm looking forward to it.  Next OTP should definitely be Emma and Hook, now that Neal is dead.  I'm predicting some vulnerable consoling to happen within the next two episodes.

    How I Met Your Mother finally ended on Monday and there were mixed reviews on the ending.  It was bittersweet to see it end and you could tell that at times the actors were not acting when addressing their feelings about leaving each other.  There were a lot of tears shed by me that night.  My opinion of the finale was that it was good.  It filled in the holes and closed all the gaps that we needed to see closed.  I think everyone hoped a little on the inside that Ted and Robin would end up together, but it just seemed impossible.  Looking back, I would have noticed that this whole story was about Robin, but it took until Ted's kids noticed it for me to really think about it.  Although the mother was an important character, (as in no one would've been where they are now without her), and she made Ted happy, Robin was really the main lady in his life.  I had a feeling it should end the way it did when she panicked about the locket, but like everyone else, I knew she would marry Barney and be "Aunt Robin," so I didn't think anything of it.  But in the back of my mind I thought, that's strange, it feels wrong for her to not be with Ted right now...  I guess I should have seen it from then on, but I wasn't disappointed with the finale at all.  Also, if you didn't cry when Barney held his daughter for the first time then YOU HAVE NO SOUL.  I'm just sad it's over and they're trying to do it again with different people.  We'll see how that goes.

    Lastly, Agents of Shield was very interesting this week as we see Agent May get caught up in some drama.  I also had a bad feeling about the other lady at The Hub with red bits in her hair, (her name escapes me, but it's bad news bears).  I think she'll play some sort of role with compromising S.H.I.E.L.D. and Captain America, but we'll have to wait and see.  I don't know how I feel about Skye and Ward either...maybe it's the age difference?  Ward and May looked even worse together, so I'll give it a shot, (if it even happens).  Deathlok's character is getting really intense too.  What did they do to him?  It doesn't sound like he's doing these things against his will anymore, so who knows who he's working for and what made him change.  Coulson went crazy in this episode and understandably so; he's paranoid about everyone knowing things that he doesn't.  I wish someone, (mainly May), would give the poor guy some answers!  The "clairvoyant" didn't help either, (can you say creepy?).  I'm curious to see how this episode will play into Winter Soldier and also next week after it happens.

    That's all I have for this week.  As for Winter Soldier, I'll be seeing it this weekend with some friends and I cannot be more excited!  I'm looking forward to expanding my knowledge of the Marvel cinematic universe and I'm also excited to potentially see another trailer for the TMNT.  To prepare ourselves, my husband and I are having a Marvel Movie Marathon, (say that five times fast), starting today to lead up to Saturday night.  Everything from Iron Man to The Hulk to The Avengers will be watched.  Another exciting thing happening this weekend is Game of Thrones is FINALLY BACK and I can't even watch it because I don't have HBO, but I will find a way!  Hopefully I haven't forgotten what happened last season already, but I don't feel like watching the Red Wedding again, so I'll deal with the recap that's bound to come before.  Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and I'll talk to you again next Thursday!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

    Greetings and salutations!  It's already Thursday and boy do I want the snow to stop.  Not only is it below twenty degrees, (plus a nasty windchill), but we got a couple inches of snow too, resulting in some power outages last night.  Hurray for the end of winter!  I DO have some good news though!  I had mentioned on Tuesday that I had a pretty important interview today for what I would consider one of my dream jobs and I am about 93% sure that I got it!  I went into the interview feeling nervous, but also excited about the prospect of doing something I like with kids for the rest of the time I'll be in school.  I also felt pretty confident in my experience, coupled with my degrees and educational background.  I just have to wait for my references to check out and I could start as early as next week.  AAHHH!!

    Obviously I'm a little excited about the possibility of being employed again while still holding onto my subbing position until the end of the year.  Even though I wouldn't be working a whole week, I would still be way happier there than I would if I ever had to set foot in a retail environment again.  I think it's important to keep your options open and if the opportunity is there, I have to take it.  I won't get too many more opportunities like this; a chance to do what I've always wanted to do again is too good to pass up.  It seems like the perfect fit, so here's to hoping the dark days are behind me.

    That being said, this week wasn't too great until today.  Town elections were on Tuesday and my town was voting on the prospect of building a new school building for our kids.  If you saw the school in its present state, you would've voted yes: they are fighting and working hard to alleviate the obvious structural and spacial issues facing the school as it stands.  Unfortunately, a small margin of voters pushed more for basic renovations rather than spend their tax money on a new building.  This made me angry because the town is basically saying there are more people here that could care less about these kids and their education than they do about their money.  The population of elderly voters outweighed the percentage of younger voters, who obviously would've voted for a new school.  The older generation doesn't have kids who go to school anymore, so why would they vote to pay for a school that won't benefit them in any way?  They don't see the ripple effect this causes in the community either.  These kids believe their elders don't care about them or their future, which in turn won't provide them with an adequate outlook on life.  It'll only make them want to leave this school district even more than some already do.  As a substitute teacher, as well as someone who values student opinion, I see the vote as one for these kids, not for taxes.  The backlash and negativity on social media after the vote was decided was immense.  The only reason I know that is because I respect these kids and I think they deserve better than what they have been given.  All the more reason for me to do good by them.
    Speaking of students and respect, there was an incident at one of the schools I am observing at involving a hate crime.  To think that middle schoolers are capable of this magnitude of cruelty is mind-boggling.  I keep thinking back to my own time in middle school, in a different world.  Although I have fond memories of meeting new friends, some I've kept to this day, and of fun teachers, I also have memories of sickness and backstabbing.  I was diagnosed with Lupus at the beginning of my middle school years, so I remember more about hospital visits than of school work.  I was also the victim of bullying, mostly by people I had once considered friends.  It's tough in middle school, to gauge who you really are and what you believe in.  I think that might be one reason these kids are more likely to become bystanders than those who are willing to take action against hatred.  I know that I felt somewhat alone within all of that silence, so I would assume the same holds true for these abuse victims.  We have to learn how to be nice to each other, or our future will most likely be bleak at best.

    Enough of that sad talk for now.  Things are looking up, at least from where I'm standing.  I've made it a goal of mine to always impact kids in a positive light, and that's exactly what I plan to do, especially if I get this new job.  That being said, I plan on doing some premature celebrating this weekend.  I will be attending a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis at the local Margaritas restaurant with my husband and parents.  All proceeds from the event will go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, so I don't see any harm in drinking margaritas for a good cause!  What better way to celebrate my probable employment?

    I've done something I never expected to do this week: watch Frozen.  I liked it, surprisingly, and now understand why all my kids are obsessed with the songs, mainly "Let it Go," seeing as it's been stuck in my head for the last few days.  That, and "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?"  I liked the movie because I saw a lot of similarities between my relationship with my own sister in Elsa and Anna's relationship.  We grew apart as adolescents and I wish I could go back and change that, but we're better now and get along really well together.  I like the symbolism of "sisterly love" as opposed to the usual "romantic love" aspect of most Disney movies.  It shows that they are veering away from the typical story lines in favor of a more modern approach to things.  I look forward to seeing more of Disney's new creations, seeing as Frozen has done so unbelievably well.
    Monday is also St. Patrick's Day and, for most of us, that means day drinking and wearing as much green as possible.  For me there is an entirely different element to this holiday, considering the fact that I am mostly Irish, although it might be hard to tell from my maiden name and my dark hair.  While my mother's side is almost strictly Irish, my father's side, although we identify more with our Italian roots, we are partially Irish as well, from my grandmother's side of the family.  Because my family treated St. Patrick's Day as a family event, we would always get together for the traditional Irish supper of corned beef and cabbage, which hasn't changed.  I am in charge of making my Nana's Irish soda bread, which is my favorite and very easy to make, however rather sticky.  I love this holiday because I can tap into my roots and get together with family just like Christmas and Thanksgiving.  Also there's usually a Boondock Saints marathon, which is nothing to scoff at.  It's a time to celebrate life and good luck, which a lot of people do with booze.  Good thing I always keep a spare bottle of Jameson in the freezer!

    That's all I have for you this week.  If you want to see this week's TV reactions and predictions, check out my last post.  Next week school is back in session, so I will go back to having a full schedule.  I'm in the middle of an X-Men marathon right now, so I'll have to decide between that and the homework I still have to get done...  If you are interested in following my progress in the Northeast Bloggers March Photo Challenge, the link to my Instagram is among the rest of my social media links at the top of the page.  I know I've said this before, but if anyone has ideas of what you would like to see me post about or review, let me know in the comments below!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

North Eastern T-Rex Alert

    Another Tuesday taken by a rogue storm.  I swear someone up there is out to get me, but what can you do really?  The weather clearly doesn't want me to have a job, but as I have done before I will continue to be optimistic.

    The snow could not keep me from my observations at the middle school, although they did have an early release.  I got to see two teachers I really admire and I think they are my top two contenders for my internship next year.  They both have different teaching styles, but they are both fun, energetic and bring a lot of activity into their classrooms.  I would benefit from having either one of them as a mentor, but unfortunately the tough part is picking only one...  Next week is winter vacation for us, so I'll have to wait two weeks to see them again and make some decisions, but I'm feeling better about my chances.

    One of the two teachers I got to visit with today had Lupus.  This is a huge deal to me because usually I don't find random people in public who know what Lupus is, let alone have it.  It's not one of the common diseases everyone knows a lot about; in fact, it's the exact opposite.  So to find a teacher who has Lupus, who I can talk to, who understands me from not only an intellectual level but a physical level, is huge for me.  That sold it for me and I believe we were fated to be together in this journey, however I have to make a minimum of three school visits, so I have to wait.  But I think we both understand each other and know that we'll end up together.  She makes me feel excited, so I hope I get her!  Fingers crossed, knock on wood and all that jazz.

    That's literally the only exciting thing happening in my life right now.  I have some homework to do that involves actually seeing and talking to people and I don't feel like doing that.  I also had to reschedule my very important interview AGAIN, for a third time, for Thursday morning, so fingers crossed again for me doing ok with that so I can FINALLY have a job again.  I feel like I'd really like it there and that I'd be good at the job, so I hope it's mine.  They already took the posting off the website, so either they are holding out for me and already plan on giving me the job, or they are giving me the benefit of the doubt out of pity and already have someone else in mind.  UGH, the suspense is KILLING me...slowly.

    Since I've been spending so much time indoors and slowly getting less involved with the TMNT, I've picked up another series I had been eyeing for some time.  The Borgias has been very similar to The Tudors in the sense that they are both Show Time programs with a lot of drama.  I like seeing the plot line unfold from the Borgia perspective, having viewed them in a negative light since seeing the family featured in the Assassin's Creed games.  In this series they are very much a troubled family with many secrets.  There's a lot of death and less sex, which I guess is great if you like that sort of thing.  Personally I like watching how certain relationships unfold, destroy themselves and come back again.  The intrinsic properties of this show are the engrossing story line, the historical elements and the strife of the warring nations.  I'm looking forward to the second season now that I've finished the first.

    Comic book geeks may enjoy the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" show tonight, around 11:30, when they show the trailer for the Guardians of the Galaxy movie coming out this August.  My husband is extremely excited about this, having more than one collection of these comics to his name.  I am intrigued by the plot line and the characters, but then again they are what makes the story work in harmony.  I only hope that it will live up to his expectations, but I'm not going to jump the gun.
    That's it for me today.  Hopefully Thursday I will have more to report after my interview:)  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Meh.

    Happy Tuesday everyone!  Sadly I have almost nothing positive to report...  It's been pretty dismal and boring on my end and unfortunately I don't see that changing any time soon.
    This week is open house week and so far I've only been to one in Dover, NH.  It was nicer than I expected and extremely welcoming.  I felt like I was being bribed almost, but it was nice to have so much coffee cake to eat in the morning.  There were only two English cooperating teachers to choose from and believe me, they were very busy.  It's as "urban" a district as you'll get in New Hampshire.  We'll see if I fit in there, but it definitely feels familiar to my own middle school.

    Speaking of my own middle school, I'm heading over there in the morning for my second open house.  I was more excited yesterday for the prospective teachers list which got emailed to us with all the bios attached.  I saw some familiar names in other departments, but the good news is there are six English teachers to choose from, so I should have more luck here.  I have my eye on one particular teacher already, but I've heard a rumor that her intern from last semester wants to be with her for a full year, so I think there might be some competition for her at this point.  Fate will tell.
    The last open house is scheduled for Thursday, but I doubt it will happen this week due to the snow storm headed our way.  Currently, we're projected to get about 8-12 inches from Pax all day Thursday to Friday morning.  Thus postponing not only my last open house opportunity, but also a job opportunity.  My very important interview is supposed to be at 3pm on Thursday, but I've already emailed the HR manager to ask what we should do in this situation.  I should know by tomorrow whether or not schools will be closed and my interview can be rescheduled, so please keep sending good vibes my way.

    All the stuff I have going on this week coupled with the constant early mornings and barely any sleep has made me quite irritable.  I've been feeling an awful combination of frustration, nerves and exhaustion.  I'm starting to lose the wind in my sails...  I think I need a break sometime soon, or I will likely lose faith in humanity, (and my own abilities).  I've applied to a few more jobs, but I'm really gunning for this one, so I'd really appreciate it if I could acquire some divine intervention, and soon.
    Well, that's pretty much it.  Like I said before, not a lot going on.  I didn't really have a lot of time this week to devote to the blog, so I apologize if this seems rushed and brief.  I promise Thursday, (might), be better, especially if I have some good news.  Either way, I'll have my TV reviews from this week and more on this coming weekend's plans.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

There and Back Again

    Hello again, and welcome to my terrific Tuesday post! (alliteration is key)  As you might've guessed, not a whole lot has happened since last week.  I saw my nephew again this past Saturday and he's still ADORABLE.  Unfortunately that might be the only good thing to happen within the last two weeks.

(Which one is cuter?)

    Although I do still feel indifferent over the whole unemployment thing, I'm starting to get antsy, sitting at home all day either reading for class, typing up assignments or looking for jobs.  I feel like I started in a good place and now I'm back in a meh state of mind where I definitely don't want to stay.  I have a promising interview a week from Thursday, so we'll see how that goes.  Right now, that's my only promising lead, having been dropped from the contenders list of the first job I applied for already.  Fingers crossed for some good news!  Luckily I got called to substitute next week so, baring the inescapable weather conditions, I could be bringing home some bacon, (if only that were really true...)

    Speaking of jobs, I had my secondary education intern orientation this afternoon and I feel really good about all the prospective intern sites at my disposal.  Number one being my alma mater middle school, with two in close proximity to where I live being close second and third.  All of the schools have a lot to offer, and right now I'm thinking I might want to give high school a second go, but for now all I can do is wait and see what happens at the open houses next week, (again, weather permitting).  I swear to God, if these blizzards all pile on top of each other the ONE WEEK I have significant life decisions to make about my future, there will be HELL to pay.

    In YouTube news, video footage released on the first of this month by Shay Carl Butler and Corey Vidal announced some new information regarding the popular and much-anticipated documentary feature Vlogumentary, which will hopefully be in theaters this coming summer.  Obviously they couldn't say too much without giving stuff away, but we shall see the final product soon, which is more than we could say about a year ago when all this started.  To say that I'm excited about this would be a severe understatement.  You can view the two video announcements here:

    Well that's about it.  I'm pretty sure I had more to offer you today, but sadly I left my blogging planner at home and have since forgotten what I had originally planned to do for today.  More to add to next week!  Thursday I will be talking about the various things that happened in TV this week as well as other stuff, (probably).  How's that for a vague description?  I will also hopefully be starting observation work in addition to my open houses next week or this week, so stay tuned for more on that!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

PS: THIS JUST IN!  SNOW DAY TOMORROW!! HUMP DAAAYYEEEEE YEEEAHH:)

Highs and Lows

    Hey everyone!  Welcome back to the work week, (for most of you).  This weekend was great for me because I met my very first nephew on Sunday!  Tanner James was born around one o'clock Sunday afternoon to a warm welcome from a very happy family.  They are coming home this afternoon so I will be making plans to visit again this weekend once they get settled in.  Welcome to the world little buddy!  I am so happy to be your auntie and can't wait to spend more time with you!!

    Unfortunately that is the only good news I have this week...  I was regrettably let go from my job last night.  It was an unforeseen circumstance and one that I will not soon forget.  I cannot begin to describe my grief upon experiencing my very first, and hopefully last, termination, but I understood the company policy and that I had severed it inadvertently.  Although I had been unhappy there as of late, I will truly miss all the friends and colleagues I have gained over the last three years there.  I wish none of this had happened, but it was my fault and I will have to live with my repercussions.  I got right on the job hunt last night, however I have certain qualifications I have to adhere to based on the rest of my schooling and my internship coming up this fall.  I wish I could have the freedom to chose any job I can get, even a job in a school system besides the one I already have, but I can't and it sucks.  Hopefully I will find a new job by the end of February, but we will see.  Keep your eyes open for me and your prayers thoughtful.
    On a positive note, after the first week of classes I've found that, yet again, both courses seem to relate well with each other, making my semester a lot easier.  I've been immersed in my reading and trying to keep myself otherwise occupied from my current predicament.  Now, on top of my readings and various assignments I'm also looking for employment, so it's a bit distracting.  In about a week I will be attending a meeting for prospective secondary intern students, so I'm excited to finally put in my picks for schools and learn a little more about the process.  Fingers crossed everything works out in my favor!  Lord knows I need some help these days...

**(SOME) SPOILERS!**

    On the television front, I have yet to watch The Bachelor due to all this drama happening in my real life, but I have heard who got eliminated and I am glad it wasn't anyone in my top three, however I also heard that Nikki was a bit cheeky this week, so we'll see if she can handle this in the long run.  I managed to watch the 200th episode of How I Met Your Mother and it was fantastic!  I'm glad they did a back track on the mother and the ending was so perfect!  I'm still not sure where Lily is going, nor do I know when or where she reconciles with Marshall before the wedding, (should be next week if they find Barney, which they should).  I'm looking forward to seeing where they go from here.

    I've also started watching a newer show, based on my recent infatuation with Jonathan Rhys Meyers.  Dracula on NBC has finished it's first season, with little information regarding a second.  It follows the life and happenings of a really hot version of Dracula, or Vlad in Impaler, as they call him.  I find the suspense and plot line interesting, (in addition to the obvious charisma of Dracula), and hope it is renewed for a second season, however I won't keep my hopes up.
    So that's it basically.  I don't have a lot to report, seeing as the baby and losing my job have taken up the majority of the last few days.  I haven't had a lot of down time following the start of classes, so I will be back Thursday with a hopefully more educational post, (but who knows?).  I will also post my "walk my world" from this week.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Leveling Up in the World

    Hey all!  Welcome back:)  It was a nice weekend for me, despite working, (and then realizing I have almost the entire week off...lame).  Still no baby boy from my sister-in-law, but we will definitely see him by the end of next week if it doesn't happen soon.  Can't wait to be an auntie!!  Other than that, nothing really exciting has happened yet, so unfortunately it's another Tuesday rendition of Boring Blog, which, apparently, a lot of you actually like, so maybe I'll keep this going.
    Also, this is currently happening in the classroom I'm in today...not sure why someone would keep something so obviously creepy in a Social Studies classroom, but who am I to judge?...

    First things first: I start my final semester of courses today!  First class on deck is "Special Topics in English Teaching" with the wonderful Alecia Magnifico.  I am most looking forward to my classes this semester, especially this one.  The class I have tomorrow is "Teaching Writing in the 21st Century," which sounded very interesting to me.  I'm looking forward to broadening my horizons as an educator and learning more new and captivating ideas this year to prepare me for my internship this fall.

    Second thing: Pokemon update.  I have now obtained all eight gym badges and have made it to the chambers of the Elite Four, (FINALLY).  It literally took me about four hours to get through just that section, battling all of the trainers on the long and winding road up to the Pokemon League.  After reviving at least three of my top Pokemon about six times, I made it to the Pokemon Center before the main building, (thank God for that, because I don't think I'd make it very far without one.  I thought it was a little ridiculous to have THAT many trainers on the road just to enter the area where the Elite Four are.  Then each of them have four Pokemon each level 63 and higher, plus the Champion who has a whopping SIX Pokemon level 65 and higher, so I'm in for a rough night if I try to take them on.  The gym leaders were too easy and Victory Road seemed a bit too difficult for the amount of preparation I was given, so we'll see how that goes.  I might try to level up a bit more before attempting to take them all out, (I'm currently at about 75 with my top two Pokemon and around the mid-sixties with the rest of my party).  I am most proud of the legendary Pokemon, Yveltal, who I was able to catch on my first try, which almost never happens.  Props to me!

    In general, I'm a huge fan of water and fire types, however I can see now where it would benefit from having a grass or psychic type in combination with these types.  This is the type of strategy and planning I was looking for when researching this game as a type of literacy.  There are different kinds of people who play: people who play to get through the game, people who play to catch all the Pokemon they can get their hands on, people who want to get higher level Pokemon as fast as they can, people who want to find all the hidden items, artifacts and other gems around the game, etc.  Game play ultimately depends on what type of person you are, and it's interesting to see me categorized among them.  I haven't played like this in a very long time, so I'm still getting used to immersing myself completely in the game, (much to my husband's dismay).  Since I've played older versions before, I went into this thinking differently than someone who would just be starting out fresh without ever having played the older versions.  There are also people who have played every single version up until this point, and they are used to playing a different game than I am, having experienced some of the newer versions that I have not.  I'm interested in continuing to log my progress and even write in a journal to gather data so I can maybe turn this into something beneficial.  We shall see, but I'm enjoying myself nonetheless.
    So that's basically it.  Nothing exciting or substantial happening with me this week.  Starting my courses, baby maybe and possibly taking on the Elite Four before I get dragged into the homework routine again.  I will be catching up with all my shows today and tomorrow, so there might possibly be another TV review on Thursday if I have nothing else to talk about.  Also I've added two more tabs to the top of the blog: "Open Letters" and "ENGL 889."  The first tab will be dedicated to various individuals/situations I find particularly interesting/amusing/annoying/etc. while the second will be dedicated to responses for my new Special Topics course in English Teaching, which will be linked to my class' blog page.  Feel free to check both tabs out and I will keep you updated on posts via Twitter, etc.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Creative Writing Process

    I'm obviously a sucker for anything related to English or Language Arts, so, naturally, I have a talent for creative writing.  I've done everything from nonfiction to poetry to journalism, and I can honestly say, without a doubt, that fiction is my favorite form of creative writing.  You can do anything within the scope of this genre, and I appreciate the freedom it gives you to write literally whatever you want.

    When you teach creative writing, I find it a lot simpler if you just let your students have as much fun with it as possible, including picking their own topics.  Now I know that's not ideal for every subject area or topic you're studying, but giving kids as much freedom as you are allowed will be more beneficial to their writing process.  It will also result in a much better final product, complete with effort, which is a fleeting hope at best when it comes to student writing.
    As I've stated in a previous post, I'm a huge fan of the multi-genre projects, which give students multiple options with which to tell their story and interpret information differently.  Within the multi-genre project are smaller writing activities built to engage the writer and incorporate their prior knowledge about the subject they're writing about.  Some of these include, but are not limited to, narratives, dialogues, letters and fairy tales.  All of these options and more can be used as creative writing activities.
    Another tool I like to use in creative writing is a notebook.  Never underestimate the power of a good notebook.  Students can use them for note-taking, jotting down ideas for projects or essays, making lists, comparing and contrasting ideas and just general brainstorming.  They are also good for free-writing activities, which are meant to give students the opportunity to write down their thoughts in the hope that some vital information will surface.  In creative writing, notebooks could represent the beginning stage of any piece.  Notebooks can house various drafts of writing, inspirational dreams and story arc maps to generate more ideas.

    Notebooks are one of my favorite things to use in my writing process.  I've been writing in a composition notebook since first grade, and I have kept almost every single one up until now.  I still keep a notebook for writing about various occurrences in my life, but in the past, I've used them for writing short stories, interpreting my dreams and experimenting with voice and character development.  Notebooks have been a huge part of not only my academic career, but also my inspiration to teach writing.  I believe that notebooks would be an asset to any English and/or Language Arts classroom.
    The versatility and freedom that come with writing should not be ignored or misused.  Students should be allowed to choose their own paths to writing and feel that their ideas and opinions are honored and respected.  There is no wrong way to write, nor is there a right way; only your way.
Writing is an integral part of any school curriculum and it would be a shame to waste all our energy and great skill on state-mandated essays and writing assessments.  Teachers should work with their students to find the writing style that bests fits their personality in order to create an open-minded learning environment.  Creative writing is meant for students to broaden their minds, reach into their imagination and explore writing as an enjoyable art form, not as a boring requirement.
    Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
   

Multigenre Projects

    

    So, for one of my courses I have to create a curriculum support project with regard to some aspect of writing.  I've decided to do a unit on the multi-genre project, which is a combination of smaller projects rolled into one.  Teachers can choose multiple genres of writing to provide for their students on any given topic.  The goal of this type of learning is to generate and support the same ideas you would gain from a typical, boring term paper.  Plus it gives students some choice and the ability to work their strengths in an otherwise difficult practice.

    Melinda Putz, a teacher and author from Michigan, wrote a strikingly effective account of multi-genre projects in her book, A Teacher's Guide to the Multigenre Research Project: Everything You Need to Get Started.  You can find that resource here to learn more about the process and the different interpretations available.  Putz arranges a detailed and organized account on how the process works, what choices you have to give your students and step-by-step instructions on how to bring it to life.
    In Putz's example, she starts off with a topic search, where students can research genuine personal interests to narrow down their project ideas to two different choices, making their ultimate decision from there.  Students then choose at least seven different genres to use in their projects, including, (but not limited to), diaries, letters, recipes, graffiti, dialogues, comic strips, etc.  The kids are encouraged to make their own choices in genre, as long as they relate well to the topic they've chosen.  This aspect of the project is where I think it truly excels; kids can basically choose their own project, down to the content and the type.  The amount of freedom and flexibility is really beneficial to students' educational self-esteem.

    I chose to dive deeper into this project because I wanted to know the true advantage to using this sort of system as opposed to the traditional essay format.  Obviously the multi-genre project has it's perks: almost complete student-driven control, multiple options and a personal touch.  There are virtually no downsides, so why don't more teachers utilize this project?  How isn't this adaptable to other subject areas, such as science and math, as opposed to English and History?  The point, I think, is that the liberal age of teaching is just beginning.
    With the ever-growing access and advancements in technology and the influx of younger, newer teachers on the horizon, the chances of a more hands-on, inspirational learning environment.  I believe the day will come when school districts will be more susceptible to change and classrooms are not places where students go to write their lives away for a standardized test.  I think that day is upon us, or at least I hope so.  If you'd like to learn more about multi-genre projects, you can follow the link I posted above.  With any other aspect of teaching, please don't hesitate to ask:)