Yesterday Was Plain Awful!

Yesterday was just plain depressing, I had my interview for an internship and it was my last day of practicum with my fifth graders! It had its highs but it also had its lows...

I woke up early to get ready for my internship interview and left for the interview I got there (quite nervous, I was finding out if I got a position that night) interviewed (It was fine) and then drove to school. I was a little late to school and when I got there I had this spread waiting for me on the back table. Every student had written me a poem (some two or three) One girl made me cookies and a few others brought presents for me. I felt so loved!

Let me share with you a few of my poems... You don't have to read all of them but please read the Limmerick, it's one of my favorites.

Acrostic
Much Appreciated
In all aspects, amazing
So very fun
Super fun

Fantastic-ly fun
Is awesome
Super nice
Over the level of awesomeness

Marvelous
Intelligent
Special
Smart

Fun
Important
Smiley
Optimistic

Haiku:
A dark stormy night
An awesome teacher appears
And kills dark monsters

You are amazing!
I love it when you teach us
Don't go Miss Fiso! :(

Concrete:

The words for this one: Please don't go and we all will miss you  and you are a part of this class! Please don't, Don't leave, we will all miss you!

Telephone poem:

Nice, loving, caring

Awesome substitute teacher is Miss Fiso

I hope you come back to visit us

The class loves you

We're going to miss you

You're super super super nice

So goodbye Miss Fiso we'll all miss you always

(And last but not least) Limerick:

There once was a student teacher,

And I'm really gonna miss her

Her success was definite

Her love was infinite

Goodbye, Miss Fiso you're a winner!!

We went through the morning, I taught math, we did reading, recess and then lunch. I told the students I would eat lunch with them on my last day of lunch so I did. While we were eating the students were talking to me about things and they found out about my internship interview. It was at that point of lunch that the students started cheering for me and chanting my name to the chagrin of the lunch lady. It was so amazing! After lunch we did some more school-ish things and then the students got ready for the end of the day and said goodbye to me. While the students were in various parts of the room getting ready to go home this is what I heard...

Did someone bring string? We can tie her up and she can't leave...
It's okay we can just kidnap her. (As he comes up to me to put his sweater on my head to "kidnap" me)
We don't have to tie her up for too long, just enough to make her stay with us

and then everyone came back to give me hugs and look at me with sad eyes. I told them to stop the sad eyes and that is when they started their sad faces. :(

But the bell rang and after we finally ushered everyone out of the room I went to collaboration with my mentor teacher. It was good but nothing special. After the meeting I went to the car to go home and got the phone call that I was not offered a teaching position but I could try for Jordan District. I was devastated. I have nothing against Jordan but I was really looking forward to Nebo. Wish me well, Interviews for Jordan are next week.

**Also I am so so so excited for my friends who got their internships! They are all amazing!**

I went to my parent's home and I couldn't stop crying which is odd because I am not a crier... I was just so devastated. My mind was telling me that I was being an idiot. I originally wanted to do Jordan and it would be a new experience for me but I was a mess. My mom had the idea that we go to the Temple. So we did. It was great! I still was a little teary but I love going to the Temple and it calmed me down a lot.

Well there is my sad and sordid story but I'm sure the 'sun will come out tomorrow' My 5th graders are having a party and I just might stop by...

Sunday thoughts

I have so many family and friends at the moment who are on missions or leaving soon on a mission so I get a lot of missionary emails. I love reading these emails and seeing how much these family and friends have grown and applying their knowledge to my life. One of my friends recently challenged those back home to share a message every week that will strengthen or comfort someone else. I am going to try just that...


While looking at the Mormon Channel on Youtube I found this video. The video focuses on courage and perseverance. It refers to the story of Ester and the faith and courage that she needed, to accomplish the things asked of her. The story of Ester is one of my favorites. I'd like to think that I could be as faithful as her if the situation ever arose, so likening Ester to modern women of the church really made an impression on me. I know that we can do hard things. Like Ester and many others we are not alone, we have the support system of our family, friends, ward members, Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. As long as we are striving to be our best we will have the strength and courage to go on. I hope you enjoy this...

It's done...

This week was the BYU Lu'au I have been practicing every Saturday since January so it's nice to be done but at the same time I love participating in the Lu'au. This year I danced for Tahiti and Samoa. It was great! Samoa had a sick Sasa this year and Tahiti had a lot of time devoted to costumes as well as the dances. Both sections were great and I was so happy to participate in them! I'm so thankful for everyone who came to watch... I've heard that this year we can get a copy of the performance... I can't wait!

Funny thought of the day

Today there was a student reading me a book she came to a part where the person speaking called another person an arrogant jerk (she stopped after reading arrogant)...

Her: What does Arrogant mean?
Me: Well it means that he was stuck-up?
Her: What is that (She is learning English)
Me: It means he thinks he is better than everyone else. Go ahead and keep reading.
Her: (After looking at the Page) J-E-R-K. Ohhh I can't believe it! They used a bad word. Can you believe it. That is a bad word!

**I love kids so much!**

It's here!

Practicum started today... I am one step closer to having my own classroom. This is my second time joining another teachers classroom and I am psyched!!! For those of you who are wondering what practicum is let me explain. For a month I get to go into a classroom and observe/teach/learn it is a great way to prepare for student teaching or an internship. Last semester I was able to spend some time with some amazing first graders and this semester I get the chance to meet some fifth graders.

Today I didn't actually get to meet my kids, that will happen tomorrow. Today, for half the day, I met my teacher and got to talk to her about things. It was great! She seems awesome and very organized (She already gave me a list of what I am going to teach next week). I am so excited I can't wait to meet the kids and let them meet me tomorrow. The other half of the day I was able to sub in another teachers classroom as she met her practicum student. It was great. I think my favorite part was when one of the students came up to me and said, "Those boy's over there talking are called the five, they cause problems for us". Is it bad that I wanted to laugh at that? (Don't worry I kept it inside)

After I got home I went shopping... I was able to find a new dress and a few other teacher outfits. I love having an excuse to go shopping and I feel justified in counting new teacher outfits as a reason to go to the store... Also tonight was Dinner with a Principal it was amazing to have the chance to talk to potential employers, very enlightening. Well I think that's it for now.

My Excitement for today...

My new dress

My kids from last semester... (They are hiding in their costumes so hopefully this picture is okay?)

Ramblings...

It has been a while but tonight I felt like sharing what has been on my mind:

1) PRACTICUM starts THURSDAY!!!!! I am so stinkin' excited! This semester I will be working in a fifth grade classroom out in Mapleton. I can't wait to meet my students!

2)This snow needs to go... Don't get me wrong I love the snow as much as any other kind of weather but last Saturday at 11:00 I was laying by the window in the sun, this Saturday at 11:00 I was sitting across from the window watching the snow fall. Also I almost got in a crash due to the ice on the road but that is a story for another time...

3) My grandma Fiso has been in the hospital since Wednesday and has everyone worried. Everyone has been coming to visit her. So many people were coming that she was moved to a bigger room to accommodate everyone. Before she switched rooms one of my cousins came to visit (at a time when a lot of people were visiting) when she got to the room she said "This room is so small, why are they not prepared for Polynesian families?" It was soon after that grandma moved rooms.
       For a while she was not herself but I keep seeing her personality come out and that makes me so happy! At the hospital they have her on a BiPAP machine which helps to keep her oxygen levels up but she hates having the mask on her face and continuously rips it off, recently they have tied down her hands to ensure that she does not take of the BiPAP. Before they taped down her hands she pulled of the mask while her family was in the room we all tried to get it back on her but she wouldn't let us. One of the nurses came in to put it on her. While the nurse was trying to get it back on my parents were holding down grandmas hands and grandma was yelling (as well as she could) "No, I said no and I meant no!" The nurse finally got the mask on grandma's face and before securing it said "Pat, this is to help you. I know you don't like it but it is important for your health." It was then that grandma stated, "If you don't take your hand off of me there is going to be a war in here!" As sad as the situation was I couldn't help but laugh inside. It made me happy to see that my grandma still had her personality about her. Things are looking up but there is still no expected release date for her.

4) Lu'au tickets go on sale Friday!!! Everyone should come!

5) Psych comes back Wednesday!

6) I am rereading one of my favorite books and I found this quote inside of it that I love... "You don't love someone because they are perfect... You love them in spite of the fact that they're not" I love this because it helps me to keep a perspective. I know that it is hard to recognize that everyone has their faults but once you realize that it is not only you with faults you realize that you can work through the faults and grow from them. When you love someone no matter what you are not only loving them for who they are but who they may become.

Teachers

This semester I have some of the most amazing and most confusing teachers I have ever had in school. Right now I am going to focus on one of those amazing teachers... This teacher's main focus is us. She wants to prepare us for a future of teaching and she wants to tailor her teaching to our needs. At the beginning of the semester she asked us what we wanted to learn so we made lists. She took those lists and created our schedule for the semester. She has many connections and has used those connections to  provide us with special guest speakers to inform us. The thing I like the most about this teacher is... She is real. She understands that time is a limit and recognizes that what we are taught is not always the most practical but she tries to make it so.

Anyway to the point of this blogpost... The other day this teacher started a discussion, realized it was going nowhere and changed the objective of her lesson all in the space of 5 minutes! I want to be that type of teacher... I want to be the teacher that understands what her students need and can recognize when the plan isn't working. I want to be the kind of teacher that can change my direction without a second thought because that is what is best for my students.


By the way I am taking the PRAXIS today. I'm past the point of studying... In case this blog post didn't tip you off but I figure whatever happens happens, right?

By the way I love this version of the song!!!!