The Student Teacher

Today was the 6th day of school.  I have yet to really sit down and record any thoughts and figured it is appropriate to do so. I am the student teacher.  I don't know that there is another student teacher in the school at the moment.  As a WGU student I started on day 1 of the school year and that was pretty fantastic.  I've been able to sit through course disclosures on 6 separate occasions now.  They are perhaps the most exciting part of the new year. I think students probably tune out for these though they contain lots of good information.  As a parent I find myself bombarded with them at the beginning of the year or the semester. I admit that I don't read every detail and when I sign the document and hand it back to whichever child it belongs to I hope that they remember to turn it in so they can get the 50 special points or whatever points are assigned to my signature being on the form.  I am sure it is something teachers are required to do since they all do it. I wonder how I could make that a simpler thing?  It is already simple or can potentially be simple.  Some teachers tend to get a little too excited about their course.  Gotta love the disclosure. 

I have been assigned to work with James Davidson.  I met Davidson a couple of years ago as part of an optional assignment I did for one of my education classes at SUU.  He worked in Annie Drapers class with her when I was doing the growth mindset presentation there. I didn't realize that he was in special ed back then but it turns out that he is the department head. I have thoroughly enjoyed being his shadow. He is tall and thin and I am short and stocky so my actual shadow presence doesn't quite match but that is ok.  We get along pretty well and I enjoy asking questions and learning from him though I try to be cautious about asking too many questions. 

The students.  Love the students.  I am a shy person to begin with and I am also a guest in the school so it has taken me a bit to feel comfortable with the students but I am working on getting to know names and getting to know them. I find that I like them and like to learn about them and to show interest in what they are doing, hope to do etc.  One of the classes we have is an extended learning period where all of Davidson's cases are enrolled in the class.  These are all students with IEP's that he works with. I got to visit with several of them over the last two days about things they are interested in and are considering for careers and post high school life.  That was pretty cool.  A lot of them aren't all that certain but have some fun ideas.  Another one of my favorite classes is a remedial math class that Davidson teaches.  I have really enjoyed being in there with those students because the math is on a level that I can understand and many of these students are severe special ed which I happen to quite like.  They are wonderful. I have also spent some time in the severe classroom though it is broken up into two sections, those that are more mild and then those that are severe severe.  I have not done a lot with the severe severe but the mild severe is a great group. Lots of fun. 

My time here is going to be short.  I think I am realizing that more and more and I get a little sad to think that this is not a permanent thing for me.  I would love to be teaching at this school.  I like the faculty and love that I can walk there. I stroll home for lunch each day and that has been great.  Fortunately my next assignment is at South and so I will continue to walk to school.  Hopefully at the end of the student teaching I can find a position. I would love for it to be at the high school though I have no problem with South where I thoroughly enjoyed my pre-clinical experiences last spring. 

I don't know how hard this student teaching thing is really going to be.  I am having a lot of fun and just trying to absorb all that I can at this point.  I know there is so much more to learn and being the teacher of record would require me to do more that just being a shadow. I will do my best to pick up what I can during this time. 

Camping Out Back - Sunday 8/12

Tonight Andy and I are camping out in the backyard. There is a meteor shower in the forecast and we are going to try and see it. I may be fast asleep before the festivities in the sky become visible. Maybe not. Andy set up his tent and I am situated under the stars on an air mattress. Wonderful. Of course right now I can't see a thing because I am staring at this screen. No worries, I will soon put this away and stare at the night sky. Well, I am grateful for the time I am able to spend with my kids. This little outing is not my first choice for where I would like to sleep tonight but it is important to Andy so it is important to me. Jack isn't having any of the camping but we did get out and walk the canyon park trail earlier tonight. Good times. Well, grateful for the blessings of the gospel in our lives.

Home

Made a drive down to Lax Vegas today.  The boys traveled home from Alaska today. There were a few delays and we have no luggage but they are home. It is late and I am tired. I have already fallen asleep in this entry but I wanted to note the special occasion. Yesterday was my birthday and I enjoyed it. Having the boys home is a wonderful gift.

Babies Blessed

It was a special day today.  Two new babies belonging to siblings of mine were blessed today and that is always a special and tender thing.  Micheal David Morris and Walter Terry Fontano were blessed by their fathers Dan Morris and Dave Fontano.  Dan and Amy have big babies and it was funny to see how Mikey was so big compared to little Walter.  Granted, Mikey is a bit older and Walter came a little early and was small from the start but the size comparison does make me laugh a little.  Mikey reminds me of his brother Sambo who was one of the biggest babies I have ever seen (he has thinned out quite a bit now) and Terry looks just like his two older brothers.  Babies are a wonderful thing.  I love to be around them, to hold them, to feel of their great spirits.  It was a great honor for me to be there today and to participate in this special event.  It was wonderful to stand in the circle with my brothers and my father, with my brother in law and his father, with Dave's in-laws, and with other friends. Good people.  Grateful to be there. 

Earlier this morning we gathered at a storage unit that we have had for the last several years.  We cleaned out much of it.  There were some fun things to look at including several of dad's collections. There were magic tricks, hats, and an unusual number of harmonicas. We aren't certain that pops even plays the harmonica but he sure collects them.  Mike did some modeling of several of dads hats including a mullet equipped billy bob hat. Thankfully he opted to not put in the billy bob teeth. With every hat modeled he did a Fonzie impersonation of sorts. It was good for a laugh.  We also enjoyed a little journaling of mother's where she wrote about her being such a skank and then the word processor not being sure that she was using the word quite right.  No, no mother, you were not using the word correctly and it is not recommended that anyone refer to themselves that way. 

I realize that I said I would be stepping away from the blog. As you can see this is more than just a message about how tired I am. I will sit and write when I have something to record but I will not sit and struggle to stay awake for an hour just so I can punch out how tired I am on the keyboard.  I think this will work out well.  I did feel the withdrawal last night as I went to bed without keeping a record. I do think it will be more meaningful to sit down and record something because I have a feeling that I need to or want to rather than feeling an obligation to write something, anything just so I can check off a box that said I did it.  

Changing it Up

As I have reviewed my entries for the last several days I have realized just how lame they have been.  Suffice to say, I have been extremely tired by the time I have had the opportunity to sit down and record something. I am contemplating taking a step back on my daily entries.  It has been some 24 years that I have written daily in my journal.  That is a long time.  Some of those recordings are of greater importance in my life history than others.  Some simply reflect a commitment to keeping a record while others have deeper meaning.  I don't see a lot of value in those recordings that I have made lately. I am clearly tired but so is anybody that tries to squeeze every last second out of the day to do things of relatively little value.  I love mowing the lawn.  I did that yesterday.  It was wonderful.  I did several other things that kept me busy.  I even went and treated myself to a movie including popcorn and a drink.  That was big time for me because I really have a hard time spending money on food and drink at such outrageous mark ups.  Maybe it was just an early birthday treat, I don't know. In the end, I got home late, I was exhausted, I sat down to write and couldn't keep my eyes open.  I recording some meaningless garb about being tired.  What is the value in that?

And so it is I find myself thinking about my journal keeping and wonder if it isn't time to make a change.  My life is about to get extremely busy with student teaching starting in 12 days.  I don't know what to expect.  I've got boys coming home next week and we are going to have a very busy 4 months.  Writing everyday that I am tired and busy just doesn't make sense especially since that simple recording usually involves me sitting down and falling asleep throughout the process until I finally give up trying to record something.  I believe it is time to stop wasting my time just so I can say I've kept a record.  I will continue to make recordings but will reserve those recordings for things of greater meaning in my life.  I don't know how that is all going to work but I am signing off of this daily reporting for now.  My focus moving forward will be to record things of greater value and more meaning in my life.  I don't know how often that will be.  I might be right back here tomorrow night because this is such an established routine for me.  Anyway, it is time. 

August 1st

It is already August. The count down begins. In 13 days school begins. I feel a bit of anxiety about that. I just get nervous about it all. There is much that will be required. Busy day again today. I am tired , need to get to bed.

Better

Fine day. So very tired. i i
Am ado tired. Vr1

G. THERE GOES TH E

I DONT know what has happened.  I.dozed off and woke uo.
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