What I've Learned....

2 and 1/2 more days then I am finished with my first year of teaching! I can honestly say that this has been a learning experience. I've learned about the kind of teacher I want to be, and the kind of teacher I don't want to be. I've learned the reality that although I want every child to succeed, some will succeed more than others. I've learned that you can't help a student who doesn't want to be helped, and who has no motivation to learn no matter how hard you try to motivate them. I've learned about each of my students' little personalities and quirks. Things that make them sad and happy. I've learned that even the most troubled of students will find their way into your heart, and then will make you want to pull your hair out the next minute. No matter how mad you get at them because they just won't sit down and stop dancing around the room, you can't help but love them for who they are and the way God created them to be. I've learned how to be more organized. I've learned that sometimes you just have to shut your classroom door and teach the way you've been taught to teach. I've learned that having other teachers who support you and encourage you can make all the difference in your year and how it turns out.

Overall I have had a good year. It's been REALLY tough though. Between teaching to the test and being called in for meetings because things just aren't working the way other people think they should work, I've learned to look on the positive side and still keep my desire for serving the Lord through teaching His children. So I look back on this job with all of its ups and downs with nothing but gratitude, because if I had not had the down parts, I wouldn't have learned so much.

Pickle Week 2012

We finished our 2nd day of state testing! Hooray!! My little fourth graders worked so hard this morning. Tomorrow we tackle the Math portion of the test, then we will be FINISHED! They are as glad as I am. To celebrate the end of testing AND because we have one more full week of school, my sweet class and I will be participating in Pickle Week 2012 which will be May 17- 28. I know what you must be thinking: There's a week devoted to pickles?? The answer is YES! I mean, who doesn't think this is a nifty idea?? Now, I didn't just magically find this out. I owe the credit to my fellow teacher friends. 

Next week my class will be learning all about pickles: where they come from, how they are made, the different types of pickles. They will even learn about their birth month pickle (seriously, there's a pickle for each month of the year. Now for the best part: Kool-Aid Pickles. I like Kool-Aid, and I like pickles. So imagine my surprise and happiness when I was given a recipe for Kool-Aid Pickles or Koolickles as the recipe calls them. In order to make these happen you need a few things:

1 gallon jar of pickles 

(obviously, from the pictures you will see I could not find a 1 gallon jar of pickles in Wal Mart....this is why I HATE Wal Mart....but that's another story for another day)

1 pound of sugar

1 packet of unsweetened Cherry Kool-Aid

(it calls for Cherry, but I couldn't find regular Cherry, and sometimes I like to deviate from the recipe so I bought Black Cherry.)

Drain the pickle juice into another container.

 Pour the packet of Kool-Aid into the container of pickle juice.

Add the sugar to the liquid.

Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Pour liquid back into pickle jars or jar...depending on which you find. There will be a little liquid left over. Just make sure it covers the top of the pickles.

 Put the top on those jars, and put them in the fridge for about a week (this is what I was told).

Voila! Koolickles!

P.S.- The leftover liquid is sitting in my freezer to make pickle-cisicles per the boyfriend's request. I've never heard of these things, but apparently they are good according to his stories about having them at the baseball fields. I'll find out tomorrow.

P.P.S- Pickle juice is also good for stopping hiccups. FYI.

Peace, Love, and Happy Pickle Week!!!!

Cinco de Mayo Wedding & A Storage Locker Surprise

I know this is quite an unusual title for a blog post. They have nothing in common, except for me.
My weekend started on Thursday last week when the boyfriend & I went to the wedding festivities of our two close friends who got married on Saturday!! (Congratulations again, Lindsay & Will!) They are now on their honeymoon in St. Lucia. The wedding festivities began Friday night with the rehearsal dinner and didn't end until late Saturday evening. There was dancing, cake, wine, and more dancing. It was truly a fairytale wedding for my very best friend who deserved nothing less. Stefan and I had a wonderful time. (I'm also just glad I didn't trip on my bridesmaid's dress walking down the aisle, and that I didn't cry during the song Ray and I sang.)

The beautiful bride & me.

Now on to the Storage Locker Surprise. My wonderful father (who is retiring this year after 30 years of teaching! WHAT?!) watches is addicted to the T.V. Storage Wars, and I'm not going to lie, I enjoy watching the show as well. Do I have any other Storage Wars watchers? Anyone? Anyone? Anyways, he bought this storage locker earlier in the week and found that it was FILLED with teacher stuff! Mostly K-1st grade things (which I will be able to use next year because I will be teaching 1st grade!!!) He immediately called me and asked if I wanted the things in the lockers, and of course I said yes! (Who would say no to free teacher things???) I offered to pay him for it, but because he loves me so & I'm his favorite daughter (shhhhh...don't tell Camille) he said I did not have to pay for it. I'm still giving him money though. 

Here is a picture of the front of the storage locker. 

I went through some of it today, but it is freaking HOT in Mississippi right now. In fact, I think we skipped over spring entirely this year. Needless to stay, I didn't stay very long.

Going to leave you on that note to watch GCB with the boyfriend! Season finale tonight!