Engaged :: Verlobt

Well, if you haven't heard the  news -- I don't know you so why are you reading my blog?!! :)  


I am engaged!!! 


Todd and I had gone to look at engagement rings last Saturday.   It wasn't like we were going to buy immediately but so that he had an idea what I like when "the time came."  


Friday I finals started.  So I decided to leave school right at 3:30, which means I actually left school shortly before 4.   I got home and piddled a little bit before taking my things down to my room (luckily not as long as some days!).


I opened the door and saw something  on the floor.  My first reaction was to blame the dog.  How the **h** did he get in my room?!  Then I realized it was rose petals!   I looked up and saw on my bed (which was made, unlike I had left it that morning!) and saw rose petals in a heart around a ring box!!  (Exhibits A and B)

   

I was so confused because I had seen Todd's car at his parents' house, no lights were on that shouldn't have been.  And I wasn't registering why he wouldn't be there for this!?!  

I turned around and he was standing in the doorway.  When I finally stopped hugging and kissing him, he got down on his knee.  I'll spare you all the juicy details of what his proposal included but he asked me in German!!  He had googled how to say to marry and had ideas for the rest!!  His pronunciation was a bit off but I couldn't have cared less!   I don't remember if I said "YES!" or "JA!" but it's really all the same.  :)

    

We're planning to get married sometime in the summer of 2012 so keep your calendars open :)  Not sure what we're thinking beyond that but we both have some ideas brewing!!  MUCH more to come, I'm sure!!

Viele liebe Grüße!

The Power of positives Denken

At the beginning of the year, I went to a meeting explaining the stages of a teacher's year-- mainly first year but in some way, every year.  Starting at 6-8 weeks in to the year begins the "disillusionment phase."  According to the summary, "They [new teachers] express self-doubt, have lower self-esteem and question their professional commitment" (CDE).  Let's see... check, check, check.  Not to mention, the stage preceding this is labeled simply "survival," which I am proud to say I (BARELY) did. 

I am exhausted, caught between trying to be a good teacher (which seems incredibly impossible) and not be a crazy, one-track-minded nutcase.  I want a life.  I love my boyfriend.  I love doing things, anything not teacher-related.  Yet, I find myself at the School from shortly after 7 a.m. until after 5 p.m (at least) almost every single day.  Not to mention the work I still haven't finished when I go home at night. 

Then throw the Holidays in the mix.  You know how a toddler becomes very agitated when its schedule is disrupted?  Teenagers, unbeknownst to them, are exactly the same.  A 2-day week may be wonderful to us but to them, it really could be the worst possible decision.  Their energy levels are off, their concentration is gone, and the chance that they might possibly remember the homework assignemnt-- laughable.

I've actually found myself thinking... I was a better teaching last semester during student teaching than now. 

There is another teaching going through this simultaneously.  Incredibly helpful.  We bounce ideas, behavior management solutions, frustrations back and forth.   But how lovely would it be if another teacher, one that had been here years and was a respected and valued member of the professional community, decided to help us? Listen to us vent and give us ideas, tests, strategies... Oh wait.  I have a mentor who is supposed to do that. 

It seems to me that, as with many things, we forget how hard it is at the beginning.  Teachers have gotten into the routine of lesson planning and grading papers.  Their lives are a constant flow.  They forgot how miserable the first year of teaching was for them.  My new teacher friend and I are promising ourselves not to be that way... but will it work?


So after a few weeks, okay, at least a solid month, of being frustrated and overwhelmed and really just a negative Nancy, I have decided to do a bit of experimentation this week.  What if I come to school positive?  No more thinking, Oh God, I hope XX doesn't come to class today   or  Just get me to 3:00 and I will be fine. 

So far, it seems to have helped a bit.  Definitely not entirely.  It still sucks that I cannot get 2 of my classes to be quiet for 3 minutes and that I don't really truly feel that I am teaching anything of significance to my English classes.  I am trying to remember.. it's my first year.  I can't be perfect.  But... that starts another rant!

And.. according to the phases of teaching, Christmas Break should be a life-changer.  Afterwards comes "Rejuvenation" and finally "Reflection" and "Anticipation."  Two and a half weeks cannot go fast enough!

Frohe Weihnachten, Freunde! :)

All Star!

After years of denying myself.... I finally bought some good ole' Chuck Taylors!  

Scheiße

Two posts in two days.  A new record, I think.

I feel like Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  I would love nothing more than to run away to Australia.

Bad news number one.   The boyfriend was laid off this morning.  Not much else to say about that.  Just sucks.

Bad news number two.  Students' parents are nightmares.  Phone call from hell.  When I'm already not happy.  Kids lie.  Teachers know this, WHY DON'T THEIR PARENTS?  Do NOT blame me.  Your kid is making it up.

GROWL!

Update.

So.. I'm sitting on my plan period being about as productive as a log... so why not pay a bit of attention to my sad little blog, right?

School is going amazingly fast!  It's almost end of 1st quarter.  Then it's almost Thanksgiving.  Then it's almost semester break.  Then I will have ALMOST survived a year as a teacher.  Sigh.  That's a lot of almosts.

Wedding season is (again..) almost over. Two weddings this month and I think there may be one in November as well.  Yikes!  We're off to St. Louis this weekend for one.  I haven't been to St. Louis since I was all of maybe 10, so it should be a good time.  Plus, the parents and the sister and brother-in-law are off with us as well.  Can't be all bad!

Speaking of weddings-- Sister 1 is engaged!  Friday evening her boyfriend popped the question and she said yes!  They're hoping to get married this June!  Very exciting..!

Things with me are, as always, being pushed to the back burner.  Things that I would love to face but that maybe take too many big decisions or simply.. I don't know where to begin!  Such as moving out.  The boyfriend and I keep talking about moving out... setting dates... we know where even!  But it's never that simple! 

Fun note that ties the last two together:  One of my English students told me yesterday that I "need a honeymoon" because I was, in her opinion, grumpy.  I told her I was pretty sure that meant I had to get married and then told her about my sister.  She said, "Oh, well that explains it!"

Always a good time at THS!! :)

A bit late...

So, it's been a while!  Sorry about that. So, WOW.  Where to begin!?


I am on my fourth full week (fifth week) of school at THS!  How's that possible?  My classroom has undergone some transformations since the first day of school.  For starters, I have no idea what a row looks like.  That or clean floors or an empty desk!  I got an Elmo, yahoo!, so I moved some things around so I can better use that and my desks are changed to talk with students more easily.   I like it!  

The best thing about teaching is getting to laugh at things... I'm sure if I didn't laugh, I honestly would hurt one of these kids.  Here are some of the "insights" high schools have shared with me:
1. "I can't remember your name.  Do you know how many teachers I have?"  (Yes.  8.  Opposed to my approx. 175 students!)
2. "Wow, Frau B.  I can't do this.  I don't know German."  (Thanks.  I know that.  Hence your being in German 1.)
3. (3 weeks in to the year.... after I told the students I taught German AND English) "So... who teaches English in here?"  


Hopefully, I can bring some more... even better "insights" from THS soon!  


One of the sad insights that I gained last week was that high school juniors do not know/understand 9/11 AT ALL.  We had an OPTIONAL assembly.  I made my seminar students attend... not that they listened to any of it.  Afterwards, I had my junior English students journal about it.  Of course, I didn't think about the fact that these students were in 2nd grade in 2001.  Quite a few remembered where they were the first time they heard about it but in both of my classes, I had a few students that asked, "Why are we writing about Sept. 11?  What happened in 2001?"  I spent probably 30 minutes with one class, watching YouTube clips of news footage and talking about what happened.  


I know it's not THEIR faults that they don't know.  But what have their teachers and their parents been doing the past 9 years?   How are schools not recognizing 9/11 at all?  I commend THS for having an assembly.  But why optional?  And if it's optional, shouldn't there be a sort of announcement or statement during the week?  Apparently not.  But I think that's sad.  Next year, if I teach juniors again, they will have been in 1st grade.  I highly doubt that any of those students will remember that day personally.  Will they know anything about it?  


As always.... my thoughts go off in random directions...!  So it goes when you spend your time with teenagers, I suppose!!

Morgen beginnt alles!

Tomorrow is my first day working at 501!  Whohoo :)






So much going on and it's only going to get crazier!