And they call me Mrs. Bryson.

I have a job! A real life, grown-up job!

Yesterday I was hired by Saratoga Shores Elementary (in Saratoga Springs) as a 3rd grade teacher!! Seriously cannot wait to start!

Actually I haven't waited to start. I've already started planning and scheming for books for my classroom library. So if you know of anyone getting rid of any 3rd grade level books...you know who to talk to (me). 

And my browser currently looks like this...

...except there are about 15 tabs open.

I love knowing what my future holds! (at least the next year...). I honestly wasn't too worried about getting an internship (is that bad to admit?), but the location was stressing me out! I loved my experience in Alpine and wouldn't dream of working anywhere else. But there were 33 other people with that same mindset and not enough spots for everyone. 

I love knowing what grade I'm going to teach! And I love that it's 3rd grade! Before even working in the schools, I told people that my preference was 3rd or 4th grade. This semester I've been planning lessons in some of my classes and I arbitrarily, or wishfully, picked 3rd grade. I have so much random stuff invested into a grade that I wasn't sure I was ever going to teach, and now I am!! I feel so blessed! As I was looking over the standards last night that I'll be responsible for teaching, and I was overwhelmed by an impression that this is where I'm supposed to be. I can picture myself teaching all this stuff, and I can picture myself enjoying it!

The Days When Nothing Goes Right.

Well apparently I've had a case of the exaggerations lately. Not everything is going wrong. Just a handful of things that seem to be taking over my life.

Like the mess in the bedroom. Hating my wardrobe has been a theme of the week and as a result all of my clothes are on the floor. Seriously, nothing looks right together. And because I'm so busy and don't want to "waste" time picking up all the clothes, they've just sat on the floor, growing like crazy.

And my computer charger, which was found half in my computer and half on the floor. Wonderful. Because you know how much it costs to replace one of those? Right, $79. I don't want to pay that. So right now, the charger is taped to my computer. Ghetto. But functional.

And the weather. Making my hair all frizzy and my curls fall out before I even leave the house.

And the canker/blister/sore spot in my mouth that won't go away because I keep biting it as I eat. Hate that.

and interviews... in just over 12 hours. I can do this.



But then there are some bright spots in my life. 

Like the fact that it's teacher appreciation week, which means free stuff at school. Today's treat was dessert from the Sweet Tooth Fairy (and other homemade treats from the PTA). Let's just say my lunch only consisted of one food group.

And the sixth graders who are so excited when it's my turn to teach.

And the lessons that just go perfectly.

And having a happy husband. He came home to a slightly home cooked meal yesterday (it was all freezer food/leftovers) and couldn't stop smiling. Or eating.

And my heated blanket. Loving that thing more than I should at the end of March.

And not having to register for classes. What, what! I just wish that meant I was close to graduation...

And finally getting the upper-hand on the ant problem that we've been having (just in time for summer...).

And the fact that I (we) get to go home in just over a month, then go on a cruise and gain ten pounds! Oh wait that last part is not a good thing...



Life's pretty dang good. I just have to, as usual, stop focusing on the negatives and see all the good, happy blessings in my life.

My Ulcer

Just getting this out there from the beginning, I don't have an ulcer. It's a joke. I'm funny.


But really, I stress myself out way too easily. Part of being the planner that I am is that I think through all sides of a situation. Which also makes me a worrier. I think through all the different outcomes and then focus on the most terrible one. Naturally.


Interviews are this week. I know I've blogged about them quite a bit, but this is a major part of my life, people! I've been looking forward to an internship for about three years now, thinking that I have all the time in the world to prepare...and now that time is just three and a half short days! AHH. And on top of that, I was reminded of the very competitive nature of this internship and consequently started freaking out.

I can't stop thinking about the interview. It's so bad that I've given myself a stomach twitch. And I looked it up this morning, and it's a thing. If you have anxiety or too much stress you develop some sort of stomach twitch. AND I HAVE IT. And when you think about it, it starts up again. Totally a mental thing, and I hate it. Probably going to turn into an ulcer.

I also may have a dose of hypochondria, but that's another story.

So to keep my mind off the interview, I'll be spending my time reading and sleeping and planning lessons and studying for my El Ed content test (Praxis). And while I'm at school, I'll be musing at the poor sixth graders going through the maturation class.


This time next week I'll know my fate!!

Current Covets And an Obsession

So I know that it's a terrible thing to covet, and maybe that word is a bit harsh for my feelings, but I have an ache within my bones for these things!

one/two/three/four/five

Too bad it's not my birthday, or Christmas, or some time when I can make up an excuse to buy myself these things. Especially that love seat. I would kill for that love seat (and right now it's on sale and under $400! #dying). Well, probably not kill. But I sure as heck can't wait to have money in the budget for a new couch/love seat. As I was looking at the things that I've had my eye on, I noticed a pattern. 3/5 of these items come from Target. This wallet from Target is fantastic too, but after noticing this trend I had to include some other stores. This is why I can't shop alone in Target. Too many random things end up in my cart.

Close Encounters of the Sixth Grade Kind

This whole week has felt like an out-of-body experience. I've just been so out of it and nothing I do has helped me get back in it.

My life has been overtaken by elementary school.


Practicum started last week, but we didn't start teaching until this week. And I taught almost every chance I could. On Monday, I seriously taught all day! It felt great! I was super apprehensive coming in to this practicum because I was placed in a 6th grade class. And I hate the pre-teen/tween age. They just have so much attitude! And, coming into a real 6th grade classroom, all my fears came true, there is attitude (so far we've had racist comments, cussing, notes written as revenge--and it's only been a week), but there is also so much more potential in these kids! I love that I don't have to teach direct instruction the whole time, the kids can figure things out on their own, and I kind of love it! (Though I still am not sure if I would want to teach 6th grade for more than a month...). I'm still trying to get used to my school's set-up for the 6th grade. They rotate to different teachers for different subjects (not that revolutionary), but the way that they rotate is completely random (like jr. high and high school). So I essentially have 3 different classes with a handful of the same faces and more names to memorize.

In addition to starting practicum, we signed up for interviews this week for internships. This was more stressful for me than it should've been. I'm currently in a district (Nebo) other than the one that I want to intern in (Alpine), so I hyped it up into a big deal and stressed over the idea that I wouldn't get an internship where I wanted. But come Tuesday when we actually made the decision for a district, I was really content with my decision for Alpine! So now my free time is spent preparing for that interview. What's my management style? What are my thoughts on balanced literacy? How would I handle a student with chronic misbehavior? All things that I have to figure out in the next two weeks. But I'm so excited to do it! I'm feeling really confident in my decision to intern, which just makes me want the interviews to be over and done with so I can start planning for next year!