My Baby is not a baby anymore!

Yesterday was Christian's birthday, he turned 9. Where does time go? Yesterday I realized that he is no longer a baby, he is a young man. Where did my baby go? I guess that means no more "baby kisses", they were special kisses he would give me. Where did the last 9 years go? He did sit in my lap and cuddle with me, it has been way too long.

I smile just thinking about him. He has the most incredible laugh, and the sweetest smile. He just melts my heart. He is absolutely goofy and wild, but that is Christian.

This year has been so eye opening. I now have a teenager and no baby anymore. I have finished school, and am now living my dream of becoming a teacher.

I just wanted to let Christian know how much I love him, and that I hope he had a wonderful birthday. I love you, Tutor Bill!

2 down, 1 to go....

I will be finishing up my second week of summer school tomorrow. Next week is the last week and it is a little sad. I have really enjoyed the kids. However, I did forget about all the drama that goes hand in hand with high school.

I got an email from the principal yesterday and she told me how several of the students have been in to compliment me on the great job I am doing. It was really great to hear. I have also had several students go in and request to have me next year since I will be teaching a class of Algebra 2. I do have a good group of kids that just needed to be pushed and held to a higher standard.

I have settled into the routine of things, and will start my lesson plans for next year. I am so glad that my Granny Hill pushed me to finish school so I could teach. I love it and the kids. It is a wonderful feeling waking up and wanting to go to work. I guess that is why it is a career and not a job.

Today, I realized that the students do like me and my class. One of the girls missed the bus, and sat in my room from noon until around 3pm. She cleaned my boards and just sat and talked to me. I didn't ask here to, I just told the students that as long as I was there my door was always open to them for anything. I feel like I am becoming the teacher that I wanted to be, the one that students like and respect. The one that helps the students learn that won't learn for anyone else.

I have also been told by several staff and students that this one student never does anything and is never motivated has turned over a new leaf this year. They say that it is something I have done. I have done nothing but tell him he is smarter than what he or anyone thinks when he tries.

What an awesome two weeks it has been! I look forward to next year!

Oh, I was asked Friday if I would teach a class of Algebra 2, the Math Modeling class along with my 3 Algebra 1 and 2 TAKS Math classes. It was a great feeling that out of 3 teachers, they asked me.

My Room

On Monday, I will be an official teacher and also finishing up part 1 of my Alternative Teaching Certification Program (ATCP). WOW! I got my keys to the building and my classroom on Wednesday. I was able to get the room set up and cleaned a little. The teacher I replaced was not nice about how she left the room. She was let go.

The room is in the corner of the school with a hallway in front and on the side. When I walked in, the smell hit me! It is hard to describe, but it stinks! It might have to do with the fact that the building is 80 years old. The plus is it has carpet, I don't know if I would take my shoes off and walk around, but better than hearing my heals click as I walk. There are two boards, but I will only be able to use 1/2 of one until I figure out how to get the permanent 08 off of one and the ink off the other. It was much better after I moved everything around, and turned on the AC (the smell wasn't as bad). After getting everything just so, I stood at the front of the room and just stood there in amazement! This was MY room, and in a few days it will be filled with students.

I guess I am still in shock over the whole idea of me being a teacher. The kids ran the last teacher off, so I keep telling myself show no fear. I do feel better because I have an idea of what I need to cover. I think it is mostly because I feel unprepared.

I have homework to finish this weekend for my ATCP and a week worth of lesson plans that I have no idea how to write (the part of the ATCP that I still need to take). I guess I will manage and at least have a few mentors I can call.

I remember as a young child making my siblings play school, well really just Math class, and wanting to grow up and be a math teacher. Who says dreams don't come true? On that note, God is doing wonderful things in my marriage that I have been waiting 9 years for him to bring to pass. Life is great!

I will post pictures later of my room (before and after Sean helps me paint it this summer). I just wish I would have taken pictures before I got a hold of it.

Summer School

I will be teaching summer school at Mart High School. Next week I will be signing my contract for next school year and seeing where my classroom will be. I will be teaching Algebra 1 and TAKS/credit recovery math. I guess all I need to do now is get a few posters for my classroom.

Mart ISD

I was offered an invitation to join the Mart ISD family tonight!!! I will start work on August 9th and observation on Tuesday May 19th! (Happy Early Birthday, Kelly!) Mart is a great school. It is small with a total of less than 200 students in the entire high school. My average class will be a whole 15 students. WOW!!!

I am excited to start this new chapter in my life. Hunter, however, is not happy at all that I will be teaching in Mart. I have learned that Mart and Lexington are huge rivals! This will be interesting! I guess I will have to learn to sew a Mart and Lexington shirt together for the athletic events when we play Lexington.

Goal: Have a job before graduation. Check!!!!!

Here is the website for Mart ISD http://www.martisd.org/index.html

Busy, busy, busy!

I have been super busy! I had two job interviews today and one next week.

I interviewed at Mart ISD with less than 200 students in the whole high school. They had the largest stipend I have ever seen at $5000. Hunter, however, is not going to be happy with me if I get the job because Lexington and Mart are like A&M and t.u.! I guess I will have to wear the split jersey if I work there.

After finishing up with Mart, I had to hurry to Temple ISD. I met with all 5 principals with a follow up phone call tomorrow. When I finished meeting all the principals, I found out that Temple only pays $500 more than Mart a year and I would have to worry about guns and gangs in Temple.

I then came home and called Region 12 about getting into the Alternative Certification Program (ACP). She said that I just need to come in for an interview and I could start classes. The program has already started, but they are going to let me make up in the spring what I missed.

After that I contacted WIA, which is a program that will pay for my ACP. I was worried that if I started before I went through the process they would not pay for it. The lady understood that they were making an acceptation for me and so I have an appointment with her on Monday.

I then checked my e-mail and found that Rosebud-Lott would like me to come in the following week to interview.

WOW!!! Things are really taking off and looking up! And not to forget that graduation is THIS Saturday!

Granny, we did it!!

I feel a overwhelming sadness when I think about how you are not going to be watching me walk across the stage in just a few weeks. Our goal we started years ago has come to an end. I know how proud you were of me, and I know how proud you would have been. I finished my last class just hours ago, but what do I do now? You would have been the one that I called to ask. I miss hearing your voice, and reassurance. You always knew just what to say exactly when I needed it. I look back over the last few months you were here.

I am saddened when I think of the times you would call so early in the morning just to talk or check on me. I would look at the phone and tell myself I would talk to you later. Why would I not get up and talk to you? You were always there when I called. Now the phone will never say Granny again. I miss you so much! I am unable to sleep because for the first time in my life, I don't know what to do! You are not here to guide me and tell me what I should do. Everyone tells me that I am strong, but my strength came from you. When will I stop picking the phone up to call you? When will it stop hurting? Will the hole ever get smaller? You weren't suppose to go, you weren't suppose to go yet, not yet!

Granny, to hear your voice again..... to hear you say, "Kristi, it's Granny." as if I did know. To hear you tell me how proud you are of me. Just one more Granny hug was all I wanted. To feel you frail arms wrap around me. To hear your rings clink together because they were to big. To call you after the A&M, t.u. game.

I miss you so much each and every day. You were my counselor, the person that would tell me the truth no matter if it hurt or not. The one that no matter what I did or said, you always made sure I knew you loved me unconditionally.

I will always treasure our conversations on my way to school, and even though the miles separated up physically I could always feel your love. Granny, we did it, we finished school. From one graduation to another!

Almost Over, and then I can sleep!

We went to Galveston last week to help Sean's mom move, and finish my Ceramics classes. It was a crazy week. We got there on Thursday and dropped my fish and cups off to be bisque fired. Friday, I spent all day in the library doing research and printing stuff off for a major paper I have. Saturday we helped Sean's mom move and clean her old apartment. Sunday, I spent all day at school under glazing the fish and glazing the cups. Monday, another all day affair at school. It was better because I was able to Raku fire all my pieces. Tuesday morning we got up at 6 am so we could be at school by 7:30 to see if my professor would do my critique. Come to find out they moved class from 8 to 8:45 this semester. I finally got my critique done about 10, and we were on our way home. We stayed the extra day so I didn't have to make the 4 hour trip again before graduation. I think I made an "A" in both of my ceramics classes.

Since we have been home I have been at the computer. My legs hurt right behind my knees when I sat down this morning. I think they were telling me I had been sitting in this chair for way too long. I think I have maybe had a total of 20 hours of sleep in the past two weeks.

I have been working on a research paper about college abandonment versus graduation attainment that was due yesterday. The professor gave me a 24 hour extension because my computer was as tired as I was. It kept freezing on me when I would try to save the work I had done. Doing something you don't want to do 4 and 5 times gets old fast. I will be glad when it is done and turned in. I was able to finish and submit my PowerPoint presentation on time.

When I was reading some of the information, I realized that right now that my education will come to a stop in just a few days. I'm not sure what to feel. I am excited that I will be done, but sadden that it is over. I would like to get my Master's, but not in Math. I don't know the first thing about applying to a Master's program. Where do I go now? What will I do? Will I find a job? I'm not a frightful as I think I would have been at 22 or 23. We will see.

After I turn this paper in, I have another 6-8 page research paper due in 2 days. Good news is I can sleep in three days! Break is over, back to the paper.

Graduation

Graduation is finally here, well in about a month! It is a time for reflection, tears and joy.

My grandmother passed away on February 12, 2009. It was very hard on me because I would call her at least once a week on my drive to school. She was always pushing me to do better and telling me I could do it. I noticed how my grades improved because she would always ask me how they were. If it was around midterms or finals, and I ha not called her, she would call me. She was a huge part of my education, and I knew that I had to finish or deal with her. Now, she is gone!

This semester, has been the hardest one of all. Right before my grandmother took a turn for the worst, my best friend was rushed to the ER with three, yes three, blood clots in her lung. She had stopped breathing before the ambulance got there. She has two small children that I have been helping her take care of. She was on the road to recovery when she fell and hurt her back. About a month ago, she got a call that her mother was deathly ill, and they didn't know how long she had. Besides her kids, her mother is her life. I picked up the pieces, and her mother is doing better. This was as of a week ago.

With everything going on and still trying to deal with my grandmother's passing, I have fallen behind in my classes. I cannot drop because then I won't finish. If I don't graduate this semester, I am done with school for good! However, I did get some great news today!!!!

I have been worried about these two classes I am taking. This semester I had to take 15 hours all online. The first 8 wk class I managed to make an A! I was looking online at my grades, and found that a class I dropped because of Ike was not dropped. It was showing up as an F, and therefore lowering my GPA. I just got a call from the school and was told that it had slipped through the cracks, and would be fixed by tomorrow. This meant that in the two classes I was worried about, as long as I don't fail them, it doesn't matter what I get in them. I will still graduate!

A huge stress has been lifted, and GOD is so good! Granny, I'm going to finish! Also, my mother has really come through for me this semester. Mom, thanks for your help, and I can think of at least on happy memory!(I know there have been more and I do remember some) Thank you and there are no words to let you know how much it means to me for the help!

I AM GRADUATING FROM UHCL WITH WITH A BACHELOR OF ARTS IN MATHEMATICAL SCIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!