Hello all,

Okay so I haven't really kept up with the whole blogging updates so let me see here...

Well first of all, as you can see from my picture here on the left, I have a huge scratch/cut on my forehead, long story short, it involved a straightener and a burn that I irritated by scratching.  The mark is kinda distracting to my summer school kids.  One student seriously asked me a couple days ago if it was a hickey.  Really, I didn't make that up.  

Speaking of summer school, I started teaching two weeks ago.  I've taught summer school every summer for the past 5-6 years.  Never have had a problem till this year.  I've never been insulted by so many middle school students in such a short period of time (at least not to my face).  It's been very hard to say the least.  I have not come home crying from a day of teaching since my first year in L.A.  Well, last week I was so frustrated with their behavior I just broke down when I got home.  Thank God I have such a sweet understanding husband to help pick my head up and keep trying.  This week was not the best, but it was better.

Geof and I are heading to L.A. on Saturday and Sunday.  I will be sure to post pics from the Santa Monica Promenade. 

First Week of Summer Break

Well, thank you to Jerelyn for getting me started with the whole blogging thing here.

First week of summer break is here. It's not really a true break because I will be teaching summer school at WAMS for four weeks, starting next week. So during my vacation weeks, my true sleeping patterns emerge. If it were up to me, I would stay up till about 3am every morning. Wake up around 9-10am. Take a couple hour long nap from 2-4pm, and start all over again. heehee, i wish! Here are a few pics from this week. I've been spending some time relaxing at home with the husband and pups.

I can not believe another year of teaching has passed. This was my 7th year of teaching and it went by the fastest. People might think teaching the same subjects (Life and Physical Science) year after year might get repetitive, but each set of kids brings new adventures.

Examples:

Year 1: Hearing a kid tell me "I hope you die"

Year 2: Catching girls pierce their own belly buttons in the girls restroom

Year 3: Nearly destroying a student's science fair project driving it to the district science fair

(remember that Liz?)

Year 4: Saving a kid from choking on a swallowed guitar pick in my class.

Year 5: Meeting a great lifelong friend (even if she would rather be teaching at the high school)

Year 6: Nearly winning the district 5th/6th grade girls volleyball championship as head coach

Year 7: Helping send 7 of my students to the state science fair

Even though there are times when I look at a pile of homework/tests that I need to grade and think, what's the point?

Even though there are times when I feel unappreciated by my students, students parents, and administration and think why do I work so hard?

Even though there are times when I look at my pay stub and think, is this what I am worth?

All it takes is one student to say, "Thank you" and mean it and I know why I do what I do.