teaching is almost here.

i saw my classroom officially today. and room 201 is never going to be the same. i have been busy lesson planning all day, preparing for my kiddos (whom i officially get to meet tomorrow). i already love them so much. life here is crazy, though. there is crazy weather, crazy mosquitos (i have around 100 bites, literally), and a crazy schedule. i absolutely hate waking up at 4 in the am. but everything else is going to counterbalance it. i have such a passion for the work here. i really miss being able to watch the bachelorette whenever i want to, but i love that i am giving up a little bit in order to really make the achievement gap a little smaller in my sphere of influence. people- let your voice be heard! demand a quality education for EVERY child. and maybe for starters dont let me be a teacher. haha.

its now another day, and this one began with around 3:45 of sleep. yes, this is coming from the person who needed a solid nine to even be able to get out of bed last semester. but im feeling great, had the obligatory diet dr pepper in the cafeteria (no diet coke, only diet rite. sick.) and ran out to the bus where I completed my homework for the day. and all of this before 6 am. today was a different day at school though...we did a diagnostic test called the DRA for elementary school students. meaning, i got to hang out with second graders and give them a very thorough reading test to assess their current levels, in order for us to help them excel this summer during class. it was incredible to feed off of their incredible little energies. i never imagined i could love students that i had never met, but even in one interaction with them, you feel their innocence and love and happiness. i had this big dorky smile on my face all day. and i talked on second grade level all day. im pretty sure that i would LOVE to be an elementary school teacher, simply because the kids are so incredibly impressionable. but they all did have distinct personalities, thats for sure! one sweet little second grader named Melanie wanted to show me how she could write her name in cursive SO BAD that i had to let her. she was so proud of herself, and i found myself wanting to be her teacher. we'll have to see how school goes on monday. i honestly can't believe that come monday i will have my own classroom and my own 35 students to make into responsible, civic minded savvy 6th graders (that is our class theme). they are going to be able to apply their practical understanding (thats where savvy comes in) and achieve academically and be given opportunities outside of the classroom too. i am SO excited. but there is a lot of work to do until then...we have to create our room, rules, procedures all from scratch tonight and then have lessons, diagnostics, tracking sheets, folders, homework, etc. all ready by monday. all of this, and i have to practice. and i have to watch part II of this week's bachelorette. yes, i did stay up 45 minutes later last night to simply finish watching the trainwrecks that are casey and jonathan. oh abc, you make me crazy with this amazing television!
something ive been giving a lot of thought to lately is becoming a vegetarian. crazy, i know, especially considering i hardly eat vegetables. well, i would start. i would cook good ones. and i have met some amazing people that have helped me to realize my moral obligation and integrity to start living in this manner. i have some more investigating to do, so we will have to see. ive been thinking a lot about integrity lately as well. being LDS in a situation where there are hardly any members of the church, it is harder to not stand out in some obnoxious ways, because for the most part, im exactly like everyone else. but i want to live in a way where people know that im LDS and that i stand true to my faith. i just hope that when the microscope is on me, people see the right things.
i cant tell you how busy we are here, which is probably the best thing for me at the moment. tonight i think ill actually fit in gym time! (sick). i am happy, and trying to find the balance between all of the things that i have rolling around in my mind. i hope im doing an okay job, and i also hope that i can be a phoenomenal teacher. maybe one day.