Class...

I started my classes this week. I have one every Tuesday night from 8:00 to 10:30 (but she said we would usually get out about 9:30 instead). It seems like it is going to be a great class! It's about students with disabilities or "special populations". We will have guest speakers at almost every class which is AWESOME! I am really excited because now that I have experience teaching, I can really relate to what I am learning in class and apply it. My other class meets only 3 weekends for a Friday night and Saturday from 9-3. It is Intro to School Counseling. It is really interesting especially because it focuses on being a counselor at all grade levels, including high school. I like it, but there are quite a few projects I have to do in between sessions of class and several are group projects. Fortunately I found 2 teachers to be in my group that teach in Irving at a neighboring school so it will be easier to work with them. Anyway, I am pretty excited about my classes. I also found out that I can obtain a probational counselor certificate after 24 credit hours and 3 years of teaching. I can start applying for counseling jobs then. If that is the case, then I should be able to apply for a counseling job after this next summer if I want. I think I will wait until I have at least a few more years teaching so that I can enjoy being in the classroom before I leave it. Well, its time to go watch some more episodes of 24 with my hubby! Goodnight!!

First Day

We started back to work today! I think being a teacher is like having a kid (even though I haven't had one). You prepare and prepare and then when the day comes (the first day of school) it is REALLY painful but with time you forget how painful that day was and you are ready to do it again. But by then you have had some time off, and then when it comes again, you remember why you needed the time off. HAHA Anyway, saying that, today was actually a good day. The more you go through the first day of school, the more you expect. I have a few kids that already think they are "too cool for school". They will find out real fast that they in fact, are not. It has been really fun seeing old students though. I didn't get that the previous year because of moving states. I love seeing how much they have grown and hear all of their stories.

Evan had a good day today. The job seems like it will be alot like babysitting at first, but he will get to help do lessons and stuff later. The teacher he is an aid for had to change kids diapers 12 times today! She is one strong lady because I don't think I could do it. Evan also started class today. He has an American Lit class but it seems like it will be fairly simple. He got approved for a grant that more than covers tuition so we are hoping to pay off some previously accrued debt... so exciting!

I start my class tomorrow. It lasts until 10:30!! Which means I won't get home until 11 which is WAY past my bedtime. I am excited and nervous all wrapped up into one big ball of EXHAUSTION. It will be good though. If I just stick to it, I know I will be done in no time.

When we got home today, I made some dinner and then Evan ran to class. In the meantime, I got some alone time tanning and swimming laps. Of course, my luck, there was this 7yr old kid (the same age I teach) splashing around. As soon as I got in she started following me, asking me questions, and intentionally trying to get in my way as I swam laps. I played along at first, answering her questions and asking her some in return, but then it just got annoying. Finally her dad got off the phone and got in to entertain her.

Anyway, I hope all of you teachers out there had a good first day back. I also hope that all of you parents of school aged kids enjoyed the first day back to freedom. ;)

Back to School.....and other updates

One more week 'til school starts.... CRAZY!! This will be my third year teaching and my FIRST year of my Master's degree!! Evan is continuing his bachelors after a short break. The other day we sat down and looked up the salaries of our desired professions. Like little kids, we each said what we want to be when we "grow up". I want to be a counselor, and hopefully will be in 2 more years! Evan wants to be a principal. He needs 2 years for his bachelors, 2 years for a masters, then at least 3 or 4 years as an Assistant Principal. When its all said and done, we just want to be happy in what we are doing. Registering me for classes was a breeze (besides the $600 PER CREDIT HOUR!!). Registering Evan on the other hand was a little trickier. Evan is at a crossroads where he is pretty much done with all of his core classes that he could take at community college. We had a few advisers evaluate his transcript and find maybe 3 classes that he could still take. So, we need to decide soon where he wants to finish up. So besides the few visits to the advisers at North Lake CC, we also had to go to the admissions office SEVERAL times to try and prove his residency. Evan has lived here in Texas since the beginning of last August, but he moved several times because of his work. Well the school won't recognize any of the documentation we have from last August because 1) his company had him living at a hotel 2) his company is an Oklahoma based company and 3) he has no other bills or licensees showing he was here last August. So, we are going to try one more time tomorrow to claim residency and then we will just have to fork over the out of state tuition if it doesn't work. In state = $250 Out of State = $867...... bye bye $600......... Anyway, besides that fiasco, life has been good. We drove to Oklahoma for a few days to surprise Evan's mom for her birthday and we had a blast. It was my first time at the OKC temple and it was BEAUTIFUL! Today we celebrated my Dad's 57th birthday by going to Uncle Julios. Yummy! He was surprised at work on Saturday with a midget Mexican stripper that a coworker had played a prank on him with. My mom says the pictures do not give the experience justice haha! Evan is contracted to work starting tomorrow, and I start on Wednesday. I have been having nightmares about school starting. One involves a class full of this one trouble maker and I try everything I do to get them under control but I can't. The other recurring dream is where I wake up on the first day of school and make it there right as the bell rings with nothing ready... I mean nothing, no bulletin boards, no back to school packets, no school supplies, no worksheets, NOTHING. That one scares me the most because I hate being under prepared. Anyway, I am rambling now, but I hope everyone is having a good end to their summer. I know my summer has been one I will NEVER forget :)

OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL!!!!

I FINALLY have gotten my name changed on most everything. I finished the checklist with a stop at my District Office today to change my name for work. I am officially a Russell now. It's going to take some getting used to, but once I hear it from 20 second graders, 50 times a day, I think it will sound normal to me. Speaking of second graders, I started training today for work. I have a few days this week, then next week off, then more training and then school starts! It's so crazy that summer is almost over. I wanted to cry this morning when I had to pull myself out of bed, and it wasn't even at the time I usually have to wake up for school. I am excited to get into a good routine though. I started a teacher blog for everyone to share ideas. So make sure you stop by and leave a comment! Even if you aren't a teacher, some of the stuff we talk about could possibly help you with your kids. You never know. Anyway, time to go eat some MONSTERS. Click the link for the recipe on my recipe blog!