I am now a junior at BYU.
I live in this cute olive-green duplex of love with three of the most spectacular women alive. To me, it is a mini heaven. The house has creaky wood floors (mornings are the best), is completely furnished with new furniture, and has a classy color scheme. It is perfect for JC-reunions, visitors, sleepovers, you name it.
Our D-A-R-L-I-N-G cottage on 9th East.
My home. My sanctuary.
It has been 9 months since I have been on my stomping ground, in the city where I thrive, the home of my dearest friends…and I could not be MORE EXCITED. The blessed experiences I elatedly tackled this year have CHANGED ME. I am not the same woman I was the last time I left this place. As I walk home from school every day, I think about this beautiful concept of growth. Change is good. We are never done learning and changing. Whether it is a positive change... is completely up to you.
A brief update of my life currently:
Work: I have a job!!!! I am a TA of the Social-Psych 350 class and I absolutely love it. I took this class in the summer. Being a subject I thoroughly enjoy, I excelled, and in turn was offered this position. I teach review sessions for the exams, grade the exams and other assignments, and have my own office hours each week to teach and assist the students to succeed in the course. This is a 350 class aka most of the students are married ,some with children. When I stood in the classroom of “my students” for the first time, chills ran up my spine as I looked into the eyes of my esteemed peers. I am a young 20 year old, what makes me think I can have this immense responsibility? However, confidence and excitement immediately took over.
A) Age does not decipher ability B) I know and mastered the material earlier C) They have no idea I am 20 :)
A) Age does not decipher ability B) I know and mastered the material earlier C) They have no idea I am 20 :)
Ask my mom and she will tell you how much I love this job. My biggest responsibility is to help others excel academically in this class…I am all about using my abilities to help others better succeed.
Training for a Marathon. Chels and I are running the St. George Marathon on October 1st. OCTOBER 1ST!!!!! That is in…..three “short” weeks. I am so busy and have little time to quickly pound out a hard core workout every day. We run as much as our schedules and bodies will allow. We have been tremendously blessed. Saturdays are our HARD DAYS. Although it is tempting to push "snooze" and continue sleeping on Saturday mornings, I find more fulfillment running for hours in the morning, getting "lost" in the beautiful nature of Provo and Orem. Did I mention I love Provo? Chels and I just ran 15 miles this morning. I can do this. I can run this marathon.
Classes. I originally was signed up for 17 credits but I had to drop down to 16, I just couldn't do it this semester. I am taking some of the hardest and most time consuming classes I have ever taken. One in particular is my 276R Class. It is a course for History and Social Science Secondary Education Majors. It is FOUR hours every single day. We meet and learn about what I want to do when I grow up: teach! We wear suits or professional clothing of some kind in order to professionally represent BYU and to stick out from the high school students-lets me honest, many of us look like we just graduated :) Side note: To me, suits symbolize adulthood, maturity, and professional careers. I feel like yesterday I was playing “Jobs” with my little sisters in our unfinished basement and now I am preparing to actually be the “grown-up”. WHAT?!
We go to recording studios where we are recorded teaching lessons (on any topic of our choice) in front of our college class and professor. The students and professor critique and grade us on our teaching abilities. Intimidating, right? After which, we have to actually watch ourselves on the DVD. Who likes to watch films of themselves? Not me.
Since taking this class, I have discover a deeper love for teaching...I LOVE TEACHING.
I love everything about it.
-Anyway-
We go to varying high schools, an elementary school, a junior high, and three alternative high schools, to REALLY teach in classroom settings and to learn from the wisdom of successful teachers. We have this SWEET BADGE signifying the clearance of the fingerprinting and background checks we received to allow us to get a teaching licenses. I just went on Friday to Orem elementary school. I ate lunch in the cafeteria with “my girls,” ran around the playground, did Miss Conover’s work during her prep period, read books with children, taught them arithmetic, and spelling.
Story time: My experience with Landon. He is a blue-eyed, blonde-haired boy, a head shorter than all of the students, with a smile that could melt your heart. Did I mention he is the naughtiest kid in the class? Miss Conover was so irritated; Landon is constantly on the go, he won’t focus, easily distracted, and voices his opinion about everything. I decided to step in to give Miss Conover a break. Landon was in from recess because he did not do his math homework…so I was going to help him with his addition problems. Miss Conover needed to help many other students and could not attain to Landon’s lack of obedience, at the moment. My fellow teaching mate could not get him to even look at her, so she directed her attention elsewhere. I was not going to let this little guy slip through the cracks again on another assignment; I was determined to reach this kid. I mean, look at him, he looks like an angel. How hard could it really be? I knelt across the table from him and for a few minutes I actively tried to get his attention. Right when I got him looking at the problems, he immediately looked away and started pretending his pencil eraser was a rocket. The first problem was literally 1+1. I held up my fingers repeatedly and he would count them with ease. He could do these problems, he just chose not to. I felt like I was pulling teeth to get him to even look at his paper. He then took off to go play with the puppets. After what seemed like an eternity, I was able to get him back into his miniature chair with his feet on the ground. I was not going to give up. As I was contemplating on what grand idea I should try next, I noticed he kept looking up at something. I looked up, searching for the object that obviously was catching more attention from him than any of us could possibly hope for. I asked him what he was looking at and instantly, he started scribbling something onto his paper. I looked down and it was the number “2.” I raised my hands in the air and started screaming: “LANDON, YOU DID IT!” He evilly laughed and quickly replied, “I tricked you.” Ok, I got him figured him out=He likes his games and so maybe a little friendly competition may encourage him. (Boys like their competition)! I challenged him to race me and prove to me he was faster than I was. We raced through dozens of problem. A few evil laughs here, a tie there, and Landon conquered his first math worksheet. (I think we had a total of 12 tie-breakers because he insisted on winning and I insisted finishing 12 more math problems ;). I about cried with joy today because a little boy named Landon finished his math homework. Who would have thought?! I am here to attest: Miracles do happen. Even though, I am not interested in Elementary teaching. Miss Conover and those little children taught me very valuable lessons today.
