Why I Love My Major

Can I just say, I love my major!! I'm going into elementary education and I don't regret that decision one bit. Recently, I got a job through America Reads Tutoring. What I do is for so many hours a week, go to a classroom and help kids with literacy. However, it's gotten to the point where I'm more of an aid then a tutor. I do my tutor stuff, but help out so much in the classroom doing other things. Anyway, so I got assigned to kindergarten. I was unsure at first because I've always wanted to teach 4th grade....but I am so glad I got put in a kindergarten class. I honestly think I want to do kindergarten now. So, M-F I'm with the morning class. T-TH I'm with the afternoon class and I love it. I really wish I could work more hours. Those kids are so darling. They've taken to calling me "Mrs. C" or "Miss Courtney". I've been doing this job for about a month now and I've never been more happier in a job then I am now. Granted I still work Burger King, but just going to my kindergarten classes makes everything so much better. I love my students.

For example, we do a thing called power half hour. What we do is in small groups we go over a few letters. How to write them and say them. Then we play some game that helps with phonics. Anyway, it was during my pm class, everyone was doing great, but this one girl was just struggling especially with her letter "S". (I later talked to the teacher about her and apparently she has a really hard time with writing.) So, after we got through everything I sent the rest of the kids to the rug and had her stay so I could work with her better. Poor girl was getting so frustrated, she was on the verge of tears. So, I let her go not wanting to push her into it. Well school ends (early because its SEOP week) and this girl comes in a few minutes later with her mom and little brother. Her mom needed to talk to the teacher so this little girl came over to me, and I was taping books that had been used so much the binding was torn, and she began talking to me. She showed me her cute planner thing she got from book fair and was just telling me the most random stuff. This went  on for about 10 minutes and we just had a cute little conversation. During this conversation we talked about her writing and I challenged her to work on her "S"s. Well she was showing me how she has a special spot in her planner for numbers and she asked for mine. I knew she'd probably never call me, it was more for show purposes plus it's a good way to have her work on her numbers. So, I have it to her, had to teach her how to write 4's and what not, but she eventually got it. By then her mom was done talking so she runs up to her mom and is all like "look mom!! I got Mrs. C's number!!" and she was just so excited. 2 days later, I walk into class and we get in our groups and the first thing she says is, "I can do my letter "S" now!!" and I was like, "ya? Show me". So she did and she had greatly improved. Then she's all like, "I practiced just like you said!" and gave me this huge hug. I was so proud of her. I told her that too and she just had the biggest smile on her face. That was a really proud moment for me. It's funny how I spent 10 minutes with her one on one and just that small amount of attention changed our relationship from me just being an aid to being her best friend. I had never came home so happy as I did today.

She's not the only one who has made me proud. We also do sight words and fluency folders with the students. Some students don't get practice at home so naturally they're behind those that do. But even just working with them, doing sight word flash cards has helped greatly. After about 2 weeks I got about half my students from list 1 to list 2. Even doing fluency folders (page of letters and they are timed for 1 minute to see how far they can get), when they beat they're previous mark, I just get so ecstatic. With every student I  make sure I praise them and/or encourage them to do better and I really think it helps that they have that support and someone who believes in them.

A lot of their improvement goes to the teacher as well. She is AMAZING! I've learned so much from her. Not only that but, you can tell she genuinely cares about each of her students. Everything we learn in school about classroom management, teaching skills, being a role model...she has got down perfect. I can honestly say I look up to her. I love talking to her and getting new insight and ideas. I've gotten to be a tutor in several different classes in the past couple of years and so far she has been by far the best.

Overall, I have learned so much in the past month and to think, I get to dot his for a whole school year! It's not about the pay so much as the hands on experience I'm getting. Every time I step foot in that class, there is always one reason or another that makes me love my choice in major. It makes me so excited to get to be at the point in a few years. These kids are so special and so sweet I love knowing that I can make an impact in their lives.

Summer in the Sun

Good things come to those who wait.

 As summer was approaching all I could think about was all the activities I planned on doing. Swimming, going places, having adventures, all that stuff, and now it's half way through summer and none of that has been accomplished. Granted, I have gone home a few times to see my family and Aaron's and ya those were fun times..but I imagined going swimming almost every day or something. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I don't have any friends. Sad right? All my friends left me for the summer or are too busy with their lives, so I spend my days off in bed watching Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. I do have friends at work, but we all know how it is, you make friends with people at work and you're great friends at work, but outside, not so much. Anyway enough complaining, because my summer is about to get awesome.

I have a lot planned for the next 2 months (ok not a lot, but big things). For example, Aaron's friends are coming to visit this weekend and aside from catching up and playing games, we're going to go cliff jumping! I am super excited because I haven't gone in for so long. Plus, I get to wear my new cute green polka dot bikini! (I would've gone with yellow...but you can imagine all the references I'd get to that). After an epic weekend with the boys, a few weeks later my family is going to Lava Hot Springs. Over the past couple of years this has become a tradition for our family. Nothing is better then bonding time while going down the rapid Portneuf river. Hopefully my mom got the dates right this time though. (last time she told us the wrong dates and we had to miss out on Island Park because we got the wrong days off). In any case, I'm way excited. For those who haven't been, Lava is the bomb! The pool park is pretty cool too, but if you go, go for the river! So many memories on that river. After all this happens, the following month is my birthday. And not just any birthday..my 20th birthday! Obviously, not as big of a deal as a 21st birthday, but still I finally can officially be out of the teenage years and my family can no longer use that against me when I have to sit at the kids table because I'm an independent adult.

As for adventures, well there's always one around the corner. Like last night, our toilet spazzed out. The hose in the top part or whatever came unhooked so water was leaking everywhere! Our bathroom literally flooded. Luckily, Aaron fixed it...for now and all is good. That is until it happened again this morning! Nothing is better then being in the process of waking up and after flushing the toilet having water spray you everywhere! Anyway, overall I gotta say, although my summer has had a slow start, it's beginning to redeem itself. One thing I have learned, if you're a pessimist you're going to have a really bad time. So make the most out of you're given because everywhere you go there is something waiting for you.

New Years Resolution!!!

Ah, the new year. Everyone knows that that is the perfect time to start anew. 

We all know that almost every woman makes the New Years resolution to lose weight. This has been my resolution for like the past 5 years and like most everyone else..after the first week ends up failing. Miserably. Which is why this year I have changed my resolution. My main resolution will be, are you ready for this, to be financially smart.

As you can tell from my past posts, I have been having financial issues and doing everything I can to save money.  Well, that has not been going as well as I made it out to be. Yes, I've been trying, but not hard enough. I am a ridiculously compulsive spender. I'll spend money on stuff without even a second thought. Ugh I should find a rehab for that. Anyway, the reason to my failure is I try to justify what I buy. Example: One day I had about $3 so, I decided to go to Wendy's and grab a hamburger and some fries thinking it's no big deal. It's just $3. False. that would've been $3 extra towards my utility payments or rent. $3 doesn't seem like a lot, but when you realize you were only $3 short of utilities...it makes a huge deal!  Then you just want to kick yourself in the butt for being so stupid.

So, starting this year, I am going to be more wiser with my money. For real this time. I have created a file on Excel that will allow me to keep track of the money I earn and spend monthly. That way I can keep track of what money I have. Aside from that, my amazing boyfriend Aaron and I have set aside some ground rules about spending. Rule #1: set aside about $80 a month for groceries. Doesn't sound  like a lot, but for only 2 people it should be the perfect amount...there are the few exceptions like today I bought $150 worth of groceries. But, in my defense Smiths was having a case lot sale...so I have non-perishable items that will last us at least a year. The only reason that was an exception was because it was a killer sale that will help us save money so next time we go grocery shopping we can spend that $80 on perishable items like milk, bread, fruits, etc. Rule #2: One date night a month. As in going out out date night. Dinner and bowling or a movie or something. This way, we are still conservative with our money, but take one night to go out and have fun. Doesn't seem like much, but thankfully we have other ways to do dates. Not all dates have to be going out on the town. 

So, there you have it. Of course I have other small resolutions like improving my attitude, actually going to classes, you know that type of stuff. But becoming financially smart is my main focus and hopefully, by the end of the year, I will be able to tell a difference with how much I spent/saved last year compared to this year.

Here's to a brand new year!