(Week 9) Late As Always. Like This Post.

This post is "student choice" so I decided to do a little self-examination.

College has made me realize that I have a lot of things to work on. I, like every other person, have flaws and I am becoming more aware of them on a daily basis. I have always had some very specific expectations for the kind of person that I want to be and I even have certain quotes and phrases that inspire me to fulfill this goal.The only problem is the Father Time and I have never been real close. Infact, we're kind of not related at all. I'm obviously adopted. I mean, look at this guy, how can you not be concious of every single second of your life when you have one of those huge clocks with you at all times. It would be nice of him to share that once in a while...

Anyway, the great thing about me is that I am positive of exactly who I want to be, how I want to act, and the disposition I want to display to those around me, but I always remember these precise attributes AFTER I have done something or said something that is contrary to this potential vision of myself. It's always a little too late and I try to tell myself that I will remember next time, but I never do. I think about who I want to be and how I want others to view me as a person quite a bit, but never in the time that I need it. I am starting to think that my expectations are resideing somewhere just outside this universe, but I refuse to believe that they are out of reach. I will continue to remember my goals and my expectations for living my , "Good Christian Life," even if they are accomplished a little later than I had planned. As the saying goes, better late than never.

(Week 8) D'Oh!

When I was younger, my family would always sit down together in the living room at 6pm every night to watch The Simpsons. My dad used to love it and he doesn't watch it very much anymore, but my brother Henry and I still do. My brother has purchased about 8 seasons of The Simpsons and he and I can quote those lines at the drop of a hat. Even though Henry and I both live at home, we don't see each other very much because I work early in the morning when he isn't awake yet then go to school and back to work in the afternoon until about 6:30pm. By the time I get home at 7pm he is usually at work and stays there until about 11pm. Of course, I'm already in bed by the time he gets home so some days we don't see each other at all. But, I can usually bet on about 3 text messages from him during the week. Not something like, "Hey sis, hope your day is going well!" But rather, a Simpson's quote that he finds hilarious and know I will appreciate. It's the kind of show that makes you wonder, "Who comes up with this stuff?" After a long day of intellectual focus and responsibility at work and school it is so nice to come home to a show that doesn't require any kind of intelligence. At All.

(Week 7) Baby Sign Language

The article I chose to read was Lend a Hand: Communicating with Babies Through Sign Language by Barbara Wexler. This article discussed the origins of baby signing and the benefits of it. It stated that there are two different forms of sign language that can be introduced to babies of approximately seven to eight months old. The first is the traditional American Sign Language which means that not only will you understand you baby, but so will those who speak American Sign Language. The other form is Baby Signs which is simply a series of signs that you or your baby have developed for your own personal communication needs.
I very much support the use of baby sign language because as a daycare teacher, I have seen how effective it can be. It helps to eliminate the child's frustration and can therefore eliminate the child's need to bite or become aggressive with other children. Wexler provides information about a study done by Acredolo and Goodwyn. "[This study] showed that Baby Signs helped children talk earlier and jump-started their cognitive development, which has translated into higher IQ scores. There was a 12-point gap in IQ between a group of second graders who had trained in sign as infants and a group who had not." However, the IQ increase should not be the motivation to begin sign language with your baby. Your motivation should come from an attempt to eliminate frustration and help your baby communicate their needs.
Some of the most helpful signs that I have seen babies use are:
    More  

                              Please  
 All Done

                   Help
Even though babies won't be able to make the signs exactly as they are in American Sign Language, they will generally make a variation of a sign that looks enough like it that you will be able to tell what your baby wants or needs. I hope that more people take Baby Sign Language into consideration because I have seen what a difference it can make in keeping a child happy.

(Week 6) Doodle Bugs!

I had a lot of fun searching through blogs by elementary school teachers, but the one I liked the most was The Doodle Bugs Teaching blog! I thought the layout was very eye-catching and fun. I also liked that this teacher mentioned in her "About Me" section that she has been a teacher for 12 years! This was important to know in order to trust credibility and know that her activities were standard based. This blog has so many ideas for themes, art projects, worksheets, and tons of lables that you can print out and use for your own classroom!

This teacher actually has her own stationary business on the side which means that she has a lot of creativity in all of her projects! I think this is important because students will respond better to something that is visually appealing rather than something that is simply black and white and boring.
Another thing that I liked about this blog was that there was almost no words and ALL PICTURES! I liked this because any educator who would be reading her blog would already know the meaning behind her activities and therefore, she could fill up her blog space with more pictures and less descriptions.

(Week 5) The Lucky One

One movie that I saw just recently was "The Lucky One" based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. 

"U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive—a photograph he found of a woman he doesn't even know. Learning her name is Beth (Schilling) and where she lives, he shows up at her door, and ends up taking a job at her family-run local kennel. Despite her initial mistrust and the complications in her life, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good luck charm."

Logan cherishes the picture of Beth so much because he saw it lying in the dust and went to go pick it up. As he was looking at it, a mortar attack destroys the area he had been sitting in before and those who were in that area. After tirelessly asking around to try to find the owner of the picture, he keeps it for himself and regards Beth as his guardian angel.
He returns home to live with his sister in Colorado, but decides to walk all the way to Louisiana because of a local landmark shown in Beth's picture. By asking around, he finds out where Beth lives, but cannot gather the courage to tell her about the picture so she thinks that he is there to apply for a job at her dog kennel.
By working hard,being respectful, and spending time with her son Ben, Logan earns Beth's respect and the two become romantically involved, yet Logan still cannot tell her about the picture. When he is finally able to tell her about it, she develops a strong hate for Logan, but still deeply loves him.

I won't give away any more of the story line, just in case you want to see it for yourself. I love this movie so much because of Logan's character. He so hard working and honest (aside from telling Beth about the picture.) The kind of man who is gentle, quiet, and strong despite all the horrors he witnessed at war.

(Week 4) Memoir

I really struggled with this memoir because the only idea I could think of was to write about a time in my life that was not pleasant. I did not want to go back to that or be forced to write about that just because I couldn't think of anything else to write. I didn't want to open old wounds that I'm trying to heal and I think I got stuck on that. I was feeling sorry for myself that I was going to have a sad memoir because I didn't want that time period to be the summary of my life or my personality.

Luckily I spent a lot of time reflecting on the great things in my life and I realized that I had an awesome childhood. I spent so much time with my cousins and my grandparents that I have tons of stories! It's unbelievable how one bad memory can override your most joyful moments so that you have to dig to pull those moments of happiness back.

I'm about two pages into my memoir draft that is due
TOMORROW, but I know it will work out now because I definitely don't have a shortage of things to write about. I'm also going to try not to stress out too much about this first draft because, like "Shitty First Drafts" said, sometimes you just have to get it out on paper and worry about revising it later.

(Week 3) Barney and Brittany...

I don't remember very much about pre-school, in fact I can only remember about four or five things that happened in that entire year, but even those are foggy. But, there is one incident that I will probably never forget since it's been sixteen years and I still remember it.

I don't think I played with wooden blocks very often, but for some reason I wanted to on this day and it didn't turn out very well. I remember being on the carpet all by myself trying to build a very tall tower, straight up with a single column of the medium sized blocks. It was looking pretty good as I sat back to admire it, but that sense of pride didn't last too long. A bossy girl who was a little bigger and taller than I was with wild, dirty blonde hair approached my tower carrying a purple and green Barney puzzle cover. She didn't say anything to me or even to herself, she just knocked it down with one swing. A was very upset simply because she knocked my tower over and I had worked so hard on it, but that really wasn't the worst part. The blocks tilted my way and littered the carpet all around me. The corner of one of the blocks fell so hard on my thumb that it turned black and blue under my nail almost instantly.
I remember crying, but not because it hurt so bad. I cried mostly because I had to stand next to my teacher as she tried to coax Little Miss Rough-and Tough to apologize to me and she wouldn't. I remember trying to understand why she thought it was ok to ignore what she had done. I tried to understand why she acted the way she did and why her mom ignored it as well when she came to pick up her daughter that afternoon and the teacher told her what had happened.
It's sad to say this, but looking back, I don't think I ever forgave her while she was at our school. I just tried to stay away from her as much as Icame. possibly could. She went to a different school two years later and sometimes I still wonder what kind of person she became.

(Week 2) It's Been a While...

If I'm being entirely honest, I have to say that I haven't read any books that weren't required since High School. It's really too bad because I do love reading, but rather than relaxing with a book I often find myself choosing extra sleep or catching up with friends,when I'm not working or doing homework.
When I was in High School my class had to read The Giver by Lois Lowry. I loved this book because the main character, Jonas, was such an emotionally connected person and I very much relate to that. I also thought it was so interesting that Lowry created an entire "community" in such a way that, while I was reading, I felt like I had lived there my whole life. I thought it depicted a utopia based community very well as far as the consistently beautiful weather, but it also had some very unique characteristics. One of the characteristics that I found interesting was the fact that a loud speaker would constantly remind the community members of the rules if they were doing something wrong. When I began reading the book I thought I might like to live there, but once I heard that I wasn't so sure. I would feel awful if my faults were announced to the whole town!
This book really intrigued me so I looked up some other books by Louis Lowry and I noticed that I actually read one of his books when I was in Grade School and it was one of my favorites! The book that I read was called "Number the Stars." The next book I hope to read is, "Gathering Blue." I have heard that it is a wonderful book and since I already know that I like two of Louis Lowry's books, I am anxious to see if I will enjoy this one as well!

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

by Maya Angelou

A free bird leaps on the back
Of the wind and floats downstream
Till the current ends and dips his wing
In the orange suns rays
And dares to claim the sky.

But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage
Can seldom see through his bars of rage
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through
The sighing trees
And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
Lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with
A fearful trill of things unknown
But longed for still and his
Tune is heard on the distant hill
For the caged bird sings of freedom.