All the Time in the World

Now that my research class is over (I survived, with an A on top of survival!), I have lots more free time on my hands.  I know, jealous, right?  It can be both good and bad.  I'm loving sleeping in, reading more non-textbook books, catching up on teaching blogs and making a HUGE list of ideas that I want to add/change in my classroom (I've got teaching on the brain 24/7, so sadly, even in summer, I can't shut my mind off from it, and sometimes stay up 'til the wee hours of the morning looking up teaching ideas.  Obsessed much?), watching several episodes of Downton Abbey (LOVE IT!), and making a few extra dollars by ChaCha, and a new one that I just signed up for called Text Broker.  If you don't know what either of these are, I suggest Google!  I would like a bit more fun money in my life.  As you all know, I am in love with my job as a first grade teacher, but I sadly spend a lot of my own money on my classroom and supplies, and don't make a lot of money as it is.  It's all good in the hood because I'm single and don't have a family to support (yet?) but sometime in the future I hope for that to happen, and want to save as much money as possible, while still having some money left over for fun.  Who's with me?!

I don't post as many pictures as I would like, because let's face it, I'm not a photographer and don't have to be one when everyone else in my life is, and I can just borrow/steal their photos!  I finally got around to getting these pictures from Bryce from our trip to Disneyland back in February when I celebrated turning 30.  Aren't we presh!?  I just love spending time with this guy, he sure knows how to make me laugh and how to make me happy.  Friends like that are the greatest in the world!

Research Proposal=DONE!

I just completed on Sunday the hardest assignment I have been given yet in Grad School.  I had to write a research proposal, as if I was going to present to a board my proposal for my thesis.  You see, at USU, for my major, you can choose 3 plans to get your Masters.  Plan A, a thesis.  Plan B, a project.  Plan C, taking a few extra courses and writing an exit paper and have an exit interview.  This girl right here is NOT about big projects, big papers, etc. etc. so I of course went with Plan C. I had no idea that one of the classes in Plan C would be to write a proposal, as in getting my thesis.  My proposal is done!  And on Monday, my professor told the class, "I knew this class was exceptional, but I've never had a student get their proposal done two weeks before the due date."  He then proceeds to show my work, have me talk about what I liked, what was the hardest part, etc. and then had everyone clap for me!  It was a proud but embarrassing moment for me.

I really am proud of the hard work I put into this proposal.  It came out to be 27 pages and might actually be something I do in my teaching.  I wanted to research more how parents could teach fluency strategies at home because I feel like what I'm doing in school isn't enough for a small group of students who have isolated skills down (phonics patterns, high frequency words, multisllyabic words) but still can't read too fast.  I'm super curious how the results would be.

Anyway, that's what I have been working on since my teaching job got out for the summer.  The class ends next week, so I am looking forward to having a little time off to check things off my teaching goal list, get more reading in, and even some exercise!  Please Bless!

30 Reasons Why I'm Proud to be Me-#7

I find the beauty in others and in things so easily, and I am always open to seeing that beauty.  It's around me on a daily basis, and I take the time to seek for it in everyone and in everything!