To start with our family got a new puppy! We got her about three weeks ago, her name is Dakota and she is a landseer Newfoundland. Kacee got her sister and her name is Bailey. They are 11 weeks old today and are quite the handfuls. They are pretty funny. As they get older they will get big; they are called gentle giants and will get to be about 120-160 pounds. Even though they are a lot of work, they are also a lot of fun.
Dakota
Bailey
Dakota (left) and Bailey (right)--this picture will give you an idea of how big they are and they are only 10 weeks old in this picture!
Mid-run...they like to play keep away with their toys, then the one without the toy will chase the one with around the room.
Summer semester ended!!! I am now down to only 4 semesters left...yes, I said 4!!!!! This semester was relaxed and fairly easy; I was able to get A's in both classes I took. I am a bit nervous for fall semester, because I will have class from 7 am until 2:30 pm; then I have to be to work at 5pm...I just hope I have time to actually study!
Finally, I have been working hard to finish up everything for my application to the education program. I took my CAAP test on June 4th and passed it on the first try! I just completed my essay (just need to have Kacee proof read it for me), and I will be submitting my application as soon as summer semester grades show up on my transcript. Then all I have left is my interview. It is all happening so fast, I have been working for so many years to get to this point it is just crazy it is finally here! I have attached my essay below (again, it hasn't been proofed yet)!
Education Essay:
Every child dreams of what they want to be when they grow up; I was no different. Dreaming of becoming a dentist, a nurse, or even someone who was going to end world hunger; it was not until third grade when my teacher, Miss Higgs, showed me compassion that I knew what I was going to be when I grew up.
My desire of becoming a teacher started while trying to write the letter ‘G’ in cursive one day in Miss Higgs’ classroom. Every day we had a specific letter we had to practice in cursive. If we completed our set number of letters to Miss Higgs’ standards we could go out to recess. On this particular day I struggled. I worked very hard—after erasing and trying again several times, I finally walked up to Miss Higgs to show her my paper. She looked at my work, then at me and said, “Go try again.” I went back to my desk discouraged, I remember staring at my paper and thinking, there is no way I was going to write the letter ‘G’ in cursive. Miss Higgs must have seen that I was discouraged; she stood up from her desk and asked me to come to the chalkboard. She drew two solid lines and a dotted line in between. She then handed me the chalk and said to draw the letter ‘G’. I tried several times, before I put the chalk on the tray in frustration. My exact words to her were, “I can’t do it.” Miss Higgs handed me the chalk again with a smile, she stood behind me, held my left hand and glided it the proper way. We did this several more times; she then asked “do you think you can do it on your own, now that you know what the motions feel like?” Miss Higgs took a step back and watched as I successfully wrote a cursive letter ‘G’ on the chalkboard. I felt so happy that I accomplished something that I was struggling with. Miss Higgs then turned to me, looked me in the eyes and said, “I don’t ever want to hear you say “I can’t do it” again!” “I want you to know I will never give up on you, so you can’t give up on yourself!”
I want to have the same impact on my students, the same way Miss Higgs impacted my life. As a substitute teacher for Weber School District, I was able to see first-hand the impact I can have on my students. Even though I was only a substitute, the students in the class that I was subbing were my students. In the five years that I had the privilege of being a substitute I learned many things, such as: patience, understanding, teaching methods that work and some that do not, discipline techniques, and I learned that every student just wants someone to show compassion towards them.
One moment in particular that taught me the most occurred while doing a four-month assignment in a junior high math class. During this time I had a student, Emily, who spent a lot of time in my classroom. Every morning Emily would come in to talk with me about her family, school, friends, etc..., after school Emily also came in to receive help on her math homework. I did not think of the impact I possibly could be having on Emily; I only thought I was doing my job. Upon the conclusion of my four-month assignment, I was cleaning up my desk where I stumbled upon a note. I opened the note and discovered it was from Emily. The note expressed Emily’s gratitude to me. She shared with me that during this time I was the only constant in her life; that she felt like her world was coming to an end, except when she could talk with me. She told me that her parents were getting a divorce, her friends started to abandon her, and her grades were low except for her math grade. Emily told me that it was because I was willing to listen that she was able to overcome this trial. Finally, Emily thanked me for being someone who cared. This little note of appreciate from her taught me that teaching is exactly what I need to be doing with my life.
Through the years I have remembered the words Miss Higgs said to me, they have been the guiding force behind my desire to teach students. I hope to be just like Miss Higgs; by being someone who inspires, guides, comforts, and is an example to her students.
Thanks for reading!
