Frustrated

I am beyond stoked that Beeb and I will be getting married in ALMOST 4 months.. but im frustrated..not with wedding plans..with life..with work.

I am mostly irritated with work. Don't get me wrong i LOVE teaching..but i want my own class and my own room. Subbing has given me a lot of experience and insight to many different classrooms..but im ready. I feel like i was teased. I had my own class for 13 weeks then poof it was gone and i was back to subbing. The frustrating part is i honestly do not see any light at the end of the tunnel. What am i going to do? i cant so this foe 3,4,5, years (like some of the subs) and i cant afford to make this crappy money much longer either. I. need. a. job. or i may go insane.

I ALSO need a job for this summer. UGH! Who is going to hire me and allow me to have off right smack dab in the middle of summer for 2 weeks? I dont want to work nights and weekends...then i truly wont see luke till THE DAY!.... im going insane.

Great News :)

So, i feel like i start every post the same way....talking about how i have not written in a while and im going to try to write more often. I really want to.. i just feel like i never have the time... but with beebs coaching hockey 2 nights a week... maybe i will start to have more time!

I have some wonderful news... From November to February i will be a 6th grade teacher :) Yupp this girl is filling in for a teacher going on maternity leave! I have so many mixed emotions. I am excited because long term sub positions can lead to a teaching job, however...i am so nervous! Most/all of my experience has been with the little ones (k-2) and i loved it..and i have never been in a 6th grade classroom. It will be challenging and tough but i am looking forward to the challenge... it will only make me more marketable and a better teacher :)

As of right now i am still TSSing and hopefully starting to day to day sub. Our sub positions are posted online and they are first come first serve.. so i have been stalking the website to ensure that i will be working everyday.. however teachers tend not to take off in the beginning of school..so for now ive been being a bum.. :) --which gets very boring. -- haha!

Wedding planning is actually starting to come together...updates and pictures to come soon :)


Alyssa :)

Decisions Decisions

I really need to write more often..more for myself then for others. Although I often have a hard time putting my emotions and feelings into words... it really can help to get them out. And sometimes it very therapeutic to go back and read the some of my exciting and good post.

I have been making some pretty sweet decisions lately!

While on vacation, Lukes aunt (who is amazing at decorating) bought us a ton of stuff for our center pieces. Our center pieces are going to basically be a white lantern with 2 shells and a star fish. There will also be fishing net and a small piece of drift wood. I am so excited and i hope the picture in my head matches what it will really look like. Making progress people!!! I also plan on booking the DJ and photographer VERY soon! We are shopping for dresses for my bridemaids in a few weeks.

I have officially put my 2 weeks in at work and will be a substitute teacher for the upcoming school year at 5 local schools. I hope this was the right choice to make....well cross our fingers and pray.

More post to come soon..hopefully

Thank-you Teachers

This week is teacher appreciation week. I had my kiddos make cards for all of their awesome and wonderful teachers! When i walked in the house after my 14 hour day there stood luke, pup in one arm and flowers in the other. I know i am not a real teacher yet, but it made me happy :) It also makes me want to teach even more.



Thank-you to all the teachers out there :)

lyss :)

Confused... to sub or not to sub?

Recently I have been missing NC... a lot. I am sure a lot of it has to do with the cold snowy days we have been having recently and the fact that my night life was at an all time high..but its more than that. I miss teaching. I miss getting up at 630 (yes that's later than i get up now), going to my classroom, seeing my kids, teaching, and most of all seeing my kids learn. Don't get me wrong I miss the state and I would move there in a heart beat if I could move my house, my family, and fiance there with me..but I know that's not going to happen. So I have decided... I need a teaching job here in my hometown. Not just for the money, for my sanity. I am blessed to have a job right now that pays the bills...but I am simply not happy. I am miserable and its effecting other parts of my life. But at the end of the summer I will face a fork in the road.

Option A: I keep working at my 2 current employers with consistent hours and pay. Giving me some experience, but not the experience I need to get a job in my hometown.

Option B: I go on the sub list for all the surrounding districts. The problem with this is that the pay is extremely low and the hours are not consistent. Therefore a nights and weekend job will be a must.

I need the money, yet i need the experience.

It's a lot to think about and a big decision. And we all know how I am with making decisions....hence why the wedding planning is STILL at an all time slow.

Teachers out there...what do you say?

Lyss :)

Pictures from work :)

While waiting for the kiddos to arrive this morning i took a few pictures of what we have been up to so far this year.

As a group we sat down and decided on rules that we felt were most important to our class. I believe that it is important to have the students participate in making up the rules.

This is our behavior chart. The mascot for our school is a rocket. So i played with that theme to make up our sticker/star start. Students can earn stars by following the rules, doing their jobs, and participating in the activities with a good attitude!

This is our job chart. The kiddos have a different job everyday.

"Toadly me". These are super cute and a great way to get to know a new group of kids.

Some name art the kids designed.

This month we will be completing a lot of fun fall crafts and activities!

Lyss :)

First day of work!

This weekend was great! but super fast (update and pics soon to come). Tomorrow is my first day of work at the before and after school school program! I cant believe i have to get up at 530am!!! Is that time even exist? Is it still dark out? How am i suppose to wake up in the morning when the sun has not risen yet? This should be ILLEGAL!!

I am so excited to meet my kiddies and hear all about their first day of school in the afternoon :) Time to start making some moneyyy!!

Lyss :)

FIGHT HUNGER- FREE RICE!

Hey! I want to share a website that my student teaching adviser shared with me. It is a website that DONATES FREE RICE to hungry people! All you have to do is learn. You simply answer questions based on a subject (math, vocabulary, science, etc) Each question you get right they dontate 10 grains of rice through the world food programme! If your a teacher it is a great education tool, if your a parent its an educational website for your chlidren that helps others out. So do me a favor visit the site and get addicted :)!!!!!




Lyss :)

Weekend Recap :)

This weekend was sooo long! Thursday Jay and i slipped out of school early and headed the 8 hours back to PA! The drive was not to bad in the beginning, however the last 2 hours seemed to drag on for what seemed like forever. We finally arrived to my house around 10ish. I was so tired and went right to bed.

Friday I made a trip out to my cousins house. She is going through a rough time right now and needed some cheering up. It always seems like Janelle and I know just how to do it! Friday evening Jay and I met up with my older sis Ky and her little man. It was so GREAT seeing them. Totally worth the drive!

Saturday was spent with Ky and my nephew. We had a fun filled day. We went to lunch, played at this huge play park (i think we had just as much fun as him), ate ice cream at the Meadows, and had a little party for the little man..hes 4!! I cannot believe it!

Sunday was spent driving all day. I was never so tired in my life. Sunday evening i had a lot to do to get ready for this week. I cannot believe this is my last week student teaching. It went so fast!

Tonight is BACHELORETTE! i think im team CHRIS. but if Ally is happy i could really like either one of them :]

I have continued to apply for jobs in NC and PA. The jobs i have been applying to in my hometown are a preschool teacher job and then 2 El Ed jobs within an hr of my hometown. Fingers crossed something will turn out!

Sometime being in denial works!

Remember how i was totally in denial that i would not get to make it home to visit my sis Ky and her little family :) Welp i talked to my professor.... and Jay and i are skipping out on a friday and heading the 8 hrs home to spend the weekend with them! I am so excited :) i couldn't imagine going 2 yrs without seeing them! I can hardly make it one year! Its going to be a long and tiring weekend but totally worth it in the end :)

I am loving 2nd grade! They literally make me smile all day. Everything they do.. even the bad and frustrating moments makes me love my job. I have yet to hear back from any schools yet. If it is meant to be... it will be.

I've learned that kids do not know how to lose. Its pretty sad. I will teach my kids to lose and i refuse to let them win.. it only creates a monster!

Lyss :)

Dear brain, chill out at night!

Why is it as soon as i feel like i accomplish something (my portfolio) something else is just sitting there waiting for me (my POET presentation). I feel like i had 2 days of rest and relaxation before i have to start working on something else. Im not really stressed about it (yet).... but i have started it and last night i tossed and turned thinking about everything i have to do. I HATE when i dream about work/school... i just want relaxing dreams. Last night was anything but relaxing. I dreamed about working on my powerpoint, teaching, finding and creating lessons, my brain seriously worked so hard in my dream that when i woke up at 3 i was wide away because my brain would not stop running. So tonight i hope that i can have sweet and very relaxing dreams :)


Prayers and thoughts out to Luke's gram she is back in the hospital but fighting strongly!

Charlotte this weekend....so EXCITED!!

lyss :)

1st day of school :)

Tomorrow is the first day of school! Today was so tiring.... setting up the room and getting everything ready for the kiddies! I am so excited to meet my new kiddies :] The first week of school is learning procedures and daily activities.. so i will be learning right along with them! Fingers crossed for a smooth first day :)

A day off :]

Rambling on my day off.

HAPPY 6 YEARS TO MY BEEBS :] I FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU MORE AND MORE WITH EVERY PASSING YEAR!!! I KNOW THAT WE CAN OVERCOME ANYTHING THAT IS THROWN OUR WAY!


I am officially applying to schools in Wake County and Charlotte area! I have probably applied to 50+ positions. (most of the positions have 100+ apps already :-/) No worries if it is meant to be it will happen! So I am excited to see if anything comes out of it! If not i am moving back home with my mama! [haha-not that exciting]

I am officially done with my portfolio! I am turning it in this evening and boy does it feel good. This thing has been haunting my life for years now.. and im finally giving it the boot! haha

The Bachelorette on Monday was intense! Wow Vienna is right Jake is a fame whore and Jake is right Vienna never shuts up. It is what it is. They were never meant to last, so they need to move on with their lives :)

I am addicted to pretty little liars (no lie).

I am relaxing and applying to jobs on my day off. Tomorrow we are setting up the classroom and Friday the new school year begins! How lucky am i to see the opening and closing of a school year!

Safe travels to Ky to the US! I am so bummed i will not be getting to see you this summer. I am actually still in denial :[

Lyss

Last Day :)

Tomorrow is my LAST day in Kindergarten and i am so sad! I am going to miss these kiddies to death! They are so precious and I will forever remember them. This has been a great experience and I am looking forward to 2nd grade!

yup this is def them!

a "serious one"

I have some pretty serious thinking to do in the next couple of days about job hunting. Thoughts to come soon.

What I've Been Up To :)

Boy have ive been busy teaching my little kiddies! I cant believe we only have 5 more days till they track out for summer and i move to 2nd grade! Here are some pictures of the things we have been learning:)








Busy busy learning about transportation, snails, magnets, and oceans!

Much Better Day!

Thanks for the support and advice it means a lot! I forgot to mention in my rant that my co-op had my back 100%. She thinks im a great teacher and that K is my thing! She is the one that observes me everyday.. so she would know.. right :)

I realized that everything happens for a reason and bad days make the ok days feel great. If it was not for the rough days.. we wouldnt appreciate the great days :) And this i have realized! Today was a GREAT day.. compared to yesterday of course. Everything happens for a reason and because of this situation i will be a stronger person. In teaching and any profession you have your good days and your bad days.

On to something totally new and random. Yesterday i got addicted to Glee and i have watched 4 episodes already! Just what i need more distractions.

My mama is coming down from PA to visit us in NC! Im so excited to have her here for the weekend! I hope she get in time to meet my kiddies :) We are gonna have a fun relaxing weekend!

One more day till the weekend!!!

How Dare You?

Today was a rough day. Rough actually would be an understatement! Horrible No good Sucky Day.

Today started off great. Lie IT was all down hill from 9:05 on. I was observed by a NEW adviser of mine. We go back to Sophomore year. I never got a good vibe from her and today proved it. I know i should have stuck to my gut feeling, silly me giving her the benefit of the doubt.

The kids were crazy, wild, talkative, outa control. But they can be like this. Honestly if i learned one thing in K so far, they set the stage. Well one kid can set and ruin the stage in a matter of seconds. Thats what happened today. We had flying shoes, moving squares, out burst, roll on the flooor, hit a kid on the bus kind. of. day. All by 9:20

I thought i handled it well. I mean all my kids were still alive, i still had all my hair, and we made it to lunch by 11:20.

Apparently my "adviser" thought differently.

her: "K is not your thing is it?"
me: " uhh well this is my 1st time teaching it"
her: "Yeah i can tell K is not your cup of tea"
me thinking :" WELL THANKS LADY for NOTHING, i thought i was doing a good job and was enjoying K"
Me: "speechless...uhhh yeah its hard"
Her: "dont worry i couldn't do it"
Me think: "well i KNOW i can and thanks for no support"
me: "yeah its tough"

I WAS SOO IRRITATED! SHE HAD NO FAITH IN ME AND FOR ONE SECOND MADE ME THINK I HAD NO FAITH IN MYSELF!! HOW DARE YOU. I AM AN AWESOME TEACHER AND I CAN HANDLE MY STUDENTS. THANK. YOU. VERY. MUCH.

rant over.
Retail therapy and margarita did the trick.

Settled in... finally!

My brain has been going non-stop since day 2 of being in NC! I have barely had time to stop and take it all in. This weekend was much needed after a long first week of 9hr work days (for free). Friday after class (like i said) a group of us went to the NC Fair! It was fun... we had some yummy wine tasting and good food. Then Friday night a group of us went out. (its been nice getting to know the people im down here with). We hit up 3 different bars and just had a chill fun night! Saturday i slept in longgg and hard. It was awesome and much needed! In the afternoon i did a lot of lessons and reflections. Sat night we went out again and hit up the same places :). Guys down here are so different. This one place we went to i promise you EVERY guy had on a polo or a button up. haha. Sunday i spent the entire day moving into the new apt. That was a little crazy. The room was not very clean so we had to clean some and get all unpacked. Feels great for everything to have its place. Sunday night i had so many lessons to write and watch Army Wives :)

The kiddies at school are great and im really enjoying getting to know them :) The kindergartners here are SO smart. I promise you they are basically doing 1st grade work.

Today was a long day. Went to the store got some yummy food for dinner and lunches. Tonight is more planning and reflections. Its never ending... the life as a teacher..we do just as much at home as in the class. So if anyone ever gives me a hard time about how easy it is to teach elementary... i dare them to walk in our shoes for a day.

living room

kitchen

bedroom

a night out

1st day of class

Moving on... BACHELORETTE tonight! Whos excited? I am. I love Alli and i hope she sticks true to herself.

I am trying to keep updated on everyone's blogs :)

Lyss :)

i made it :)

I made it through my first week of school!! yay! I can say that i am soo tired! I love my co-op and kiddies! Everyone down here is sooo nice! People actually smile and say hi to you (yup people you don't even know). I know all of my students names :) [i mix up a few of the boys sometimes--- to me girls are easier to learn]. I am starting to get a hold on the routines of the day!

I miss my babes and family :( But only 11 more weeks to go and i am sure it is going to go by super fast! 5 weeks till he comes to visit me!!

Today after class some of the SRU girls and I went to the NC fair. We did some great wine testing and ate some not good for you fair food ;) We are going to go out tonight!!

We get to move into our apt sunday and i can finally unpack!!! yay!

lyss :)

1st day of class!

Today was my first day at Olive Chapel Elementary! I finally got to meet my K Co-op (Mrs. Davis) and 2nd (Mrs. Iverson). They are both soo nice, i cant even explain how much of a relief it is to have awesome co-ops! It can honestly make or break your student teaching experience. Today when i arrived i had 24 little heart shaped sticky notes on my desk saying "i love you" and "welcome to our class". The kiddies were so welcoming and adorable!

Today i basically observed and got a feel for the classroom. The kiddies are a little rowdie but hey what group of 24 6 year olds aren't? i am excited to get to know them and im trying to learn their names quickly.. so well see!

Each K room has a TA (teachers assistant). They are so much help and i could only DREAM of having one in my classroom one day. (she takes them to and from specials/lunch/recess/grades papers/cuts/laminates/copies). Where i went to school we never had a TA.

Tonight i am sooo tired! But i cant wait for another exciting day in Kindergarten!!

lyss :)