School, school, school.

School is now digging even more into my weekends. I had my first observation of this semester today, and I'll have to go the next two Fridays, as well.

I got placed in a 5th grade class. Oh my, I do NOT want to teach 5th grade! The eye rolling, and the back talking, and just general defiance. Oh, and the worksheets. There was absolutely no fun to be had in that class. It was just worksheet after worksheet after worksheet.

Don't get me wrong. The teacher was great. Very structured and organized. It's just that they have to get serious about testing because they are fixing to move to middle school. I heard her mention different standards so many times, and I was only there for four hours. And I was bored out of my mind.
I kid you not, she handed me a couple of stacks of spelling tests to grade and that was the most fun I had all day.

I would love to teach Kindergarten or 1st grade. And I could handle 2nd or 3rd. But I really do not want to teach 4th or 5th.
I was talking to the teacher at the end of the day, and I told her I didn't really want to teach 4th or 5th, and she was like, "You'll find your niche." She started talking about how she liked the independence of the older ones. That she never liked the idea of having to help with everything from shoelaces to lunch to classwork.
I have now interned in a Spec. Ed. pre-K class, a PE class (different grade levels), a 1st grade class, a 4th grade class, and a 5th grade class. The only ones I actually enjoyed were the pre-K class and the 1st grade class. I'm pretty sure I've already found my niche. I just love how eager to learn and participate they are. Plus the fact that you don't have to focus as much on testing in the lower grades. You actually have time for crafts and fun lessons and such.

Also, with the younger grades, they were so happy to have me there. They all wanted to talk to me, asking all sorts of questions and such.
With both of the older classes I've been in, they just stare at me like I have an alien sitting on my shoulder. It's so awkward. I just really don't know how to interact with pre-teens. I'm much better with younger kids. I think I could even teach high school (as long as it was a math class). Just not 4th grade through 8th grade.
Okay, I'm done blabbing lol.

It finally came!!!

This is on the rear window of our suv now! I LOVE it!!! 

I got it from this website ---> http://hyenacart.com/stores/EducatedMamaDecals/

This site has everything from car seat safety, to breastfeeding, to homeschooling, to anti-circ'ing, to baby wearing, to co-sleeping, to cloth diapering. Just everything! I'm not really one to put things on my car, but if I was, I'd have a whole bunch of these. Especially breastfeeding and anti-circ'ing, but those don't pertain to a car and can be controversial whereas this one could be educational and it actually does pertain to a car. 

And you all know how crazy I am about car seat safety, so it fits me well!

This one was only a $8 (and shipping was free)! It's pretty big, too. Plenty big enough for people to be able to read it. 

I know a lot of my followers are big on car seat safety and the other things they offer, so go check that site out! :)

Thirteen Reasons Why

I finished this book in less than 24 hours. All 288 pages. It was that good. 

Now, if you're looking for something light to read, I don't recommend this book. It's a tear-jerker for sure, but it has a very powerful message.

You're inside of Clay's head as he listens his way through thirteen tapes that a girl he barely knew sent out. This girl committed suicide just after sending them, and on the tapes are the thirteen reasons (all involving specific people) that led her to commit suicide. As I said, extremely sad. But the story is amazingly powerful. I believe that this book should be a mandatory read for every high school in the nation. I know that, when my kids are old enough, I'll have them read it for sure.

Book heaven!

Tomorrow is the first race of the season, so I'll be working. I usually do school work or play on my computer during the slow parts. Well, I'm completely caught up on classwork, and my laptop still has a cracked screen. So, I decided I would load a book on my Kindle Fire and read during the slow parts.

Easier said than done.

I started looking at different books I wanted to read, and well, there are a lot!

I ended up loading Thirteen Reasons Why onto my Kindle Fire. THEN, I ordered four other books!

Divergent

City of Bones

If I Stay

and

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

I have no idea when I'm going to find the time to read them all, but I'm so excited just to know that they'll be there for me to read. They'll all be here within the next two weeks. I can't wait!!

*Yes, I'm aware these aren't challenging books to read. I like easy reads because it gives me a break from the seriousness of school work. 

I realized something today...

I have too many aspirations.

I'm currently studying to be a teacher. My degree will be a B.S. in Early Childhood Education. However, I would really love to be a Special Education teacher. That is one thing I aspire to be.

Aside from that, I would love to be a CPST. I could pass that test with ease, but they don't have any courses for it offered anywhere near me :/ Seriously though, maybe people would take me more seriously when I offered car seat safety advice. It makes me sick when I try my hardest to explain car seat safety to someone and they continue to do it incorrectly.

I would also love to be able to work with pregnant teens/teen parents. I've always said that, if I ever won the lottery, I would open one of those high schools specifically for pregnant teens/teen mothers. Of course, that would take a miracle, but at some point in my life, I would like to be able to help in some way. I emailed my former high school counselor telling her that I was willing to help if they ever needed anyone... even if it was just for them to have someone to talk to someone who's been there. She emailed me back and was very enthusiastic. Saying that it was so kind of me to offer and that she would talk to the principle about it and get back to me. Well, she just never got back to me :/ Who knows, maybe one day I will be of some help in some way.

And lastly, I discovered that I like to write. Now, I hate writing when I'm forced to do it (i.e. for assignments), but I actually enjoy it when I can write whatever I want. It's a great stress reliever, and it's very interesting to write my own story. This is going to sound crazy, but I literally wrote a book. Almost 70,000 words and over 340 pages. Yep. A couple of people (that I trust) have read it, and they really liked it. My nana says that she wants to help me send it to some agents. I would LOVE to get it published. Publishing a novel is on my bucket list, but I never imagined it would actually happen. Who knows??

But I really do have way too many aspirations! I know I need to cut back, but I'm passionate about all of these things. I don't think I could cut any of them out. They will always be dreams of mine. Not just dreams, but goals. After I've graduated and have a steady job, I plan to pursue each one of these things. *I don't know why I'm posting this. Just felt like it I guess.