I'm Only Human

This past week teaching has been crazy! I had a bad cold last weekend and the effects of it came during the week. I had really bad chest congestion which caused me to lose my voice. My guess is that I had laryngitis. I did ok with my classes on Monday but started really losing my voice during my last class. Because it was Halloween I of course ate lots of candy which didn't help the matter and while I was at a party that night, my voice completely gave out. I worried that night about how I was going to teach the rest of the week. I teach PE, so I have to talk if not yell most of the time. On my way to school I came up with the plan to just have my students watch a movie. I've had problems with my voice before and powered through it but I knew I could not do that this time. So I found an episode of the Magic School Bus that was about muscles and that's what my students watched. It only lasted 25 minutes so they were still able to do some physcial activity as long as they were good about listening and not talking while I tried giving directions. I powered through Wednesday which I probably shouldn't have done because my students Thursday had to watch Magic School Bus too. This means I watched the same episode 14 times! It was hard to stay awake. Besides that, I had two nose bleeds during classes. Anyone who knows me and my nose bleeds know they are no small matter. One I was able to control after about 5 minutes while the students were doing a game, but the other I had to run to the office and tell them to get someone to watch the kids while I took care of it in the bathroom. Dumb nose! By Friday I could talk loud enough for most to hear but still had to strain to talk loud.

All I know is that it was quite an adventerous teaching week. The teachers were really good about telling their classes to be on their best behavior and most were very sympathetic. I'm so glad I have really great teachers at both schools. After about giving up one day a teacher came to me and said, "I think you are still doing a wonderful job and remember, you're only human!" Those were some very simple but encouraging words. I realized that I can't do it all. Sometimes I need to do what I can to rest and heal and that is ok! I also felt good when I told a Kindergarten class that I had been sick so my voice sounded funny. A little boy then said, "but you still look beautiful!" I love little children :)

On a more postive note, my weekend was great. Sarah is off partying in Boston so I've been able to relax and really rest my voice at home alone. I also got to see my girls this weekend which was awesome. With the hustle and bustle of life, it's hard to get together with friends so I'm glad we were able to.

This picture is old but it's the most recent one I could find. LOVE THESE GIRLS!!!

The Happiest Place on Earth

One of the best things about being a teacher is all the breaks you get (and I seriously don't know how we would function without them). This past week was Fall Break or UEA and I took full advantage of the break. On Wednesday, me and three friends headed off to Disneyland. We stayed in St. George the first night then left early so we were at Disneyland/California Adventure for 3 days. We then headed home exhausted but satisfied on Sunday. I do feel sorry for my students on the Monday after, I wasn't too energetic or patient.

The break was awesome and very needed. I loved being able to get out of Utah for awhile and relax at the happiest place on earth. It was amazing and really quite ridiculous how many people from Utah were there though. UEA really should stand for "Utah's Exodus into Anaheim." I swear every other family I saw had BYU or Utah attire on.

Disneyland at Halloween is absolutely amazing and I enjoyed all the decorations and special things going on. I also love how clean it is! It's truly magical how everything stays so neat and tidy.

I won't go into too much detail about the whole trip because that would take way too long. One of my uncles likes to make a Top 10 favorite memories list for trips so I'm going to do that. Some things will not make sense to you but oh well. They are in no particular order but are the most memorable experiences.

1. Amber having to hold hands with a guy we met in line on our very first ride.

2. Having the perfect seats on Soarin' Over California and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

3. The worker on the canoe named Mercedes.

4. Our planned pictures on rides. Splash Mountain was the best.

5. The rhyming and very talkative worker in Fantasyland that we had for 3 different rides.

6. World of Color

7. A worker saying, "Just like Beyonce, to the left to the left" while directing people where to walk.

8. Rosey's confession on the tram that she backed Jill's car into a pole.

9. The new Star Tours

10. Trying to keep a serious face for pictures on rides but failing miserably.

11. And this one I just couldn't leave out so there will be eleven. Me eating dinner with the Asian man.

And just for your enjoyment, here are a few other pictures from the trip:

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

I haven't posted anything about teaching in awhile mostly due to the fact that things have been stressful. I needed time to cool off so I wouldn't post an extremely long blog full of complaints. Now that I feel a little better about life, I will update you a little.

My "hard" school has made me second guess my decision to be a teacher countless times this past month. The children are very difficult to teach and sometimes we spend 30 out of their 45 minutes just sitting because they will not be quiet long enough for me to talk or explain a game. It gets really frustrating. Many students do not speak English and many are from low-income families. This often means they are not very disciplined. Teaching 50-60 of these students at once, seven times a day, pays its toll on me. Every morning would be spent with many silent prayers asking Heavenly Father to help me make it through the day. I'd sit there and tell myself "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" but having a sense of dread in my stomach. After being like this for far too long, I decided a change needed to take place. These past couple of weeks I have enforced new policies and been more strict about following my rules. I've spent quite a bit of money on candy and prizes as incentives. The reason I'm mentioning this is because THINGS ARE FINALLY GETTING BETTER!!! I have gone home the last two weeks from this school and didn't cry! This was almost a daily ritual after leaving this school before. The students are understanding that they must be quiet in order to play and that I don't let anything slip by me. I know there are still some things I can work on and I still have trouble with a few classes but all in all, I'm starting to like my job :) The other school I'm at is great and the students are easier to manage so if all else fails, I enjoy going to work every other day. The teachers at both schools though, have been wonderful and I'm so glad I have their support!

On a more positive note, the individual students are awesome (they just have trouble when they are all together!) We have been playing some fun games and I love seeing them come up with strategies, helping their teammates, and the looks on their faces when they accomplish something they haven't before.

I also decided to compile a little list of things that make me love being a PE teacher. I often have to be reminded of these things since I tend to dwell on the bad. Here they are:

I love getting hugs from the little Kinders and Hi Fives from the older kids

I love that even though I sometimes yell, they still think I'm the coolest teacher ever

I love getting compliments on my cool shoes or awesome athletic attire

I love their reaction when I actually do my hair and it's not in a pony tail

I love seeing their sweaty faces when they leave the gym

I love hearing them breath hard because I know they are getting a workout

I love when I hear them say, "That was fun!"

I love when they call me "Coach" instead of Miss Miller

and...

I love payday!

Here's a funny story to end this long post. One thing I implimented this past week was a "Stop and Think" card. When they get 3 strikes, they have to fill out a card explaining what they did wrong and how they will be better. I then sign it, give it to their teacher to sign, and it goes home to the parents. When explaining this to Kindergarteners, a little girl said that if a note like that goes home, her mom would get mad, she would have to do all her homework, then go to her room for the rest of the night without doing anything fun, and would have to eat grits for dinner. After the grits part, I couldn't help but laugh. She then looked at me with a stern eye and said, "it's not funny!" I quickly replied that it was not and she would have to work really hard to make sure that didn't happen. She then said, "Oh, I will!" I laughed again but this time I turned around so she didn't know :)

Birthday Week

I will admit that I wasn't too excited for my birthday this year. They just seem less important and exciting the older I get but when my birthDAY turned into a birthWEEK this year, I changed my mind. While I'm still not too happy to be turning 24, it was nice to feel loved and remembered by so many people. My friends and family managed to stretch my birthday into a week long event that I will definitely remember in years to come. Some of the events might not seem too exciting and birthday related to you, but they were to me!

Friday I went to Texas Roadhouse for a yummy meal including my free birthday appetizer. I LOVE Texas Roadhouse anyway but adding free food into the mix makes it even better. Saturday I got to visit with a friend I grew up with and hadn't seen in awhile. I also got to open my first present from my friend Jill in preparation for the BYU game. It was an awesome shirt with the old logo-loved it!

 The worst part of my birthday week took place Saturday night when BYU lost horribly to Utah (which took awhile to get over) but I luckily didn't stay in a bad mood for too long. Sunday was a great day. I went over to my Aunt Nel's house where she made me a wonderful birthday dinner. I opened a few presents and enjoyed my favorite red velvet cake with her, my sister, and cousins.

I was also recognized and given my favorite flower in Relief Society. This was a pleasant surprise since I'm still new to the ward.

Monday the 19th was my actual birthday. I did receive lots of "Happy Birthdays," hugs, and songs by my students at school which was nice. My sister Sarah then took me to Cafe Rio (a close tie with Texas Roadhouse) and I opened more presents.

 Sarah got me tickets to Jimmer's All-Stars which was on Thursday. It was at the Marriott Center in Provo and was made up of the top NBA draft picks and outstanding college basketball players. This included Jimmer, Kawhi Leonard, Kemba Walker, Nolan Smith, Isaiah Thomas, Jackson Emery and many others. Although I've seen Jimmer play much better then he did that night, the game was awesome and very entertaining! I really do love Jimmer but decided to wear my Duke shirt to support my man, Nolan Smith, instead.

 After the game I enjoyed my free cold stone ice cream with some friends. Friday there was no school which was awesome. I went back down to Provo to play and go to the BYU football game (they won this time). Saturday I was treated to breakfast by one of my friends at Kneaders. I then got to spend some time with my bestest and her husband and go long boarding and listen to the wonderful Relief Society broadcast. 

So as you can see, I pretty much had the best birthday/week EVER! Thanks again to everyone who made it memorable. I have some of the best family and friends a girl can ask for and am constantly reminded of how blessed I am. I think this year is going to be a good one! 

I see EVERYTHING!

Having 2 classes at once is very challenging. The students are very aware of the fact that there are so many of them in the gym. They think it is the perfect time to mess around and not be seen. Little do they know that I can see EVERYTHING! Or at least that's what I told them. They think they are so smart and sneaky but because I have a good 2 feet height advantage on most of them, I usually can see them. Last week we were learning a little dance and these two boys thought it was the perfect time to mess around. I noticed and while teaching the dance I would stare at them for like 30 seconds at a time. When I looked away, they would start again so I would stare again. One boy finally made eye contact with me and when he noticed me watching, his face turned into pure guilt. The expression was priceless. Then another group of kids started misbehaving and I did the same thing. This time I walked over to them and made a couple of them sit on the steps for a bit. I love that they have no idea I see them. Near the end of class I talked to everyone about how teachers have eyes on the back of their heads and can see everything and warned them to watch out. So this week all it took was for me to give a stern look at them or point to my eyes and they behaved. I even had some students ask me where my other eyes were :) Pure satisfaction right there! 

My students know that I am a BYU fan so after the horrible should-not-be-brought-up-again game last weekend, my kids kept giving me a bunch of crap or wearing all of their Utah clothes. But I know the influence I can have and it was proved yesterday with a group of 2nd graders (same ones who tried to tickle my sweaty armspits-see story below). When a class is good, they get to put a sticker on a chart and this class earned their sticker. This little girl picked a blue football sticker so I said, "Alright, you chose this for BYU!" Then all of a sudden a group of kids start chanting, BYU, BYU, BYU! Then both classes are doing it and I didn't even tell them to. Made me so proud! Got to convert them young!
At the end of class I did the same thing I did last time and opened both doors so my arms were both out (once again, see story below). I was afraid of getting tickled again but only received hugs :) Gotta love little children!

Conquering Mount Timpanogos

Hiking is something I absolutely love. You get a nice workout while enjoying the beauty and serenity of nature. It also helps me appreciate Heavenly Father's creation and I feel closer to Him. With that said, I can't believe it took me moving out of Utah County to finally conquer Mt. Timpanogos. I lived in Provo for 5 years but never hiked it. So last weekend on September 10, some of my friends were going up and I didn't want to pass up the opportunity again. We started the hike at 7am and made it to the top by noon. The hike up really wasn't that bad except for a couple of really steep parts. My biggest problem was that my hip joint was acting up and killed with certain movements. I dug deep and found an extra store of energy on the last part though and got ahead of the group. I waited for my friend Jill and we were the first two to make it. We stayed at the top for nearly an hour and then headed down. There was no way I was going down the glacier since my job requires me to be healthy and injury free so we headed back the same way we came. Usually going downhill is my favorite part but not on this hike. The impact on my hip was really painful and the end just never seemed to come. Finally we saw the parking lot at about 5:10 pm. Not only were we all tired and hungry but the BYU football game started at 5 and we were missing it! So we drove back, quickly showered, grabbed some food, and only saw the 2nd half of the football game (which we lost--so mad). I also don't want to brag but except for my hip, I really wasn't sore at all from this hike and carried on as normal which is great since I had to teach Monday.

No hike is complete without pictures so here are a few:

The big question now is will I do it again? If you asked me right after I would have said, "NO!" I really didn't like how long it took to come down and I really had to use the bathroom! But I may have changed my mind since then and will most likely do it again. The views were gorgeous and I loved the feeling of accomplishment I got at the top. One of my friends mom's was with us and this was her 15th time. I can't see myself doing it that many but it may be an every summer thing if I stick around the area. Then again, once is enough right! :)

Some Stories from the first 3 Weeks

Before I dive into some of the stories, let me give you a little background about my job. I am an elementary PE teacher that covers 2 schools. I teach grades K-6. I am at one 3 days a week (considered my home school) and the other 2 days a week. My home school is great. The kids are great, faculty, everything. My other school is a challenge to put it lightly. It's in a rougher part of Salt Lake and a Title 1 school meaning the kids are from lower income familes. They are really diverse and I have many students who do not speak English, are really disrespectful, and don't seem to be very disciplined. One of the hardest parts about my job is that because I'm over 2 schools, my classes are combined so I have 2 at once. THAT MEANS ANYWHERE FROM 40-60 STUDENTS AT ONCE! I see over 1200 students each week too so that's also a challenge. And with that said, here are some stories:

Something scary/crazy-At my harder school I was teaching a kindergarten class. It was just their second full day of school ever so keep that in mind. I also have them during the lunch hour so students are constantly moving in the hallways going to lunch or recess. The lesson was going pretty well except I knew this little girl didn't speak English because she wasn't following any of my directions. I gave some commands in Spanish but she didn't respond to those either so I had no idea what language she spoke. The next thing I know she is running to the door trying to get out of the gym. I run over there and she goes down on the floor crying and screaming bloody murder. I HAVE NEVER heard a cry like that and I didn't know if I had done something wrong or what. Then when I turn around to take care of the rest of the class she runs out the door and tries to get outside. I have to grab her to keep her inside. Luckily one of the resource aids was in the hall so I called her over. She basically had to take over from there so I could take care of the rest of the class who had no idea what was going on and started freaking out as well. Two other little girls started crying and saying they wanted to go home or wanted their mom. So for the rest of the class I'm trying to keep these little kindergarteners busy while you can hear their classmate screaming in the hallway for like 15 minutes. Later I finally got to talk to the teacher that helped out. She said they couldn't calm her down but luckily found her older sister to talk to her. Turns out they are from Nepal so speak a language I've never heard of. They also were able to find out that the little girl realized her backpack wasn't with her and thought someone stole it. CRAZY! I can't describe the panic I felt when she started freaking out and how hard it was to compose myself and the rest of the class.

Now something funny- I have two 2nd grade classes at the end of the day. I had each class line up so they could leave at the same time. So I was holding two doors open at once meaning my arms were outstretched and they were walking under. I teach PE so yes, I am active all day and do get sweaty. While I'm holding the doors open a little boy stops and points at my armpits saying, "Eww, you're so sweaty." And then he reaches up and touches it! Touches my sweaty armpits! Not only is that completely disgusting on his part but I really don't want people touching me there. Then to make it worse, other little kids see that and as they walk out they do the same thing or try to tickle me. I had to try so hard not to slam the door in their faces!

And this post is really long already so I'll just do one more. I was teaching playground games one week which included 4 square, teatherball, and knockout. We did a little tag game before to warm up and this little boy crashed into someone and hurt his nose. I basically told him he was fine and to keep playing. Then outside someone comes over to me and tells me someone got hurt. It was the same boy and he got hit with the ball in the stomach during 4 square. Late, that same boy gets hit in the head with the teatherball. Then hit again during knockout. Every single activity we did he was getting hurt! It took everything I had not to laugh at him and I told him to get some ice (because in elementary school that makes everything better). Later I was telling the story to some teachers in the faculty lounge. One asked me which kid it was and when I told her, all the teachers died laughing. Apparently this kid gets hurt all of the time so I guess I better keep an eye out.