Inspired by my friend, Lindsey, here are some things that I love lately:
*Fall-It is by far my favorite season.
*Football-One of the reasons I love fall so much is because that means it's football season. I love the Huskers, the Broncos and the Steelers.
*Thanksgiving-This is my favorite holiday, and this year I will be in Mexico with the family.
*Texting-I love the sound my phone makes when I receive a text.
*Living with Case-I love when he calls down the stairs, "Come and get me, Dido!"
*Makeup-My friend Britt has been giving me lessons, and my eyes are looking pretty dang good.
*Teaching-I've had my share of bad days, but most of the time my kids make me smile.
*Ice Cream-I gave it up for the past 30 days, but I had some the other night and it make my night.
*Snow Days-We got two days off this week due to a big snow storm. It was heavenly (and I got paid).
*Being called a Nerd-It just brings a smile to my face.
*Corinne when she wrinkles her nose to smile or laugh. What a cutie!
*The Zac Brown Band-This is my most favorite CD in the entire world.
*Baking-I love this time of year when I can bake cookies for others.
*Scarves-I wear one almost every day.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Colorado Weather Changes
This was Case and me less than a week ago...
______________________________
And this was just five short days later...
Britt and I discovered one of the many benefits of being a teacher. Britt, who lives about half an hour away, ended up crashing with me for the night so she wouldn't have to drive home. We cooked, watched movies, played with Case, painted our toes and went outside and played in the snow.
C, K, C Nichols
As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I went to visit the Nichols' clan in Loveland a few weeks ago. Carson, Kye and I did a little art project. 
Carson getting ready to start painting his candy corn.
Carson getting ready to start painting his candy corn.
Kye beginning his project. 
The finished Candy Corn. 
Silly Faces. 
Me and Kye.
Me and Carson.
Cutie Pie Corinne.
Friday, October 23, 2009
What I Carry
In my 10th Grade class, we are reading The Things They Carried, which is a book about the Vietnam War. It is a great read if you're interested in this kind of book. The kids really enjoy it. The book is about the things the war veterans carried during the war, both physically (such as guns, ammo, canteens, etc) and figuratively (such as hate, pain, memories, guilt, etc). As a class we have been discussing the things we carry on a daily basis. Some are funny, such as good luck coins, humor, good memories, and jokes. However, some of the things my students carry on a daily basis are very serious, such as death, divorce, abuse, and pregnancies. The other day, I had my students write me a letter about what they carry. I wanted to return the favor to them, since they had trusted me with some of their burdens. I wrote this letter to them yesterday, and read it out loud to the entire class.
____________________________________________________
To My One and Only 10th Grade English Class, whom I adore and enjoy teaching:
I wanted to write YOU a letter to share what I carry on a daily basis. You may find it cheesy. You might pretend to listen but fall asleep with your eyes open. You may laugh once or twice. You might find that you can relate to my story a little, or you might not be able to relate at all. But what I really hope is that you take away a little piece of me and a tid bit of information that might make you a better person in high school and beyond.
I carry fuzzy memories of high school. I remember bits and pieces of it, but I feel like there are four years of my life that I don’t remember well. There are a few events that stick out in my mind, such as the theatre productions I performed in or the music concerts and solos. I didn’t do sports in high school, although I think I would have been good at them. I didn’t play any instruments, but if I would have stuck to piano lessons, I would have been good at that. I didn’t write for the school newspaper or yearbook, although I went on to get a Journalism degree and have found that writing is my passion. I wasn’t popular, although I had a lot of friends. I was quiet, so people often labeled me for a snob. I was highly involved in my church youth group, so I often got made fun of for being the “good girl.”
College is clearer in my mind. I grew up a lot in college, and even ventured 2,000 miles away from my family and friends to go to school in Oregon. I remember specifically the day I had to choose what I was going to do for the rest of my life. I started out as a Physical Therapist major (pre-med). I had torn my ACL in high school, and I was fascinated by the science behind therapy. I was going to help one person at a time recover from injuries. So as a little freshman in college, I started taking Chem, Biology and as many other pre-med courses as I could. I quickly discovered I was TERRIBLE at science. My mind didn’t understand, and I got a C in Chem. After my first semester, I quickly changed my degree to English. I was no longer walking into the science building where I felt smart and motivated. I was now walking into the English building where everyone had their noses buried in books, glasses on the tips of their noses and an air of snobbishness about them. I didn’t really fit into this crowd, either. And I MOST CERTAINLY DID NOT WANT TO BE A TEACHER. Everyone asked me, “If you don’t want to be an English teacher, then why are you getting a degree in English? What are you going to do with that degree?” Good question, and I didn’t have the answer. Once again, I met with my counselor to change careers for the third time. After looking at the classes I had already taken, which was an array of Science and English, she determined that Journalism might be good place to start. It sounded fun, and while I had little to no experience with writing other than high school English essays, I decided to take on the challenge.
I conquered that challenge, and became very good at writing and interviewing. I interviewed homeless people, I interviewed a candidate for City Council, and I wrote more newspaper articles than most people will read in their lifetime. I was good at writing, and I finally felt like I had found my calling in life. To make a long story short, I got a job in Denver to work for a magazine, so I packed up my life in NE and ventured off to the Mile High City. I worked for the magazine for six months, and then found myself without a job when the magazine went out of business. I found a job for Enterprise Rent a Car, and I was embarrassed to tell people where I worked. I had a Journalism degree for goodness sakes. I was good at writing, not at washing and renting cars! About three years into my career with Enterprise, I began to have a passion to teach. Less than five years out of college, and I wanted to change my career choice again!
And that’s just what I did. I found a Master’s program to get my teaching degree. It has not been an easy road to get here, but I am now here at Chatfield as an English teacher (despite my words almost 10 years ago when I said, “I do not want to be an English teacher!”). I’ve made my share of mistakes, too. When I administered a Journalism test last year, I failed to realize that the answers were all in a row. Almost every single student got 100% because they realized the answers went right down the line. A few students weren’t so bright to catch my mistake. And if you remember back just a short month ago, I mistakenly said something a tad inappropriate in this class. Do you remember my embarrassment as you all took what I said out of context?!?!
Believe me, I am not here because I love grading and reading essays. I am not here because I enjoy the politics that go along with teaching. I am not here because I enjoy picking up your trash and nagging you about homework.
I am here because of you. What ties us together is the fact that we have all lost someone we love. We have all experienced hurt, sometimes beyond repair. Life is not easy. I hear your stories of struggle, pain, hurt, guilt, broken families, broken hearts and broken lives and I get angry that someone as young as you has experienced more hurt than anyone should have to carry in a lifetime. You did not have to go to Vietnam to see a war, as your daily life is a war between family, school and friends. You might be like Tim O’Brien and lie when someone asks you about your war. You might be like Norman Bowker who just keeps doing the same routine over and over to avoid the hurt deep down inside. But I see a group of 22 AMAZING students who has found a way to survive, to go on.
Now that I am back in high school, I do not carry fuzzy memories. In a way, I am reliving my years as a high school student. But rather than being the quiet student who never said a word in class, I hope I am speaking up enough to make a difference in someone’s life. Yes, I am the uncool teacher who constantly assigns homework. I am ok with that. I am here to teach you English, and that’s what my job depends on, but I am also here to teach you life lessons. I am here to teach you responsibility. I am here to teach you how to get along with everyone, not just your best friends. I am here to teach you how to interact with people you may not know very well. I am here to prepare for that “real” world, and believe me, sometimes the real word sucks.
Do you want to know what I remember about high school? I remember my relationships with my teachers and friends. I remember the late nights with my friends jumping on the trampoline. I remember photo shoots with my girlfriends. I remember RELATIONSHIPS. I don’t remember a lot of what I learned in class, but I do remember certain teachers who took the time to get to know me. I remember very specific people, some whom I remain in contact with today, who reached out to me and saw not just a quiet girl but a girl with real potential. As I’ve read your journals, many of you are carrying around guilt, bad memories, good memories, laughs, and pain. I can see the pain in your eyes. But I hope you leave high school knowing you made a difference in someone’s life. And I hope you leave my class knowing that I cared for you, and I carry on a daily basis a joy to be here with you. My life would not be complete if I did not carry YOUR burdens and YOUR laughs with me on a day to day basis. In a sense, I kind of am like a Physical Therapist, only in a different way. I HOPE I am helping one person at a time recover from injuries.
Sincerely,
Ms. Nichols
______________________________________________
The response I got from my students was more than I could hope for. One girl stayed after class to talk to me. With tears streaming down her face, she told me of her broken family and how she sleeps at a different house every night. Her parents hate each other, and she has gotten caught in the middle.
Here are some other responses:
*I understand when you say you remember your relationships with your teachers and friends. it is hard to get up every morning and go do seven hours of work, but great teachers and great friends make it easier. I, too, think I will remember more about my teachers and friends than about what I learned in high school.
*I really appreciated your letter. It was nice getting to know the real you because before I just thought of you as Ms. Nichols, my English teacher. Now I am able to say that you actually really care about me. Right now I am doing terrible in your class, and I owe you an apology for that. I'm slacking because honestly I just don't know what's going on with me right now. I feel so overwhelmed with work and tests. I don't even know where to start. Your letter has inspired me to show you the real me. The me that loves English and loves to write. I don't know what else to say except I'm sorry and that you'll be seeing an improvement really soon.
*Ms. Nichols, that was a very inspiring and eye opening speech. I would like to know more about you.
*I was surprised to hear that you were very quiet. How were you able to change to a more talkative person?
*Out of all the things you've been through, if there was anything you could change, what would it be and why? Thanks for reading your letter to us. I enjoyed it and learned a lot about you (this comes from a kid who has been most difficult when dealing with).
*I really liked that yous aid that every one's life is a war. It proved to me that I'm not alone with what I am feeling.
*The most inspiring part of your essay was when you related the pain of our high school experiences to war. It shows us that each person has hurtful pain and memories like war veterans that we deal with every day of our lives. I also think it is incredibly inspiring that your goal was to aid injured people, and how you are now aiding our minds to a successful life. That is even more important than any injured muscle or bone.
*Have you ever lost a family member (his father died this past summer)?
*Right now, there's so much going on in my life that I can't handle. It's like everything is hitting me at once. This all very hard for me. When you kept changing your mind about what your career path would be, it reminded me of my everyday life. I can never decide what to do, or what I should or shouldn't do. I have so many people pulling me in every which direction that I don't even know who I am...
*Your letter was very inspiring. I can tell that you put a lot of thought into it and some humor as well.
*I think I can relate to how you described your high school experience. I tend to be quiet in class, too. I'm also made fun of for being too good. I don't swear, break school rules, or tell dirty jokes. Some people call me a "goody-two shoes," but other people like me because of it.
*Where does the patience to teach come from? You're making English more than a task; I can relate to it...FINALLY!
*I hope now and as I grow up that I am as caring and nice as you are. Thank you again for being such an awesome teacher, and I'm not just saying that to get a good grade in your class. Hehehe. You're definitely one of the best English teachers I will have in my life.
*I like how you open up to your students because not many teachers take the time to do that! You made it clear that you care for your students and their happiness. You have passion in your teaching.
*I love that I can relate to you about making an impression and making an impact on people's lives. You are an outstanding teacher and also one of the smartest I know. I have fun in your class, and it even gets me out of a bad mood some days. I'm impressed with the fact you take time to help and get to know your students, which means a lot to me because I don't get that from my teachers. Thank you for all your help. I appreciate it very much. Thanks Ms. Nichols! PS-That joke with the Great Gatsby made my entire life!
____________________________________________________
To My One and Only 10th Grade English Class, whom I adore and enjoy teaching:
I wanted to write YOU a letter to share what I carry on a daily basis. You may find it cheesy. You might pretend to listen but fall asleep with your eyes open. You may laugh once or twice. You might find that you can relate to my story a little, or you might not be able to relate at all. But what I really hope is that you take away a little piece of me and a tid bit of information that might make you a better person in high school and beyond.
I carry fuzzy memories of high school. I remember bits and pieces of it, but I feel like there are four years of my life that I don’t remember well. There are a few events that stick out in my mind, such as the theatre productions I performed in or the music concerts and solos. I didn’t do sports in high school, although I think I would have been good at them. I didn’t play any instruments, but if I would have stuck to piano lessons, I would have been good at that. I didn’t write for the school newspaper or yearbook, although I went on to get a Journalism degree and have found that writing is my passion. I wasn’t popular, although I had a lot of friends. I was quiet, so people often labeled me for a snob. I was highly involved in my church youth group, so I often got made fun of for being the “good girl.”
College is clearer in my mind. I grew up a lot in college, and even ventured 2,000 miles away from my family and friends to go to school in Oregon. I remember specifically the day I had to choose what I was going to do for the rest of my life. I started out as a Physical Therapist major (pre-med). I had torn my ACL in high school, and I was fascinated by the science behind therapy. I was going to help one person at a time recover from injuries. So as a little freshman in college, I started taking Chem, Biology and as many other pre-med courses as I could. I quickly discovered I was TERRIBLE at science. My mind didn’t understand, and I got a C in Chem. After my first semester, I quickly changed my degree to English. I was no longer walking into the science building where I felt smart and motivated. I was now walking into the English building where everyone had their noses buried in books, glasses on the tips of their noses and an air of snobbishness about them. I didn’t really fit into this crowd, either. And I MOST CERTAINLY DID NOT WANT TO BE A TEACHER. Everyone asked me, “If you don’t want to be an English teacher, then why are you getting a degree in English? What are you going to do with that degree?” Good question, and I didn’t have the answer. Once again, I met with my counselor to change careers for the third time. After looking at the classes I had already taken, which was an array of Science and English, she determined that Journalism might be good place to start. It sounded fun, and while I had little to no experience with writing other than high school English essays, I decided to take on the challenge.
I conquered that challenge, and became very good at writing and interviewing. I interviewed homeless people, I interviewed a candidate for City Council, and I wrote more newspaper articles than most people will read in their lifetime. I was good at writing, and I finally felt like I had found my calling in life. To make a long story short, I got a job in Denver to work for a magazine, so I packed up my life in NE and ventured off to the Mile High City. I worked for the magazine for six months, and then found myself without a job when the magazine went out of business. I found a job for Enterprise Rent a Car, and I was embarrassed to tell people where I worked. I had a Journalism degree for goodness sakes. I was good at writing, not at washing and renting cars! About three years into my career with Enterprise, I began to have a passion to teach. Less than five years out of college, and I wanted to change my career choice again!
And that’s just what I did. I found a Master’s program to get my teaching degree. It has not been an easy road to get here, but I am now here at Chatfield as an English teacher (despite my words almost 10 years ago when I said, “I do not want to be an English teacher!”). I’ve made my share of mistakes, too. When I administered a Journalism test last year, I failed to realize that the answers were all in a row. Almost every single student got 100% because they realized the answers went right down the line. A few students weren’t so bright to catch my mistake. And if you remember back just a short month ago, I mistakenly said something a tad inappropriate in this class. Do you remember my embarrassment as you all took what I said out of context?!?!
Believe me, I am not here because I love grading and reading essays. I am not here because I enjoy the politics that go along with teaching. I am not here because I enjoy picking up your trash and nagging you about homework.
I am here because of you. What ties us together is the fact that we have all lost someone we love. We have all experienced hurt, sometimes beyond repair. Life is not easy. I hear your stories of struggle, pain, hurt, guilt, broken families, broken hearts and broken lives and I get angry that someone as young as you has experienced more hurt than anyone should have to carry in a lifetime. You did not have to go to Vietnam to see a war, as your daily life is a war between family, school and friends. You might be like Tim O’Brien and lie when someone asks you about your war. You might be like Norman Bowker who just keeps doing the same routine over and over to avoid the hurt deep down inside. But I see a group of 22 AMAZING students who has found a way to survive, to go on.
Now that I am back in high school, I do not carry fuzzy memories. In a way, I am reliving my years as a high school student. But rather than being the quiet student who never said a word in class, I hope I am speaking up enough to make a difference in someone’s life. Yes, I am the uncool teacher who constantly assigns homework. I am ok with that. I am here to teach you English, and that’s what my job depends on, but I am also here to teach you life lessons. I am here to teach you responsibility. I am here to teach you how to get along with everyone, not just your best friends. I am here to teach you how to interact with people you may not know very well. I am here to prepare for that “real” world, and believe me, sometimes the real word sucks.
Do you want to know what I remember about high school? I remember my relationships with my teachers and friends. I remember the late nights with my friends jumping on the trampoline. I remember photo shoots with my girlfriends. I remember RELATIONSHIPS. I don’t remember a lot of what I learned in class, but I do remember certain teachers who took the time to get to know me. I remember very specific people, some whom I remain in contact with today, who reached out to me and saw not just a quiet girl but a girl with real potential. As I’ve read your journals, many of you are carrying around guilt, bad memories, good memories, laughs, and pain. I can see the pain in your eyes. But I hope you leave high school knowing you made a difference in someone’s life. And I hope you leave my class knowing that I cared for you, and I carry on a daily basis a joy to be here with you. My life would not be complete if I did not carry YOUR burdens and YOUR laughs with me on a day to day basis. In a sense, I kind of am like a Physical Therapist, only in a different way. I HOPE I am helping one person at a time recover from injuries.
Sincerely,
Ms. Nichols
______________________________________________
The response I got from my students was more than I could hope for. One girl stayed after class to talk to me. With tears streaming down her face, she told me of her broken family and how she sleeps at a different house every night. Her parents hate each other, and she has gotten caught in the middle.
Here are some other responses:
*I understand when you say you remember your relationships with your teachers and friends. it is hard to get up every morning and go do seven hours of work, but great teachers and great friends make it easier. I, too, think I will remember more about my teachers and friends than about what I learned in high school.
*I really appreciated your letter. It was nice getting to know the real you because before I just thought of you as Ms. Nichols, my English teacher. Now I am able to say that you actually really care about me. Right now I am doing terrible in your class, and I owe you an apology for that. I'm slacking because honestly I just don't know what's going on with me right now. I feel so overwhelmed with work and tests. I don't even know where to start. Your letter has inspired me to show you the real me. The me that loves English and loves to write. I don't know what else to say except I'm sorry and that you'll be seeing an improvement really soon.
*Ms. Nichols, that was a very inspiring and eye opening speech. I would like to know more about you.
*I was surprised to hear that you were very quiet. How were you able to change to a more talkative person?
*Out of all the things you've been through, if there was anything you could change, what would it be and why? Thanks for reading your letter to us. I enjoyed it and learned a lot about you (this comes from a kid who has been most difficult when dealing with).
*I really liked that yous aid that every one's life is a war. It proved to me that I'm not alone with what I am feeling.
*The most inspiring part of your essay was when you related the pain of our high school experiences to war. It shows us that each person has hurtful pain and memories like war veterans that we deal with every day of our lives. I also think it is incredibly inspiring that your goal was to aid injured people, and how you are now aiding our minds to a successful life. That is even more important than any injured muscle or bone.
*Have you ever lost a family member (his father died this past summer)?
*Right now, there's so much going on in my life that I can't handle. It's like everything is hitting me at once. This all very hard for me. When you kept changing your mind about what your career path would be, it reminded me of my everyday life. I can never decide what to do, or what I should or shouldn't do. I have so many people pulling me in every which direction that I don't even know who I am...
*Your letter was very inspiring. I can tell that you put a lot of thought into it and some humor as well.
*I think I can relate to how you described your high school experience. I tend to be quiet in class, too. I'm also made fun of for being too good. I don't swear, break school rules, or tell dirty jokes. Some people call me a "goody-two shoes," but other people like me because of it.
*Where does the patience to teach come from? You're making English more than a task; I can relate to it...FINALLY!
*I hope now and as I grow up that I am as caring and nice as you are. Thank you again for being such an awesome teacher, and I'm not just saying that to get a good grade in your class. Hehehe. You're definitely one of the best English teachers I will have in my life.
*I like how you open up to your students because not many teachers take the time to do that! You made it clear that you care for your students and their happiness. You have passion in your teaching.
*I love that I can relate to you about making an impression and making an impact on people's lives. You are an outstanding teacher and also one of the smartest I know. I have fun in your class, and it even gets me out of a bad mood some days. I'm impressed with the fact you take time to help and get to know your students, which means a lot to me because I don't get that from my teachers. Thank you for all your help. I appreciate it very much. Thanks Ms. Nichols! PS-That joke with the Great Gatsby made my entire life!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
All in a Day's Work
My day started out yesterday with a kid running up the stairs of the Commons gushing blood from his nose. I happened to encounter him as blood was splurting out his nose. It was all over. He was covering his nose with his hands, but his hands were soaked in blood, the front of his shirt was bloodied and wet, and there was a trail of blood down the hall. I'm lucky blood doesn't phase me because I'm pretty sure I might have passed out right then and there. I haven't seen that much blood since Zombieland last weekend in the movie theatre.
I then ventured off to class to have a student call me Mrs. Nichols. I usually let it pass when they call me Mrs. Nichols or Mrs. Nicholas or just plain Miss, but I was feeling feisty. I corrected this kid and said, "I am not Mrs. I am Ms. I am not married." He goes, "I bet you want to be Mrs. though, huh? You want to get married." Uncomfortable with where this conversation was headed, I tried to end it right then and there. I failed miserably. I said, "Sure, I want to get married. But I am not married yet." In my mind, end of discussion. Except for they picked up on my use of the word YET. I meant nothing by it, but they took it to mean I was in a serious relationship and soon to be married. On my goodness, the teasing that took place. "Ms. Nichols, what's this guy's lucky name?" "Ms. Nichols, are you dating someone?" "Ms. Nichols, tell us about him!" At this point, I'm so embarrassed my face is turning redder and redder by the minute. I quickly changed the subject and got the attention off my name being Mrs. or Ms. That will teach me!
And then I got to make a "Your Mama" joke. Well, kind of. We were reading a short story on revenge, and a man wanted to get revenge on someone b/c this other guy insulted him. The kids wanted to know what the insult was, which the text does not say. I said, "Well, it could have been an insult about the way this man dressed, or he might have made a 'Your Mama' joke." Oh how the kids laughed and laughed at this. They think I'm pretty funny :) Jeff warned Shannon and me that one of these days, a "Your Mama" joke is going to get one of us fired.
I then ventured off to class to have a student call me Mrs. Nichols. I usually let it pass when they call me Mrs. Nichols or Mrs. Nicholas or just plain Miss, but I was feeling feisty. I corrected this kid and said, "I am not Mrs. I am Ms. I am not married." He goes, "I bet you want to be Mrs. though, huh? You want to get married." Uncomfortable with where this conversation was headed, I tried to end it right then and there. I failed miserably. I said, "Sure, I want to get married. But I am not married yet." In my mind, end of discussion. Except for they picked up on my use of the word YET. I meant nothing by it, but they took it to mean I was in a serious relationship and soon to be married. On my goodness, the teasing that took place. "Ms. Nichols, what's this guy's lucky name?" "Ms. Nichols, are you dating someone?" "Ms. Nichols, tell us about him!" At this point, I'm so embarrassed my face is turning redder and redder by the minute. I quickly changed the subject and got the attention off my name being Mrs. or Ms. That will teach me!
And then I got to make a "Your Mama" joke. Well, kind of. We were reading a short story on revenge, and a man wanted to get revenge on someone b/c this other guy insulted him. The kids wanted to know what the insult was, which the text does not say. I said, "Well, it could have been an insult about the way this man dressed, or he might have made a 'Your Mama' joke." Oh how the kids laughed and laughed at this. They think I'm pretty funny :) Jeff warned Shannon and me that one of these days, a "Your Mama" joke is going to get one of us fired.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Confused to the Max
I was so thoroughly confused this morning that I thought I had gone crazy. I mean, I really thought I was crazy.
There is a thing at our school called the Learning Lab. This is a place where students can come for extra help if they are struggling in a certain subject. I am the English representative during 1st hour, so I was sitting there grading papers when one of my English students came up to me. His name is David, and he's a really bright kid. I was happy to see him getting extra help on the essay I just assigned.
"Good morning," he said to me.
"Good morning. How are you?" I replied.
"I'm good. I was wondering if you could look at my essay."
"Of course!"
I took his essay to find that it was over Of Mice and Men, a book we have not read in my English class yet. This is where I began to get confused. I looked at David with a confused look, and asked him why he had written his essay on Of Mice and Men. He then looked at me confused.
He said, "Mr. Brich assigned me this essay. I'm in his English class."
Now I was REALLY confused. No, I am his English teacher!
I asked him, "Are you taking two English classes?"
Again, he looked at me with a confused look. "No, Mr. Brich is my English teacher."
"No, I am your English teacher."
I thought someone was playing a joke on me.
A smile came over his face. "You must have my twin brother, David. I'm Paxton."
Well that makes sense. There are two of them, and I was talking to the one I didn't know. The crazy thing was, they look JUST alike and sound JUST alike. They could switch classes for a day and I would never know.
Now that I've read Paxton's essay, David won't be able to cheat and copy his brother's essay for when we do Of Mice and Men.
There is a thing at our school called the Learning Lab. This is a place where students can come for extra help if they are struggling in a certain subject. I am the English representative during 1st hour, so I was sitting there grading papers when one of my English students came up to me. His name is David, and he's a really bright kid. I was happy to see him getting extra help on the essay I just assigned.
"Good morning," he said to me.
"Good morning. How are you?" I replied.
"I'm good. I was wondering if you could look at my essay."
"Of course!"
I took his essay to find that it was over Of Mice and Men, a book we have not read in my English class yet. This is where I began to get confused. I looked at David with a confused look, and asked him why he had written his essay on Of Mice and Men. He then looked at me confused.
He said, "Mr. Brich assigned me this essay. I'm in his English class."
Now I was REALLY confused. No, I am his English teacher!
I asked him, "Are you taking two English classes?"
Again, he looked at me with a confused look. "No, Mr. Brich is my English teacher."
"No, I am your English teacher."
I thought someone was playing a joke on me.
A smile came over his face. "You must have my twin brother, David. I'm Paxton."
Well that makes sense. There are two of them, and I was talking to the one I didn't know. The crazy thing was, they look JUST alike and sound JUST alike. They could switch classes for a day and I would never know.
Now that I've read Paxton's essay, David won't be able to cheat and copy his brother's essay for when we do Of Mice and Men.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
I Learned the Truth
I actually did something exciting this weekend. A few exciting things, as a matter of fact.
Friday night I enjoyed Sushi...by myself. I was in bed by 10pm. I had to work Saturday morning, and then I came home and watched the Huskers SUCK big time. I left at half time to meet my friend, Britt, to see a movie. We went to Zombieland, and I have to admit I was not totally looking forward to the movie. It didn't seem like my kind of thing; however, it proved to be funny and enjoyable. It's a comedy about four people who are trying to outlive Zombies. It was bloody and gory, and I had to turn my eyes away a few times, but it was a good time. Then Britt and I went to dinner at Pei Wei and got all caught up.
Today, my friend Matt came to church with me. Afterwards, Shan, Jeff, Case and I went to The Old Country Buffet for lunch (not my choice). It was cheap, and we were close to being the youngest people in the place. THEN (the highlight of the weekend), Shan and I went to see WICKED. It was fantastic. It was about a three hour play, but I was highly entertained the entire time. I purchased the tickets about six months ago, and in an effort to save money, I got the cheapest tickets available. We were in the last row in the balcony. But, we were able to see and hear everything just fine, so it was worth it. Go see it if you ever get the chance. All along I've thought the Wicked Witch of the West was a bad witch, but today I learned the real truth about her life. We've all been fooled, and I am happy to know the real truth about that green witch.
I'm ending my weekend watching football. Kari and Sonya have been gone for two weeks in Italy, and they get back tonight, so I'm excited to see them and hear about their trip. Beau has been out of town, but he'll be back next week; I'm anxious to see him again. Hopefully my social life will pick up in the next week or two.
Friday night I enjoyed Sushi...by myself. I was in bed by 10pm. I had to work Saturday morning, and then I came home and watched the Huskers SUCK big time. I left at half time to meet my friend, Britt, to see a movie. We went to Zombieland, and I have to admit I was not totally looking forward to the movie. It didn't seem like my kind of thing; however, it proved to be funny and enjoyable. It's a comedy about four people who are trying to outlive Zombies. It was bloody and gory, and I had to turn my eyes away a few times, but it was a good time. Then Britt and I went to dinner at Pei Wei and got all caught up.
Today, my friend Matt came to church with me. Afterwards, Shan, Jeff, Case and I went to The Old Country Buffet for lunch (not my choice). It was cheap, and we were close to being the youngest people in the place. THEN (the highlight of the weekend), Shan and I went to see WICKED. It was fantastic. It was about a three hour play, but I was highly entertained the entire time. I purchased the tickets about six months ago, and in an effort to save money, I got the cheapest tickets available. We were in the last row in the balcony. But, we were able to see and hear everything just fine, so it was worth it. Go see it if you ever get the chance. All along I've thought the Wicked Witch of the West was a bad witch, but today I learned the real truth about her life. We've all been fooled, and I am happy to know the real truth about that green witch.
I'm ending my weekend watching football. Kari and Sonya have been gone for two weeks in Italy, and they get back tonight, so I'm excited to see them and hear about their trip. Beau has been out of town, but he'll be back next week; I'm anxious to see him again. Hopefully my social life will pick up in the next week or two.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
I'm Boring
I don't know what happened, but my life went from exciting to boring in .5! I have no stories to share. I'm sorry for that.
My friend Abby got me a really cool birthday present. It's a 5 Year Journal, and you only write about three sentences per day. It's set up so that over the next five years, you can read what was happening the year before. This is what it looks like:
2009, October 14 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2010, October 14 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2011, October 14 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2012, October 14 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2013, October 14 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The next page does the same thing for October 15, etc. As much as I like to blog and write, I hate journaling, so this is perfect for me because it takes about one minutes and it's fun to look back to see what I was up to the year before. The sad part is my life has been so boring that I have nothing to write about. My journal entry for last Friday was this: I spiced up my day by RENTING A MOVIE! Now that's excitement. I'm sitting home along on a Friday night watching a movie, eating popcorn and dreading going to work at Enterprise in the morning.
That is just a glimpse into my boring life. I will try to spice it up again really soon so I have something to blog about.
I did take some pictures this past weekend of Carson, Kye and me painting a Halloween project, but my camera is broken. A girl dropped it a month ago, and now it doesn't work. I was able to take the pictures, but now it won't let me upload the pics onto my computer. So that's sad.
And I did go to to Colorado Springs this past weekend to spend some time with my friend, Brandi. However, it was freezing rain all night and the taxi had over a two hour wait to take us downtown, so we ended up staying at her place and watching TV all night. We did sit in the hot tub and make chili, so that was fun! But again, no pictures to show for it.
And that's my boring life in a nutshell. Thank you for reading my boring blog post.
My friend Abby got me a really cool birthday present. It's a 5 Year Journal, and you only write about three sentences per day. It's set up so that over the next five years, you can read what was happening the year before. This is what it looks like:
2009, October 14 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2010, October 14 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2011, October 14 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2012, October 14 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2013, October 14 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The next page does the same thing for October 15, etc. As much as I like to blog and write, I hate journaling, so this is perfect for me because it takes about one minutes and it's fun to look back to see what I was up to the year before. The sad part is my life has been so boring that I have nothing to write about. My journal entry for last Friday was this: I spiced up my day by RENTING A MOVIE! Now that's excitement. I'm sitting home along on a Friday night watching a movie, eating popcorn and dreading going to work at Enterprise in the morning.
That is just a glimpse into my boring life. I will try to spice it up again really soon so I have something to blog about.
I did take some pictures this past weekend of Carson, Kye and me painting a Halloween project, but my camera is broken. A girl dropped it a month ago, and now it doesn't work. I was able to take the pictures, but now it won't let me upload the pics onto my computer. So that's sad.
And I did go to to Colorado Springs this past weekend to spend some time with my friend, Brandi. However, it was freezing rain all night and the taxi had over a two hour wait to take us downtown, so we ended up staying at her place and watching TV all night. We did sit in the hot tub and make chili, so that was fun! But again, no pictures to show for it.
And that's my boring life in a nutshell. Thank you for reading my boring blog post.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Cow Tipping and Other TALL Tales
Our trip to Wichita was fabulous! Kari, Abby and I had such a great time, and it was so great to see where Abby and Corey live. Now I can picture it in my head every time I talk to Abbs. Kari and I left in our rental car (Enterprise hooked us up) on Thursday around 5pm. After getting stuck in some traffic, and losing an hour because of time change, we were cruising. We arrived at Abby's house around 3am. 
We don't look great at 1am, but we sure did have a good time belting our lungs out ot Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson. We sure can sing! NOT...
I had no idea what Cow Tipping is (and yes, I AM from Nebraska), so Abby took us downtown to show us the trick.
Downtown Wichita proved to be exciting. We encountered a Hot Chili Eating Contest. The winner at 16 Hot Chili's in eight minutes (they are in the background).
Abby's fabulous husband, Corey.
We were getting ready to head to a Cowboy bar. This night was, by far, the coolest night EVER. Upon arriving at the country bar, we discovered there was LIVE bull riding in the building. About every 30 minutes, ten bull riders tried to stay on the bull for eight seconds. We were literally sitting less than 18 inches from the cage, and we were so close that we had to duck to avoid getting hit with slobber and snot from one of the bulls. We found dirt in our bras upon arriving home. It was SOOOOO cool. One man was stabbed in the face with a horn and a med had to mend his bloody face. It took the clowns five minutes to round up one angry bull who did not want to be put in a cage.
The weather was beautiful while we were there, so we took the opportunity for a photo shoot in Downtown Wichita.
On our last night, we enjoyed live jazz while we ate pizza outside. After dinner, we moved over to a comfy sofa to chat and listen to music.
We don't look great at 1am, but we sure did have a good time belting our lungs out ot Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson. We sure can sing! NOT...
I had no idea what Cow Tipping is (and yes, I AM from Nebraska), so Abby took us downtown to show us the trick.
Downtown Wichita proved to be exciting. We encountered a Hot Chili Eating Contest. The winner at 16 Hot Chili's in eight minutes (they are in the background).Abby's fabulous husband, Corey. 
We were getting ready to head to a Cowboy bar. This night was, by far, the coolest night EVER. Upon arriving at the country bar, we discovered there was LIVE bull riding in the building. About every 30 minutes, ten bull riders tried to stay on the bull for eight seconds. We were literally sitting less than 18 inches from the cage, and we were so close that we had to duck to avoid getting hit with slobber and snot from one of the bulls. We found dirt in our bras upon arriving home. It was SOOOOO cool. One man was stabbed in the face with a horn and a med had to mend his bloody face. It took the clowns five minutes to round up one angry bull who did not want to be put in a cage.The weather was beautiful while we were there, so we took the opportunity for a photo shoot in Downtown Wichita. On our last night, we enjoyed live jazz while we ate pizza outside. After dinner, we moved over to a comfy sofa to chat and listen to music. Kari and I left Wichita Sunday morning around 9am and made it back to Denver around 4pm. We were tired and ready for the drive to be over with, but we had a great time visiting
Abby and Corey!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Everything and More!
Gosh, it's been such a crazy few months. It seems like just last week that school started, but we are now seven weeks into the semester. Parent teacher conferences are next week, and Thanksgiving break is so close. Once Thanksgiving is over, that leaves just a few weeks until Christmas break, which means I am half way through my first year of teaching.
So far the school year has been great. I have a great set of students; for that I feel really blessed. I hear some of my teacher friends talk about theft, pregnancy, and behavior problems they deal with on a daily basis; my biggest problem is a group of talkers. I have a few students I struggle with on a daily basis, but if talking is my worst problem, then I'll be just fine.
The thing I have a hard time with is hearing the stories of my students. They are 14-16 years old, and yet they have some sad stories.
*I have a 15 year-old student with a one-year-old child. Do the math. She doesn't know who the father is.
*I have a student whose dad is in jail.
*I have a student who, in the middle of the night, was pulled out of bed by her mother because she had to escape her husband (my student's dad). They are now living from house to house until her mom can find a job in order to pay rent. My student is looking for a job so she can help her mom pay the bills. They have no health insurance, and her mom has a tumor on her lungs.
*I have a student who has never met her mom or dad; she's been adopted by her grandparents who are 80 years old.
*I have a student whose dad is dying of cancer.
*I have a student with turrets.
The list goes on and on. I have about 125 students, so you can imagine the stories I hear on a daily basis. It breaks my heart, and sometimes I just have to leave the room for a moment to gain control of my emotions. It's not fair. These kids shouldn't be dealing with this kind of stuff. It's hard enough for an adult to deal with these kinds of things, but how can a teenage child learn to cope and move on?
And how can one teacher make a difference? That's why I came into teaching: to make a difference. Sure, I teach English and I hope they are learning how to write effectively, but I am more than an English teacher. I am a guide, a mentor, a wise "old" adult. That's a lot of pressure for a 29 year old newbie.
But I carry on. I come in with a smile on my face, a pat on the back and a story to share. Perhaps I can be the one stable person in my students lives. Perhaps I am the only one to tell them, "Good job." Perhaps I am the only one to hear their story and cry with them. Perhaps I am the only one praying for them. Am I making a difference? I sure hope so!
So far the school year has been great. I have a great set of students; for that I feel really blessed. I hear some of my teacher friends talk about theft, pregnancy, and behavior problems they deal with on a daily basis; my biggest problem is a group of talkers. I have a few students I struggle with on a daily basis, but if talking is my worst problem, then I'll be just fine.
The thing I have a hard time with is hearing the stories of my students. They are 14-16 years old, and yet they have some sad stories.
*I have a 15 year-old student with a one-year-old child. Do the math. She doesn't know who the father is.
*I have a student whose dad is in jail.
*I have a student who, in the middle of the night, was pulled out of bed by her mother because she had to escape her husband (my student's dad). They are now living from house to house until her mom can find a job in order to pay rent. My student is looking for a job so she can help her mom pay the bills. They have no health insurance, and her mom has a tumor on her lungs.
*I have a student who has never met her mom or dad; she's been adopted by her grandparents who are 80 years old.
*I have a student whose dad is dying of cancer.
*I have a student with turrets.
The list goes on and on. I have about 125 students, so you can imagine the stories I hear on a daily basis. It breaks my heart, and sometimes I just have to leave the room for a moment to gain control of my emotions. It's not fair. These kids shouldn't be dealing with this kind of stuff. It's hard enough for an adult to deal with these kinds of things, but how can a teenage child learn to cope and move on?
And how can one teacher make a difference? That's why I came into teaching: to make a difference. Sure, I teach English and I hope they are learning how to write effectively, but I am more than an English teacher. I am a guide, a mentor, a wise "old" adult. That's a lot of pressure for a 29 year old newbie.
But I carry on. I come in with a smile on my face, a pat on the back and a story to share. Perhaps I can be the one stable person in my students lives. Perhaps I am the only one to tell them, "Good job." Perhaps I am the only one to hear their story and cry with them. Perhaps I am the only one praying for them. Am I making a difference? I sure hope so!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
A Secret
Beau and I have been spending some time together recently. Things are going well, and we're in the process of getting to know each other. We know pretty much all the important things, such as: work, school, schedules, likes, dislikes, living location, parents, siblings, favorite sports teams, etc. I feel like we have a pretty good handle on each other.
Except for one thing. I've been keeping a secret from Beau. It's not that I am purposefully hiding it from him, but it just hasn't come up in conversation. He's never asked me, "So, do you have any roommates?" I would be perfectly honest if he asked that question, but he never has, so it's never come up that I live in the basement of my sister and bro-in-law's house (with a two year old kid).
Last week, I was watching Case one afternoon after school while Shan and Jeff had a meeting. I was feeding Case dinner when Beau called. I chatted with Beau for a while; he asked what I was doing and I told him I was watching my nephew. Case wanted to say hi, so I held the phone to Case's mouth and Case said, "Hi Beau. How are you?" Beau thought it was so cute, and said, "Oh my goodness, he's so adorable!" Since I was feeding Case, Beau could tell I was busy. He said he would let me get off the phone.
We proceeded to say our goodbye's, and then Beau said, "Give me a call once you leave your sister's house to go home."
I replied back with the only thing that came to mind: "OK, I'll call you when I head home."
Shoot, how am I going to explain this one?
Except for one thing. I've been keeping a secret from Beau. It's not that I am purposefully hiding it from him, but it just hasn't come up in conversation. He's never asked me, "So, do you have any roommates?" I would be perfectly honest if he asked that question, but he never has, so it's never come up that I live in the basement of my sister and bro-in-law's house (with a two year old kid).
Last week, I was watching Case one afternoon after school while Shan and Jeff had a meeting. I was feeding Case dinner when Beau called. I chatted with Beau for a while; he asked what I was doing and I told him I was watching my nephew. Case wanted to say hi, so I held the phone to Case's mouth and Case said, "Hi Beau. How are you?" Beau thought it was so cute, and said, "Oh my goodness, he's so adorable!" Since I was feeding Case, Beau could tell I was busy. He said he would let me get off the phone.
We proceeded to say our goodbye's, and then Beau said, "Give me a call once you leave your sister's house to go home."
I replied back with the only thing that came to mind: "OK, I'll call you when I head home."
Shoot, how am I going to explain this one?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Heavy Heart
It's very easy to go through each day doing our own thing and minding our own business. I mean, we each have our own problems. We are all stressed out. We are all busy. We all have our own worries to worry about.
However, my heart has been heavy these past few weeks as I carry the burdens of some of my friends. Generally, the purpose of my blog is to entertain, but I want to use the weapon of mass communication to ask for your prayers for some specific people who are on my mind. You don't know their names and you don't know their stories, but I hope that knowing they are special to me is enough incentive to add them to your thoughts and prayers.
One friend lost his father this week to an unexpected illness. One friend has lost two babies in the past several months. One friend is struggling with some pretty serious stuff. One of my students is searching for a job so she can help her mom make the house payment. One of my friends is in a bad relationship. One of my friends just mourned the anniversary of her mother's death. One of my friends is living with terrible guilt from a decision he made years ago.
Those are just a few of my friends who are going through some pretty serious stuff. I hurt for them. I think of them often. I wish there was something I could do to help take the pain away, but the one thing I can do (and you, too) is pray for them .
However, my heart has been heavy these past few weeks as I carry the burdens of some of my friends. Generally, the purpose of my blog is to entertain, but I want to use the weapon of mass communication to ask for your prayers for some specific people who are on my mind. You don't know their names and you don't know their stories, but I hope that knowing they are special to me is enough incentive to add them to your thoughts and prayers.
One friend lost his father this week to an unexpected illness. One friend has lost two babies in the past several months. One friend is struggling with some pretty serious stuff. One of my students is searching for a job so she can help her mom make the house payment. One of my friends is in a bad relationship. One of my friends just mourned the anniversary of her mother's death. One of my friends is living with terrible guilt from a decision he made years ago.
Those are just a few of my friends who are going through some pretty serious stuff. I hurt for them. I think of them often. I wish there was something I could do to help take the pain away, but the one thing I can do (and you, too) is pray for them .
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