Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts

12.09.2009

i'll miss you, boys.

it's been 2 1/2 years.

that i've worked here.
in an after-school club.

and i've loved every minute of it. (mostly).

starting with the minutes working with dear kevin.
kevin, who i could motivate easier than anyone through snacks and candy bars.
kevin (this still remains my number one favorite story), whom i saw sneaking bags of potato chips into his coat sleeves, and i, wanting to prove that i have eyes in the back of my head, walked up behind him and asked, 'what are you doing, kev?' His reply: 'oh! these potato chips must have fallen into my coat sleeves! i'd better put them back. . . '

and to dear, sweet marco, who i've seen grow up (at least a foot and a half)
and who still remains the sweet, quiet, innocent, and hard-working kid.

to donovan, who is the tiniest punk i've ever seen.

to philip, the biggest flirt of an eighth grader.
who, on many occasions, begged to be my boyfriend.

to austin, who, someday, i will recognize by his photo in the sleeve of a brand new best-seller.

to kayson, who i missed the day they told me he couldn't come to mentoring anymore, because of all of his 'extra help' outside of mentoring. the extra help with the teacher he despised. and the teacher who made fun of him, and who never saw him produce an inch of work. i will never forget his face at that moment. i wish they could have realized all of the help he needed was a little care and trust, and once that comes, he will work for hours.

to taylor, who impressed me everyday with his knowledge from wikipedia, french, and video-games.

to michael, who is just michael.
i will never forget that moment when playing catch phrase, and all of us adults, puzzled at a word, he read it and explained it's meaning in an almost dictionary-perfect definition. whenever he speaks, i think instantly of sheldon cooper.

to juan, jesse, and fernando, who are three of the sweetest boys, despite what teachers say.
i'll always be amazed at juan's skateboarding and video-editing skills, jesse's sense of humor and artistic way about him, and fernando and when he is always the first one to help out.

to fransisco, who i lived for the moments when i could hear that click in his brain, and for the moments that he understood what he was doing in math.

to jorge, who i threw off his schedule today, because it was a wednesday, and i only come on tuesdays and thursdays. from his reaction, it was almost as though he had never been so surprised, or confused, in his entire life.

and to amon, who is new. and from curitiba, brazil. and when he spoke portuguese on the telephone, i got goosebumps.

and i'm so grateful that i didn't yell at you today, david.
i was very close.

oh, little boys, i will surely miss you.
i learned so much from you.
i hope you learned from me.
i know you can succeed in whatever you do
and i hope you realize that.

10.28.2009

those little first graders. . .



'Miss Sparks, I need help!" she says for the 1000th time as she erases her correct answers, and ready for me to explain the concept that she already understands.

Then, the sweetest, smartest girl in class unknowingly flips me off by showing me her spider ring -

And when I introduced myself, I told the class I like riding my bike, ice cream, and don't like asparagus. To my surprise, so did at least five of the students.

And little, sweet Austin, as he was sounding out 'sheet', said a swear without realizing.




{not a child in my class. via papertissue}


Oh, I love first graders.
And, sometimes it's really hard not to laugh.

(It's only day 3. I have five more weeks of this fun)

10.23.2009

oh no.

I feel myself getting sick.

Not a good time to get sick.

Please, sickness, whoever you are, will you come back in 7 weeks when I'm done with school?

It would be very much appreciated.

(I do not want to make up my practicum hours over Christmas break when I will have no place to live)

9.23.2009

Wednesdays


are the longest days of the week.
for me.

First of all: I start at 12:30 (ugh)
And have my 3 hour mathematics methods class.
(yes, all of my classes are three hours)
But, this class, unlike my other 3 hour classes,
we have no break (not good for a girl like me).

Yes, I go crazy.
And, our teacher treats us like kindergartners, where we move at turtle-speed.
Exciting.

To top it off, we get to write out the number
1 million, three hundred two,
Add 324 and 563,
and even divide 54365 by 5
All in twenty minutes!
Fun?
oh, you bet.

I mostly spend my time tinkering with all of the base-ten blocks, 2-colored counters, and colored blocks, make funny faces at my classmates, hide under my hoodie hood, bounce my legs up and down, and whatever else a bored kindergartner might do. {this is no bueno, considering I love math}

Friends, this is not all.
Then, I head off to our (advanced) classroom management class for the most unproductive fifty minutes of my life.

Oh, I just love Wednesdays.

(please, forgive me for my negative attitude)

[on a lighter note]
thank goodness for
1. my bicycle
2. candy
3. institute
4. pesto
5. sudokus
6. seinfeld
7. scriptures
8. text messages
9. newspapers
and 10. classmates,

who help me get through my dreaded Wednesdays.

9.19.2009

a boy named . . .


once upon a time,
i went to a school a little ways north.
there was a certain weekend when my dear sister ventured the two hours to visit me.
it was great.
we went to a certain restaurant.
and learned some important things
like, no one else appreciates our humor (which makes it more beautiful),
sometimes the workers drink out of the drinks that they offer to their customers (yeah),
but most of all,
we were 'introduced' to a boy.
he was our waiter.
his name was . . .
after meeting him, his name was a joke to us.
and we would chirp his name, like little birds.
at the table
(here came the realization that no one else appreciated our humor)
and, yes, we really would.
after this wonderful weekend with my sister,
my sightings of this boy named . . .
increased.
a lot.
so, everytime i saw this male, i sent a great text to my sister
with three simple letters.
but, alas.
he has moved away, i am told.
so, i am no longer able to text my lovely sister those texts
that bring smiles to both of our faces.
(the boy on the right is NOT the boy in my story.
that would have been a bit TOO creepy)

9.12.2009

I love Logan.



I know you're probably thinking, "What?! Like five months ago, weren't you dying to move back to Alpine!?!"

Friends, you are correct. I was.

But, my love for Logan has been reborn.

Wanna know why?

When I wake up, I can look out my window and see a beautiful tree, and a breathtaking view of the mountains.

I ride my bicycle to school everyday. Through the graveyard, the prettiest part of Logan.

Yesterday, while riding my bike through the graveyard, I paused and talked to my dear Great Uncle Seth who maintains the lawn and keeps it pretty. (Now I can tell my grandpa that I didn't break his promise)

I slackline sometimes, right outside my side door, and occasionally chat to the passerby 'frolfers' (who I forgive for hitting my windows, and on occasion - my car).

I have a new love for the the Merrill-Cazier Library.

I refused to buy any books. Thank goodness for course-reserves (hence the reason to visit the library a lot)

I drive past many cute, old houses that I would want to move into in a heartbeat.

I refuse to set up my printer (I still don't understand my reasoning for this one).

My new friends are Ze Tao from China, Rebecca from San Diego, Ee Ting from China, Tomas from Slovakia, Will from England, my RA Erica (who reminds me so much of Amber), and my dear sweet roommate, Ines, from Spain.

I went swimming in a dam last week, thinking it was Porcupine Lake.

I'm cooking again, with the help of several cookbooks from the library.

I went to the Logan City Library, Macey's, and Papa Murphys this week.

I get to listen to Lexie serenade me with her new love for guitar, and get to talk to Amy about love and marriage, and Nate and I talk about Coraline and music.

I'm enrolled in institute.

I started work this week, and we are a lucky staff, because we have our own classroom. To decorate. To organize. And to love.

And, most of all, I know I won't be here for the long, snowy days.

9.08.2009

To the Children

I mean, really?
Not letting your child watch this?
Not letting them understand responsibility and that it lies in the hands of the children? Not letting them see that school is good?


Even if you don't like him,
he is our PRESIDENT
And does deserve our respect.


And at Timberline, students only were able to watch it IF they brought a signed permission slip.
At least at Lone Peak, they only had slips if parents strongly felt either way.

Either way, it still makes me sick.

And here it is if you missed it.
Personally, I thought it was great.

8.24.2009

I am

really
really
really

tired.

And it's only Monday.