A huge sigh of relief!

Today was the last day I had to teach in front of the TEAM. The TEAM is comprised of five master teachers. My whole class was broken up into five groups of five or six students. For six days we taught lessons (from a six day lesson plan that we wrote) in front of our mock class (the four or five peers in our group) while one of the TEAM teachers evaluates us. Since there are five TEAM teachers and six days each group teaches in front of one TEAM teachers twice (on the first day and the last day--she is supposed to measure our improvement). I was lucky because my group only had five students so we got done a little earlier than most. I was really nervous about teaching American English Grammar because two of the five TC (Teacher Corps) people in my group have taught English before and my degree is journalism not English. I have practically been relearning American English Grammar to make sure that I can teach it properly. All in all I am pleased with my performance over the six days. It was sort of a strange set up because it was like being in high school or junior high all over again, except that I had to be a teacher for one of the five periods. We rotated teaching positions so I taught first, second, fourth-twice, and last-twice. Every day I had a 9th grade Biology I class, a 7th grade Pre-Algebra class, a German I class, and a senior English class. Then somewhere in the mix I would teach a 7th grade Language Arts lesson. It was strange playing a junior high or high school student one minute and then playing a college educated teacher the next. I was very nervous teaching in front of my peers and the TEAM teacher on the first day, but the fear gradually disappeared and today I wasn't nervous at all. However, all of the preparation was very time consuming and every afternoon I came home exhausted. Now that I have settled into a sort of routine and I am not getting worn out by the schedule we are through with this segment of the TC program. That seems to be the way things go this summer--just when I get used to something it is over and it is time for another change. Luckily, I only have one more assignment to turn in and I am not even going to worry about it anymore until tomorrow night. I am going to take a night and enjoy not having anything to work on for tomorrow. Even though I prepared all weekend for this week (so I wouldn't have to do anything on my birthday but enjoy it) my lesson on Monday (my birthday) went worse (not bad but just not as good as the others) than the three lessons before them. This really scared me because I expected that my lessons would always just get better. So I spent the rest of my birthday fine-tuning my last two lessons so that the same thing wouldn't happen again. So I am going to just revel in the moment of having nothing to worry about for one whole night. Tomorrow I have to go meet with the TEAM and learn my overall grade thus far (in their class). But that is tomorrow and tomorrow is another day, for now I will enjoy tonight!

Thank you Sam Walton!

Jameses don't come with instruction booklets, but I still don't know how I didn't think of it sooner. Going to the grocery store every three days is not only time consuming and expensive but also tiring. However, so far I have not been able to figure out another way to keep enough food in the house to feed my James. SAMS!(sort of like Costco for you Brits) Why am I just now thinking of this? James and I joined Sams' Club on Sunday, and went grocery shopping. I bought huge boxes of James food (frozen corn dogs, frozen sausage egg and cheese biscuits, and lots of ketchup). It all fit nicely in our freezer and it was a lot cheaper than buying the same amount of food over a one or two week period. Thanks to Mum for offering to get me a Sam's Club Membership Card. I know it may sound sort of silly, but one serious concern I have about having children is that they might all have their father's metabolism (APPETITE). I have a hard enough time planning and preparing James' meals (when I cook there are usually no left overs) I don't know how I could possibly plan and/or prepare for two, three or four Jameses (especially when they are growing). Now, that I have rediscovered Sam's I am not so worried about it. Anyway I only have one James to worry about feeding now, so I have plenty of time to build that industrial sized kitchen.

This is the birthday cake Mum surprised me with. It is a replica of the one she made for my 5th birthday (in Scotland) before I started Kindergarten. Unfortunately, it got cracked on the way home, but that didn't affect the way it tastes! 

Happy Birthday to Me...

Today is my birthday, but don’t worry you’re off the hook because I celebrated it yesterday. For the record, I am now 23. Some of you have suggested that I am older or younger so I am setting the record straight. I had a lot of gun yesterday. James and I met my parents in Tupelo and ate at Vanelli’s. We then went to the Tupelo Flea Market to see all the stuff (I mainly like looking at all the animals) and kill time before the Buffalo Park opened. They had a lion, a tiger and a bear at the Buffalo Park (plus a lot of monkeys, snakes, goats, deer, a pair of giraffes, a pair of ostriches, some emus, some camels, two alligators, a skunk, birds, lizards, a ferret, donkeys, horses, etc… Oh! and lots of Buffalo (a white one named Dakota). We went on a tour of the park on a “bus” pulled by a tractor. Our guide seemed neither knowledgeable of the American English language and how we use it or the animals he was showing us. He kept talking about how bad his knees were and his last knee surgery, etc. It was kind of funny, I am still not sure if he was one of the attractions or not. One of the monkeys was watching Nascar in its cage (it had a little black and white TV/Radio). I think they both probably have a lot in common, except maybe the monkey had a better command of the American English language. Why bother going to the Delta to teach English, perhaps I will just go to the Buffalo Park, at least there you get free drink refills!
Where credit is due.
Thanks to Mum and Daddy for taking us to lunch, the flea market and the Buffalo Park. We had a lot of fun and I am already enjoying my new printer/scanner/copier! Thanks to Gran and Granpa for the lovely card and the call right after midnight (their time, a little after 6 pm our time) to be the first to wish me a happy birthday (it was July 12th over there). Thanks to Meredith for the funny (ha ha) card and the phone call on my birthday! Last but definitely not least—James picked out a wonderful card and a really cool vanity table and mirror and he put a lot of thought into what style of furniture I like, what would match my decorating style, etc. I am still picking myself off the floor. All in all I feel very special, so thanks to the people who remembered my birthday this year and made it special for me.

Long time no blog…

A week in review.
It was the shortest of weeks and the longest of weeks. Although James and I had Monday off, James had to be at work at 6 AM instead of 7 AM (those silly engineers, they decided to give the rest of the plant the week off so they could go in early and fix things all by themselves). That meant that Isla and James had to get up at 4:15 AM instead of 5:15 AM all four days this week. Since I didn’t have to be anywhere until 9 AM I wussed out on Friday and slept in while James made his own breakfast (half a box of fruity pebbles).
The Battle of Lake Itawamba
Or Redneck Adventures
Or DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME
We all had a lot of fun over the Fourth of July Holiday weekend. Last Fourth of July, Daddy and James got in trouble for making their own fireworks—acetylene and plastic bottles. This year they just shot bottle rockets at Scotty (Nichols), Zach (Rhyne) and Jamie (Graham) as they rode by on jet skis. To make it fair Daddy later rode over to the Nichols’ end of the lake to let them shoot at him with bottle rockets (Mama told him it was only fair). Scotty, Zach and Jamie didn’t do nearly as good of a job shooting bottle rockets as Daddy and James. Daddy and James had their bottle rockets loaded into pieces of pipe and were using torches to like them (for maximum turn around and reloading time). And yet Daddy wonders why the national security people always pick on him at airports? The next day we all went swimming in front of the house. Mama requested waves and so Daddy got on the jet ski and made some really nice, big waves for us. Then James and Daddy decided to try to pull the canoe behind the jet ski to see what would happen. James decided that his kneeboard is not only more fun, but definitely safer (I am inclined to agree). We had a lot of fun at the coffee house as usual. Galvin is planning on attending Delta State this Fall (he is transferring from ICC) so he will be in Cleveland with me! We also rescued another Blue Jay. As those of you who have known me for a length of time may remember, Carrie and I rescued a Blue Jay from the road in front of our house the summer after I graduated IAHS (Itawamba Agricultural High School). Because I am taking classes and teaching this summer I don’t really have time to feed the baby bird every two hours, so Mama and Daddy are taking care of it. It should be flying soon; it is a lot older and healthier than the one I raised. This one already has all of its feathers except for its tail and crest feathers (they hatch naked). They took him to the Coffee House and from the pictures it looked like he enjoyed it!
The third time’s the charm!
I made my second visit to my school last Friday and made a third visit yesterday. They are pretty sure that I most likely will be teaching 7th grade Language Arts. They showed me my room, which does not have a door, and informed me that they don’t use books to teach 7th grade Language Arts. It turns out that I will only have 70 kids (at the most). However, I will teach all 70 of them every day for 90 minutes! Their school day is divided into 8 periods. At 7:50 every morning every body participates in Reading Renaissance, which lasts until 8:35. Then there are eight-45-minute periods. Language Arts and Math are what they call blocked classes, which means the Math and Language Arts teachers get to teach for two periods straight through. This means I could have my first period class for 135 minutes (45 minute Reading Renaissance plus 90 minute class)! I have one 45-minute individual planning period and one 45-minute team planning period. I am on a team with a math teacher, a science teacher and a social studies teacher. We all teach the same 70 students. The team-planning period occurs when the children are either at PE/Band or Career Discovery and is when we meet with parents or plan interdisciplinary units for our 70 students. If any of this sounds confusing it is because it is!

The entrance to my classroom. 

classroom (as seen from teacher's desk) 

classroom (as seen from back row of student seats) 

Driving and Crying...

I don’t like being alone. I guess I have never really been alone before. When I was little Mum was always around and Carrie was only 18 months younger than me—so I don’t remember her not being there. When we moved to Fulton, I felt lonely at first, but Carrie and I just became closer and then eventually I made new friends—but Carrie was always my best friend. When I left for college that was the hardest part—leaving Carrie. I wasn’t scared of leaving Fulton, I had already moved once; I knew I could find more friends. Enter Meredith, Kelley, Marshall, Corey, Zach, Anna, Gordon, and a host of others. In college I was rarely lonely! There was always someone new to meet. Then Carrie came to college with me and I thought life couldn’t possible get better. Most of my friends all lived in the same house with me—officially just Miranda, Meredith and Carrie (plus an unofficial Kelley). People were always dropping in to visit us (Marshall and friends). We baked cookies and drank tea (just ask Meredith). Then just when I thought life couldn’t get any better, I met James. James and I have been best friends even before Carrie died, but he never would and never will replace her. In the past year I have been alone a lot. When you loose someone I think you need a lot of time to yourself and perhaps other people where just afraid to approach me. Now, I am constantly around people again and it is really comforting. I have missed being around people. I am not reclusive by nature. Sometimes I think the only times I am by myself now are when I am driving. I guess that is why I just burst into tears every other time I am alone in my car. I don’t like crying in front of people but there is a sense of anonymity about high way driving and crying. You probably don’t know the other drivers and they probably don’t know you. When I am by myself for more than 20-30 minutes I start feeling lonely. The loneliness reminds me that Carrie is gone and she is never coming back. I miss her so much all the time. But at those moments it seems unbearable and I just start crying. I was in the teachers’ lounge at Lafayette HS on Thursday making copies during lunch and this other teacher who was there for some Technology Discovery seminar asks me about my degrees—did I go to Ole Miss and who did I have as professors. It turned out that she and I had a professor in common. She then just randomly starts talking about how she lost her father during her last semester of college and she went on to say that she actually lost him fathers’ day weekend (the same weekend we lost Carrie). She then volunteered that she had decided to write about it and get it published. She said that it really helped her. It was strange because even though I hadn’t told her anything about my loss she was sitting there giving me suggestions about how to deal with my loss. We didn’t even exchange names! I thanked her, briefly explained my difficulties in dealing with loosing Carrie and she was very helpful and empathetic. All in all it was a very strange conversation, but it is probably why I am writing about driving and crying…