Oh where does the time go? Its a bit harder for me to come up with good reasons to post on here nowadays, since I am living in America. But at the same time I see this as kind of a journal (although very public) and I always enjoy looking back and reading my old posts. 

I have been teaching in the public schools now for four months, and just as I was thinking I was getting the swing of things, everything is changing. I walked into another teacher's classroom the other day to let her know I had a meeting and would not be taking her students. This meant she now had 6 extra students in her class that she hadn't expected or prepared for in the final lesson of the day. She laughed and commented that when you become a teacher your middle name changes to "flexible." I laughed along with her as I knew my whole schedule was about to change.

I took home many new manuals this weekend and have made up my new blank lesson plan sheet. Now its time to make sense of the new curriculum and figure out exactly what I am doing. I heard there is a slight prediction for snow on Monday, I am thinking the timing is pretty good for a snow day, or at least a delay. 

update with photos

Wow, its been awhile since I posted.

So I bought a little whiteboard for my classroom, and I put it on the side of my desk, with a note above it that says "Write a note to Miss Kobus here."

This is what was left after a really tough day:

(names removed for security)

Here is a picture of the sunrise the day after a snow storm. (day before was Snow Day #9)


And last but not least, some photos of my favorite person in the whole wide world:

Clinton isn't the only one with a street named after himself in Kosova now. George W. Bush Blvd. is a new street in Prishtina. Click here for the article.



It's just strange to me that a country would change the name of a street to be that of another country's president. Do we have streets named after people in America?

ice storm

So Western Massachusetts got hit by a really bad ice storm on Thursday night. Its Saturday night and we are still feeling the effects of it...mainly meaning - NO POWER! Thankfully we have a small generator here, and wood to keep the furnace going...but no electricity to heat up water for a shower or to push the hot air around the house. I am about to go sit in the basement next to the furnace. Its warn down there.

Ok, I will see if I can upload a few pictures. Click on this link to see some pictures. Sorry they are still in raw format and aren't even straightened out yet. That will wait until I have decent internet speed and some power for my computer.

This was a conversation I overheard in my classroom yesterday, between two first graders.

A: You know that day it snowed?
B: Ya.
A: That was God.
B: No, it was magic.
A: Well, God has magic powers.

exhaustion

I definitely don't have the stamina I used to have during college. I remember going for days without sleeping much, now it wears me out. I suppose dealing with children who do not know the meaning of quiet or one person talking at a time helps wear me down also. I had three papers due this week, two of them got turned in. The great thing about grad school is that the professors are all reasonable and know we are all teachers and are flexible in the due date. The problem is that I do not actually have any extra time, as I have a big test next week on a textbook I have hardly opened. Well I am taking tonight off, just relaxing and watching a little TV. I will start back on my paper tomorrow.

I had another story to tell, but I forget it now...too distracted by TV.

My final comment - I love that my grandfather always compliments my cooking.

Sure sign that I am too tired - I have cried twice tonight because of TV. Thats just not right. I need sleep! Goodnight.

I have a blog? Sorry, I had forgotten. Amidst the busyness of my life these days, I have neglected many things - including my homework, the research paper due in 10 days which hasn't been started, cleaning, and of course as you all have come to realize, this blog.

Since my last post I was hired as an ESL teacher for an Elementary school near where I live. Its inner city and a very poor area. The kids I have mostly speak Spanish. Some have just come to the States in the last year. Most have been here for awhile, but have only learned English since starting school. Its a very overwhelming job, especially since its my first time working in an elementary school. The kids are all so needy, and I have a few that are pretty much behavior problems all the time. A second grader getting suspended from school isn't a good start to your school career.

I am also taking two grad school classes for my Master's in ESL. I am enjoying these classes, but now that the papers are due, I am stressing out a bit. (Just a bit for now as I still have a week to procrastinate some more.)

Thats a quick summary of why I have fallen off the face of the earth. Now I am off to see my wonderful nephew and maybe try to work on my paper when he sleeps tonight.