For the past 6 weeks I have been busy teaching in Aruba in the International School in a 5th grade classroom. The island is beautiful and full of interesting historical sites. I spend most of my time at the school and documenting my experience. The weekends are full of site seeing and much needed sleep. The island can get the best of you at times. One of the most common phrases on the island is "manana manana" or "tomorrow tomorrow" and hearing that phrase can really start to sink in which results in a work load. As I finish up my student teaching in Aruba and prepare for graduation the thought of job hunting scares me. But my theory is that I will be working for the rest of my life so one step at a time and I will land a job.

View image

Posted by Nicole B at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In approximately 3 weeks I will be heading to Aruba for a student teaching experience like no other. I will be teaching 5th grade in the International School for 8 weeks and be in a peaceful and beautiful country. I can't wait! This cold and bitter weather sometimes makes you feel like not getting out of bed and just sleeping all day. Comparing our weather here with 85 degree weather in Aruba makes me want to get there even more.

I am extremely excited about meeting a new school and seeing how a school in a different country functions. I have 21 students in my 2nd grade classroom here and I will only have 11 students in a 5th grade classroom in Aruba which is a great difference alone.

If I had any valuable advice for someone in college it would be to travel abroad. Make yourself a well rounded person and getting an international and global perspective makes people cultured. Just from reading about the island of Aruba they are very friendly and relaxed individuals. The island is only about 19 miles long and 6 miles wide at it's widest point. I am anxious to meet new people and explore a new school from a completely different country.

Counting down the days....

Take care!
Nicole

Posted by Nicole B at 9:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well it has been awhile since my last post and my apologies. Life has turned upside down with work, school, and family but that is the cycle of life. I have been busy preparing for graduation in May as I start and fly through my student teaching experience. I can't believe it is already the second week of my teaching experience and how fast it went by. Student teaching is proving to be a lot of work and with 21 students with all different needs it is rather tiring. With lesson plans, grading assignments and tests, and keeping parents and fellow educators in the loop on students it becomes a plethora of work. I come home from school and am physically and mentally exhausted.

Thinking back of how fast my college experience has gone by it is rather scary. I am preparing to be a big girl and am rather terrified. I think about where I will be teaching and what grade everyday and I have no clue where life will take me. All I can do is enjoy the moment and embrace the experiences I am gaining everyday as I teach 2nd grade students.

Some days I come home and cry thinking I can't do this, I'm not meant to be a teacher, I can't teach these kids. And then there are days that I impress myself with the content that I teach the children. I have to remind myself that my cooperating teacher has been teaching for 20 plus years and I am clearly not that good. It is very insightful watching her teach children with such ease. She is such a natural and enlightens the students daily. I feel I sometimes get up in front of them and have no clue what I'm doing or if I am even teaching them anything relevant.
All I know is that student teaching has taught me so much in a matter of 2 weeks, more than any class could ever teach.

Well I must get back to lesson plans and grading spelling tests so until next time, take care!

"To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first." *Shakespeare

Posted by Nicole B at 6:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Finally, some turkey, football, and relaxation! I am in much need of a little vacation. School has been so busy that I haven't had much time to sit back and relax. There are times when watching t.v. is not an option. Between unit plans, student assessments, and finishing up the semester I haven't had much time for myself. Now with Thanksgiving break in full swing I can finally catch up on some zzzzz's. Even though I should be writing some lesson plans sometimes you need to do NOTHING! I think that is one of the most important factors of college, taking time for yourself. If you are constantly on the go and studying, doing homework, working, etc. you can wear yourself down and get sick, frustrated, and lose focus on what is most important in life. Even when time does not seem to be on your side take a step back and relax.

With a week off for Thanksgiving break and only a week left of school I can already taste Christmas break. A whole month off school is going to be bliss. As I finish up the semester and prepare for my student teaching experience this Christmas break will be a little different. I will be working on my professional portfolio and starting the job hunt. Being an educator can be frustrating when it comes to the job search but if you are willing to relocate and are flexible finding a job can be a little less stressful.

I hope during the holidays you are able to enjoy the moments and relax a bit. Spending time with friends and family and sleeping in is sometimes all you need to re-energize and finish the semester strong.

Gobble Gobble,
Nicole

Posted by Nicole B at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I can't believe it is already half way through the first semester of my senior year. Things have been so busy and looking back, my college experience has gone by so fast. College has been a blast, making new friends, learning new things, getting involved with different organizations, I have really grown as a person. I can't believe in just about 7 months I will be finished and walking into the real world.
College has been a once in a lifetime opportunity. Staying up late, eating whatever you want whenever you want, sleeping in late, going to class, not going to class, visiting with friends, and growing as a person all through these experiences has been a rollercoaster ride. Now as I start teaching little kiddos, I remember when I was in 2nd grade not evening thinking about college. I see these little ones sitting there with no thought of their future as they learn their addition facts. I enjoy working with children and seeing them grow just as I have during college. In just a few short weeks you see the light bulbs go off when they finally get a math problem or how to spell a word. It is really inspiring and rewarding.
Although I was not a education major from the beginning I do not regret changing my major. I love what I am doing and I enjoy waking up to see the little ones. They make me smile and really let you know you've helped them. As you look for a school or decide on a major, think about what makes you happy and what will drive you to get up in the morning. So what if you start off undecided, take your time and research different majors and jobs. College is a time to grow and you may just grow in a different direction then your original major.

Posted by Nicole B at 6:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)