Ode To March

10 Reasons Why I Am Looking Forward To The Coming Month:

1. A week off of my job, aka Spring Break.
2. Finding reasons to reference Leprechaun, rainbows and pots of gold at any time.
3. A new friend's wedding events!
4. The Bachelor finale.
5. Seeing Peter Pan 360 in Atlanta!
6. Soccer tournaments.....
7. Saving some Day Light Time (Daylight Savings Time)
8. Wearing green on March 17th and making sure everyone who isn't is made aware of that. (Especially thankful I won't be at school that day; the potential for awkward moments is far too high, even for me.)
9. SPRING!
10. Hopefully, maybe, my fingers are crossed for, finding out more stable plans for where I'll be and what I'll be doing next year....

Hope you make you a list too- enjoy the small things today friends

I Gotta Stay Fit

Two freshmen boys just left my room after we briefly discussed how I got shafted with my room, or as some students call it, my office. My room is in the corner of the 3rd floor, right next to the stairwell that is used constantly throughout the day; meaning I hear the opening and slamming of the door so much that I have literally grown immune to the noise. My room is in the shape of a really demented triangle, forming a awkward point in the back corner where virtually nothing can fit (except my bag that contains a change of clothes). My room has no windows and barely has room to fit the 2 tables that it does because its shaped so poorly. But I love my room. I love that it's new (my school is in its first year in this building) and that I am the first person to spend an entire year it in. I love that there is not a single other room like it in the entire building that is occupied by a teacher- the 3rd floor teacher lounge located on the opposite of the lecture hall (which my room is directly across from) is the exact shape as my room. I love that I have made it so 'me' by bringing in pictures of my loved ones, colorful carpets, comfy chairs and the coziness of the room. I love everything about it. And secretly, I think all the students do too.

Anyways, as they brought that up, one said: "Why don't you have a mini-fridge in here?"
Student 2: "Yeah- they are tons of teachers to do."
Me: "Because its not allowed."
Student 1: "Break the rules. I'd totally have a mini in here. Especially with all the other teachers that do!"
Student 2: "Yeah.... But all those teachers are fat. And that's probably why because they be keeping a mini-fridge and microwave up in their room. That's why, yeah."
Student 1: "Oh yeah. Well never mind. I just gotta stay fit. I gotta stay fit. I just do."
Student 2: "Yeah. Stay fit until your married. Then you can get fat. I'm gonna stay fit till I'm married man. Then I'll get anything I want."
Me: "Good to know guys. Good to know."

Times like these are when I am SO glad I am the kind of teachers that students feel comfortable with talking about anything, openingly and freely. I can NOT imagine how bored I would be all day, every day if all I heard about was math. Maybe that means I'm not the 'teacher' I need to be but if thats the case, then I don't even want to be that kind of teacher!

When they left my room, Student 1 looked at me and said, no joke: "I'm gonna leave but trust me, it's gonna hurt me a lot more than it's gonna hurt you. Trust me Ms. Peters."

Like I do most of the time here at my job, I smiled, chuckled to myself and shook my head as I watched them go.

Chew On This!

The head football coach here at the high school I teach at is infamous for many things around this small town. A few things, I will NOT repeat, ever. But the one thing that I am rather fond of is his inspirational pep-talks that he gives during practices, before the Friday night games or at the school-wide pep-rallies. Some of the football players here hang out in my room during different periods of the day, this happened through me knowing volleyball girls that know them- No, I did not just invite high school boys into my room. During those times, in particularly during football season, they would share with me different stories about the Coach. Apparently, one day, I really got a lot of inspiration out of his talk and wrote down different quotes he said on the HUGE notepad that covers my desk.

Now, you are probably thinking, why the heck is she just telling us about this when football season has been over with for MONTHS?! And to that, I would say, my desk consistently has piles of paperwork, math problems and tests all over it. But today, I decided to clean it all off to start on a clean slate Monday. Okay?!

I thought about listing off all the quotes but I will spare you time, as well as myself, and just leave you with this one:


'Sometimes its not good enough to do your best, Sometimes you have to do what's important.'


Have a good weekend, bloggies! I am going to my home church's D-Now to spend my weekend with crazy high school girls and my best friend!!! Hope your weekend is as fun as mine will be!

Oh The Irony

Let me begin by saying this: I am extremely thankful to have a job. Most days are good days here. I love the majority of students I come in contact with. I have met some really great co-workers who have helped me get my feet wet in this profession and some I will keep in contact with for years to come.

I got my degree from the University of Alabama in Special Education (k-12). I got a job in the secondary level because I wanted to coach volleyball, which I do. I should not have, however, put that desire in front of my passion for students who receive Special Ed services. Because, yes, I got my 'dream' job. But am I doing what I studied 4 years of and what I know I am good at? Absolutely not. Am I putting to use any of the strategies, accommodations, lessons or interventions I learned, practiced and studied while I was at school. Not even close.

In High School, I got tutored once a week, every week, for 4 years. For Math and Math alone.

Go ahead and ask me what my title here is. Dare you.


MATH Resource/Inclusion Teacher.

Now, here comes the irony.... Today marks the 3rd attempt of students here starting a 'petition' for Ms. Peters to be their Math teacher. I spent 3 weeks last semester covering a teacher's position in Math, in which the first 2 petitions started. That, I could justify. It was for the 2 Special Ed Math classes and because of my DEGREE, I think I was able to give them a good dose of what it's like to actually learn a subject that is hard. But today, a petition was started for the Algebra II with Trig class.

**** I have NEVER taken Trig before in my life****

Now, these petitions are harmless manners and simply involve students passing around a sheet of paper to get signatures. There has never been any follow up with any administrators or actual fight for cause. And I am 100% fine with that, prefer that actually.

But something about this Math Challenged High Schooler is able to help other Math Challenged High Schoolers and to me that shows that weaknesses can be made strengths when needed. And to me, that is enough irony to last a lifetime.

Firework

Last night 2 of my roommates and I decided that we were going to work out. How we were going to do that, was yet to be determined. So we stood around the apartment for a bit throwing out different ideas of how to obtain our cardio, such as:
-Jumping Rope
-DirectTV Video
-Making our own Jazzercise routine
So, when no clear decision was made we decided on doing 3 minute intervals:
Set 1. Jumping Rope (with an imaginary rope....)
Set 2. Strengthening (lunges around the apartment)
Set 3. Abs circuit
We turned on the radio perfectly timed to a station that basically was in sync with our work out with Katie Perry's new song "Firework". The 3 of us started jumping our ropes at the same time, like we were apart of the Olympic Synchronizing Swimming Team (most likely the USA or Greece). Seeing as this new release has been our current jam since around New Years time, we were totally soaking it up. Our imaginary ropes started to criss-cross and we began to double jump them. And once Katie got to that pivotal part of the song where the music gets slower and she starts telling you to ignite the light, to let it shine and the like...

We became Fireworks.

We started running around the apartment acting a fool. Literally looking like chicken's with our heads cut off. I look to my right and see RC walking across the bench that sits at her kitchen table and running into a forwards roll, to my left I see NB running around alternating kicks and punches and then focus back on me and my self proclaimed full body firework explosion.

Our 3 minute timer ends before the song but that barely stops us. All 3 of us are out of breath, gasping for air in between laughs and each of us trying desperately to give a short synopsis of what we just saw from the others. At one point, we all agreed that none of our heart rates had been that high in probably 3 years.

Then we continued with Set 2. Forward and backward lunges were done from the door to the kitchen, weights were squatted and arms were toned. For 3 minutes we were in the zone.
Set 3 left us exhausted, fighting for motivation to repeat the series. And that motivation came from the decision for us to select the jam for Set 1, round 2. The final cut was 'Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night' by the Black Eyed Peas (our traditional jam for our senior year).

All 3 of us are sore today, sadly. Its hard to imagine that did it for us. But you gotta do what works, right? And if its fun, even better! Working out has to be made enjoyable some how- and if it can be done in an easy, convenient and exciting way; we are going to jump on board without a doubt!

Cause Baby We're a Firework!!!!