I arrived in Oakland last night during a rain storm. Probably the worst flight I have been on in a while with all the news about the plane that crashed into the Hudson. I am not sure but I think I was flying on a similar type of plane. I am back at school and went this morning to do observations at Tam. It was a good day and I got to observe four different classes. I still have a lot of school work to do, but I am trying to stay on top of it. I got to do a lot of reading on the planes this weekend, since I spent a total of 13 hours traveling I had some extra time. It is nice to be home, but I am stressed out with all the stuff I have to do.
It was really nice to spend time with my mom and I think she is doing really good. It is still going to be a long road ahead and today was a little scary. Hopefully they can get things figured out and she will move along. I hope that nothing bad happens, but I worry every day because I am so far away and because of how scary it was when she first went down. I have to stay positive and understand that this is going to be a long recovery. I have been trying to carry my mom's spirit around with me in the last couple weeks, I am more motivated to do good things and be successful than I ever have been. My classes are going to be tough and I know I can do it because my mom would want me to do my best. I think of it as if when she stopped being able to "be Donna" in all her pride and glory, I synthesized who she was and what she has taught me about being a human being. I know she is still strong and her spirit is still in tact so that she will be motivated to get better and all that good stuff.
This weekend I will get a little break, I am going to Pebble Beach for the AT&T National Pro-am... it is a PGA tour event and I am going there with my dad. The cool thing is that along with the professional golfers, celebrities are there along side. I am looking forward to seeing Peyton Manning and Justin Timberlake among others. Anyways, I will post more later when I think of more stuff to type.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
In Memphis
Hey everyone I am back in Memphis to visit my mom. I am really excited to visit with her and be a part of her rehab. I am a little nervous about interacting with her and communicating, but I think I will get used to it. She got moved to a different facility today and they have limited visiting hours which sucks. I am going to talk to them and see if I can get some more time with her since I came out all the way from Cali.
I have been doing a lot of work for school, reading and reading some more. All the things I have been reading are going to be directly applicable to teaching social studies at the high school level. I am just trying to soak in as much information so I can be a better teacher. I think they greatest test will be once I am in the classroom, but learning as much info as possible will help me understand the challenges I will face as a new teacher.
I started observing at Tamalpais High School last week and I think it is going to be a good situation. I have had a lot of work to do for school, but I am going to be more organized to make sure I get plenty of opportunity to observe. Tam is a great school and the student population there is comprised of many high achievers. They are ranked in the top ten high schools in California and almost 70% go away to school. The focus of my credential program has to do with being able to teach in diverse settings, so I think I am getting a different kind of diversity at Tam. I will have students from affluent backgrounds as well as less well to do kids from Marin City. I am interested to see how it all plays out when I get more experience.
I am getting sleepy, it is midnight here, but only 10 in California. Anyways, I guess that is all for now
I have been doing a lot of work for school, reading and reading some more. All the things I have been reading are going to be directly applicable to teaching social studies at the high school level. I am just trying to soak in as much information so I can be a better teacher. I think they greatest test will be once I am in the classroom, but learning as much info as possible will help me understand the challenges I will face as a new teacher.
I started observing at Tamalpais High School last week and I think it is going to be a good situation. I have had a lot of work to do for school, but I am going to be more organized to make sure I get plenty of opportunity to observe. Tam is a great school and the student population there is comprised of many high achievers. They are ranked in the top ten high schools in California and almost 70% go away to school. The focus of my credential program has to do with being able to teach in diverse settings, so I think I am getting a different kind of diversity at Tam. I will have students from affluent backgrounds as well as less well to do kids from Marin City. I am interested to see how it all plays out when I get more experience.
I am getting sleepy, it is midnight here, but only 10 in California. Anyways, I guess that is all for now
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Growing up
Donna Martin is the strongest, most capable woman I know. I can not believe what has happened over the last few weeks. My mother has always been my go-to person and even more so as I step into the education field. I have done a lot of thinking since my mom went into the hospital and I realize I must take hold of my life and work harder than ever. I want to be successful and do great things in my life just like my mom would want me to. I have been very busy working and going to school, but I keep thinking back to my mom. thinking of her provides me motivation and kicks me into gear.
This week I start observations in the classroom, I have had a couple days so far but I actually have not done much observation due to scheduling and just gaining familiarity with the high school. I have been reading a lot of material about teaching and issues in education. this has made me think a lot about what kind of teacher I want to be, but I also wonder how receptive students are going to be to me. I want to be a guide for students learning new things and exploring ideas. As a history teacher I am going to be constrained to the dreaded standards, yet I think I will just have to be creative and mold lessons around the standards that are both engaging and stimulating for the students. This is not going to be possible all the time, but I believe that if I get the students on board we can go on a great journey together.
I may be idealistic about all this, but I think writing down the things that I have been thinking about is going to help me make sense of it all. Life is tricky and teaching makes it trickier... I will have to teach in a multidimensional fashion where I can address the needs of all my students. I am trying to soak up as much information as I can right now in my classes so I can apply it in the classroom.
Well I am going to go read more education stuff and then its off to class
This week I start observations in the classroom, I have had a couple days so far but I actually have not done much observation due to scheduling and just gaining familiarity with the high school. I have been reading a lot of material about teaching and issues in education. this has made me think a lot about what kind of teacher I want to be, but I also wonder how receptive students are going to be to me. I want to be a guide for students learning new things and exploring ideas. As a history teacher I am going to be constrained to the dreaded standards, yet I think I will just have to be creative and mold lessons around the standards that are both engaging and stimulating for the students. This is not going to be possible all the time, but I believe that if I get the students on board we can go on a great journey together.
I may be idealistic about all this, but I think writing down the things that I have been thinking about is going to help me make sense of it all. Life is tricky and teaching makes it trickier... I will have to teach in a multidimensional fashion where I can address the needs of all my students. I am trying to soak up as much information as I can right now in my classes so I can apply it in the classroom.
Well I am going to go read more education stuff and then its off to class
Monday, February 2, 2009
Officially Blogging
Hey everyone, not sure who is going to read this, but I am starting an online journal. It has been a crazy past couple of weeks with everything that has happened to my mom and starting my teaching credential program at the same time. Many thoughts have been rushing through my head with new experiences and information coming at me each day.
I am going to begin observation at Tamalpais High School this week and I am excited. I am very interested in learning about teaching from other teachers willing to share information. My teachers from high school have a tendency to complain about teaching, but I am a new teacher and I have to focus on the positive. A positive attitude has been my motto as I have ventured into the field of education. Things certainly aren't going to be easy, but I am going to try my darndest to do my best. My classes are covering some very interesting material as well. I am sitting here at Sonoma State's computer lab about to go to a class about learning and literacy. I think this is going to help me a lot to be able to teach all types of learners. Some of my biggest challenges substitute teaching have to do with unmotivated kids or those who have trouble reading. I have not been able to spend significant amounts of time with these kids, so I am sure when I am able to make a connection to students they will try more when they see the effort I make to teach them.
Much of my thinking has been about education due to the inundation of reading material I have for all my classes. I am trying to take it all in, but my mind keeps wandering off to Memphis. My mom is sitting in the hospital essentially recreating her life. I only wish I could be there to help jog her memory with all the information she has given me throughout my life. I am going to have a hard time without my mom by my side which she has always been. I understand that things happen for a reason sometimes and I am taking this seeming tragedy and it has become my motivation for living productively and doing my best at everything I can. I know it is what my mom would want me to do because that is the example she has set for me my entire life. I miss her so much, but I know she will get better... it is going to take time and my mom taught me one thing and that is patience. We must all have patience with my mom as she reorganizes her brain and bounces back. We must also still treat her like Donna, not someone who has lost their mind. Anyways, it is off to class now and then I get to read like the dickens about teaching kids. I got a lot out here, so maybe more later...
I am going to begin observation at Tamalpais High School this week and I am excited. I am very interested in learning about teaching from other teachers willing to share information. My teachers from high school have a tendency to complain about teaching, but I am a new teacher and I have to focus on the positive. A positive attitude has been my motto as I have ventured into the field of education. Things certainly aren't going to be easy, but I am going to try my darndest to do my best. My classes are covering some very interesting material as well. I am sitting here at Sonoma State's computer lab about to go to a class about learning and literacy. I think this is going to help me a lot to be able to teach all types of learners. Some of my biggest challenges substitute teaching have to do with unmotivated kids or those who have trouble reading. I have not been able to spend significant amounts of time with these kids, so I am sure when I am able to make a connection to students they will try more when they see the effort I make to teach them.
Much of my thinking has been about education due to the inundation of reading material I have for all my classes. I am trying to take it all in, but my mind keeps wandering off to Memphis. My mom is sitting in the hospital essentially recreating her life. I only wish I could be there to help jog her memory with all the information she has given me throughout my life. I am going to have a hard time without my mom by my side which she has always been. I understand that things happen for a reason sometimes and I am taking this seeming tragedy and it has become my motivation for living productively and doing my best at everything I can. I know it is what my mom would want me to do because that is the example she has set for me my entire life. I miss her so much, but I know she will get better... it is going to take time and my mom taught me one thing and that is patience. We must all have patience with my mom as she reorganizes her brain and bounces back. We must also still treat her like Donna, not someone who has lost their mind. Anyways, it is off to class now and then I get to read like the dickens about teaching kids. I got a lot out here, so maybe more later...
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