Snowflakes

Today was my first day of subbing. I was nervous but also excited. I hadn't formally been in front of a class since December. What if they threw things at me? or ran around the room all crazy?? I was thinking the absolute worst...I was forgetting how WONDERFUL children really are and how much they make me smile. By the time the first student had walked in my butterflies had settled down and the day went smoothly. Reflecting on my day there are a couple things I would have done differently but I will keep those in mind for next time. This is a learning experience. I'm looking forward to being back in the classroom soon!

I FINALLY got my teaching certificate today!!! This has been a very long 3 week wait that is finally over---now one more step, I need to send in my sub application and just wait for the official word that I am on the sub list!
I was getting pretty pouty about all of this waiting, I was getting really whinny. So crossing my fingers that this last step goes quick and I can be out subbing for the month of June!!!!
^_^

Yesterday just got away from me and I didn't get to write me slice, so here it is now, just a little late.

How come they never tell you about the lengthy and complicated process it is going to be to get your teaching certificate when it is all said and done?? I waited very impatiently for a week for my last mark to be posted so I could order my transcripts and have them sent off to teacher services so they could process my application, send me back my certificate number so I could send off my sub application form. That's what I thought was going to happen, so after waiting for my last mark I started to order these transcripts but read in the fine print that my transcripts will not indicated that I have obtained my Education Degree until after convocation. THAT IS 3 WEEKS AWAY!! I cannot wait another three weeks....I called Teacher Services, they told me that I should send these transcripts and then send another after my convocation. My frustration is building. I just want to get into the classroom, I spent four year in University with my eyes and heart set on this goal and now that I have the education I'm playing a waiting game to get a piece of paper with a number on it.

So I'll play this waiting game, unfortunatly because I want nothing more then to be in that classroom watching students learn and grow. I will be there soon! :)

I have taught skating every winter for the past 11 years of my life. When I started I was more of an assistant, getting the instructor things and just helping out. Then at the end of my own skating career I took over as coach and really created my own little club. It was my entrepreneur attempt that made me some really great cash. Then they built the new rink and started charging me ice rental and my profit was $0! But I did it really because I love it. Skating is in my blood. If Justin and I could we would get married on ice! :) I only got to teach skating starting in January this year instead of September because of internship and I just realized today that I only have two weeks left and it will probably be the last two weeks of skating I teach because I will hopefully have a real school teacher job that will not allow me to keep doing this.
I have really enjoyed these last 2 sessions of skating. I have had many challenges to overcome and when I reflect on what I can do now on the ice compared to even just a few years ago it is incredible.
Teaching skating is one of the reasons I wanted to become a teacher. I loved working with kids and passing on my knowledge and love of a great sport. It is also so rewarding to have them improve so much in the time you teach them. I remember I had triplet girls in my own class and at the beginning they would not come onto the ice by themselves, they were so scared and could barley stand up, and really didn't want to continue. But I was determined to make them LOVE skating and make them great skaters and now they are all playing hockey and skating circles around the other players. It makes me smile. I can't wait to have my own classroom and watch my students grow into their full potential.

I spend a lot of my time searching for teaching resources- I am really interested in teaching writing resources right now and on my search tonight I found a wonderful website TWO WRITING TEACHERS who do amazing things in the classroom with writing. While on thier site I found a challenge for writing. It is called the Slice of life writing challenge. The definition of a slice of life writing peice is:
A slice of life story is a category for a story that portrays a "cut-out" sequence of events in a character's life. It may or may not contain any real plot, and often has no exposition, action, conflict, or denouement, with an open ending. It usually tries to depict the every-day life of ordinary people. The term slice of life is actually a (more or less) dead metaphor: it often seems as if the author had taken a knife and cut out a slice of the lives of some characters, without concern for narrative form.
I was talking to my friend Tracy tonight about her 30 day Yoga Challenge and how she got through it. She talked about being accountable to someone, and my idea was to write in my notebook for 30 days but it's hard to be accountable to anyone for that unless I could find someone to bug to everyday to see if I have written anything yet. I feel that this blog and this slice of life challenge is exactly what I need to get motivated and to complete my goal of writing for 30days and hopefully making it a habit that I can't break! So here goes nothing.

I am not a morning person on Saturday mornings, my phone started buzzing at 8:00 telling me to get up and get to the skating rink. One of my students that I taught during internship was competing in a figure skating compitition and I wanted to go watch.
I walked into the rink and memories and feelings of nervousness and excitment came flooding back to me of when I was still competing. I had tears in my eyes thinking about how much I miss it.
I missed my girl skate which was disappointing but we had a good visit. and I stayed at the rink for a good hour hanging out and taking in all the excitment. I wanted to run home and get my skates on and my purple sparkly dress and skate to center ice and perform. I bought myself a new pair of skate guards (purple of course). I wonder if they have a "used to be's" skating compitition out there. :P That would be something I would love to do.
I want to say thank you to my mom for making all my beautiful costumes and driving me to all my skating compititions and test days.
That is a slice of my life today.