Let men be men by letting boys be boys.

I have something to say. I expect J to open doors for me. I expect him to walk me to my car at the end of a date. I expect him to help me with my coat and offer to carry my shopping bags (which, no joke, are usually his shopping bags). Now, I don't …

The End of the Road | Internship Recap

So here we are, friends. 11 classes, 275 students, and 79 batches of GAK later, and I’m finally staring down the last week of my student teaching experience. After the first week, I wrote some tips for survival. They were all true and exceedingly helpful. But oh, how much I’ve learned in the last few …

Drink the coffee and do the things | Leaving your baggage at the door

One morning, I hit a deer on my way to work. Understandably, I was a bit scattered when I walked in the front door of my school. A student immediately cornered me for help on his Atoms and Period Table study guide for the test I'm giving on Wednesday while another student tried to explain why …

Wildly Identifiable | Easy ID Lanyard DIY

I have to wear an ID badge at work. I must have it on at all times while I'm in the building or at a school function. It allows me to be identified as a "staff" member (sort of...I don't get paid to be there) instead of a threat to National Security. In a constant effort …

Student Teaching | An insider’s guide to the first week

I'm two full days into my student teaching and I feel as though I've learned more so far than in any single graduate course I took. It's incredible how much there is to know, and how important it is to learn quickly. And school hasn't even started yet. Oy. If you are a student intern …

Inside Anxiety | A live account of an anxiety attack

It starts when it occurs to me that I have more time left in my class than I have activities to fill it. No problem, I tell myself, I can always come up with something. Even as the words cross my mind, I know that the storm is coming. The pacing issue is the least …

Monday Musings | of phoning it in, a game plan, and a new friend.

1) I need to apologize. I hate apologizing. Not because I'm never wrong, but there is a certain defeat in apologizing. It means that I couldn't fix my mistake and all I could offer were some words. My service-oriented personality finds the words "I'm sorry" to be absurdly inferior when I really want to make …

day 16 | My final Final, Finally!

Oh, sweet friends, it's been a rough week. I'm feeling quite worn. Yesterday, I took my last final exam. It's a strange and beautiful thing to finally be free of the classes that have, for so long, kept me from my dream. The final wasn't too bad, except that it was at 8 am. Never …

day 15 | Favorite Things Friday: Education Edition

Oh, interwebs. How I love thee. There are literally thousands of teacher resources on the internet, and as I look forward to starting my teaching career, I've been stockpiling (hoarding) good advice, lesson plan ideas, and classroom organization tips. Enabled by Pinterest, I've kept a running log of all things teacher-y. Here's what I'm obsessed …

day 14 | Climbing Kilimanjaro

I get deeply invested in (read: obsessed with) Vacation Bible School. 2015 marks my 5th consecutive year as the Pre-Primary Director (3-5 year olds). During my tenure, I've learned more than a few things about coordinating a week's worth of lessons, crafts, and activities. To get through the week without pulling my hair out, organization is the key. …