Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Well guys, once again, I have another big change in my life.  I counted last night, and this change marks my fourth *new* adventure for 2011.  That's a pretty big number for a 23 year old who is supposed (by the world's standards) to be settled in a job. 

Abby's Career Adventures of 2011
1. teaching art for 15 weeks at RS (January-May)
2. 3rd grade camp counselor in Tennessee (May-July)
3. SpEd parapro at RS

4. ??? Read to find out!

I had no idea that I could be embarking on a new adventure until the Friday before Thanksgiving.  On that day, Jamie and I were informed that there was a chance that I might be displaced and moved to another school.  The next three weeks passed, and it seemed like I would be staying.  

Then this Wednesday morning they did an all-call for Jamie, and I knew what was coming.  About ten minutes later when I went to talk to Jamie, my fears were confirmed: I was being displaced. 

Man.  What a bummer. 

I love love love the school I've been working at.  Honestly, it is my dream school.  I've wanted to work there for a very long time--the long term art position was a step in the door and getting the parapro position was awesome.  The people I work with are great, which is important when you're in sped because so much of it is collaboration and communication.  And the kids?  They make me laugh, smile, and I've learned so much from them.  I will miss their little faces so much. 



So yeah, the past few days have been difficult.  Many tears have been shed by myself and some of the other teachers.  I know that next week at the new school and then the following weeks after Christmas break will be incredibly challenging.  I'll still be in sped, but it is a different level, so the kids are completely different.  I'm guessing that I will have a steep learning curve!

I say that many tears have been shed, and that is entirely true.  But those tears were not shed out of a spirit of despair.  I am sad to leave, yes, but I am so glad to know that God has a bigger plan than I.  Already I've seen the ways He's been working in the past 17 weeks--reasons why I was at this school for this long.  He had me there as long as He needed me, and now I'm moving on to something different.  His plans are unknown to me, but I have hope because I know He's got it all figured out.  The sadness has been tempered by the understanding of knowing how God works.  Mr. Biz pointed this verse out to me after I found out the news and I think it speaks to how I should enter this next season of my life in particular:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him

and He will make your paths straight.
-Proverbs 3:5-6

I'm trusting in the Lord with the joy of knowing that He has ordained my path.  How can I go wrong when I am following the Lord?

P.S.- If you are so inclined, please keep my in your prayers this next week as I make this transition into a brand new school (to me) with people and students I don't know.  Pray specifically that I would be a humble and quick learner, and also that I would be given a super fantastic memory to remember everything!  :]

I have this quote laminated and taped on the wall by my desk:
Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day.

These past few days at work have been a little bit less than stellar, for some pretty minor, not-so-important reasons.  Nothing that should really bother me, but you know how it goes--a bunch of little frustrations can gang up on you to become a big frustration.  That's where this quote comes into play.  I could be sitting there thinking "woe is me" and then I glance over there to that little yellow sticky note.  "Duh," I think.  And then I think through my day and decide on the one good thing.

Someone listening to a direction the first time. 

Running and playing in the sensory room.

A child using their talker in a new and novel way.  

Sharing a smile with a student or friend. 

All of these are "good things."  Remembering these small moments can take a day from "bad" to "better" or even "great."  I challenge you to remember to take a few seconds during your day to focus your own small moments.

Today I'm Feeling...

My writing has felt very inadequate lately, which is why you haven't seen very many blog posts.  I've had a lot of important stuff going on, but I can't seem to find the words to write about them.  Also, our county is getting pretty strict about not talking about work online, so I can't write about the 40ish hours I spend at the school each week.  I so wish I could tell ya'll all about it.  Other than work, I've been biking, Netflix-ing, hanging with friends, and spending time at church. 

Anyways, my blog inadequacies come from reading all of the amazing blogs I follow.  Ya'll need to stop being so awesome so I can write some more.  ;]  Haha, just kidding you guys.

I'll finish this little post with some of my recent faves from weheartit:

[1, 2, 3]

Can you tell I'm missing summer?  Anybody else in the same boat?

Rocking in My School Shoes

Three days in and we're making it!  The first morning was stressful and a bit hectic, but that was expected.  Every day has gotten better than the one before.  We're learning about the kids and they're learning about us.  Also, we're learning about Pete the cat.  He's rocking in his school shoes.

If you don't have a "first day of school" book, I'd recommend this one.  We're spending all week on it and the kids love it.  Major props if you read it while wearing similar "school shoes."  :]

If you started back this week, I hope you're loving it so far!  And if you're still enjoying summer, please soak up some sun on my behalf!

My Thought Process Re: The First Day of School

Hey, everybody!

I'm super excited for the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL on Monday!

I mean, there will be some tough things, but I think it will be great...

Right?  I mean, nothing awful is gonna happen on the first day, right?!?

OH NO! What if something terrible is happens and I'm not prepared at all?!?

Wait...duh, Abby.  God is with you and he has everthing under control.  Whew.

YAY SCHOOL!

Finally!

Wahoo!  As of last Friday, I accepted a position to be a special ed parapro.  I'm super pumped to start off this school year and work with the five sweet kids in our class.  And in case you don't believe me, just look at my county issued ID for proof (badly edited so creeps can't come find me).  :]

I love my teeth!

Meet my co-counselor, JaMicheal.  ;]  This is the type of fun we have.

Two weeks of camp left!  Yikes!

Sneaky Games We Play at Camp

Time for some slightly sarcastic horn blowing: my co-counselor and I are the best EVER.  ;]

This summer we've had our fair share of interesting campers, to say the least.  Because of our large and sometimes unwieldy group, we spent a lot of time brainstorming games that would keep our kids entertained and (for our own benefit) a bit quieter.  I think our games are pretty awesome.  Here are just a few of the gems we've come up with:

Magic Trash
I actually played this when I was in the 4th grade.  The teacher (or camp counselor) picks out a piece of "magic" trash.  Then the kids pick up as much trash as they can, and show it to the teacher before they toss it.  At the end of the game (a.k.a. when all of the trash is picked up), the kid who picked up the magic trash is the winner of some prize.  At camp it's normally an "icey pop."

Dead Fish
This game has two winners: best swimmer and best dead fish.  When the counselor says swim, you move around the room like a fish.  Here's the kicker: fish can't talk!  See, we're very sneaky with our quiet games.  When the counselor says "dead fish," you drop to the floor as quickly as possible and act like a deceased fish.  Brilliant game if you ask me.  We had one kid who pretended to be those fish who latch onto sharks--genius.

Pretend to be Asleep
Very self-explanatory.  You'd be amazed at how long we can keep this game up.

Serious Face
All credit for this one goes to my co.  He comes up with these ridiculous stories and songs off the top of his head, so he decided to turn it into a game.  He pulls out his craziest song (and sometimes a dance, too!), and the kid who can keep a "serious face" the longest is the winner.  

So really, all of these games are tricks for getting the kids to sit quietly for a few minutes and give us a bit of a breather.  I don't want you to think that we do this all day; we spend our fair share of time playing TV Tag and Hide-and-Go-Peek (yes, peek, not seek).  These games just help us keep our sanity on those days that we feel like it's 110 degrees outside and our brains are slowly shutting down. 

Anybody have any "tricky" games they like to play with their campers/students/children/random street kids?  :]

Life's Better in the Water

Man, that 3-day weekend was exactly what the doctor ordered.  I was completely exhausted and worn out last week, emotionally and physically.  Hanging out with my buddies in Alabama was perfect.  We spent all three days in the water and it was glooooorious!  ;]  

And now I'm definitely waterlogged. 

Of course I didn't take any pictures to document my trip, but I did get this one of the AL welcome sign on Friday:


And this one of my wonderful, relaxing morning at Starbucks:

Now it's back to camp and "real life" until my trip to NY over the 4th of July.  Camp can be a lot of fun, but MAN it's getting hot.  This is what I saw when I got in my car at 4:00 this afternoon:

YIKES!  Stay cool, everyone!

Artsy Fartsy

     I've officially been an art teacher for a week and *wow* I'm loving it.  I had no idea how challenging, interesting, amazing, and fun art can be.  Just this week I've learned about three new artists: Close, Mondrian, and Kandinsky.  I love researching these guys so I'll be ready to teach the kids.  It's all so interesting to me!  Here are my favorite pieces thus far...

Emma by Chuck Close

Composition with Red, Yellow, Blue and Black by Piet Mondrian

And my newest favorite...Wassily Kandinsky!

Composition VIII by Kandinsky

     It's so amazing looking at the amazing things these guys did.  I feel almost kind of dumb for not knowing about them before.  There is so much in the world of art that I didn't even know existed!  Crazy!  And yesterday I learned about cross-hatching.  All sorts of learnin' goin' on up in hurr.  ;]




P.S.- Tomorrow is the best day in the teaching world: jeans day!  Woo hoo! 

Why yes, I AM an artist.

     Guess what, guys?  As of today I am officially an artist.

     Ok, ok.  Really I'm pretending to be an artist while I sub long-term for an elementary school art teacher.  I wish I were good at art and stuff like my friend Jordyn, but alas...

     Anyways, these next several months are going to be full of researching guys like Chuck Close and Piet Mondrian, who I'd honestly never heard of until a few days ago.  Good thing the kids I'm teaching are only elementary schoolers, so they won't know the difference.  Although, I am afraid a few in 3rd grade are getting wise--they snickered when I drew a stick figure on the board.  I'd better save that particular art-form for K-2. 

     What are you doing these days that is stretching you? 

 

P.S.- I know all of ya'll out there in blog-land are more cultured than me, but here's some stuff by Close and Mondrian, just for fun.  ;]

by Chuck Close

 

by Piet Mondrian

Snowmageddon 2011: Part 2

     Well folks, it's day two of Snowmageddon 2011.  This is cuh-razy for us here in Georgia.  The weather is going to barely get above freezing (as in 34 degrees) on Thursday, so none of the snow/ice is melting.  Good news is that the whole family has been able to stay in since we're all in the school business and the schools have been closed.  On Monday my sisters, Dad, and I went sledding down the street.  We went down the same path so many times that it turned into ice...so much fun. 

My sisters and I in the snow today!  We took a hike in the woods.

     Tomorrow is Snowmageddon day 3, so we'll see if I'm still liking it as much at the end of the day.  Oh, and I have a new favorite term for my city: Hothlanta.  Check out the CNN iReport here.  What is your favorite term for your city?  And do you have snow today?

What's Been Goin' Down

     Hi hello, I'm Abby (shout-out to Mitchell Davis).  You haven't heard from me lately because I've been super busy (story of my life).  We'll do a list because it helps me concentrate better.

1. My car has been in the shop THREE times in the past 10 days.  Flat tire/oil change, getting the engine block replaced, and today it is getting a new alternator.  It went bonkers in the church parking lot last night.  Luckily our church is close to home and my parents were able to come get me.  Yep, poor old Mabel is on her last leg.
2. I got a long-term subbing position!  It's a maternity leave and I start on Monday.  Third grade, which is the grade I student taught in.  Suh-weet!
3. Today I got to talk to my two best friends!  I hadn't talked to Nicole in forever, so it was great to catch up with her.  Even better?  She's coming into town this weekend and we're going to hang out!
4. I was home sick on Monday.  Wanna know what makes me feel nauseated every day, though?  Political commercials.  Honestly.  I want to vomit.  They're all awful.  No party is going about this in the right way.

Ok, that's about it.  Do you ever have to make outlines of your life?  Or am I the only crazy one?


- Abby  :]

My prayer partner and me at a festival for Autism Awareness.

"You have girl fingernails!"

Funny Subbing Story of the Week:

     Last Saturday I went out to get my nails done with two of my girlfriends (I feel old saying "girlfriends"; my Grandma calls her friends that).  Being the lover of pink that I am, I decided to go for the brightest day-glo pink they had (Pink Voltage by China Glaze).  This is an important backstory for my funny subbing story.

Woo hoo, bright nails!

     Fast forward to Tuesday around 11 AM.  I walk into a Kindergarten classroom and am greeted by an interesting young boy whom we'll call "Kevin."  The teacher tells me that Kevin is a special friend, meaning he's a bit behind the other kids.  As I walk by him he calls out (rather loudly), "Why do you have girl fingernails?"  I reply that I am a girl, so I'm allowed to have pink fingernails.  After looking at me for a couple seconds he bursts out in the loudest guffaw I'd ever heard from a five year old.

     Apparently my fingernails are hilarious.  I should have known.

Love Is All You Need

     Hey, everyone.  It's been a while, huh?  Well, at least I feel like it has been.

     A lot has been going on lately.  Let me (quickly) catch you up on my life.  I've been subbing almost every day.  Through experiences subbing in every grade level, I have learned that my favorite grades are 2nd and 1st, with 3rd and K behind those.  I honestly don't like 5th grade at all, and 4th is ok.  It's easier for me to deal with the pants wetting and tears than the B.O., bad attitudes, and respect issues. 

     Second, my small group is amazing.  I am so happy with everyone in my group, and I have had such a fun time getting to know them.  Today I spent all day with my prayer partner standing on a street corner and waving at cars (trying to get them to come to a festival for autism awareness).  We're both super sunburned, but it was a great day.  Totally worth it.  :] 

     Speaking of autism awareness, I've had some really great experiences with autistic kids recently.  I've subbed in a 3rd-5th mildly autistic class and a K-2nd severely autistic class.  Honestly, I was super nervous to work in the severe class.  I had no idea what the day was going to be like.  I'd heard some horror stories about kicking, biting, and pinching, but less than an hour in I was hooked.  The kids were so sweet, and once you knew what to expect, their behavior problems were easier to deal with than a typical student's behavior issues.  I feel in love with the students so quickly; I really hope I get to sub in that class again.  I even loved the student who threw a major temper tantrum. 

     I think the point of all of this is that God has been teaching me how to love.  Autistic kids can be hard to love, but God reminded me that even though they act "different," they are still His precious children.  When I deal with those frustrating 5th graders, God is teaching me how to love people that are hard for me to love.  In my small group God is teaching me how to love Him, myself, and the beautiful girls I am sharing life with for these few months and beyond.  After all, in the words of my favorite philosophers, "all you need is love."

I saw this on the sidewalk by the playground last week.  Precious.

The Perks of Being a Substitute

     Holla'!  It's my favorite day: DAY OFF!  Don't get me wrong, now- I'm super happy to have a job, and I really do love what I do.  BUT there is something great about having a day off in the middle of the week.  Before my "full-time job" friends get jealous, just remember that ya'll have benefits and make a ton more money than me, so don't be too jealous.  Although a little jealousy is cool.  ;]

     Orders of business for my day off:
1. take a nap because I got up at 5:15AM in case a school called
2. catch up on all my blogs
3. buy cookie mix at Publix for small group
4. return library books (yeah, now that I'm working I don't really have time for that whole "reading" thing)
5. find an AWESOME parking place at the mall (I love the mall at 11AM on a Tuesday)
6. eat Chick-fil-A and people watch
7. Skype with Amburrr all the way from Peru! :]

     I would venture to say that I've had a pretty productive day so far.  Numbers 6 and 7 were especially wonderful.  I'll go ahead and bid you all adieu because I need to bake cookies, do laundry, and clean my room before Water's Edge tonight.  Riddle me this: what do you like to do on your day off?  Are you a "sleep all day" type person or a "gotta get stuff done" person? 

YUM!

Super Sub

     Hello, friends!  I feel like it's been so long since I really wrote on here.  Yesterday I alluded to the fact that life has gotten busy very quickly.  Long story (kind-of) short:
1. I interviewed to be a substitute teacher on Friday, August 27th.  We were told that our fingerprints would take a week to process, but after that we would be ready to sub.  Meaning we have one more week of not working before we would start getting calls.  Or so I thought...
2.  Cue Tuesday morning (8-31) at 6:30AM.  Phone starts ringing.  Wakes me up from a pleasant night's sleep.  Surprise, it's a phone call to sub at a school that is 30 minutes (plus traffic) away.  I race to get ready and show up at 8AM.
3.  The school likes me!!!  Which is code for "I've worked every day except this past Tuesday and they almost have me booked solid."  Can we have a short "Praise the Lord"?  Because this is seriously awesome.  Yes, the school is about as far from my house as any school in our county, but I'm getting paid.  Also...
     I CAN AFFORD TO GET A NEW CELL PHONE WITH UNLIMITED TEXTING AND A DATA PLAN!!!  *cue cheers and applause*  Yes folks, I am finally going to join everyone else in the year 2010.  I'll make sure to let you know when this happens, although I'm sure you'll figure it out because I'll start spamming you with text messages.
     Another reason why I didn't post: I spent Labor Day weekend in Birmingham with some of my lovelies!  I wrote a super sappy post about it here, and I won't blame you if you don't read it, but you should because it is about some awesome people (run-on sentence, anyone?).  It was a wonderful weekend and I was sad to leave.  But I know that it won't be too long before the "charm" of Alabama draws me back again.  ;]

Alabama!

My Endless Summer

     A year ago, I was certain that I would have a job after I graduated.  I was one of those students who began applying for a teaching job two months before graduation.  I assumed that by being proactive, I was assuring myself a teaching position for the fall of '10.  Well, you know what they say about people who assume.  Long story short, many of my friends found teaching jobs, while I became the eternal apply-er.  The girl who applied to every job out there, but couldn't seem to land one.
     This might seem like I'm complaining, and maybe a couple of weeks ago that would have been the case.  But lately I've been learning to "be content whatever the circumstances" (Philippians 4:11).  My circumstances are not quite as dire as Paul's when he wrote this letter to the church of Philippi, but I understand what it is to be in want.  There are many things that I have wanted these past months and do not currently have.  It is easy to look at the lives of my peers and to feel jealous of their situation in life, whether it's because they achieved the TFC dream (ring by spring, of course), because they got a job, or because they are seemingly "living it up."  I'm not saying that I never struggle with jealously about those issues, but God has truly shown me how to be happy where I am.  Earlier in the summer I sat around every day thinking about how awful my life was compared to Jane Doe's.  I would stay up too late, get up too late, eat junk food, and sit in my room all day.  Let me tell you from experience, that is no way to live.  No wonder I was jealous of other people's lives; I wasn't doing anything to make my life better!
     I've learned from my mistake, though.  I want to live a life that is memorable.  I don't want to wait to begin living until I have a job or a husband.  There is so much living I can do now!  I might not have a ton of money to work with, but money isn't everything.  Today I met an old friend at the park and we had a blast just walking the trail and talking.  Total cost?  Zero dollars.
     A couple of weeks ago I made that decision to keep living my life.  And guess what?  God reminded me that He's got my back.  You're talking to one of Gwinnett County's newest substitute teachers.  :]  It might not be the most prestigious job in the world, but I'm learning to love the little bit of extra freedom I still get to enjoy through a part-time job. 
     If you're going through some of the same jealousy issues that I was (and still am some days), or if you just need some encouragement, take these verses to heart:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
-Philippians 4:6-7

 -Abby :]