Hi!
So normally I just post pictures up here for people to glance at as they make their way through their "Next Blog" rounds. But you know what? This year I've lead a pretty interesting professional life so far. I started out the year wrapping up my last semester as a Peer Adviser at UT Dallas. I planned large and small scale programs, dealt with roommate issues and spoiled freshmen, and busted 18 year olds that think that drinking and doing pot in semi-public areas was a good idea at the time. It got hard towards the end. I loved my job but I got so excited about moving on and embracing the next part of my life. It was also difficult to be 22 living amongst 18- and 19-year-olds. The age and maturity gap was huge. By 22, I had transferred to three schools, worked a full time retail job as a full time student and paid for all of my schooling myself. My sympathy and patience for their teenage drama was short and it didn't help that my ex started dating one of them. By February I was ready to get rid of freshmen but I still appreciated my job and coworkers.
In March I got lucky. I applied on a whim for a job at the Dallas Arboretum. The job was a full paid internship that lasted from June to mid-August that let me work with children ages 3-13. Every week was a different camp, ranging in topics from Happily Ever After to Bug Club to Garden Art. I got to go on field trips and learn a lot about children and nature. I had such a wonderful experience. I don't think I could work with young kids for the rest of my life but it was a fantastic summer.
The day after Labor Day I start student teaching. I am certified to teach 8-12 Social Studies. Social studies covers everything from history to government to economics. My primary is geography, but I got put into a U.S. History classroom for the fall. I am excited, nervous and terrified. U.S. History is not my strong suit, but I am glad that I get a chance to do it with an experienced teacher and not muddling through it by myself. I feel a bit like an impostor-- I'm too young to teach high school juniors! I like to color in coloring books and make friendship bracelets and read Harry Potter.
Why am I telling my imaginary readers all of this? Because I plan on posting updates about how my student teaching is going here. I figure, I have to send journals to my adviser anyway so why not post updates on my blog? That is what a blog is for, right? Posting semi-personal information about your life? Sweet.
Thanks for lurking!
