New Phase of Life

A friend of ours that goes to the Spanish Branch recommended my name as a candidate for a long-term substitute position at a local high school, (not the one my kids go to). One of the teachers of the English Language Development class is on maternity leave, and they need a full-time substitute for six weeks, so I took the job. I started with training on Thursday, and then teaching on Friday. Actually, on Friday they had been promised a movie, so that was easy. Today was the first real day of teaching. I have five grammar and writing classes, and one communications class. They are divided up into Intro, Intermediate and Advanced classes. The classes where there are 19 or more students are the most challenging - I have 3 of those. The other three were actually fun to teach. The three big ones are challenging, but not unmanageable. Today I realized that being a Mom of six active children teaches you a lot about classroom management. Part of it is just to laugh with the kids and have some fun with them. Part of it is distraction, and making sure they have something to do. Part of it is laying back a little and letting them have some room to decide to do what you asked them to do. Others just need some consistent asking. I haven't had any big troubles yet, but came pretty close today with a girl who seemed perfectly innocuous the first day, but proved much more of a challenge today. She was sitting in a teacher's chair and would not move when asked. This is when I laid back for a moment - and she ended up telling me about her knee operation. I listened intently, validated her feelings, and then turned my attention to something else for a moment. Next thing I knew, she was off the chair. If I wasn't Mary's Mom, I wouldn't have know how to handle that situation! :)

I love you, Mary. :)

Did everyone know that the Past Progressive Interrogative Tense in English is the following?
Singular: Was the fish swimming in the sea?
Plural: Were the girls dancing in the park?

That's what I taught all day today.

I was the only teacher today in the Staff Room (a small one - not the main one) that had a home-made dinner. It was Ham Loaf from yesterday. Everyone else had Easy Mac, or processed chicken nuggets or a frozen dinner. I was just burstin' my buttons over that.

After school I taught two piano lessons and then went to Joseph and Josh's soccer games (even though Josh didn't play). Joseph tied 1-1, and the Varisty barely won 5-4. The last ten minutes were pretty hairy. Clark and Mary Jeanne came at the end - they are so fun to talk to. I didn't know they knew soccer so well! And Dara Dee was there, as well as all my good soccer buddies - Mike & Karla, Betty, etc. I also had a really nice talk with Tim, who was disappointed that his bag-pipe reed was broken! He is a great guy. Well, obviously, this is turning into more of a Journal entry. But that's basically what this blog is anway.

Our Family Home Evening was around dinner talking about the state of the economy and the gangs that my vice-principal told me some of my students belong to. The message was, "It doesn't really matter what happens in the outside world. What matters is that our family is sealed together and we are keeping the commandments and serving the best we can. Everything else will just 'come out in the wash', so to speak. It doesn't really matter."

Tonight I'm grateful for ordinances, the plan of Salvation, experience in mortality, and the Savior.

Joshua is recovering

Joshua is up and moving around a lot more. The last two days he has been doing his homework non-stop, including a speech, math assignments, and a research paper!

He couldn't stay away from the piano for very long. It wasn't ideal, but he got some playing time in.

Mom - he read your email and he is using that as an excuse to order us all around and do everything for him, "'Cause Grandma said I had to rest!" You gave us good advice, we'll try not to overdo it. This is not my forte, though, as you well know, but we'll try.

He's is going to go to school for awhile tomorrow. We'll see how it goes!

Tidbits I forgot

Joseph walked into the girls bathroom last week at the high school accidentally. He said he was whistling a tune and walking along, when he turned the corner and ran into Kami (the Stake President's daughter). She said, "Joseph!", and then he yelled, and she yelled, and it turned out to be really funny. She then went back and told the whole English class (which is all girls besides Joseph) all about it. LOL Thank goodness he ran into her and not someone else.

Our Stake President told us yesterday that as our Stake Center was being constructed, he struck up a conversation with the General Contractor, who was a non-member. When asked about the construction, he got really excited and enthusiastic. The GC said that this was the best building he had ever built and that all buildings should be built this way. He said that five-story (or maybe he meant to say five-star? not sure) hotels are not built as well as the Stake Center. He added that he felt sorry for the contractor in a hundred years who bid on tearing down the building, because he would loose money. I thought that was really interesting.