Everyone knows that substitute teachers are never treated well. Students do their best to get away with anything they can. "Teacher, can I stay inside during recess by myself? I'm sick and my Mom doesn't want me to go outside." Baloney. "Can all three of us go to the teacher's lounge to pick up some more paper?" "Our teacher lets us eat snacks." "We get out at 1:15." These are all things I have heard over the past 3 days as a substitute teacher.
Unlike most people, I actually enjoy being a substitute. Call me weird, I don't care. To me, it is yet another indication that I am doing the right thing by pursuing my degree in Elementary Education. I'm constantly on the website for my school district looking for available substitute teaching jobs. I officially got the job Wednesday morning and immediately rushed to a school to fill in. I'm loving every second of hands-on experience. That being said, there are a few things that do bother me as a substitute....
#1 None of the class knows/cares to learn my name even though I write it on the board and say it. "Teacher... come here." It drives me crazy. I have been tempted on a number of occasions to say, "Student. Student. Student," but I haven't.
#2 It's shocking that so many people cannot pronounce my last name. "Mrs. Ditoto, etc." I was subing with a full-time employee the other day and after butchering my name in front of the class, he pulled me aside and asked if it was ok to call me Mrs. D. Mrs. D seems much easier for students to say.
#3 I have gotten quite a few comments about how young I am by other teachers. "So, have you been to school at all?" "What year did you graduate High School?" I know the teachers aren't being mean, but it's kind of weird to me. I almost want to fire back, "How old are you?" I should probably just take it as a compliment and move on.
So far, I have done Kindergarten, 3rd grade, and a behavioral unit that included students from grades 1-3. 3rd grade is by far my favorite and the grade I someday hope to teach. That being said, I will take a job in whatever grade they want me, but I'm hoping it's around 3rd grade. Kindergarten is not my favorite. "Our teacher doesn't do it that way..." "Teacher, he called me a name..." etc. The main reason I don't want to teach Kindergarten is because I do not want to be held responsible for teaching children to read. It seems like a daunting task to me and I don't want to be the teacher that parents blame for their students lack of reading ability.
I am so blessed to even be a substitute teacher right now. I need to take advantage of every day I have because I won't be doing this long at all. I honestly had no idea what I would do until June 2 when my internship finally starts, and this whole substitute thing fell into place.
Now, back to the Jordan School District website to check for some substitute teaching jobs....
Monday, April 28, 2014
Saturday, April 19, 2014
L.A
Andrew and I finally got to see my parents condo in LA. It was worth the wait. When we arrived in L.A on April 12, we immediately went to Roscoes a famous restaurant known for their chicken and waffles. I was able to see my cute nephew Simon, before he headed to bed for the evening.
On Sunday we went to church and had a tasty barbeque before Simon (and Jeff and Lindsey) left. Even though I only got to see Simon for a few short hours, I loved every minute of it and I get to see him again in June! Sunday afternoon, Andrew and I joined my parents for a bike-ride to the beach. The ride that was supposed to be relaxing quickly turned into much more. We ended up going over 8 miles and the trail on the beach was very crowded. How cool that the beach is one bike-ride away. We ended the night by playing hearts, and just in case you were wondering, I did win. :)
On Monday we rode the bikes again, but this time we went to Venice beach. Our butts were quite sore from the long bike-ride the day before. Within 24 hours, we rode several miles. I would guess about 20. Venice was VERY interesting. I did end up getting a cute bag there though. (My Dad took the car to work which is why we biked so much. My sister Jill has a car as well, but is in school most of the day.)
We topped the night off with a trip to The Cheesecake Factory. I had never eaten there being my cheap self and it was delicious. It was right on the water and Andrew and I got some good pictures. My family is still teasing me because as we were walking through the sand, I turned around and told Andrew to stop kicking sand at me. It turned out that I was kicking sand on myself by the way I was walking... Apparently this Rexburg girl isn't used to this whole beach thing.
Tuesday we spent the day in Downtown L.A. Let me just say this now... I could NEVER live in L.A. It sure is a fun place to visit, but the traffic is outrageous and I don't know that I could ever drive there without feeling like I was going to die. We stopped by my Dad's office and it was fun to get a tour. He has quite the view. We then went to Hollywood Blvd which was crowded with tourists. It was there that I got this picture...
I also found Ghirardelli's ice-cream which made my day. The peanut-butter Sunday is one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted. We didn't spend too much time there because we wanted to make it to the temple. I had been to the L.A temple as a teen, but it was fun to go back now. What a beautiful temple pushed back from the loud, busy city.
Wednesday was our Disneyland/California Adventure day.I have never seen Disneyland so crowded. All the lines were quire lengthy. My Mom accompanied us and it was nice to have her along to run ahead and get us fast-passes. Fortunately, we were able to ride the new "Radiator Springs" ride in California Adventure. The line is always incredibly long, but we made it a priority and went there right when we arrived. We also went in the single-rider line. We immediately jumped in the pool at the condo upon returning from Disneyland. It felt so good after being so sweaty.
Thursday was a day of relaxation for us. We were worn out from Disneyland, several bike-rides, and working out. Andrew and I played tennis. I love tennis and wish I would have played in High School. I even managed to beat Andrew which is not an easy task with the spin he puts on the ball because he is left-handed
. We spent some time in the cute little library and I checked out "The Book Thief." I have been wanting to read it ever since I saw the movie and I'm loving it so far. While on the trip, I also read "Divergent." I saw the movie the day after it came out and thought that I had read the book. Apparently, I was wrong because nothing in the movie sounded familiar. I'm excited to re-watch the movie now that I have actually read the book.
On Thursday night, we watched Monsters University. What a great movie. My Dad even kind of liked it which says a lot.
Friday ended with a bang. After working out, we headed to the Santa Monica Peer. (By the way, everyone will stare at you if you wear a BYU-Idaho t-shirt in an LA gym.) What a fun pier. The ferris-wheel and small roller-coaster make for a fun atmosphere. You can smell the funnel-cakes for miles. We even saw a sea-lion.
As you can tell, we had a really fun week. Now, back to reality.
On Sunday we went to church and had a tasty barbeque before Simon (and Jeff and Lindsey) left. Even though I only got to see Simon for a few short hours, I loved every minute of it and I get to see him again in June! Sunday afternoon, Andrew and I joined my parents for a bike-ride to the beach. The ride that was supposed to be relaxing quickly turned into much more. We ended up going over 8 miles and the trail on the beach was very crowded. How cool that the beach is one bike-ride away. We ended the night by playing hearts, and just in case you were wondering, I did win. :)
On Monday we rode the bikes again, but this time we went to Venice beach. Our butts were quite sore from the long bike-ride the day before. Within 24 hours, we rode several miles. I would guess about 20. Venice was VERY interesting. I did end up getting a cute bag there though. (My Dad took the car to work which is why we biked so much. My sister Jill has a car as well, but is in school most of the day.)
We topped the night off with a trip to The Cheesecake Factory. I had never eaten there being my cheap self and it was delicious. It was right on the water and Andrew and I got some good pictures. My family is still teasing me because as we were walking through the sand, I turned around and told Andrew to stop kicking sand at me. It turned out that I was kicking sand on myself by the way I was walking... Apparently this Rexburg girl isn't used to this whole beach thing.
Tuesday we spent the day in Downtown L.A. Let me just say this now... I could NEVER live in L.A. It sure is a fun place to visit, but the traffic is outrageous and I don't know that I could ever drive there without feeling like I was going to die. We stopped by my Dad's office and it was fun to get a tour. He has quite the view. We then went to Hollywood Blvd which was crowded with tourists. It was there that I got this picture...
I also found Ghirardelli's ice-cream which made my day. The peanut-butter Sunday is one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted. We didn't spend too much time there because we wanted to make it to the temple. I had been to the L.A temple as a teen, but it was fun to go back now. What a beautiful temple pushed back from the loud, busy city.
(Andrew is taking the pic)
Single-Rider Life
On Thursday night, we watched Monsters University. What a great movie. My Dad even kind of liked it which says a lot.
Friday ended with a bang. After working out, we headed to the Santa Monica Peer. (By the way, everyone will stare at you if you wear a BYU-Idaho t-shirt in an LA gym.) What a fun pier. The ferris-wheel and small roller-coaster make for a fun atmosphere. You can smell the funnel-cakes for miles. We even saw a sea-lion.
Ignore the closed eyes. I couldn't resist. Look at the cute background.
As you can tell, we had a really fun week. Now, back to reality.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Conference Traditions
General Conference has always been one of my favorite weekends. Probably because I grew up always having AMAZING food. Unfortunately this year Andrew and I were not in the comfort of our own home. We are currently homeless and I don't like it one bit. Don't get me wrong, our friends have been very nice, but I miss having a bed to sleep in at night. (My back agrees.)
That aside, we were still able to have an enjoyable time. I even decided to buy all the ingredients for 7 layer dip. It's hard to cook in someone else's kitchen. Unfortunately the avocados I purchased were as hard as a rock. (Hey, they were on sale.) Andrew kindly suggested that he choose avocados in the future. I glady agreed. Buying avocados is a rare thing for me. The 7-layer-dip without the avocado was quite disappointing. I had about 2 bites and called it good which never happens. I didn't attempt to make cinnamon roles which are another conference tradition that I missed greatly.
Luckily, things turned around when our friends decided to make a turkey for dinner. I think I like this tradition and that Andrew and I might start doing it every conference. The smell about killed me and was rather distracting during the last session of conference. I ate more than my share of turkey.
I was sad to have missed Ladies night on Saturday night during Priesthood Session. It has always been a big deal in my house. In fact, it got to a point that we had to tone it down a notch, so my brothers didn't get too jealous. "The Sound of Music" is ALWAYS a huge part of this night. My sisters and I can almost quote every line and assign roles each time we watch it. One time, my sister recorded my mother singing along with the movie. She showed my dad after Priesthood and he could not stop laughing. He then watched the movie with us and could not believe what he had been missing out on. I perked up a little when I called home to see what my Mom and sister were doing for Ladies night... My Mom watched the broadcast with my brothers, and they ate Subway. (I'm not a sandwich person.)
Now that we have the "physically fed" part of conference covered, it's time to talk about how I was spiritually fed. I learned a lot through the course of 4 sessions and I'm grateful my religion teacher told us to take notes. This really helped me pay attention and I ended up with over 15 pages of notes. One of my favorite talks was given by President Uchtdorf. He talked about gratitude and how it should be a way of life. President Uchtdorf mentioned that being grateful does not mean we like our circumstances. This was comforting to me. He also said that we shouldn't be grateful after our problems are over. This is definitely something I can improve on. I'm looking forward to the talks being posted online, so I can re-read them.
Only 6 more months until the October feast can begin once more!
That aside, we were still able to have an enjoyable time. I even decided to buy all the ingredients for 7 layer dip. It's hard to cook in someone else's kitchen. Unfortunately the avocados I purchased were as hard as a rock. (Hey, they were on sale.) Andrew kindly suggested that he choose avocados in the future. I glady agreed. Buying avocados is a rare thing for me. The 7-layer-dip without the avocado was quite disappointing. I had about 2 bites and called it good which never happens. I didn't attempt to make cinnamon roles which are another conference tradition that I missed greatly.
Luckily, things turned around when our friends decided to make a turkey for dinner. I think I like this tradition and that Andrew and I might start doing it every conference. The smell about killed me and was rather distracting during the last session of conference. I ate more than my share of turkey.
I was sad to have missed Ladies night on Saturday night during Priesthood Session. It has always been a big deal in my house. In fact, it got to a point that we had to tone it down a notch, so my brothers didn't get too jealous. "The Sound of Music" is ALWAYS a huge part of this night. My sisters and I can almost quote every line and assign roles each time we watch it. One time, my sister recorded my mother singing along with the movie. She showed my dad after Priesthood and he could not stop laughing. He then watched the movie with us and could not believe what he had been missing out on. I perked up a little when I called home to see what my Mom and sister were doing for Ladies night... My Mom watched the broadcast with my brothers, and they ate Subway. (I'm not a sandwich person.)
Now that we have the "physically fed" part of conference covered, it's time to talk about how I was spiritually fed. I learned a lot through the course of 4 sessions and I'm grateful my religion teacher told us to take notes. This really helped me pay attention and I ended up with over 15 pages of notes. One of my favorite talks was given by President Uchtdorf. He talked about gratitude and how it should be a way of life. President Uchtdorf mentioned that being grateful does not mean we like our circumstances. This was comforting to me. He also said that we shouldn't be grateful after our problems are over. This is definitely something I can improve on. I'm looking forward to the talks being posted online, so I can re-read them.
Only 6 more months until the October feast can begin once more!
Monday, March 31, 2014
Sold!
We FINALLY sold our housing contract on Saturday. Talk about relief. We are so blessed. Not only did we sell it, but the people that bought it decided to be fair. They are paying half of April's rent as well as half of the deposit which is nice because I was so desperate I almost would have just given it away. The bad news-- we have to be out by Saturday! This Saturday! They gave us one week to move out, but hey, I'm not complaining. This week will be a fun one...
Where will we stay starting this Saturday after we move out and during all of finals week? That's a great question my friends. We have a few options, but still haven't made a final decision. It won't be fun to be homeless, but we are fortunate to have some dear friends who are willing to let us crash on their couch for a week. People have been so nice and willing to help us move. Someone in our ward dropped by with several very nice boxes Saturday and the packing has begun. (Our apartment is a wreck!) Anyone who knows me well knows that I like to plan ahead. Andrew always makes fun of me because I like to pack quite early. Last time we moved, the apartment was in boxes with three weeks to spare. I'm feeling a little frantic about the fact that Saturday is merely 5 short days away. It will all workout!
There was even a storage unit left at the cheap price that we wanted which was surprising because they are filling up fast at this time of year. Through this process I have learned to be more patient. God did provide a way, but not in the timing I would of liked.It all worked out though. He sees everything and knows what is best. We are blessed more than we deserve and I am so grateful. (As of now, there are still 13 apartments that haven't sold in our ward!)
Now, back to packing... the never-ending process...
Where will we stay starting this Saturday after we move out and during all of finals week? That's a great question my friends. We have a few options, but still haven't made a final decision. It won't be fun to be homeless, but we are fortunate to have some dear friends who are willing to let us crash on their couch for a week. People have been so nice and willing to help us move. Someone in our ward dropped by with several very nice boxes Saturday and the packing has begun. (Our apartment is a wreck!) Anyone who knows me well knows that I like to plan ahead. Andrew always makes fun of me because I like to pack quite early. Last time we moved, the apartment was in boxes with three weeks to spare. I'm feeling a little frantic about the fact that Saturday is merely 5 short days away. It will all workout!
There was even a storage unit left at the cheap price that we wanted which was surprising because they are filling up fast at this time of year. Through this process I have learned to be more patient. God did provide a way, but not in the timing I would of liked.It all worked out though. He sees everything and knows what is best. We are blessed more than we deserve and I am so grateful. (As of now, there are still 13 apartments that haven't sold in our ward!)
Now, back to packing... the never-ending process...
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Bittersweet
April 11th is approaching quickly. I have been in denial about the whole thing probably because we have yet to sell our apartment contract... Regardless, we are moving to Utah on the 11th. We will grace Utah with our presence for one night before flying to L.A. I can't wait to see my little nephew who is now crawling. He may or may not be the background on my phone. I frequently get asked if he is my little boy. I wouldn't mind taking credit for his cuteness.
A week of relaxation couldn't come at a better time. We plan on spending lots of time sleeping in, lounging around the condo, hanging out at the swimming pool, taking long walks on the beach, going to the L.A temple, eating famous Chicken and Waffles, and of, course spending a day or two at the happiest place on earth. My little nephew (Simon) will only be there the first night. We will make the most of our time together.
Anyone who knows me knows that living in Rexburg isn't my dream. (understatement of the century) In fact, if I hadn't met Andrew, I would have transferred to a different school. Having said that, I find myself a little sad at the fact that we are leaving. Here is how I have broken things down:
Things I'm looking forward to:
Am I ready for April 11? Yes and no, but mostly yes. Ready or not Utah, here we come!
A week of relaxation couldn't come at a better time. We plan on spending lots of time sleeping in, lounging around the condo, hanging out at the swimming pool, taking long walks on the beach, going to the L.A temple, eating famous Chicken and Waffles, and of, course spending a day or two at the happiest place on earth. My little nephew (Simon) will only be there the first night. We will make the most of our time together.
Anyone who knows me knows that living in Rexburg isn't my dream. (understatement of the century) In fact, if I hadn't met Andrew, I would have transferred to a different school. Having said that, I find myself a little sad at the fact that we are leaving. Here is how I have broken things down:
Things I'm looking forward to:
- Cafe Rio being 2 minutes away from me. (notice this is listed first)
- Spending time with my family!
- Getting paid more than minimum wage which is nearly impossible in Rexburg.
- Having shopping nearby! (Something besides Cal Ranch)
- Getting to hangout with old friends.
- Attending my home ward/family ward.
- Having free time!
- Friends. Our best friends are moving back to Rexburg after being gone for 2 semesters and we will not be here.
- Our ward. I don't know a bishop that spends more time in my behalf.
- Our apartment. Of the 3 we have lived in, this one is by far the nicest. (Hopefully it will sell or I guess we won't really be leaving it...)
- Leaving during the BEST and only warm season in Rexburg. Why couldn't we plan these internships during the winter??
- Our noisy neighbors. (Apartments have the thinnest walls!)
- The wind. The wind here is ALWAYS bad and no matter how modest my dress is, it becomes very problematic on a daily basis.
- Wearing a dress everyday for work. I have been doing it for a year now and don't know that I can come up with one more cute outfit.
- The grocery store. No matter when you go, it is always crowded because there are only 2 in the entire city.
- School. A break will be nice. I have been going to school year-round for 5 semesters now and am very burnt out.
Am I ready for April 11? Yes and no, but mostly yes. Ready or not Utah, here we come!
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