"Loudoun County Public Schools Closed - Friday, February 5
Because of the threatening weather forecast and the governor's declaration of a state of emergency, Loudoun County Public Schools will be closed on Friday, February 5th. "
Yes, teaching in Virginia is great. We get school canceled before there is even snow on the ground :)
(The picture to the right is my 2009 yearbook picture for the school that I teach at...I look like an 8th grader)
Where have I been? Wow, I haven't posted on my blog in ages. It's been a busy few months. I have returned to school and am working on a PhD in Education Policy with a secondary specialization in International Education. I decided to take 4 classes this semester, which is a full load for students who usually don't have a job, but I also work full-time job as an 8th grade Civics teacher. I also coach a middle school step team and dance with a Polynesian dance group, so with all of those things going on, blogging just fell to the wayside. One of my new year's resolutions is to blog a couple times a month. I still need to post the photo highlights of all my summer travels.
By far, one of my favorite parts of 2009 was my summer travels. I went to Myrtle Beach with some friends for a week and then trotted off to Europe for 3 weeks to tour some of the Mediterranean countries with one of my best friends. It was a blast, and I promise to post a photo journal of the places we visited. I also went on a humanitarian trip to Polochic, Guatemala. It was an incredible experience. Here is one of my favorite pictures from it:
This picture encompasses how the trip was for me, utterly peaceful. My friend took this picture of me in the middle of our hike up the Pacaya Volcano (a very difficult hike for me) and I love it. This was taken a couple days before we actually went to the Polochic Valley, but it's a pretty cool picture. The trip overall was just what the doctor ordered. I was able to forget about all my worries I have here and just focus on serving the people of Guatemala. It was a delightful experience.
While in Polchic, there were 87 young single adults from my church who served in various capacities. We had a few building projects going on and we worked to lay foundations for a health clinic in one of the villages, a secondary school in another village, a water storage facility in another village and kitchen near the secondary school. The medical and dental volunteers had a traveling clinic and they went to 6 villages and took care of a lot of the needs of the people. We had a business development group that visited different villages and helped teach the villagers about budgeting and other strategies that could improve their lifestyle and economic status. Lastly, we also had a teacher development group that worked with the local school teachers. I helped in the clinic, with teacher development and on the secondary school project. Guatemala was an awesome experience and if all goes well, I'll be going to Bolivia this summer to do a similar expedition. Here is a picture of a local Guatemalan woman with her baby sack hooked to her head band...that's how they all carried their babies.
Here is a picture of the local kids...they were adorable :)
My summer travels were great. School has been challenging and time consuming, but I'm learning a lot. I'm so happy to be embarking on this long journey to get a PhD. I know I made the right decision to go back to school. I know it's going to get much harder, but I look forward to the road ahead. Work has been a challenge for me this year, but we are almost halfway there. I like teaching, but 8th grade is a hard age and I think I'm reaching a point where it's time to move to a different age. Who knows what lies in the future for me with teaching...
The title of this post is "goodbye 2009" and I am more than thrilled to see it end. It's been a long, hard year with many personal challenges and I look forward to this fresh start. Tonight is New Year's Eve and instead of going out, I've chosen to stay in and spend some quality time with me, myself and I. I know that might sound a little lame, but I feel like I need the time to myself to reflect and focus on how I can make 2010 a much better year than 2009 was. I will post some of my resolutions tomorrow, but I wish you all a happy and safe new year.
Love,
Amy
Here is a link to an article I read today in the Washington Times:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/09/06/duncan-silly-to-keep-kids-home-to-avoid-obama-speech/
It's about the President's speech on Tuesday. He is not the first president to give a speech to schools and to encourage students to stay in school. I think the people that don't want their kids to watch this speech are completely ingnorant. It's ridiculous!! If he was planning to push his political agenda, he'd be choosing the wrong place. Kids aren't really into issues and they would tune out to what he was saying if he started to talk about his ideas. Nobody whined when the first Bush spoke to schools about the Iraq war, yet now we have a president that wants to challenge our kids and people are freaking out. People need to develop a little more tolerance in this country. The more you know, the better prepared you are to live in this world, and that means listening to all different opinions. Listening to other views is how we learn respect and tolerance. Sheltering kids from a speech does more harm than good. His speech isn't meant to push his agenda anyway, so it should be a mute point. Ugh, I'm so irritated right now!!
PS - I had fabulous trips this summer and will get around to posting about them some day soon. I started my doctoral program and I start teaching on Tuesday. Life is busy :)
I'm a teacher, which means I have about 2 months off in the summer. Teaching is a lot more work than most people think and it's extremely exhausting. We need a summer to recharge our batteries. And, for me, it's a time to get my fill of traveling done. I'm so excited for the summer. I am leaving for Myrtle Beach, South Carolina this Sunday for about a week. Then, I head out to Europe from July 12th-30th for my Mediterannean cruise. When I come back I'll be home for a few days and then I head off to Guatemala for 12 days for a humanitarian project. Check back in a few weeks for pictures! Bon Voyage :)
I turned 26 last week and had a great birthday. I don't know what it is about birthdays, especially mine, that I love. Most people list Christmas as their favorite holiday, but mine has always been May 28th, the day I arrived to spice things up in my family :) I'm sure they might not use the words "spice things up," but I know things wouldn't be quite the same without me...I'm sure they'd be quieter and less stressful, but then there'd be less fun! Anyway, birthdays are special days. I would much rather have a huge birthday than Christmas. I love getting gifts at Christmas, don't get me wrong, but if I had to choose between the two and which I would like more, it would be my birthday, no question!
Usually, before my birthday, I would remind my family a few weeks in advance of the upcoming day (I'm the youngest, so I can do that), and tell them a few things I wouldn't mind receiving as gifts. I figure, if they're going to get me a gift, it might as well be something I want. This year I really wanted a new iPod touch (I didn't think I would get one, but it was worth a shot). I have an iPod, but it's a little outdated, which isn't a big deal and I don't mind keeping. However, I dropped it a few months ago (big surprise there since I drop everything) and cracked the screen. Now you can't really read the songs or playlists. It still works though. The only reason I wanted the touch versus the others was that you can get all those fun apps on it and access the internet. I think it would be useful considering I like to travel. I can be on one of my many adventures, yet still keep my friends posted much easier than without it or having to find an internet cafe.
I knew my parents wouldn't spend that much on a gift because it's expensive...I wanted the 32GB because I have 17GB of just music. Once I started adding apps, I knew I would need some more space. My parents gave me money, which in our family is the gift of choice as it is so much easier. My brother chipped in with a gift card to Best Buy to help me get the touch and I'm sure my sister will bring something fabulous next week when she comes to visit. A few of my friends also got me some awesome gifts that I love.
This year was a little different for me. I didn't make a big deal of my birthday like I normally do. Well, except for when my presents were a little tardy from my brother and sister...I know that might sound selfish, but in my family it's not a big surprise. I figure they know how special it is to me and that I've come to expect something. I thought that if I didn't make a big fuss this year they would appreciate that because they tend to think I'm a little selfish and spoiled, but what youngest child isn't? 
As for the big day, it was AWESOME!! I told some of my students because they sometimes ask. It turned out to be a great idea because some of them came to school early to decorate my room. It was so sweet. Some of them brought me little treats and made me cards. I loved it. And, of course a few classes sang happy birthday. I felt very special. I did feel a little guilty that the other teachers don't always get the same treatment, then again, if they don't tell the kids, they won't get anything, so I shouldn't really feel bad about it. 
After work I went to the Cheesecake Factory (one of my favorites) with some of my friends. It was a nice little dinner mixed with great food, laughs and amazing cheesecake. It feels a little weird to know that age is creeping up on me. I'm still young and have many great years ahead, but I'm realizing that the older I get, the faster time goes. I'm not quite sure why that is, but it is most definitely true! Oh yes, and I did end up getting the iPod touch as a gift from a very special friend, which I very much appreciate!! Thank you so much to all my friends and family for making May 28th, a very special day for me. It was probably one of the best birthdays to date. I've had some great days, and this year is in the top 5. Now, I have to wait a whole year for the next special treatment...;)
This conversation really happened yesterday between a student and me:
Student: "do I have to take the test today?"
Me: "why are you asking?"
Student: "because I wasn't here last Monday" (a week ago...)
Me: "well, you were here on Wednesday and Friday, got the study guide and did our test review with us...so..."
Student: "but I wasn't here yesterday either so I couldn't get my notebook from my locker"
Me: [with a funny look on my face] "and that's my problem because?"
Student: "but I couldn't study."
Me: "The test has been announced for over two weeks and you missed class a week ago and were here for 2 classes after that so, by reason of logic, I think that would mean, yes, you have to take the test."
Haha...kids are so funny! I have to say, this was the best story/excuse to far. My other favorite is, "it's at home."
I was recently accepted into the George Mason University Ph.D. in Education program!! I start in the fall and can't wait. I've always wanted to get the highest education possible and feel very blessed that everything is working out for me. I don't really want to stay in Virginia for another 4-5 years, but it will be worth it. I'm still going to be teaching full-time and traveling every chance I get. Wahoo for school!
