I hope I will never forget where I was September 11th, 2001. I was 16 years old and a Junior in High School. It was our Seminar class so I was out and about on a pass. I remember stopping by Ms. Gough's room where she had the TV on. The first plane had hit the first tower just moments before. Ms. Gough is a science teacher and I felt I needed to spread the word so I left. I went to a teacher who I never had as a teacher but who I loved and respected so much. Ms. Taylor had not yet heard the news. I asked her to turn on the tv and she, I and her class watched. We watched as the second plane hit the second tower. It was that moment, that look that I will never forget. I watched this strong, fearless woman turn into a human. Her face went pale, she immediately picked up the classroom phone and called her mom. You see, her mom worked in downtown Kansas City at the Federal Reserve. The Federal reserve is one of the top 10 targets outside of military bases in the United States. Cut off our money, cut off our power. Her mom answered "I know, we're being evacuated, I'm okay, I'll call you later." I left her room to return to my seminar room. Ms. Murphy and our class watched until the period was over. The moments that follow this I don't really remember clearly. The next vivid memory I have of this day was during the next class. I was back in Ms. Gough's room, my Anatomy and Physiology teacher. We had a big test coming up and she insisted that we continued with our notes while the tv was on in silent. I remember the entire class let out a collective gasp as the first tower fell. Ms. Gough allowed us to stop taking notes at that point. We watched it the rest of the day. I think the principals came on to say continue as usual, keep tv's off. None of my teachers followed that directive. I remember nothing else of the day. Only that I knew the world would never be the same.
10 years later so much has changed personally, nationally, internationally. Osama Bin Laden has been caught and killed but the war on terror continues. I went to church this morning passing up free tickets to the Chief's. I had to go. I had been feeling so anxious about this day and I found out my mom had been feeling the same. I'm glad I went to church it was where I needed to be. I got to go to lunch with my awesome mom and chat about our upcoming fundraiser, school, work, missing days, and possibly getting a new roommate. All crazy and exciting upcoming events. I was happy to talk them out with my momma.
I've got some more homework and a million things to grade today. Hopefully I will finish my hw and make good headway on my grading. I hope everyone enjoys this day of remembrance and football!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Time Flies
September 10th!? Really!? It is hard to believe it is already September 10th. Where did the time go? They say time flies when you're having fun. I'm curious though how fast does time move when your life revolves around work and school work?
Golf has been keeping me busy with tournaments nearly every day of the week. My girls are really starting to shoot well. I'm very proud of them! The weather here has been beautiful so it's really been a pleasure to join them at practice and matches. Can't beat it! My own game is improving even though I still contend that golf is one of the most awkward sports. Oh and I have to give up the mini van for two days. I'm not really sure I will know how to function. I get it back on Wednesday but it will be tough to part with. I may shed a tear. haha!
The classes I'm teaching have really been going great! I have had a few individual butting of heads but seriously best year ever so far! Next week Psychology is going to be watching One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Yay! World History is taking their first test this week so I'm excited to see how that will go. I'm out of the building so much over the next several weeks I'm not even sure how I will be able to write that many lesson plans. It is way easier just to be there! I'm out Sept. 14, 15, 20, 26, 28, and Possibly Oct. 4, 5. And I'm in charge of the Homecoming Parade by some sort of default when my good friend Colette left the building. So that's another bit of stuff to do. Oh, classes are great but the grading of papers, Woah! :)
The classes I'm taking have SO much work due. School Law should really be taken on it's own. But, I'm in that class and School and Community Relations taught by a first time professor for Northwest so I think he's trying to make the rigor of the class something to be reckoned with. I am also very slowing working on my hours for Admin practicum. Exciting times! Oh and that giant paper, I'm not even going to touch that until next semester! I can't!
I have really found a new passion for fund-raising. It's weird. I am not very good at saving my own money so this comes as a surprise to me. I am currently raising money for the amazingly important cause of Alzheimer's research. My own grandmother is very severely struggling right now. She's almost all I can think about when I'm not busy. After the Alzheimer's Walk in October I will be shifting my focus back to Breast Cancer for the remainder of the year. I, along with some help have talked 6 people in to shaving their heads if they were voted to do so by the students after a major fund-raising campaign. 4 of the 6 current teachers signed up are girls! That's awesome! We are hoping to get at least 4 more teachers and raise a few thousand dollars in a "penny wars" type of event. The three staff with the most money in their buckets at the end of the year will have their heads shaved at an assembly. All the money will go towards the support of a cure and research for Breast Cancer. I also think it may impact the students in a very real way. One of my basketball mom's just finished her chemo intensive treatments and a current student of mine, her mom is in remission. I'm sure there are more. The other day at church Pastor asked what our God given goals were and I know I was commissioned to be a coach. But it's also something I love and maybe hope that it's God's goal for me. But fund-raising is all I could think of while Pastor was talking. I can't make a living doing it but I can make an impact. That's a pretty cool thing.
Writing this was a little bit therapy, and a lotta bit putting off doing more school work. I guess I had better get back to it soon. Hope everyone is going well!
Golf has been keeping me busy with tournaments nearly every day of the week. My girls are really starting to shoot well. I'm very proud of them! The weather here has been beautiful so it's really been a pleasure to join them at practice and matches. Can't beat it! My own game is improving even though I still contend that golf is one of the most awkward sports. Oh and I have to give up the mini van for two days. I'm not really sure I will know how to function. I get it back on Wednesday but it will be tough to part with. I may shed a tear. haha!
The classes I'm teaching have really been going great! I have had a few individual butting of heads but seriously best year ever so far! Next week Psychology is going to be watching One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Yay! World History is taking their first test this week so I'm excited to see how that will go. I'm out of the building so much over the next several weeks I'm not even sure how I will be able to write that many lesson plans. It is way easier just to be there! I'm out Sept. 14, 15, 20, 26, 28, and Possibly Oct. 4, 5. And I'm in charge of the Homecoming Parade by some sort of default when my good friend Colette left the building. So that's another bit of stuff to do. Oh, classes are great but the grading of papers, Woah! :)
The classes I'm taking have SO much work due. School Law should really be taken on it's own. But, I'm in that class and School and Community Relations taught by a first time professor for Northwest so I think he's trying to make the rigor of the class something to be reckoned with. I am also very slowing working on my hours for Admin practicum. Exciting times! Oh and that giant paper, I'm not even going to touch that until next semester! I can't!
I have really found a new passion for fund-raising. It's weird. I am not very good at saving my own money so this comes as a surprise to me. I am currently raising money for the amazingly important cause of Alzheimer's research. My own grandmother is very severely struggling right now. She's almost all I can think about when I'm not busy. After the Alzheimer's Walk in October I will be shifting my focus back to Breast Cancer for the remainder of the year. I, along with some help have talked 6 people in to shaving their heads if they were voted to do so by the students after a major fund-raising campaign. 4 of the 6 current teachers signed up are girls! That's awesome! We are hoping to get at least 4 more teachers and raise a few thousand dollars in a "penny wars" type of event. The three staff with the most money in their buckets at the end of the year will have their heads shaved at an assembly. All the money will go towards the support of a cure and research for Breast Cancer. I also think it may impact the students in a very real way. One of my basketball mom's just finished her chemo intensive treatments and a current student of mine, her mom is in remission. I'm sure there are more. The other day at church Pastor asked what our God given goals were and I know I was commissioned to be a coach. But it's also something I love and maybe hope that it's God's goal for me. But fund-raising is all I could think of while Pastor was talking. I can't make a living doing it but I can make an impact. That's a pretty cool thing.
Writing this was a little bit therapy, and a lotta bit putting off doing more school work. I guess I had better get back to it soon. Hope everyone is going well!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Ch ch ch changes
Hey Lame Lady followers! I hope things are going well for each of you and would love to see some comments confirming your well being.
Lately I have been going through some big changes, loss of a roommate, start of golf, start of work, start of school. It's like the winds are starting to pick up in to the hurricane.
This has been my first full week of school and I've been exhausted!
Monday night, Open House
Tuesday night, School and Community Relations begins
Wednesday night, School Law begins
Thursday luckily cancelled golf tourney
Friday (tonight) I am doing nothing! yay! I'm so excited for the long weekend. Unfortunately I now have 150 students turning in work on a regular basis that I must grade. I also have a TON of homework in order to complete my courses. The prof. for school and community isn't great at communicating our requirements or using our electronic resources which is kind of funny but hopefully he will improve. School Law is going to be a fantastic amount of work but interesting work so that's a new bonus I haven't yet experienced in grad school.
Funny random, I was driving down the high way the other day and there was a man leaning so far back in his seat that his arm was resting comfortably out the back window! Are you kidding me? How can you see over the steering wheel? Welp, just keep rolling down the highway friend. Yikes!
This weekend my great cousin Sarah is coming in to town to spend time with her mom and dad and continue the process of socializing her new German Shepherd, Maddox. I cannot wait to meet him and to see her of course. Tomorrow lunch at dog friendly Grinders. I've never been but I'm excited to go.
This has been the best classroom start of the year ever and I hope I can continue to be worthy of the experience.
I'm still in my prayer book. I've been reading it in bed at night and again before I get out of bed in the morning, that is tough I very often have to pry my eyes open, rub sleep out of them multiple times and keep one eye closed in order to focus in on the words enough to read them but it's been a very great way to start and end each day. The language of the book is old school proper so it's nice to read that sometimes because it challenges me a bit and I like it.
I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!
Lately I have been going through some big changes, loss of a roommate, start of golf, start of work, start of school. It's like the winds are starting to pick up in to the hurricane.
This has been my first full week of school and I've been exhausted!
Monday night, Open House
Tuesday night, School and Community Relations begins
Wednesday night, School Law begins
Thursday luckily cancelled golf tourney
Friday (tonight) I am doing nothing! yay! I'm so excited for the long weekend. Unfortunately I now have 150 students turning in work on a regular basis that I must grade. I also have a TON of homework in order to complete my courses. The prof. for school and community isn't great at communicating our requirements or using our electronic resources which is kind of funny but hopefully he will improve. School Law is going to be a fantastic amount of work but interesting work so that's a new bonus I haven't yet experienced in grad school.
Funny random, I was driving down the high way the other day and there was a man leaning so far back in his seat that his arm was resting comfortably out the back window! Are you kidding me? How can you see over the steering wheel? Welp, just keep rolling down the highway friend. Yikes!
This weekend my great cousin Sarah is coming in to town to spend time with her mom and dad and continue the process of socializing her new German Shepherd, Maddox. I cannot wait to meet him and to see her of course. Tomorrow lunch at dog friendly Grinders. I've never been but I'm excited to go.
This has been the best classroom start of the year ever and I hope I can continue to be worthy of the experience.
I'm still in my prayer book. I've been reading it in bed at night and again before I get out of bed in the morning, that is tough I very often have to pry my eyes open, rub sleep out of them multiple times and keep one eye closed in order to focus in on the words enough to read them but it's been a very great way to start and end each day. The language of the book is old school proper so it's nice to read that sometimes because it challenges me a bit and I like it.
I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!
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