Bad News: Lost my wallet on the metro. Good news: There are good people in the world. Better news: I can totally teach these kids!!!

Yes somehow I managed to lose my wallet on the metro Friday night. I was coming home from the temple and when I went to exit the metro I couldn’t find my wallet. However, a woman found it and returned it, untouched, to the metro lost and found. I feel so lucky! The DC temple is gorgeous. I wish I would have taken a picture, but it was a really neat experience. I realized that the only other time I have been to a temple outside of Utah was when I was like 12. So, it was a different experience out here in DC. We had to get a time slot and then we were treated like princesses, because we were the only ones there.

So, today was amazing!!! It was my first day teaching the entire day by myself. I planned every second of the whole day. I was very nervous and I was sure that I had forgotten something important. But from the moment the students walked into the classroom I was determined to make it a good day. I decided I was going to really try and not yell at them and I was going to keep them engaged and learning. I wanted to be sure to give out a lot of compliments and positive reinforcement and it worked like at charm! The kids were the best they have ever been; even my teacher couldn’t believe it. They followed instructions, sat quietly on the carpet (mostly…kids will be kids), participated, and were genuinely trying their best. The entire atmosphere of the classroom changed; it was an unbelievable feeling. It really just solidified my belief that keeping students engaged, showing them you care, and giving them positive reinforcement really works. I can’t even describe to you how good it felt to see my students working hard and trying their best. There are just no words… I am exhausted and most of the time I am sure I won’t have enough time for everything I need to do, yet at the end of the day I feel like I a million bucks. Because I know that at least I helped one student become a little better or learn a little bit more, even if it was that they just realized that someone cared about them. Whoa there is no better profession for me!!! And don’t worry…I am not getting my hopes up too much. I don’t expect everyday to be so wonderful, but you must savor these days as a teacher.

I have a few funny stories:

1. The other day we were waiting for the metro later at night. On the other platform a train came to a stop, but it was not for passengers and the lights were completely turned off. Then on the last car of the train the doors opened and a metro officer came out with a SHOTGUN, or at least that is what it looked like. She just stood there until the train left. We all were sure she was just going to open fire on us. It was quite hysterical.

2.This is one of the stories to show how annoying it can be not to have a car…So, one of my roommates organized a ride to church with some guys in our apartment complex. Jodi and I were running a few minutes behind, as usual, so we told the rest of the apartment to go and we would catch up. They told us to go to the boys apartment. When we got there no one answered the door, so we went to the lobby hoping they would be there. We waited at the lobby trying to get a hold of people, but we couldn’t get a hold of anyone. Finally at 12:50 we gave up and went back to our apartment. Turns out we just didn’t knock hard enough, because the boys were just waiting for us at their apartment. Missing church, because we didn’t have a way to get there was a new experience. J

In other news:

This weekend we went to the Holocaust museum. It was very moving. It was emotionally draining and I don’t plan on going again anytime soon, but it is a very neat experience.

Love you all!

My crazy life

Another week has come and gone. I seriously feel like I have been here for a whole lot longer than 2 ½ weeks. This past week went pretty well. I had a few bad days in the beginning of the week. My teacher had to go to a workshop Tuesday morning, so I was all by myself. That isn’t supposed to happen, but it has happened to half of us already. It seems subs are hard to get around here, or the school just doesn’t want to get one. J Anyways, the kids are 10 times more out of control when the teacher is gone, so that wasn’t the easiest day. But I did make it through!

The end of the week went a lot better. I implemented a rewards system in which the students get a sticker at the end of the day if they receive enough “smile faces”. It has worked for a lot of the kids, so that is great! I also really started teaching a lot on Thursday and Friday. I planned math and some writing stuff. If the kids are engaged they really respond better, so that was good to see. I even had them in groups and they weren’t killing each other! I am excited to continue with math and writing while taking on more subjects throughout the day. I will probably be teaching all day next week.

This weekend was a 3-day weekend, so that was really nice. Mostly we just worked on planning and stuff. We have what is called a teacher work sample (TWS) that decides if we pass/fail student teaching. You must plan a unit, teach it, have an assessment, and then reflect. It is pretty intense and we all just want to get it done, so then we can relax a little more. We did get a chance to go up the Washington Monument. The views are awesome! You will probably need to check out Jodi’s blog for pictures of the view.

And a new week already begins…ah the adventures that lie ahead. Love you all!

Part of the group that went up the monument.

One week down!

I made it through the week! It has been a week full of all kinds of adventures and new experiences. I think everyone in our apartment has had their eyes opened to a whole new way of thinking. It has been a lot of fun to share our experiences with each other, along with our concerns and fears. Everyday we come home from school with funny stories to tell…and if they aren’t so funny we laugh nervously anyway and remind each other what an unbelievably hilarious situation we have found ourselves in. I love having roommates that are teachers!

Despite all of the crazy things that happen that are hard to handle like the constant yelling, the lectures to 8 year olds on how they aren’t trying hard enough and they are lazy, the parents who come in and spank their kids during school because they didn’t finish their homework, or the endless worksheets that seem pointless, there are still some really awesome moments throughout the day. I pulled each student out of class Thursday to have them read for me. I had a pile of books with different levels and many of the students were hoping they were going to get to read the whole stack of books to me. They love to read. A lot of them are reading on a very low level, but it is great to see their enthusiasm and desire to read. The other day I also had a few students beg me to eat lunch with them. Oh the joys of being a teacher. I can tell these kids really do want to behave and they want to learn, but they just aren’t quite sure how. I am excited to get to know them more, especially the most difficult ones, and watch how they progress.

This weekend we explored DC a little bit more. We went around to some of the monuments which were really neat for me because I had never been to any of them. I am so excited that I will have many more opportunities to go visit the different monuments and sites that are around this area. It is nice to not be visiting, but living here, because then I can take my time and I don’t have to feel too overwhelmed with too many in one day. Here are some pictures!

We were walking on the path toward heaven...
and i am pretty sure people were staring. :) It
is a seriously tall monument.



The Lincoln memorial!

The Washington Monument is in
the background.

What are the chances? Anyone know if I am
related to him? This was my favorite. What
an awesome way to remember those that
fought and died in the Vietnam War. It gave
me the chills.


Ah...the White House. It turns out this was the
back, but we didn't figure that out until we got
home and looked at the pictures. Jodi realized
it didn't look quite right and sure enough the
front is cooler. Another time.

We were also contemplating the idea of jumping
the fence. How cool would that be! It was voted
that I would be the one to get flung over the fence,
however on the off chance that I might be shot at
we decided to reconsider.


This was at a museum we happened across.
As teachers we tend to enjoy the hands-on
activities available.


You will be happy to know that I have cooked
more here than I have my whole life. We take
turns cooking once a week. Good times. This is
what happens when eating out becomes more
difficult than cooking. I guess I will have to
learn to cook.

Okay seriously, this is one of my roommates,
Stefani. She can fall asleep anywhere at anytime
if she wants to. The first time we found her
asleep in her closet! This second time she fell
asleep on the coach during a nice roommate chat
one night. She was gone all night. We did lay
her down and take her glasses off. I wish I
could sleep so easily.

My 2nd grade class!

Well I am half way through my first week of school! Monday I just met my teacher and class for a second. I also had a chance to meet my principal who seemed very nice and I really liked that his teaching philosophies matched mine. Tuesday was my first real day to observe. I was very surprised to say the least. It sure is different out here. The whole time my teacher was literally screaming at the kids all day. I mean it made me nervous. However, today I felt a little better as I started coming to the realization that it is part of their culture and they sometimes need it. These kids don't usually get a lot of help at home and there isn't many social skills taught in the home either. Therefore there is a lot more emphasis on social skills in school than in Utah. It is a pretty tough situation. I feel like my class of 14 is at least 30.

In my experience in Utah schools there have always been the 1 or 2 really hard kids that require a lot of attention and test your patience, but here it is like 12 kids are like that and 2 can sit sill for more than 30 seconds. It makes it difficult to manage, thus difficult to teach. In Utah you can get the rest of the class on task and then focus on those who need extra guidance and further direction. But when all of your kids are that way it is impossible to give them that extra help. However, I am hopeful that I can make things a little better and I will try my best! My views on management are already beginning to change. Tough situations like this help you understand why teaching can be so difficult and why the teachers here resort to so much yelling, but I hope to implement some preventative strategies with a lot of positive reinforcement, because they are all craving attention.

I taught a small group today and it felt very out of control, but my mentor teacher said she was impressed and reassured me that I seemed to have better management then her last student teacher. Baby steps! Despite the hardships I already foresee ahead I am very excited and ready to make a difference where I can. Also, these kids are absolutely adorable!

I love you all! Thanks for your comments and phone calls! Mail to fun too! :)

Getting use to a new home!

These are my roommates, besides the blond
girl in the front left who is married, but in our
program. They are a lot of fun!


My apartment! I will never live better again.









We have been SUPER busy! Our supervisor took us to the Library of Congress on Friday and Mt. Vernon yesterday. It was a lot of fun and a little taste of all the stuff I have to see out here. It is amazing all the history here and all the sites to see. My roommates and I made a list of all the places we want to visit so we have a lot to do!

The thing I miss most out here, besides the mountains because I have no sense of direction without them, is my car. I feel so dependent on the other people to get places. Public transportation is a little tricky to get use to. I think in DC it is better, but in Arlington the metro doesn't have a ton of stops and the buses don't come very often. The other day we went to Walmart and it took us 4 hours to get there, shop, and get home when the Walmart was only like 15 minutes away... that was quite the interesting experience. I think it will be easier once I get more use to how it all works, but I sure miss just being able to jump in my car when I need to go somewhere.

Well I get to meet my mentor teacher and my class tomorrow! I found out I am teaching 2nd grade so I am really excited about that! It sounds like I will like my teacher, because she is retiring next year and is pretty much willing to just let me do whatever I want with the class. I can't wait! I have moments when my stomach gets tight and I start wondering what the heck I am getting myself into, but mostly I am excited and ready to go for it!

Here are some pictures from our adventures this past weekend:


In front of Mt. Vernon. Gorgeous!






Back of George Washington's house!

We made it!!!

We are finally in DC, well technically Virgina. The plane ride was good. Dad you were right...we had a stop in Denver, but we just stayed on the plane so it didn't take long. We had to wait for a little while to get a shuttle, but it wasn't too bad. We actually got to our apartment in like an hour and 15 mintues and we had to drop someone else off before us.

Our apartment is amazing!!! It is huge and it makes me feel like some snotty rich girl. :) I will try to take pictures and post them soon, because you have to see it to believe it.

It is a really nice neighborhood and I feel safe. We went to Costco tonight to get some essentials and that was quite the adventure. We took a suitcase to bring all the stuff back with us it was hilarious. I am so excited for all the adventures to come. I love you all!