still no laptop returned all happy repaired to me yet.
started second round of student teaching.
had EXCELLENT weekend off to read and bake.
Technically done with all classes. Just have to finish the student teaching now..
and for those interested:
registered at Target, Penney's, & Pier 1
I tried to post last night, but lo and behold, by computer decided it was tired and put itself to sleep.
I'm grateful I haven't been too pressed for need of files on my cranky laptop which is getting shipped off to Dell Drs. tomorrow. It's annoying not to have it, but thanks to the generosity of my fiance', I've been able to use his computer to do my work. I just haven't had time to play around much online since my normal online fun time occurs after open dorms when I'm in my own apartment.
I'm tired of classes. Senioritis is getting worse. It has been strange, and a struggle, to go from teacher figure to student again for a week. I'm tired of sitting in classes being bored by material we have covered before. I only have two classes--one for two and a half hours in the morning and the other for the same amount of time in the afternoon, but the time can drag on so much....and I had two major projects this week. One is to set up a model classroom with three other students, including a learning center and bulletin boards. It's a lot of work, even with three people, to decorate and arrange a classroom. I also had to turn in a 10-12 paper.
but others are having a harder week than I, so I don't have much to complain about.
Spring Break was good though. I had a fun time at the shower--strange as it was to be opening gifts in a month other than December--and I even got some rest and relaxation in. Plus good food! We also got a fair bit of wedding stuff done. and we spent money at a bookstore :-d
well, it's off to do more things for me now. I do want to get some sleep...so i don't doze off in class...
It'll be over before we know it. *sigh*
Saturday was absolutely gorgeous with a day at the daffodil farm (pity we were a week late for peak) and a wal-mart run and a movie/games. Ahhh, Spades... Martinez and I cooked Doug and Scholl like Gallagher and Scholl cooked Doug and I a week or two ago. I laughed so hard :-)..and than there was wonderful sleep.....
Sunday was church, lunch at Joe's, Constantine (ok movie), dinner (my spaghetti wasn't perfect, can't win them all..), and rowdy game of Cranium with the Leatherwoods. Rachel was very pleased to win. Be careful playing anything with Rachel that requires drawing... Scholl and I came close but he took a rather round-about-way to trying to make me guess Jackie Onassis on a Copycat. We sadly had to skip any of the sculptorades because the clay was too hard.
Monday was my first observation day at the high school. I was mostly bored and trying not to fall asleep in front of the students. Monday was yummy tacos and than laundry and packing. plus napping on the couch under the effects of Aleve. Oh yeah, we played Catch Phrase. Much fun. and there was the small matter of wrenching my ankle carrying my laundry out of the laundromat...
Tuesday was an interesting day at the school in that I've got some more special kids. S, Drugs, Alchohol. It'll be fun. I do have one friendlier class. The rough class caught me in a moment of nodding off. It was 830 in the morning after a rather long night of packing and sleeping on the couch. Climbing up to bed didn't sound like a wise idea with my a nkle. After hobbling out and rushing back to campus, I finished throwing things into the suitcases, made a few phone calls, and we went to the airport. Flew to Dallas and than Ohio. Made an IHOP run. and than, I wonderfully slept.
Today has been good too. Other than being woken up at 10:30. Bummed around this morning and put some research notes into the computer. Went shopping and accomplished two goals--a sweater for the very chilly classroom at the high school (to which I now have a key this time) and gifts for the bridesmaids. :-D ;-) :-D
and now, I bum around and try to ignore the pile of research that I need to do to write the paper by Monday afternoon. ...
Well, today was interesting.
I finished student teaching with the ninth graders.
The school was under a bomb threat.
Spring Break started.
I'm trying not worry and only pray for my brother and his wife. There's something wrong regarding the pregnancy.
Spring Break started.
The weather is gorgeous.
We accomplished a lot last night with wedding invitations (I owe ya guys still. More cake after spring break?)
Now I like country music. That's why I listen to it on my way to school (other than those being the only stations the car picks up right now....)
However, the following I heard this morning is over the top:
A guy called in asking for suggestions of country music to save his marriage. Apparently, country music can save marriages.
and then a comment by one of the d.j.s:
"Country music is perfect for times like this where one is going through divorce or something like it"
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
A more thoughtful thought of my own on the way back,
we were talking about worship in our every day lives Sunday night after College & Career dinner. "That's what I love about Sundays" came on the radio and I was reminded of our discussion as I listened to the lyrics which describe worship. We shouldn't just love Sunday worship, every day should incorporate those elements of worship that we love--fellowship with others (even if a simple card, phone call, email), music, prayer, and such.
for Million Dollar Baby . I knew going in to the movie that there was a controversial ending and that Dobson was saying the movie supported euthanasia.
The movie had many messages. and it does have a controversial ending as in some ways, it takes a person into the gray areas of euthanasia. But that is all I can say.
I do say that Josh and I seem to be disagreeing on a certain thing now. Whether or not he's trying to just be disagreeable I don't know, but we do disagree on the issue at hand. Makes things interesting and now provides us with some interesting discussion.
I'm drafting out some thoughts in an extended entry for those who don't mind extra insight onto the movie. I won't discuss the movie itself but rather the controversial issue.
Euthanasia.
The first order of discussion would center on a definition. As I define it, euthanasia is taking an active step to end the life of someone who asks you to do since they themselves are unable.
Ahh, but now we have to define "active step to end the life"
--actively doing something that would harm the person (such as a lethal injection)
--actively removing articifial means of life support, such as a respirator (and Josh even mentioned pacemaker)
We agree that adding a substance or actively stopping a part of the body that is working on its own is wrong.
however, we are disagreeing on the fine line of "pulling the plug"
is it suicide/homicide to remove artificial means to keep a person alive?
One argument says that we are removing the only intervention to death and allowing for death to come naturally. The other argument says that it is still wrong because one is removing the means with the intent to die.
How can you really discuss this kind of issue? There is a lot of definition of terms needed and what answers can we find from the Bible? I'm asking you because I'm not completely sure and I like getting direction from others and hearing other thoughts. Is it a matter of perception?
In the end, it is in God's hands to judge.
Other fodder for the fire:
--withholding antibiotics, blood, and such from a person and thus not stopping death. Does a person's choice matter on this level?
--But then, since God is the giver and taker of life, he can either intervene on human action or inaction. For example, he could still allow someone to live was not given necessary antibiotics. As another example, he could also take someone's life who is given the necessary antibiotics and he does do this. Human action doesn't always save lives. (I realize that the code of ethics for doctors would assert that they must do whatever is necessary without legal written documenation signed by a rational patient in front of witnesses. Let's not consider this right now.)
Does human inaction always end lives? We can think of different stories we've heard of those who believe blood transfusions are religiously wrong and thus someone dies, or other parents who refuse to take their sick children to a doctor. What about the cases where a person can't afford the necessary means of saving his/her own life or the life of someone they love?
Many argue that the danger of allowing for euthanasia leads to justification of abortion. So there are some other issues at stake.
Abortion is taking an active step to end the life by articifical means--the baby hasn't even had a chance to live and you are removing it from it's current natural means of life. Thus, it is wrong.
Some argue--what about when the life of the mother is at stake? For example, ectopic pregnancies. I really don't know how to touch this one. All I do know is I pray I am never faced with that situation. In an ectopic pregnancy both the lives of mother and baby are at stake. If the baby embryo is removed, the mother will be able to live. If not, the odds aren't very good. However, there are those who have survived an ectopic pregnancy that wasn't caught before the tube burst. It took a lot of blood and medical care to do so. *does quick internet research to double-check understanding of how they take care of an ectopic pregnancy* Really all they can do is remove the pregnancy. While I am not an expert in the field, my understanding of "milking" or squeezing the embryo out of the tube will basically induce a miscarriage since I don't think the embryo can survive away from it's orginal location of fertilization??
Thus. lots of messiness and complication. But to the issue of disagreement--"pulling the plug." Is it wrong to remove artifical means of life support?
It was a good day.
I only went to school for half a day, leaving at lunch since we were excused due to the career fair. After getting all dressed up professionally and eating lunch, I headed up to the career fair where I found the Mesquite people. I had been asked to do so for an interview from the person who handles hiring and applications and the like via email. So, I introduced myself and we went and had a nice, long chat. It went rather well considering I'm not as good usually with interviewing. But the questions were the type I could handle. I was honest and frank, and while in general I still need to work on impromptu responses, it went well and I felt good about it afterward. It was implied that I could very well be offered a job fairly soon. I did warn them that I couldn't make a decision until April 1 as my decision would hinge upon Josh's career hunt. I honestly wasn't expecting that somebody would be ready to make me an offer that soon before the summer, but, I am rather new to all of this....
So, we'll see what happens in the next four weeks. I know where I'd like us to end up for the first few years, but we'll see where God leads us because it is really in his hands...
Tuesday was a Down day. It was complain, complain, complain and no one wanted to do their work. Plus, I reviewed with 3rd period all types of problems on the test, including the graphing stuff which they have spent much of their time on over the last few months. But no, they weren't paying attention or something, or they have serious short term memory problems, and many of them hadn't been practicing because they hadn't done their homework....so they got stuck during the test and kept asking questions. I hinted as much as I felt justified in doing so...and most of them weren't finished by the bell. so we wrote lots of passes for them to come in and finish on Wednesday. This was after a rather long morning with first and second period. It was attitude problem central. GRRRRRRR
Wednesday went better. Morning classes tested rather well and stayed quiet, although we had a few trials in first period. I took a student out to the hall for a chat before the test. And they received dire warnings of consequences for talking during the test. Half of first period received modified (shorter) tests as either specific modifications recommended or by our own judgment. They generally seemed to do better on everything than did the "honors" 3rd period. Didn't have to answer as many questions about the graphing stuff and when I did, they mostly remembered what to do after a little prompting. Some of them we just prompted a lot because they needed lots of help. But most of them finished. and they had the same test minus 2 questions as first period.
that probably all sounds confusing.
*sigh* At any rate, Wednesday went better than Tuesday. and today they had to Benchmark--take a practice TAKS, so they were quiet all period. I graded tests and organized papers and entered grades and watched them. I was actually quite productive in my organization. Managed to get all the papers to return together organized into a pile each for students....
I keep telling myself this will be easier when it's my classroom and I get to start off the year with my procedures.....
yeah, so I'll keep telling myself. Stay tuned for more adventures of the student teacher...