A Real Teacher!

WOOHOO!!!!! I am so excited I got a job! I am going to be teaching 5th grade at Zaharis Elementary! I keep asking myself every day if this is really happening! I can't believe I am going to have my own classroom...and at the same time I wonder if that is a good idea...hmmmmmm. This summer will be a busy one preparing for a great year and I can't wait!

Can you believe it? I did it!! This is a picture from graduation of me and all the gang! I can't believe that we spent the last two years together and look at us now! WOW! It feels great! Now to get a job....and be real grown ups!

Time Flies!

Oh my! I can't believe that it is almost time for me to graduate! I finish my student teaching on May 2nd and it's bittersweet for me. I am excited to be finished with school for a bit, but I am so sad to leave the wonderful community where I have spent the last four and a half months! I have grown so much and made so many great new friends. Student teaching has been one of the greatest experiences of my life so far. I am sad to leave! :(
Today, I was privileged to hear Ruby Bridges speak at our school for two hours and had an amazing experience with one of my students (I have featured a quote from Ruby at the bottom of this blog for quite some time now). My mentor teacher is vacationing in Hawaii right now so I have been braving it with a sub. This morning no sub showed up. I took the kids to the assembly all by myself after assuring them that any misbehavior would not go unnoticed and with out consequence. At the end of the presentation, Miss Bridges allowed students to ask questions and one of my boys was selected. He stood up and said "I have two things. First, I want to say that I think you are really brave and I don't think I could do what you did." He then proceeded to ask his question. After picking my jaw up off the floor, calming the chills running up and down my spine, and holding back what wanted to be tears in my eyes, I thought to myself that is what it is all about! You work so hard to teach not only academics but respect and value for courage, trustworthiness, and other important attributes. For a 9 year old boy to recognize the bravery of someone else and then apply it to his own life right in front of his teacher and peers is incredible! I felt so proud and privileged to be a part of that child's education.
Thanks for turning me into the best teacher I can possibly be! I will dearly miss all my friends at Zaharis! Let's make the best of our last week together!

WooHoo 3rd Grade!

I don't think I can say enough about how much I love teaching. For those who don't know I am student teaching at a school that does not believe in a prescribed curriculum. We believe that curriculum is created alongside our students. It's magical to watch and be a part of! I also wanted to shout out that I successfully passed the state teacher test! Yippee!!
The point of this blog is to recount the funny events that happen in my life, and they happen often. Last week I was walking with my class out of the building and one of my boys said "Miss Cameron, I like you 90%." Of course I am thinking "90%! What?" so I say to him, "You only like me 90% as a teacher! Why don't you like me 100%?" and his response (for which I was completely unprepared) "I like you 100% as a teacher," he said but in a whisper added "but 90% as a girlfriend!" I told him how silly he was and quickly sent him out to find his mother. LOL! The wisdom of a third grader has solved one of life's biggest questions for me. The next time someone asks me why I am not married, I will simply respond with "Boys only like me 90% as a girlfriend!" Hope you are all laughing! I am!!

It's been a while!

Hello again! I have received word that some of my blog viewers were rather disappointed that I hadn't written for a while. So here is an update. I am in the beginning of my complete take over of the classroom and loving every second of teaching. It's amazing how good life feels when you get to do something you love all day long! WOOHOO!
As you can see by previous posts, I often have interesting experiences while out with friends. Tonight followed suit very nicely. One of my girlfriends called and wanted to make an ice cream run (she had a bad day and needed to vent), so off to the Marble Slab Creamery we went. I was enjoying my birthday cake ice cream in a waffle bowl, minding my own business, talking with my friend, when a very drunk man came walking up. (Now let me remind you that we were in a very good part of town and it was only about 9pm). He asked if the ice cream store was open, and hoping that my answer would encourage him to leave, I said "nope I think they just locked up." Well my plan failed. This man proceeded to tell my friend and I how good looking we were (like I said he was really drunk) and how he had had a terrible day and then he saw us sitting there eating ice cream (Thank You Captian Obvious!!) He asked my friend her name to which she replied with her real name (I think she was so afraid she couldn't lie) and then said to me "and your Yoko." I of course couldn't contain my laughter! WOW! He pulled out a box of cigarettes to which my lovely friend responded "I'm allergic to smoke" His relpy "Wow, and I'm gonna smoke." My friend and I are becoming very aware of the fact that we are the only people around and that the situation was getting a little scary. The man kept asking my friend her name and then saying "an you're Yoko to me." He then figured out we weren't interested in the slightest and said "Well I'm gonna go" to which we replied "That's a great idea" he turned to leave but not before asking "Do you girls like bad boys?" The answer was of course a unison "not a chance!" I immediately picked up my phone, called a good guy friend, and loudly talked to him as we booked it for the car. WHEW! In the car, doors locked, safe and sound we drove away as fast as possible! The ride home was full of laughter as we recounted the story to our phone rescue hero! Apparently my new nickname is Yoko!

My First Week of Student Teaching

WOW!! It has been so much fun to finally be in the classroom this week! I am student teaching in 3rd grade and loving every minute of it! I work with a wonderful teacher who teaches me incredible things everyday. I have finished my first week that consisted of a very nice compliment from the principal, stepping in to take over the class for almost an entire morning, learning the tricks of the pencil sharpener and copy machine (very important teacher jobs), and even getting to teach a few lessons! The highlight of my week came on Thursday when one of the little third grade boys called me "smelly" LOL! That's a first!