Graduation

My former roommate and I made an impromptu video the night after we graduated. Perfect way to end our life as roommates! And a special thanks to Chris for helping too!

State Mottos

These are funny. And true- whether you admit it or not.

• Alabama: At Least We're not Mississippi
• Alaska: 11,623 Eskimos Can't be Wrong!
• Arizona: Dehyd-rific!
• Arkansas: Litterasy Ain't Everthang
• California: As Seen on TV
• Colorado: If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother
• Connecticut: Like Massachusetts, Only Dirtier and With Less Character
• Florida: Ask Us About Our Grandkids
• Georgia: We Put the "Fun" in Fundamentalist Extremism
• Hawaii: Haka Tiki Mou Sha'ami Leeki Toru
  (Death to Mainland Scum, But Leave Your Money)
• Idaho: More Than Just Potatoes... Well Okay, We're Not,
• But The Potatoes Sure Are Real Good
• Illinois: Gateway to Iow
• Indiana: 2 Billion Years Tidal Wave Free
• Iowa: Land of James T. Kirk
• Kansas: First Of The Rectangle States
• Kentucky: Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names
• Louisiana: We're Not All Drunk Cajun Wackos, But That's Our Tourism Campaign
• Maine: Cheap Lobster
• Maryland: A Thinking Man's Delaware
• Massachusetts: Our Taxes Are Lower Than Sweden's (For Most Tax Brackets)
• Michigan: First Line of Defense From the Canadians
• Minnesota: For Sale
• Mississippi: Come Feel Better About Your Own State
• Missouri: Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars at Work
• Montana: Land of the Big Sky, the Unabomber, and Very Little Else
• Nebraska: Ask About Our State Motto Contest
• Nevada: Whores and Poker!
• New Hampshire: Go Away and Leave Us Alone
• New Jersey: You Want a ##$%##! Motto? I Got Yer ##$%##! Motto Right Here!
• New Mexico: Lizards Make Excellent Pets
• New York: You Have the Right to Remain Silent, You Have the Right to an Attorney
• North Carolina: Tobacco is a Vegetable
• North Dakota: Um... We've got... Um... Dinosaur Bones? Yeah, Dinosaur Bones!
• Ohio: Don't Judge Us by Cleveland
• Oklahoma: Like the Play, Only No Singing
• Oregon: Spotted Owl, It's What's For Dinner
• Pennsylvania: Cook With Coal
• Rhode Island: We're Not REALLY An Island
• South Carolina: Remember the Civil War? We Didn't Actually Surrender
• South Dakota: Closer Than North Dakota
• Tennessee: The Educashun State
• Texas: Se Hablo Ingles
• Utah: Our Jesus Is Better Than Your Jesus
• Vermont: Yep
• Virginia: Who Says Government Stiffs and Slackjaw Yokels Don't Mix?
• Washington: Help! We're Overrun By Nerds and Slackers!
• Washington, D.C.: Wanna Be Mayor?
• West Virginia: One Big Happy Family -- Really!
• Wisconsin: Come Cut Our Cheese
• Wyoming: Wynot?

Thank-you Oklahoma

While at SNU I may have mentioned a few times that Oklahoma and its flatness did not hold a candle to Colorado and its mountains. I may have mentioned a few times that I did not particularly care for the state all that much. But truth be told, Oklahoma has given me more than I ever thought it could. I have so many memories from my four and a half years at SNU- everything from the legendary honk on the way home from Target to the jumping pictures at RA sleepovers. From Secret Santa parties to Veronica Marsathons. Most importantly Oklahoma has given me some amazing friendships. Yes, we are all going our separate directions in life, but I know our friendships will last a lifetime. So thank-you Oklahoma- it's been grand!

From Student toTeacher

Considering that Student Teaching was a huge part of my life this past semester, I really did not mention it very often, but now that I have time to breathe a little I do have a few things to say about what I've learned.

~ As hard as your try, it will be impossible for you to genuinely like every student in your classroom, but it is your job to make each student think that you love them and that secretly they are your favorite student.

~ Teaching is most definitely not a 9-5 job. I am going to have "homework" almost every weeknight, and on some weekends too. That is just the way it is, and there is no use complaining about it. But as long as I stay on top of things I will not be overwhelmed with it.

~ It is a good idea to have comradery with the other employees at your school- everyone from the principal to the sweet lunch ladies. To quote a favorite song "We're All in this Together!"

~ There will be days when the class just seems crazy and you want to smother myself with a pillow. I just need to come back the next day ready with a bright smile and a positive attitude.

~Sometimes I will feel underappreciated as a teacher, and it will be easy to get defensive. I just need to smile to myself and think that some of those people who are saying how "easy teaching elementary schoolers must be" could not survive an hour let alone a day in a classroom.

~Despite everything, it is so worth it!

Remember

So some of my sweet 5th graders wrote me some notes about things they think I should know about them and what they want me to remember them by. A lot of them made me laugh, but this one took the cake as far as being the funniest one. I am spelling everything exactly the way she did. Enjoy!

Dear Mrs. Smith,

Your the best student teacher ever! You are so pretty! Your face is like statchu from italy! I think your the prettiest teacher in Oklahoma. (Though I am not in love with you like Anius is in love with you. Did you know he loves you? He says he wants you to merry him, beucase your the prettiest person hes ever met. Did you know that Mrs. Smith?) I hope you had a fun time teaching. 5th grade! I want you to rember me by this story of me when I was little. I almost got ratarted. My mom rammed my head into the door frame dropped me on my head, pushed me over backwards, for got at day care. She did this all by accident. She trips a lot still. Like you. Hehe! My dad forgot me in the car and lost me in the House where I hid under my crib and fell asleep there. And my dad almost got killed by my mom for that one. He put my clothes on backwards, stick my hair back with water and combed it til I looked like a biker baby and I was almsot bald. They had to glue bows to my head. It was horible. A lot of funny stuff happened when I was little. Rember that about me! I hope you enjoyed your time in Mrs. Hills class be sure to vist. I will always rember that time you preteneded like you were on a bike. Your funny.
By! Vist us!

Your friend, Gabie



I lieterally could not contain my laughter as I was reading it duirng my planning period. A lot of the other letters were hilarious too. I love my 5th graders!