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!

Where in the Hell is Matt?

This video is completely worth watching!

Thankful

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for (in alphabetical order)...

Aaron, adventures, Allan, America, America's Next Top Model, Amy, Andrea, Annabelle, April, Ashley M., Ashley P, A Time to Kill, August, Aunt Michelle, Aunt Ronda, Aunt Teresa, Aunt Trudy, BBQ, Becca, black bean burgers, Blaire, blue, blueberries, blue skies, Boy's Life, Brandyn, Brett, breezes, bunnies, bubble baths, bubble gum, Caleb, Calvin and Hobbs, Calypso, candles, cardigans, cats, Catch-22, cell phones, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Chico, children's books, China, choir memories, Christmas, Christmas Lights, Christmas Trees, Christy, Cinder, Claire, clarity, Clayton C., Cleo (the 1st and 2nd) Clint, Clue, coats, Coco, coffee, Colorado, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rockies, comforters, Crash, creativity, cupcakes, curtains, Dad, dancing, dangly earrings, Daniel, Danielle, Dan in Real Life, Denver Broncos, Desperate Housewives, Devon, devotion, Diet Dr. Pepper, differences, Disney World, dogs, Donna P., Dr. Fitz, Dr. McCurry, Dr. Pape, Dr. Russet, Dr. Salvador, Dr. Soomers, Dr. Spencer, dressing up, ducks, Durango, Elizabeth, Ella Fitzgerald, Emily K. (now N), Emily P., Enchanted, encouragement, Erycka, every kind of herbal tea, experiences, fall, family, fans, February, flowers, flutes, fog, freshly washed sheets, friends, Friends (TV Show) Gilmore Girls, Glee, God, goodness, good books, grandfather clocks, Grandma Grosse, Grandma Smith, Grandpa Grosse, Grandpa Smith, grape fruit, grapes, green, green beans, Hairspray, hand written letters, Hannah, Hanna J., Harry Potter movies, Harry Potter Series, having painted toenails, head bands, heaters, heels, heterosexuals, Holy Spirit, homosexuals, Hook, hope, hugs, humor, ice cream, It's a Wonderful Life, Jake, January, Jared, Jean Marie, Jeremy, Jessica C., Jessica W., Jessie Dog, Jesus, jewelry, Jordan, Josh Groban, joy, Julia, July, June, karaoke, Kasa, Katy, Keegan, Kelly Clarkson, Kelsie, Kendra, Kenna, Kim, kindness, kiwi, Krystal, Kyndal, laughing, lessons learned, Life is Beautiful, love, Lydia, Madilynn, make-up, Mallory, March, Marcus, Marley and Me, Matt Friend, May, medicine, Megan, memories, Misty, Mom, Monica, mountain lakes, mountains, muffins, Mulan, musicals, My 3rd Graders, My 5th Graders, Mystic River, naps, new clothes, Niki, Oh Brother Where Out Thou?, orange, oranges, parks, Pastor Larry, Pastor Middendorf, Pastor Thulson, peaches, Pearl Harbor, patience, peace, pearls, pecans, photographs, pianos, picture traditions, Pirates of the Caribbean, pools, Poppy, President Bush, President Obama, President Regan, privacy, Project Runway, pumpkin pie, purple, Pushing Daisies, Rachel R. (now E.), rafting, rainbows, reading, Reading Rainbow, Rebecca D., Rebekah, Redeeming Love, red grapefruit juice, road trips, Robin, Runaway Bride, selflessness, scales, scarves, scenic drives, September, Shane, sherbet, shopping, singing, skinny jeans, sleeping in, Smallville, snow, songs, spring, Stargate SG-1, Stephanie, strength, stolen moments, straightners, strawberries, streams, summer, sunrises, sunsets, sunshine, surprises, sweet tea, swings, Sybil, tattoos, Thanksgiving, The Bean Trees, The Colbert Report, The Emperor's New Groove, the fresh feeling you get after taking a shower, the fresh feeling you get after taking a shower, the girls that were in my halls as an RA, the girls that were in my halls as an RA, The Notebook, The Office, The Olympics, things to look forward to, thunderstorms, Tiana, Tiffany, Trisha, tulips, Tyler, Uncle Curt, Uncle Jay, Uncle Jeff, Uncle Tim, understanding, Veronica Mars, watches, What Not to Wear, When Harry Met Sally, wild flowers, Will and Grace, Word Girl (my current fish), Word Girl....

...and so very much more. I have so much to be thankful for!

Do-Re-Mi

This kind of thing would happen all the time in my perfect world.

I'm scared.

So on December 12th I am going to getting a diploma and "stepping out into my future." And I am scared. For the first time in my life I cannot think ahead a year and have at least somewhat of an idea of where I will be. Even my senior year of high school, when I wasn't sure where I was going to college I at least knew that I was going to be a college. Know when I try to think about where I will be in a year I am drawing a complete blank.

I think teaching is the best career for me, but I could be wrong? What if in two years I am looking back and wishing that I had a different career? What if I feel stuck?


To be honest, my biggest fear is that I am going to be lonely and friendless. There is no doubt in my mind that what I am going to miss most about college is my friends. I am sure that we will make plans to see each other at graduations and so forth, but it just isn't the same, and there is always the chance that they will fall through. I am just scared that they will move on with their lives, and I will not. They will forget all about me and I will be a pathetic women who will look back at college as the prime of my life, and not be able to move on. I will come home from work everyday and just sit by myself and watch TV.

I want to remember college and my friends as an amazing time in life, but not the best time in my life. I want to know that life will get even better, but there is no way of knowing this. And that is why I am scared.