Student Teaching!

Oh my! I have already been student teaching for about 3 weeks now. I can't believe how fast it is going! I only have about 6 more weeks left at this placement before I move on to the next one so I need to get blogging.

I'm currently placed at the 7th grade center in Owasso teaching on level math. This means we have no honors classes. Let me just say right of the bat that this is a weird thing for me. Throughout all of my secondary schooling I was in all honors classes. It's just a completely different group of people. I don't know how else to put it. They are just different. And perfect. I love my students so much.

Out of the six classes that I teach, two of them are inclusion classes. That means that in one of them, a large chunk of the students are learning disabled, and in another one of them, a large chunk of the students are English Language Learners. It has been such a blessing I think for me to see how classes like that work. More and more these days classes are becoming inclusion classes and up until now I have had no experience with it. I really am enjoying seeing the differences between those two classes and the other classes.

It's amazing to me how many of these students have already impacted me and my life. There is one young girl whose mom passes away within the past year. When I found this out I was blown away. She is one of the happiest, cheeriest seventh graders I know. Their resiliency is incredible. I also have so many students who are living with grandparents or other family members besides their parents. It makes me so sad to see this. Children need their parents. Especially in junior high when they think that they don't. One of the saddest stories that I have come across so far is a little girl who has been removed from her home by dhs. She came from an abusive household and she has scars all of her face, arms, and legs. It breaks my heart that someone could do that to their own kids.

There are also happy stories. There are so many students who just love school. They have a passion for learning already and they are willing and ready to do whatever task you put before them. There are students who are running for student council after failing for the past two years because they have such determination. There are students who I see walking up to kids sitting by themselves and they talk to them. It's just a really nice thing to see.

While I know you aren't supposed to have favorites, I do. There is one kid in probably ever hour that I am drawn to. First hour it's Abby. Granted, her dad is my boss at Cracker Barrel so I already have a slight connection with her, but I mostly like that she is so quiet but the second you ask her a question she shoots right up to the board to do the answer. Second hour her name is Bailee. She sits right by my desk and is just such a sweet student. I have never seen her be anything but nice to anyone, and that's a hard thing for seventh graders to do. Fourth hour is Wyatt. I have no reason other than his middle name is Wildcat. Yes, that's what his parents call him. Fifth hour is hard. I think every student in that hour is my favorite. I can probably narrow it down to Marco. He just says the funniest things. I asked him to come up to the board to do a problem and he did the problem but he got it wrong. I asked someone else to come up and help him to get it right. Marco immediately said, "I just wanted someone else to get a chance to come up here." And that is a pretty regular phrase from him. He also solved 6 cubed in about ten seconds. Sixth hour would definitely go to Thatcher. Very preppy but extremely well mannered and smart. And finally seventh  hour. Delsy. She reminds me so much of a tv character on one of the shows I watch, but I am praying that she won't take that same path haha. She is never afraid to ask questions, which is perfect for my hesitant teaching. It really helps me to know where the rest of the class is.

I have spoken way too much about so many things that no one who reads this will care about. But I really am enjoying this time with these students so I don't want to forget any of it. =)

On a different note. 74 days till my wedding!!

-Kristina

A trip, a triathlon, and an engagement photo

Again I have managed to let a whole month go by without posting. But that's okay, school has started again and I am much more on top of my blogging during the year. I actually have a lot to post about this time though.

About a month ago I went on a trip with my family. We road tripped across to North Carolina. We camped and stayed in hotels all the way there, on the beach, and on the way back. We visited lots of places that I have been including the Great Smoky Mountains, 3 different lighthouses, and the Coyote Ugly Bar in Nashville.

Tennessee/North Carolina state line inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Some Mountains

Bodie Island Lighthouse

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Ocracoke Lighthouse

The next thing that I have done this year is my second triathlon. I was so thrilled with it because I felt so unprepared but my time was in fact 11 minutes faster than the last one. It was a great feeling to have done better.

Waiting to swim

Coming out of the water heading to my bike

Going to the finish line, my sister Sierra ran the last 20 yards or so with me

About a week ago, Lucas and I took engagement pictures. I absolutely love them and how they turned in. Everything seems to be coming together really well with out wedding plans and everything and I am so excited. It's less than 3 months away now which is wonderful. I can't wait! This is one of my favorites that I have gotten to see so far.

I have also started student teaching! I'm currently at the 7th grade center in Owasso teaching math with Mrs. Peterson. I'm already learning so much from this experience and I'm so glad that I get this opportunity. I will soon have a post dedicated mostly to my student teaching experience.

-Kristina

Holy moly it's almost been a month!

How I've gone almost a month without blogging is beyond me. For some reason it's harder to stay on top of it during the summer because I don't feel as though there is as much going on to update about. This blog will be strictly for my Michigan trip.

First let me say that weather in Michigan is so incredible. The high the whole week we were there was 80, but it never felt over 75. It was always very comfortable.

My 22nd birthday was spend in Michigan. It was kind of a weird experience being away from my family for my birthday but I survived. And there will most likely be several more in the future.

Lucas' family also through Lucas and I a wedding shower. We were both so appreciative of that and it was really not something that we ever would have expected.

Our gifts.

It was kinda funny because we had to drive back to Oklahoma with our gifts so they kept saying things like you guys are going to need a uhaul to get all these big boxes home. However, when we opened them all they were mostly filled with newspaper with an envelope that had a gift card, making our packing to come home very easy. I feel very blessed to be joining a family as sweet as theirs.

I'm standing on a step to make me tall =)

We even got some cake cutting practice. =)

I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to take this trip with them. I really enjoyed every minute of it.

-Kristina

10 Things You Should Know About Cracker Barrel

Most of these things probably apply to all restaurants but I wouldn't know cause I just work at Cracker Barrel. Just some food for thought. It also is coming from frustration from people being so rude. And it's also from a server's point of view. 

1. Probably 75% of people know exactly what they want to eat the second they walk in the door. So when your server asks you if you are ready to order, and you rudely reply with I just sat down, then you are actually in the minority. So you're rudeness is not appropriate. We're just doing our job. 

2. We pretty much have to lie to you. If you ask us if something is good, we're not going to say no. Try asking us  which we like better between two dishes. That would definitely get you a more honest answer. 

3. I realize that this is really annoying because I hate it when people do this to me at restaurants, but we have to tell you about our promotional meals. We actually are expected to sell a certain amount. In fact, right now, I didn't sell my expected amount so my name, along with all the other failures, is displayed on a wall in the back of Cracker Barrel.

4. Servers make 2.15 an hour. Now, since I've worked at Cracker Barrel so long, I have received a significant raise. Four years of Cracker Barrel and I'm up to 2.33. 2.33 is where it will stay for the rest of my time at Cracker Barrel. They don't pay servers more than that, ever. Since all of that 2.33 ends up paying taxes, my check from Cracker Barrel is rarely more than 10 dollars. That means tips are my paycheck. 

5. During a shift, each server is assigned to a certain number of tables. It's typically 3 or 4 tables. During a lunch or dinner rush, we can typically turn those tables every 45 minutes. Sometimes quicker than that. When someone decides to sit at one table reading, or having a business meeting for 3 hours, that one table is taking up what could potentially be 4 different tables. So, doing this and then tipping a dollar really really really sucks. 

6. When you ask your server for a new fork for the fourth time since you've been eating, they are going to look at you funny. Where can the forks possibly be going?

7. If a server that isn't your server brings your food to your table, that doesn't mean your server isn't doing their job. They are probably currently taking someone else's food. We have to stop what we're doing and run food when food becomes ready, regardless of whose food it is. 

8. Shaking your glass at your server will NEVER get you a refill any faster. 

9. When you say half and half, I always assume that means half sweetened tea and half unsweetened tea. The name of the drink that you are actually requesting is called an Arnold Palmer. Half tea, half lemonade. 

10. Servers truly don't mind you telling them if something is wrong with your food. We would much rather correct it for you and you be a little more happy then you thinking that we suck for the rest of the night. And if you need something, we truly don't care if you ask. That's our job. Just be nice about it. =)

-Kristina