Meeting new Friends + Beautiful Weather + the Ocean + Hundreds of Boy Scouts + the chance to Laugh every day = HAPPINESS
Friday, August 27, 2010
Camp Cherry Valley
I spent the last three months on Catalina Island in CA working at Camp Cherry Valley.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Just a picture
Here is the picture of me with Fisher and Peggy (from 106.5) at the teacher awards dinner. The dinner was at Archibalds (such good food!) in Gardner Villiage. It was a wonderful experience. Thanks Mikey for coming with me!
Monday, May 10, 2010
It's official, I must be an adult
I remember the days when my seemingly large, although realistically small tax return came in the mail. I bought "childish" things like clothes, or shoes, I may have even payed full price for a movie. This year I am an adult. How do I know this you ask, well. . . I spent my tax return on extreemly boring (yet useful) things like a new printer, fixing my sprinkle system, a garden hose and most importantly a lawnmower. Check out this little beauty. It is the Torro 20300T self-propelled lawnmover and it is guaranteed to start on the first pull (That was adult talk in case you were wondering). I wonder what fun things I will get to buy next year. ;)
Tender Mercies of the Lord
Tender Mercy #1
Last Monday as I was preparing my students for the end of level test that they have to take, I became extremely frustrated. I felt that they hadn't retained any of the information that we had worked so hard on the whole year, and I was sure that I had done nothing to help them learn. The next day I received a phone call from the radio station 106.5. They told me that they had recently had a contest to recognize "teacher heroes." Hundreds of people had submitted nominations and out of all the nominations they chose 20 to receive the award. The man from the radio station told me that I had been nominated and chosen to be one of the 20. At that moment the Lord was telling me that I was doing okay, that I was making an impact on my students (as small as it was).
Tender Mercy #2
During the same week, I had a "pity party moment" where I let the thoughts that Satan tries to put into my head get to me. I was upset about not being married and having three children, about not being pretty enough, smart enough or good enough. I'm not sure why I let Satan get to me, but I sometimes do. During one of my classes, the principal and vice principal came into my classroom. They congratulated me for receiving the award and then proceeded to tell me that the art teacher was retiring and that they wanted me to take his place. They told me that they were worried that the art program was dying and that they were confident that I would be able to inspire students to love art and build the program. Long story short, next year I will be teaching math on A days, and art on B days. This has been something that I have wanted since I took my first art class in college. Something that I didn't think I would ever be good enough to do, but that I really wanted. After they left, I sat at my desk and listen to the Lord tell me that I was good enough, and talented enough and that even though I wasn't married with three children that it was okay. He told me that it is all about timing and learning/growing along the way.
Last Monday as I was preparing my students for the end of level test that they have to take, I became extremely frustrated. I felt that they hadn't retained any of the information that we had worked so hard on the whole year, and I was sure that I had done nothing to help them learn. The next day I received a phone call from the radio station 106.5. They told me that they had recently had a contest to recognize "teacher heroes." Hundreds of people had submitted nominations and out of all the nominations they chose 20 to receive the award. The man from the radio station told me that I had been nominated and chosen to be one of the 20. At that moment the Lord was telling me that I was doing okay, that I was making an impact on my students (as small as it was).
Tender Mercy #2
During the same week, I had a "pity party moment" where I let the thoughts that Satan tries to put into my head get to me. I was upset about not being married and having three children, about not being pretty enough, smart enough or good enough. I'm not sure why I let Satan get to me, but I sometimes do. During one of my classes, the principal and vice principal came into my classroom. They congratulated me for receiving the award and then proceeded to tell me that the art teacher was retiring and that they wanted me to take his place. They told me that they were worried that the art program was dying and that they were confident that I would be able to inspire students to love art and build the program. Long story short, next year I will be teaching math on A days, and art on B days. This has been something that I have wanted since I took my first art class in college. Something that I didn't think I would ever be good enough to do, but that I really wanted. After they left, I sat at my desk and listen to the Lord tell me that I was good enough, and talented enough and that even though I wasn't married with three children that it was okay. He told me that it is all about timing and learning/growing along the way.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Out of the mouth of a high school student
Today during class I tood a quick break to show my students this funny blog post. I thought is was funny, but two boys in my class thought that it was lame. They said, and I quote "Ms. Johnson where did you find this website? (said very sarcastically) Maybe this is why you aren't married. Instead of looking at stupid blogs shouldn't you be spending your time on E-Harmony?"
I fell back in my chair laughing.
I fell back in my chair laughing.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Diaries of a High School Math Teacher
I know I've said this before, but I love my job. Here are just a few of this weeks highlights.
1) Layton high school just got a new principal which means new policies and programs. One of the new policies is that student are not to be in the hall for any reason without a hall pass. I usually let my students have a drink break half way through the class, but because of the new policy I've had to stop. Three of my students (all boys) came to me with a diagram mapping out exactly how they were going to get to the drinking fountain without being caught. The diagram included ninja rolls, secret spy moves and a plan B (just in case). With a plan like that I had to let them go. Three minutes later, two of the three boys came running into the classroom. "Ms. Johnson we're so sorry, but we got caught. Mr. Gochberg (the assistant principal)said that we are going to get truencies, and that he is going to come talk to you about following the hall pass policy." "Where is Chris (the third boy)?" I asked, "Oh, he ran and hid in the bathroom." Are you kidding me...it was a drink break for heavens sake...doesn't the assistant principal have better things to do them get mad at students for getting a drink...ahhh! Five minutes passes, Chris comes back, but no Mr. Gochberg. 10 min...15 min...no Mr Gochberg. By this time I have figured out in my head exactly how I'm going to convince Mr. Gochberg not to give these boys truencies. 20 min...and then the bell rings. As these three boys leave one says, "Ms. Johnson, we were just kidding." ... Man I am gullible.
2) Today I gave a test on probability. The symbol "!" in math is called a factoral which means that you multiply a number by every number less than it until you get to zero. For example 5! is 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1. As I was sitting at my desk one boy came up to me and said, "Ms. Johnson, I think there is a typo on number 5. All it says is forteen!!!!!(said with an excited inflection of his voice). I looked at him and thought "is he kidding...he must be kidding...wow, I think he's serious." All I could say is "no, it's not a typo, retake test will be available after spring break"...Oh, goodness :)
1) Layton high school just got a new principal which means new policies and programs. One of the new policies is that student are not to be in the hall for any reason without a hall pass. I usually let my students have a drink break half way through the class, but because of the new policy I've had to stop. Three of my students (all boys) came to me with a diagram mapping out exactly how they were going to get to the drinking fountain without being caught. The diagram included ninja rolls, secret spy moves and a plan B (just in case). With a plan like that I had to let them go. Three minutes later, two of the three boys came running into the classroom. "Ms. Johnson we're so sorry, but we got caught. Mr. Gochberg (the assistant principal)said that we are going to get truencies, and that he is going to come talk to you about following the hall pass policy." "Where is Chris (the third boy)?" I asked, "Oh, he ran and hid in the bathroom." Are you kidding me...it was a drink break for heavens sake...doesn't the assistant principal have better things to do them get mad at students for getting a drink...ahhh! Five minutes passes, Chris comes back, but no Mr. Gochberg. 10 min...15 min...no Mr Gochberg. By this time I have figured out in my head exactly how I'm going to convince Mr. Gochberg not to give these boys truencies. 20 min...and then the bell rings. As these three boys leave one says, "Ms. Johnson, we were just kidding." ... Man I am gullible.
2) Today I gave a test on probability. The symbol "!" in math is called a factoral which means that you multiply a number by every number less than it until you get to zero. For example 5! is 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1. As I was sitting at my desk one boy came up to me and said, "Ms. Johnson, I think there is a typo on number 5. All it says is forteen!!!!!(said with an excited inflection of his voice). I looked at him and thought "is he kidding...he must be kidding...wow, I think he's serious." All I could say is "no, it's not a typo, retake test will be available after spring break"...Oh, goodness :)
Two of my favorite people
One of my favorite people, Ben Denzer, just had his 24th birthday. He is one of those friends that I'm certain the Lord put in my life to help me. It's funny how he knows exactly what to say to help me keep things in perspective and make me smile. Man I love that guy!!!! To celebrate we went to the Michael Buble concert. It was amazing! He is honestly better live then on CD. The best part of the whole night was seeing all of the 40 year old women standing in the front row screaming "I love you Michael." One day that will be me :)
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