I got my keys to my new classroom! I almost cried when the office manager handed me the keys. If you've been with me for the last 2+ years you know that this has been a HUGE journey in the making. This has been my dream that I've worked so hard to achieve and now it's no longer a dream but a reality. Let me tell you, it's a MILLION times sweeter and better then I ever dreamed it to be.

Below are the pictures of my VERY VERY VERY VERY disorganized classroom. It's still under construction but I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures and posting them.

Anyone want to come over and help me clean and organize this??

Hopefully in a week, it's be beautiful, organized, and less scary.... to be continued...

Being a camp counselor has kept me so busy that I haven't been around at all. Sucks and sorry. The last 5 weeks have run me down and almost driven me insane. Since it's science camp you have many camp counselors and there's me, site director/camp counselor. For an miniscule amount more I get to deal with crazy campers, lack of supplies, plan the roster and deal with absentee counselors and the leacherous creepy janitor that keeps hitting on me though he's OLDER then my DAD!

It wasn't so bad when the camp was just 28 students but with this week being the most popular it exploded to 70 students and 5 teachers. Now, if it was just a summer camp of swimming, fishing, crafts, etc it wouldn't be that bad. But this is SCIENCE camp and each weekly camp has a theme. Wet Wild Reactions- crazy reactions, Robot vs. Robot - Students actually make robots, Crazy Physics, and Rockets are the four themes this summer. You can guess which ones are the most popular.

Robot vs. Robot where students are building their own robots with tiny wires, motors, plastic parts that break easily,drives me crazy. It's a million parts that you're praying will work in the end. Throw in students of various ages and hand eye coordination and you've got crazy counselors, frustrated campers, and you building and fixing the damn things until 1 am in the morning. On top of that I've had some really sucky counselors calling in sick. Now, if you work with students you know that students go CRAZY when their routine is upset. The kids routine wasn't just disturbed it was blown up with a million sticks of dynamite. To say the kids were rowdy was an understatement. Today was Miss Sekura, Miss Sekura, Miss Sekura, Miss Sekura, Miss Sekura, Miss Sekura and then repeat 95769579576954796745 times. I've never had to put my head in my hands but today I had to. My students were crazy and crying and whining. They threw tantrums, cried for no good reason, whining, and more whining. It did make me feel better that it wasn't just my group that was driving me crazy.

The bf made the mistake of joking that maybe I need to be a better teacher. Yes he was joking but I wasn't when I hung up the phone on him. We've since made up and it's no big deal but man, it was frustrating. It's hard to NOT to feel that your students' actions is a reflection of your abilities as a teacher. I just have to remember that this isn't a school setting and that sometimes it's ok to have crazy kids. Just not for the kids to drive me crazy.

I taught 15 boys with 3 sets of brothers in the group. Oh my god! Some of these boys were more whinier and cried more then 2 year olds! They range from 6-10 years old and all of them cried at LEAST once during the week. Some kids cried every day, sometimes 3 times a day, and one talented annoying kid threw an all out tantrum on my floor, with screaming waving fists and kicking legs. I COULD NOT believe that this kid was throwing a tantrum. The minute I walked up to him, told him if he doesn't stop he would be sent home NOW. I used my serious you are in TROUBLE voice and he stopped mid-cry. 

Science Camp was a lot of fun, a lot of work, and I'm super glad that my time as a camp counselor is over. I get into my classroom next week! I am super excited that the time to move the mountain of supplies, books, posters and a million other things. I will defnitely put up before and after pictures. I'm even thinking of throwing a, "Let's Help Sekura Decorate Her Classroom" Party! Any one of you guys want to come?

The last month and a half has been a roller coaster of events and speeds. I graduated from graduate school, became a bum, got roped into a wedding as a Bridesmaid, got a job, started the job early, waiting to get the Harry Potter book, trying to see the Harry Potter movie, wanting to get to the fair, getting back to the gym, and celebrating 2 special peoples birthday. It just seems that I only work in two speeds, turtle slow and lightning fast.  Turtle slow happens VERY rarely. Only because I just graduated school and was waiting until the next job started that I became a person with time on my hands. Suddenly, getting the Cricut machine became SUPER important and internet shopping was my downfall. I had too much time on my hands and it all led me to spend more on things I didn't need and clean the house OBSESSIVELY. Something that I hate.

When the job starting I had to kick it into high gear because being a camp couselor in a Science camp is a lot of work and none of it is done sitting down. Suddenly, I was running from one job to the other, making dinner in between, and not just burning but rather flame torching the candle on both ends. However, I have yet to think too much about the Cricut machine, that 10 lbs I was obsessing over (seems that running around, eating healthier snacks, and going to the gym and playing tennis with the bf helps you feel less fat) doesn't seem as important. It's nice not worrying about these things but I do miss being able to watch So You Think You Can Dance? and People's Court.

Hopefully, I can find a balance between turtle slow and lightning fast, maybe Moose speed? I don't know but I do know that I will make time to go to the fair, go to the gym, be a bridesmaid, READ Harry Potter, celebrate loved ones birthdays, and enjoy my life without going stir crazy. Yeah, I think Moose Speed sounds just right.

 Here is what I did this weekend!

I graduted with my Masters in Education!!

In less then 3 weeks I will be walking across the stage to get my Master's Degree in Education. This journey is almost at it's end and I can't believe it. It's been a long long long road of ups and downs, side journeys, joys and sadness and a million other things.

When I chose to go back to school to become a teacher I was leaving a lot of the known and comfortable world. I was comfortable and content with my life. I had a wonderful boyfriend, my parents were great, family was good, my friends were awesome and I had a job that paid very well but was very stressful. This evil job really forced me to reevaluate what I wanted in my life. I basically had a early-twenties life crisis. Usually, it's a midlife crisis people have but I've always been an over achiever and got it early of course.

Looking back I realized how could I not have been a teacher? I loved learning, helping people, and needed constant challenges and variety in my life. I also loved working with children. When you look back on it, it was all so clear. But back in 2005, it didn't look very clear. It looked scary and uncertain and I was very unsupported by the family. I was supposed to go to Pharmacy school, a very prestigious and lucrative career that my Mom could happily boast about but one that would have guaranteed my boredom, insanity, and depression. To all those in the pharmacy and medical field, you guys really are the cream of the crop to plow through all the pressures, tests, licensing, practicums, and a million other pressure to become a professional in your fields. I would and still never be able to do what was required to be a medical professional.

What I didn't realized was that when you follow your heart and choose to do something completely different then others in your life, it's also a very lonely road. I entered a program where the other students would finish in a year, and I chose to do it in 2 years. I rarely saw the other girls and therefore didn't bond with them. I was straddling my old job and my future by working full time and going to school part time. You can imagine that this left very little time to spend with my friends, family, and bf. The time I had free dwindled even more when I finally quit my old job and went to school full time along with student teaching. It's been hard balancing everything and to be honest it was very rare when everything was balanced. Maybe 2 days out of 2 years I felt that everything was balanced.

I felt really alone because no one really knows unless they are right there with you, experiencing very similar experiences.  It's that camaraderie that was missing in my life. Everyone in my life was a professional working in the real world. Who really understands how frustrating teaching and finding a job is unless it's another teacher or someone else in the field? Who really knows what an accomplishment it is to have 20 six year old students sit on the carpet and pay any attention what so ever? My accomplishments have become very different then others. It's not that I got a raise because I teach for free at this point, but having that student who doesn't talk TALK! My job does NOT end after 8 hours, I AM the job. I am a teacher when I go to the mall and see my students and their families. I am a teacher at the bookstore when I buy books that might interests them. I am a teacher at Disneyland when I run into some of my students and their families. I am a teacher no matter what time or day it is and sometimes I just need to turn that part of my life off and relax. However, teaching is never far from my mind. It's my passion and help ignite a part of myself that I didn't know was there before. I am excited for my life ahead because I know that I am going to be doing something I LOVE doing. Everyday when I get up, I have a smile on my face, am eager to get to work, and feel just as good or better when I get home. Sometimes I think to myself, "I'll get paid for this?" that's just gravy.

So, as I get ready to receive that very expensive diploma that was earned with lots of late nights, sweat, lost weekends, MIA for most events, and running around like a chicken without it's head, I thank everyone that has stood by and supported me. I could not have done this without the people who wrote my letter of recommendations, the Prof that supported and understood me, Xangans for writing and commenting so I didn't feel that I was also so alone, my friends for help keeping me positive, my family for standing behind me when they FINALLY saw how happy I am, my parents for financially supporting me and eventually emotionally, my best girlfriend for being a sane voice in my head, my best guy friend for making sure I didn't take it all too seriously, and my BF that really supported me when all I wanted to do was give up. These people contributed to my dream of being a teacher, and my heartfelt thank you to you all.

Being a teacher means that you are going to be visable in the community you work in. In a regular position you have how many coworkers? About 10-15 you know by name and 70 you recognize on site. If you run into them at the mall or a restaurant you say hello and continue on your way. However, when you're a 1st grade teacher you have 20 kinds, 40 parents, and God knows how many siblings and relatives. We'll round the number to 120 people on a yearly basis that exclude collegues and administrators, etc. The chances of you running into your students, parents, former students, etc is VERY high. How would you feel in your summer clothes and you see your 7 year old student with her family? Would you avoid avoid avoid like I did or would you go and greet them?

This was the dilemma I was facing last Friday. I was at the mall with the bf, dressed causally and just shopping when I spot one of my students and her family. I did NOT want to see them because well, I wasn't dressed professionally. Thank goodness I've toned down my dressing from my younger days but anyone who knows me knows I look forward to skirt wearing weather and like anyone have millions of tank tops and low cut shirts that I NEVER wear at school.  At school I am button down SUPER professional because that's how I want people to see me along with my students but at home I'm a lot more relaxed.

I know as a teacher I am a public person but still, I don't like the idea of having to constantly think, If my students see me wearing this, will I be embarressed? I don't want to dress like I'm 50 but that nagging thought is at the back of my mind when I do buy clothes. Hmm, maybe that's why I've turned from just cute preppy to SUPER Preppy JCREW poster child. 

What would you do in this situation?

Sometimes good news that is too good news is balanced by really bad news. Damn it.

I got the JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been awhile since I've blogged and a lot of things have happened. I've entered the 2-6 club and so far it's been busy, hectic, and good. The busy and hectic part is working at the school and teaching the kiddies but it's been really rewarding. Working full time for FREE (i.e. student teaching) and looking for a job when I graduate feels like I have 2 full time jobs.

I had SOOOOO much fun at my birthday party last Saturday. I got to see so many of friends that are so super busy. I miss college but not college. But more of the time I had to spend with my friends and do what I wanted, on a very little budget. I think getting boba with my favorite girls was better then anything back in the day and still is today. It's just that we have one out of the country, another in med school, another working her behind off and looking for a new job, a new mom, a workaholic, and one that's a workaholic AND commutes anyday of the week, and then there's me, the working graduate student teacher. You can imagine HOW we can never match our schedules. I don't even think half of us sleep at the same time.

So, the party was at Honda Ya that specializes in yakitori. Below are are some very yummy pictures.

Grilled quail egg...

Soft shell crab...

If I listed and posted all the pictures of the food I ate it would be the entire menu. However, just know that I had to be rolled out of the restaurant. The food is so GOOD!

After eating we went back to my house to play beer bong and drunken Wii.

Below is the set up of the table..

The bf and I ended up as losers to the "STAM" couple. My hand and eye coordination sucks normally and when you add alcohol into the mix, I was bound to lose.

The was the SUPER team, E and Dad.  They killed the other team with E's natural athletic ability and Dad's uncanny ability to focus, well the opposing team was bound to lose.  All in all it was a lot of fun. Having all the people I care about in my life around me is the best thing I can think of to celebrate my 26th birthday.

Even better news...

I got a job interview! It's for my dream position in my dream school district. I've been after this position for 6 months and FINALLY I get called for an interview for this Tuesday! Let's hope all goes well...

I just finished my last paper EVER! I have now completed all requirements for my Master's in Education!

WHOOO HOO! On top of that I'll be celebrating my 26 birthday next Saturday.  It's gonna be a good week.