At a loss for words...

Hello dear friends!

I have been meaning to write in my blog for several weeks now, but for some reason I haven't been able to think of anything to say. (That's strange considering every day is full of adventures and stories.)

Last Friday I took the day off and drove up to Yellowstone to go horseback riding with my dad and some friends. My friend Sarah's husband was my sub, which made me happy! We had an assembly that day and I felt bad having a sub on a weird-scheduled day, but it all worked out.

Here's one of the few pictures my dad took on our Saturday ride in Yellowstone:

The weather was actually really pleasant! We usually do our annual Yellowstone horseback riding trip in July, but we decided September is a much better time of the year to go riding!

This week has been a bit hectic. I feel like every day I'm running around. I barely make it out to the hall to monitor in between classes because I'm cleaning up or talking to students in my classroom. I don't get the chance to use the restroom until lunch, which is around noon (that's a long wait for me...haha). I expect to be at work until about 5:00 pm every day. It just seems like I'm putting in such long hours and yet I still have so much to do!
I decided it's because I've been gone or busy for so many weekends. I usually put in a couple of hours on Saturdays just to catch up and do some prep. I haven't had that recently and it's taking a toll on me!
I'm not complaining or anything, but boy am I busy.

I left work a little after 5:30 pm today and had about an hour break before I headed to the Orem Institute Building for choir practice from 7:00-8:30 pm. When I left work, I still had stuff I needed to do!

I will say that I feel much more on top of things than I did last year. Considering last year was my first year teaching, I frequently felt like I had no idea what I was supposed to do (especially when it came to compliance) and I was constantly coming up with ideas that were short-lived and quickly forgotten. This year I've already gone through all of my folders and written down the students that need amendments done on their IEP (that means they just need a minor fix, generally dealing with their schedule). That's a big deal! I'm meeting with my facilitator tomorrow morning to go through a few of them. I wanted to get them done before Parent-Teacher Conferences so I could have parents sign the necessary papers if they came to Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Don't worry - tomorrow is Parent-Teacher Conferences. I actually need to go to bed because tomorrow is going to be a LONG day! At least we get lunch served by the PTA. Sadly I'm going to miss a ward activity that starts at 6:30. And what do you know, Zupas is catering that activity. How do I always miss the cool activities?!
Oh well. I actually really enjoy Parent-Teacher Conferences. I'll let you know how tomorrow goes!

-Ms. Damron-

Computer Covers

First of all, Happy (belated) Labor Day! We just had a three day weekend and it was BEAUTIFUL. I was telling someone how good it felt to sleep in and be lazy yesterday. My friend said, "Audryn. You do know that it's only been two weeks since school started, right?" Yeah...

I have been planning a sewing project since before school even started: computer covers. I remembered how my students couldn't stop looking at themselves in the mirror-like surface of the computer screen AND how my students' fingers would just worm their way to the keyboard in the middle of my lessons.  My brilliant plan was to sew computer covers. And now that I've made them, I'm just ecstatic!

When I told my plan to one of the district SpEd coordinators, she offered to help me. We've been trying to find a day we could both do the project since school started and today was the day! I bought the fabric and thread from JoAnn Fabric on the same night as Back to School night. I made sure I brought the fabric from home and as soon as Vickie, the coordinator, showed up we headed to the Lora Lee Thompson's sewing room. (The school custodians gave me the idea to use the school sewing room. Genius!) It took us about an hour and a half to get through eight covers. We carried one of the computers down to her room to test the size and make sure the covers fit.

The process was as follows:

Make a demo
Cut fabric and pin the sides
Sew the sides
Surge the sides
Pin up the bottom
Sew the bottom

It was fairly easy and straightforward. I haven't used a sewing machine in ages, so I was glad that it wasn't a complicated stitch. The covers look absolutely beautiful and I can't tell you how excited I am to have them on my computers! Now I won't be forced to watch students stare at themselves all during my class!

-Ms. Damron-

Don't you just LOVE them?

Notice how the keyboard is hidden. Brilliant!

Picture Day

Every teacher gets their picture taken. My favorite part is that we also get a complimentary picture packet. (My parents and grandparents love it.)
Today I went down during my prep period to get my picture taken. Luckily, I was the only one in there at the time. The photographers said that because there was no one else there, I would get to look at my picture and re-take it if I didn't like it.

Well...it wasn't that I didn't like the pictures. My photographer kept saying, "Let's try that again..."
After the 5th or 6th time I was starting to get nervous. What in the world was wrong with my pictures. Finally, she said something like, "If you smile like this..." and then she proceeded to smile showing only her upper teeth. I laughed and informed her that I am incapable of smiling without my bottom teeth showing, so she shouldn't focus on my smile. I will admit that some of the pictures were a bit toothy though. My smile is so big that it hurts after 5 or 6 pictures!
Once we got the smile thing figured out, my face hurt from smiling, so I was never ready when she snapped the picture. There was actually a cute one of me laughing though. Sorry you will all miss out on that candid shot. There was also another picture where I was making a silly face. I kind of wish that one was put in the year book.
The last issue was that the flash kept making a glare on my glasses. Finally I just took my glasses off. My students will all freak out because I always wear my glasses and they think I look weird without them, but what can you do. It only took 20 shots, but hopefully my picture turns out. Maybe I'll scan it later to show you the final product. :)

-Ms. Damron-

Life is SOOOOO good.

I absolutely LOVE my job. At the beginning of this school year I remember thinking, "I can't believe this is my job. I get paid to do what I love!" Be jealous.

I have such great students this year! And I had a couple of previous students who are now in high school stop by and say hi. That just makes me feel good!
I also love the students that I had last year. There are a couple that complain quite a bit and they aren't what I would call happy to be in my class again, but for the most part, past students are happy to be with me.

I also feel so much more confident. And I actually have a plan! I know what I want to accomplish with my students and I know how to do it. My prep is so much lighter this year. I'm still getting organized and changing things, but it's not as willy-nilly as last year. (Can I even use that word? haha)

Basically I am happy and excited for another school year. Oh life is just wonderful!

-Ms. Damron-

First week of school - CHECK.

This week has been the most hectic first week of school ever. Granted, it's only my second FIRST week of school, but still. Here's the scoop:

I had to move out of the house I was living in due to my landlords deciding to not rent out to singles anymore. (Do I have to be reminded how single I am every day?!) I had to be out by August 21st, but I couldn't move into my new apartment until the 24th (today). So here is a snapshot of what my week has been like:

Sunday: Pack up as much stuff as I can and move it to my cousin's place.

Monday: Set up classroom. Go home and pack up kitchen and bathroom. Take stuff to cousin's house. Clean house. Eat dinner at SLAB pizza with Alyssa. Go to August Movies in the Park. While at the movie my landlord texted me and asked that I leave my key on the counter the next morning because the new tenants were moving in the next day. Freak out because I thought the new tenants were moving in on the 24th. Rush home after the movie and furiously finish cleaning and packing as much stuff as I could. Shower and then collapse into bed.

Tuesday: Wake up earlier than normal to load every last little thing into my car. Vacuum bedroom. 7th grade day! Medicaid and Time Study meeting. Drive to Salt Lake to visit friends and celebrate a birthday. Leave Salt Lake way too late. Arrive at my friend's house without my air mattress because my sister was in a movie and didn't answer her phone. (She had the air mattress.) Get to bed way too late and then get very little sleep due to the uncomfortableness of the air mattress and my constant need to pee at 4:00 in the morning.

Wednesday: Pry my eyes open and leave earlier than usual to go buy donuts for my WolfPack (homeroom) class. FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! So much fun. Manicures at 4:00pm. Quick nap on my sister's couch. Dinner at Bajio. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory caramel apple. Artistic night at Color Me Mine.

Thursday: Second day of school. Drive to Jo-Ann Fabrics were it takes forever to figure out how much fabric I need to make my computer covers. Dinner at Zupa's with my mom and sister. Back to School Night from 6-8. Somehow stay and talk to other teachers until 9:00pm. Smith's run. Go to my cousin's place to find my checkbook. (Fortunately it was in the second box I found.) Talk with my wonderfully hospitable friends Sarah and Marty and then bedtime.

Friday: (TODAY) I love Fridays. Today went really well actually. I'm about to go move all of my stuff from my cousin's place to MY APARTMENT. My sister was a gem and checked in for me earlier. So I will sleep in my bed tonight!

It's been a crazy week, but I love my students already and I'm excited for this year!

-Ms. Damron-

First day of school YEAR 2!!!!

Hello!

I can't even believe that school has started once again. I don't think a summer has ever gone by faster. I've been working for almost two weeks though. Special Ed got 3 1/2 paid days before our contracted days to go through blue folders. Besides Leslie, our facilitator, I was the only teacher who took all 3 1/2 days before school. By day 1/2 I was struggling with staying focused. Day 3 1/2 was difficult! Sitting in a tiny room going through folder after folder was tedious to say the least. I'm really glad we did that before school started though. Last year we were scrambling all year long to fix problems with folders. This year we are so on top of things. Go Leslie go!

Due to the Special Ed compliance days and my schedule I didn't start setting up my classroom until last Wednesday. I put in a couple hours here and there and stayed until 6:00pm last Friday, August 17th. My classroom was a lot different from the way I left it! The computers were all left on the counter and everything that had been touching the floor (besides tables and chairs) was moved up onto the counters.  

It felt so good to be in my classroom! We had faculty meeting and whatnot on Friday and when I walked into my classroom I just got giddy! Yes - GIDDY. The smell of my classroom made me happy. Teacher nerd? Yes!

7th grade day was yesterday and it went really well. Homeroom with my 7th graders was super awkward at the beginning because they didn't say anything! Fortunately by the end of the day they were much more comfortable.

Today was the first day of school and I LOVE MY STUDENTS! There are going to be some tricky ones, but I am so happy to be back in school. I know most of the 8th graders from last year and I told them all that I missed them. I don't know if they quite believed me, but it's true. And I have to admit that I favor 8th graders over 7th graders. My 8th graders just hold a special place in my heart.

Speaking of 8th graders...two students that I had last year visited me after school! I was so happy to see them. And they've grown so much.

This year is going to be tough and I have several students who are going to teach me a lot, BUT, I'm so happy to be back. Bring on YEAR 2!

-Ms. Damron-

Last Day of School!

Oh my gosh. It's finally here and it's over!

We just had a half day today and we didn't actually have any classes. It was more of a clean-up-your-classroom day. Students are allowed to come, but lunch isn't served, there isn't a bell schedule, and basically they just wander.
I had to finish up some paperwork, so I didn't get to start cleaning up my classroom until about 9:30. Talk about a quick clean up! My room felt like a disaster and I had until our faculty luncheon at 12:00pm. Yikes.
Somehow it worked out though! There are still a few little things I would have liked to clean up, but for the most part, it is taken care of. Summer here I come!