Mindless blubberings of a sleep deprived student teacher

Did you know that there is actually a thing as too much coffee? I have been drinking coffee these days, only because without it I would become a blubbering, sleep deprived....oh yeah, even with it I am that. I am knee deep into my student teaching/internship and I am IN LOVE with the school I work with. It is a charter school here in Boise that teaches by what is called an expeditionary model..google it, its way cool. Anyway, it is a way of teaching that centers around student led, teacher directed learning. It is AMAZING. I am officially putting my kids on the waiting list and hoping we get drawn in the lottery for next year AND I am personally hoping someone needs to move, change jobs, retire whatever, I want to work here. I think, as I told my mentor teacher, teaching here is going to give me overly high standards and I may struggle to teach in a school in which the atmosphere is not as great. All of the teachers in our age group, called upper childhood, which is 5/6 grade, collaborate on everything. They work together, share ideas and don't talk smack behind one another's backs. I think I may have found my utopic school. Don't get me wrong, humans work here so I am assuming there are things that aren't perfect, but so far I am smitten, in love if you will....it's infatuation I am sure. But I truly believe I could fall in love and be a very committed partner....if they would have me. Enough about my love affair, school is good. I am faking my way through 3 more BSU classes and made the Dean's List again last semester for a 4.0 GPA...WHOOHOOO, who knew I could study and learn. Anywho, I cannot wait until next semester when I am completely devoted to my classroom and all my students. Did I mention I love 5th & 6th graders? They are so much more fun to teach than 1st graders (maybe because I own a couple of this age group?) They think for themselves, they have critical thinking skills, fun senses of humor and happen to be my new favorite grades. What if I become a junior high teacher? I could teach reading....then for my job I could read all of the time..ahhhh can you imagine? My dream of running to my bedroom to read is becoming a reality. I am reading this great book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. It is about this young man from Africa who read a bunch of old science books and learned how to get energy from the wind through windmills. I am only in the beginning, but so far it is amazing. To have such a desire for something and then to see it to the end. It is pretty inspiring. Ok, enough of my babbling and nonsense. All is well, we are well and we wish you well. Well, on that note...here are some pics.

our anniversary
Rockin out at the Scorpions concert in HOT August in Salt Lake City (BTW we are going to see U2 there this May YIPPEE!)
My dad came to visit

1st day of school