2012

I am having a sad day because this is my last week of my first student teaching placement.  Tomorrow I’m going to meet my new cooperating teacher and tour my new school (which is an independent special ed school specializing in verbal and nonverbal communication problems).  I’m really excited to start my new placement, but I keep choking up every time I think about leaving my current sixth graders.  When I told my ELA class that I was leaving after this week, one girl said, “You just broke my heart,” and that’s exactly how I feel about it, too.  These kids, they crawled deep under my skin.  I feel like I’m being physically ripped apart from them.

Anyway, to help cheer me up for the moment, I wanted to make a list of eleven favorite things from 2011.

1. Getting to know my students while student teaching
2. Watching my childhood best friend get married in August
3. Seeing Paul McCartney in concert
4. Watching two good friends marry each other in May
5. Reading Harry Potter (again) with Eric
6. Skiing almost every weekend in the winter (remember when we used to get snow?)
7. Road trips to DC, Montreal, and Mont Tremblant
8. Making Eric’s now six-month-old nephew laugh and smile
9. Reading 40 books for myself (33 plus all of Harry Potter again)
10. Crossing the wake while waterskiing this summer
11. Spending time with friends and family in the city, upstate, and in NH

As far as my personal commitments for 2011 went, I was relatively successful.

Ten Personal Commitments for 2011

1. To get my own apartment (with boyfriend) Which is happening in March
2. To get myself in shape enough so that I won’t be out of breath when walking up to the subway…and so I’ll be able to waterski with better success this summer
3. To take a downhill ski lesson because it has been ages, and I would really like to keep up better with my boyfriend and family Didn’t happen, but Eric helped me improve my technique a lot
4. To travel to and thoroughly explore one place I have never been before
5. To improve relationships with family members Still room for improvement
6. To write and read often for myself (not just for school)
7. To overcome some symptoms of anxiety and claustrophobia that have been coming up more often lately
8. To complain less (because I honestly have little to complain about) Still room for improvement
9. To spend less time watching TV
10. To start working with kids on a regular basis in some way

For 2012, my personal commitments are:

1. To make myself a home in my new apartment
2. To find a teaching job that supports my teaching philosophies next fall
3. To continue the good habits I started in 2011 (reading for myself and cutting back on TV and whining)
4. To graduate from Bank Street with a stellar thesis in hand
5. To do something active every weekend
6. To visit friends in San Francisco
7. To improve my classroom management skills
8. To reach out to family members and friends more often
9. To take advantage of cultural activities in New York (while I’m still a student)
10. To cook more often and make my lunch at least once a week

Wish me luck!

Advertisement