Thursday, October 8, 2015

Texas Eats: State Fair Edition

We wouldn't be getting the true Texas experience if we didn't try out the state fair (If only to say that we went once!) It was a fun time walking around with our friends, people-watching, and of course, fried-food watching.

You would not believe some of the things they fry here! I was truly amazed. There was fried brownies, a variety of fried candy bars, fried oreos, and fried coke and lemonade. How do you fry liquids?! Still a little confused about that one. Moving on to the savory; we saw fried pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, fried hot dogs, and the winner of the fried food contest for 2015: fried lobster tail!

I don't care how gross it is, it all looked delicious. We were laughing that just that week in med school they had talked about high cholesterol rates and the obesity epidemic in America. ha. We debated our choices for a while, but finally decided on fried pollo queso, one of the runner-ups for the fried food contest. Basically, it was a mixture of chicken, spicy cheese, and jalepenos fried in a pretzel batter. Yum!


And of course, we had to do the obligatory picture under creepy Big Tex.

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Thanks to our awesome friends for checking out the fair with us!

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

And so it begins...

Our Med school journey has begun! Ty is in his 8th week of school and so far has had...like 8 tests, so pretty much one big test a week. Needles to say it is a ton of work, but he does love what he is studying. I tease him that he complained more about one semester of Spanish history than he has complained about Medical School so far!

First day of school...rocking the t-shirt tan line!

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One cool thing that UT Southwestern did before they officially started school was to have a retreat for all the students, and they let "significant others" come! We got to go to a family owned camp and stay in cabins. We played at the lake, did a super terrifying zip line (the whole tower was shaking as we walked to the top), and ate some good meals. Tyler's med school class is super diverse, and it was awesome to meet so many cool people from all over the world.

At the camp, the med students were sorted into their "houses," which they will stay in for their years here as a med student. I was geeking out over this (imagining that there would be a sorting hat, and they would put it on each student), and although it wasn't quite as awesome as Harry Potter, it was still pretty cool. They had all the students line up and brought them into a big amphitheater while a drum banged ominously, "bum, bum, bum," over and over until everyone was seated. Then, one by one they got called down and given their house (Yay free t-shirt!)

Mostly it is just a formality, but it still made us feel excited about the school and how they try to get everyone included so quickly. It was fun to meet some of the other significant others, and to hear all sorts of advice on how to help our marriage survive medical school.

So far Ty is loving it and we couldn't be happier about our decision to be at UT Southwestern here in Dallas. I am excited to continue to see Tyler loving what he has chosen to do, as long as he keeps practicing the immunizations on the oranges, and not my arms. :)

Texas Eats #1

One thing that Texas is very well known for it it's food! Did you know that Texas has the most restaurants per capita than any other city in the U.S.? It makes sense though because they are everywhere!

Although we are living on a pretty tight medical school budget, both Tyler and I love to go out to dinner, so we do set aside some money to go on dates. We have found two places that we have been super impressed with so far!

We consulted yelp to find the best Thai Restaurant around us, and were led to Thai Noodle. All of the reviews warned that it wasn't much to look at, but that it was a hidden gem so we were excited to try it. It did not disappoint!


We were the only people there on a Saturday night which made us a little worried...until they brought out the food. We ordered the pad thai (our favorite) and it was a huge portion. Normally in a restaurant you pay 10-15 dollars for what we got for 7! It was very authentic, just the right amount of lime and peanuts mixed with rich spices.



If you know me, you know that I like my food spicy. Like, really hot. This restaurant had a rating system from 1-4, with 4 being the most spicy. I ordered the 3, which I have done before and been just fine. This place knows how to spice their food! It was a little much, even for me. The next time we went back, I got a 2. Tyler got the massaman curry the second time around, and loved the creamy coconut flavor! This may look like a dive, but it is a definite must try if you are ever in Euless and love some good Thai food.

The other place we found that we loved is Twisted Root Burger company. You can read about it more here because it was featured on the Food Network! So naturally, being food network junkies, we had to give it a try.


They had the coolest burgers!! Really unique and specialty burgers that I had never heard of before. I tried the "Enough said." It's a burger with aged cheddar, bacon-ranch sauce, and crispy potato chips on top. Ty had the "Sexy Hawaiian," with jalepeno jack cheese, terryaki sauce, pineapple salsa, and prosciutto. When we went back, (how could we not?!) I got the freshman 15, complete with french fries on top, cheddar cheese, an egg and 2 pieces of bacon. I know, disgusting. My dad, the health expert, will probably disown me, but it was oh so good!!

So far, we are loving the food in Texas. Now to find some authentic Texas barbeque!

A good beginning

It's about time I get to documenting our first few months here in Texas!

After road tripping all the way from Utah we were very excited (and nervous!) to finally reach Dallas. (Nervous because we would be seeing our new apartment for the first time-ha!) But, as it turned out, it is a HUGE step up from our Provo apartment.


This is a small look, I'll post more when it's a little more decorated. Andddd a littler cleaner. It's small, but it has beautiful paint, a new dishwasher and oven (wahoo!) and a little patio perfect for growing some plants. Oh, and of course a fireplace for when it drops below 90 degrees over here! 

We moved here with literally only a mattress and a little card table as furniture, so one of the first places we visited was IKEA. I could walk around that store all day! We ended up buying a dresser, a bookshelf (to store my huge book collection because I couldn't part with hardly any of the books from my classroom library), and a desk for Ty. We spent a lot of time putting it all together....and had fun for the first 10 hours! 



And the final product....


When we first moved here in July, I thought there was no way I could live here for one more Texas summer! It was over 100 degrees every day, and it that sticky, overbearing kind of hot. Ty and I went to try out the beautiful pool at our complex during the middle of the day our first week here (big mistake)! We quickly realized if we didn't want to be boiled alive we would have to swim in the mornings. 

We drove to the Dallas Texas temple in our first couple of weeks here, and I was surprised by how different it is from other temples I have visited. It is not a big temple, and not very tall at all. It's a temple that can't be seen from a distance; you pull around the corner of a subdivision or houses and there it is! 



It was a good feeling to see the full parking lot and to realize we aren't alone here. We had a good couple of weeks relaxing and getting settled in before Ty started Medical School. In the last few days the temperature has dropped to around 80, and I finally get why people decide (of their own free will) to live here permanently. Keep it coming with the beautiful weather Texas! 





Monday, August 17, 2015

Tips and Tricks of Teaching

During the school year I had a "white bible" of sorts. It was a little white notebook that I wrote every good thought or idea any mentor or teacher ever gave to me. I pretty much took it everywhere I went...and may have had a panic attack or two when I couldn't figure out where I had put it. I thought I would compile a list of them here for me to have them for reference, and to help any current or future teachers that might read this!

I'm a believer that management looks different in every teacher's classroom. By in large I feel like it's a lot of trail and error throughout the year, discovering what makes your class tick and how to motivate them. :) That being said, here is a list of things that worked in my class, and maybe they will work in yours!


Whole Class Ideas 


1. Class Points- Many teacher do this many different ways, but I will share what worked best for my class. First of all: I let my kids pick the reward for reaching a certain amount of points! You will be amazed how hard students will work for a common goal that they are invested in and love. We would brainstorm ideas such as, "__ extra recess, computer time/games, class group game, movie with popcorn, etc." Once we had chosen our reward I would write it up big on the board where everyone could see it! I would then set the appropriate amount of points I thought was needed to earn that reward. Remember: don't set the points too low, or your students will get used to rewards that they might not deserve. However, don't set too high, or they will be discouraged right from the get go and it will not be motivating. I like to do about 25-30 points, and give them out in 1 point increments. Sometimes I would give more points for exceptional behavior, but not usually. All teachers do it differently though! When my students needed some encouragement for good behavior I might say, "I will be watching to see if we can earn a point for ____ behavior. Show me." I was always quick to praise whole class good behavior and to give points. I did not often take away points, but sometimes I would. If my class was misbehaving I didn't even say a word, I would just walk over to the board and erase a point. Immediately everyone would shush each other and remind each other of the reward. I love encouraging good behavior without saying a word!

2. Marble Jar- When my students would get tired or weren't responding well to the points, I would switch to marbles. :) There is something very visual about the students seeing the jar fill up, they love it! It worked very similar to the points in that I let my students choose what they were working toward. Then we would take a piece of tape on the jar to show how much of the jar we had to fill up. When we earned marbles I would call on a student who was being a good example to drop the marbles in. What I love about the marbles is the visual aspect and the noise they make. Again, when the students are following instructions and on task, they can hear the sound of marbles dropping in and they work harder. When they are off task, I simply take a few marbles and they hear them drop back into the bag. Again, motivating behavior without having to remind or nag. :)

3. On/Off Task- This was told to me by one of my wonderful team members. While I did not use it often, when I did it was extremely effective. When students are not following a routine or a self-start or are otherwise off task, this is a great one to use. Again, one that you don't have to say a single word. :) I would walk to the board and make a simple T-chart. On one side it says on, and the other side says off. I would start writing the names of students I noticed that were on-task on the chart on the board. Students would quickly realize what I was doing, nudge and shush their neighbors, and in a manner of seconds everyone in class was on task. Sometimes I would give a small reward for those students who were on task, but most of the time the recognition was what they wanted. Sometimes I would even have a student be the one writing down names which is great for positive peer pressure. You could even tell students that this is a part of their participation/behavior grade, although it worked without this.

4. Side vs. Side- This is one of my favorite whole class strategies I used because it is so easy to adapt to whatever you are studying. For instance, when we were studying the civil war, I had half of my class be the South, and half the North. They earned points for good behavior and different team challenges we did that pertained to the Civil War. The kids LOVED it, and it is also a great team motivator. If the team is invested, then they will encourage even the most hard students to get on board and have good behavior.

5. Table Points- Another awesome way to integrate curriculum! When we were studying Westward Expansion I divided the kids up into groups: Mountain Men, 49ers, Oregon Trail, Louis and Clark, etc. We drew their routes across the map and the kids could move their marker when they had good behavior, answered questions, were on task, etc. Again, just a fun way to motivate kids. They love the competition of it and will do anything for a few points. Either let them come up with their rewards, or just have something planned. You can let it go for a week or more, however long you feel is effective.

Some others ideas that I want to remember but have not tried yet are, Teacher vs. student points and using a timer. Teacher vs. student is a way of inspiring a little competition with kids love! Especially when they have the opportunity to "beat the teacher." :) Just make a simple T-chart with Teacher against the students. I've heard it's the best when you make a big deal of the points. For example, someone is talking during your lesson. You turn to the board and say, "Talking while the teacher is talking, point for me! Yes!" The more you ham it up the more the students will love it. If the students beat the teacher they could earn extra recess, free time, etc.

The timer is something I first observed in a 6th grade class to awesome effect! Another one of those miracle strategies where you get the kids back on track without saying a word. When the kids were talking when they weren't supposed to, off task, or goofing off, the teacher would simply pick up the timer (she wore it around her neck) and press the timer button. Then she waits patiently not saying a word. All it takes is one student to hear the time, and they immediately shush each other and everyone is back on task. The teacher would then silently write the time wasted on the board, which the students knew was the time they had lost off their next recess. I loved how powerful the timer was, she didn't have to say a word! I didn't try it because I hate taking away recess (kids get hardly any anyway) but in extreme situations or with a really tricky class, it could be very effective.

Individual Ideas 

1. Thumbs Up- This is a great idea for individual management that I got from a teacher friend. First, you make a little grid that says thumbs up on each student's desk. My grid 21 squares. Every time you notice a student showing great behavior, you give them a "thumbs up" and they can mark a square on their grid. My friend had her students fill up their grids, and when they were full they could choose a small prize out of her prize box. I did it similar, but I did if my students got a certain number of thumbs up in a week, they got to go to Fun Friday. This was 20 minutes at the end of school Friday where the students could play outside, have free time, and do other fun activities. They would do anything for this free time! 

2. Class Dojo- I used this strategy during my student teaching. It is an app you can get on your ipad. Each student has their own "dojo" icon that keeps track of their points. I love this because it is another one of those positive (and negative) reinforcers that requires very little teacher intervention. For example, if a student is off task, you can push their icon on the screen. From there, it will give you a list of behaviors to choose from. If you push the "off task" behavior button, it will make a negative sounding noise. If you are looking at that student or are close to them, they will recognize that and correct their behavior. Same for the positive behaviors, if the students start hearing the musical "ping" that means someone is being rewarded, they will all get to work. Here are some of the awesome features of this app. One, you can send weekly reports home to the parents so they can see exactly how their student is behaving at school and can get on board with you. Two, the app is also on your computer so you can project the students point so they can see how they are doing. In student teaching, the students had a certain amount of positive points they had to get to go to a big reward activity we had once a month. The app is easy to use, all the points are right there instead of searching for paper records of behavior, and the students love the noises and the dojos. It's a win win!

3. Mystery Student- One of my very favorite things I tried this year for individual behavior is the Mystery student. It combines a little bit of mystery and a reward, which the students love. :) I used this in two different ways, but there could be many variations. For example, at the beginning of a particularly challenging or long lesson (or any time your students are restless and need a little extra motivation) I would pull a stick from my jar and pick a mystery student. I would not reveal that student or students to the class. I would tell my students I was looking for general good behavior, or if I wanted to practice something I would be specific. I would say, "During this lesson I will be watching for students that raise their hands. If the mystery student is successful at raising their hand and not blurting out during this lesson, they will earn the reward." The great thing about it is that every student will be on their best behavior because they all think it is them (obviously) and they all want to earn the reward. I would give small rewards like class coupons or no homework passes but the students loved them! You could also pick a couple of behaviors and instead of just watching during the lesson, you could watch a mystery student for the whole day. The other great thing about this strategy is you as the teacher can pick a student that needs a little encouragement or recognition, since you are the only one that sees the mystery student name. :) I did this randomly, and so the students always looked forward to when we would have another mystery student. Check out this website for more awesome ideas on the power of random rewards in the classroom. 

4. Cone of Awesome- This is one of my own creation. I got a simple red cone sometime at the beginning of the year that said "awesome." I decided to use it as a fun motivation tool in my classroom. During independent work time or other time when students were working on a task, I would walk around with the cone of awesome. Again, another one of those things where the students just see the cone and get right to work. I would look for students helping others, working hard, etc. and I would put the red cone on their desk. I would tell my students that if they had the red cone on their desk during the day, they could come see me (we had a designated time at the end of the day) for a small prize. Or you could just have them know where to go to get a prize. The kids loved having the cone on their desk and worked extra hard when they could see it was going around. You could find a fun object with your class that would get them excited to earn it. :)

5. Thank you/Bravo board- These two are kind of the same concept so I will put them together. The thank you board is a little more teacher driven. You write "Thank you" somewhere on your board. When your students are getting out of hand, look around the class and notice the students that are still with you. Without saying a word, turn around and write their names on the board. Above it on the board you could write what a student earns if their name is on the board by the end of the day. It could be going out to recess a few minutes earlier, a class coupon, etc. The Bravo board is a little more student driven. Have a chart somewhere around your classroom with boxes large enough for students to sign their name in. When a student has good behavior, you can tell them to go and sign the bravo board. At the end of the day, or week, or whatever you choose, you randomly draw out a name of one of the students whose names are on the bravo board to earn a prize. The students love this, and it is a great visual reminder in your classroom. 

6. Tickets/Class Money- This is a great individual reward system. I started my kids at the beginning of the year earning tickets. I told them that they would be earning tickets for good behavior, turning in homework, helping with class tasks, etc. You can be very structured about it and have a chart with certain things that they can earn tickets for, but I just played it by ear and gave tickets as I saw fit. You could even have student ticket managers looks for these behaviors and give out tickets for you. Every month, the whole 5th grade would have a class store where the students could spend their tickets. This was probably the favorite thing we did during the year, they loved it!! And the best part was, we didn't spend a single dollar to supply the store. :) The students made things, they brought things from home to sell (with a note from parents) or they bought things to sell. They were not required to bring anything to sell to go to the store, but we always had plenty of things the students brought in the store. The kids loved buying things from their peers, and spending their hard earned tickets. Halfway through the year we changed to what we called "hawkbucks" after our mascot. The kids loved having the money that looked like real money, and we made them work very hard for the big bucks. You can even integrate into whatever math units you are doing, and make a banker as one of your classroom jobs. 

The most important thing to me in classroom management strategies is to motivate and encourage good behavior. I think it works well to have at least one whole class/group strategy and one individual strategy. Like I said, don't be afraid to try something and mix things up! I was constantly trying new ideas and rather than confuse my kids, they loved the variety. My particular group of kids would get restless about every 2 weeks, and so I would try something new. This worked for my class, while one thing might work the whole year for yours. 

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Why I am not teaching full time

Last year I was a 5th grade teacher at Sage Hills Elementary. I was a good teacher. I am really not one to brag, or even to think I can excel at things. But I did well. My students loved me, their parents liked me, and I spent a lot of time planning engaging and interesting lessons. I had great management, I held my students responsible, and I always followed through on what I said. My students had higher test scores than many of the ladies on my team, who had taught longer than I had.

I don't say this to toot my own horn, but to say this: I did not stop teaching because I could not handle it. I had great reviews from my principal and all and all had an awesome school year. I had a good handle on my classroom and all that visited noticed and complimented me. However, it took everything out of me to make it that way.

I was good at it, but it was my life! My every waking thought at school or at home. Weeknights and weekends were spent thinking of the days and weeks ahead and offered little relaxation. Everything ran well at school, but it took everything out of me.

So for me to read when I feel sad about leaving teaching, or I feel like I am letting students down, or not making the same difference I did in the lives of others as when I was in the classroom, I say: I am not a failure for deciding not to teach full time. It's not that I couldn't do the job, it's that I chose not to for my mental and physical well-being. I have other responsibilities and roles in life that suffered while I taught, and I am not willing to let teaching take priority.

Tyler and I are planning for a family and the thought of the mental and physical stress I experienced last year creeping in while I am pregnant or having a baby was too much. I know that so many people do that, and to those people I say you are amazing!! I wish I could.

I know that a lot of what I experienced last year had to do with the fact that it was my first year. I have heard many people say that things do get better! And I believe them. If I could stay at my same school, same grade, with my same amazing team, I definitely would have taught again. But faced with the prospect of starting over again in Texas, I just couldn't see how to make it work.

At the same time, my heart is in education, along with my degree ;) Despite the stress, I do love working with and teaching children. So I was so happy when I found a great meet in the middle opportunity in Texas: a position as an after-school teacher at HEB district. Basically I will be helping kids with their homework, doing various projects with them, and sometimes just playing with them. Since it is an after school program, it will be much more low key, without the stress of meeting test scores and managing tough behavior in the classroom.

I'm excited! I'm excited to keep working in the schools, with kids. It is what I love. I am excited with the prospect of getting to teach and work with them on exciting projects I never had time for in the regular classroom-like choir class and music and gardening and book groups and STEM projects. :) I hope that this job will be a good fit for me, and will allow me to have better balance in my life.

Monday, June 15, 2015

One year later....

It's crazy how fast a year flies. A year ago I graduated BYU, Ty was applying to medical school, and I was frantically applying for teaching jobs. Now a year later, Ty graduated BYU, was accepted to UTSW in Texas (among others) and I have finished my first year teaching 5th grade at Sage Hills Elementary. Crazy!!

Teaching was an amazing stretching experience. It is without question the hardest things I have ever done, but with hard things come amazing growth. I had amazing days with my kids, and some days that all I could do was come home and cry. Being responsible for 34 10 year olds was exhausting! I wish I was one of those teachers that could just say that they loved teaching and everything was wonderful. It was hard. Every day I was stretched to my max, planning for and meeting the needs of all my students. I think part of the reason it was so hard is because I had very high expectations for myself. Coming from BYU, all the teachers talked about the "ideal" teacher and the "ideal" classroom which I quickly came to realize just doesn't exist. However, like all of the hardest things in life, it also brought a lot of joy. Watching a child who has struggled with a concept over and over finally get it was so rewarding. Seeing my kids make good choices and be kind to each other made me feel like a proud mother. And to hear "you're the best teacher ever," and receive a heartfelt note and hug made me feel like it was all worth it.

It is hard to put into words the things I learned from this year. I think more important is who I have become. More confident, more patient, more understanding, and much more sure of my ability to face hard things head on and to conquer them. I wouldn't trade this year for anything! I look back on all the tears and stresses and the silly things I worried about and wish I had enjoyed every moment with those kids a little more. But, the forsight usually comes after, and not before.

One thing I can say for certain was that I put my whole heart into my teaching. I spent hours outside of school thinking about those kids, thinking about how they learn best, surfing the internet for ideas, and planning interactive and fun lessons. Some days I would work until 8 or 9 at night. Even though I was not a perfect teacher by any means, looking back I am glad that I did the very best I could to teach those kids and I have no regrets. And also, pinterest is a teacher's best friend. :)

Everyone says the first year of teaching is the hardest, and I definitely agree. But even from the beginning of the year I can see how much progress I have made which makes me happy. Teaching is all about progress. There is no such thing as a perfect teacher, because there is always something more you could do! So I think the key is just to be always progressing. I guess in that way, it's a lot like life!

Now that the school year is over, the future is a little more unclear. In just about 5 weeks Ty and I will be packing up all our belongings (which isn't much) and heading to Texas. I get the question, "Will you teach in Texas?" And I struggle to find an answer. If I was facing another year at Sage Hills, with my amazing team, and my same classroom, the answer would definitely be yes. The prospect of starting completely over in a new state, new school, and probably a new grade is daunting. It would pretty much be year 1 all over again. Although I didn't leave this year with a bitter and never want to teach attitude, I also am much more aware of the demands and stresses of teaching. I want to be there for Ty during this first year of medical school. The thought of a job where I could leave work at work and not come home exhausted is appealing. And there are many things I could do with my teaching degree besides teaching full time. So we will see what the future holds!