Day 1

I told you to stay tuned for my plan to not get totally sucked into the teacher void. Well, here is day 1! For the next 30 days, I am going to do something new each day and document my adventure here for all to read... I will try and blog the same day as I do my new thing, but let's be honest, some days I may not be at computer or have the time to both experience something new and write about it. I promise, however, that there will be 30 entries. Exciting, informative, creative, etc. I make no promises.

So, day 1, 29 to go. STAND IN THE GREAT SALT LAKE. A stinky beginning.

My family went to the Great Salt for pictures. I have never really been there before so I was excited! I think I have been to Saltair but never close to the actual water. I have smelled the smell before. Grossey!!! So, as I got out of the car, I was expecting a nasal assualt of epic proportions. It actually wasn't that bad. Don't get me wrong, it was nasty, but not unbearable. We were all dressed in light blue, white, and khaki and we strolled onto the beach. PS, if you are ever on the beach at the Great Salt Lake, don't think about what the sand actually is. Two words: shrimp and waste. I was even more happy when I was asked to kneel in it for the photo. Oh well, it was fun and I think that they turned out great. After the photo shoot on the beach, I waded into the salt/brine shrimp/water solution for the first time ever. Here are a few facts about big salty:

The largest natural lake west of the Mississippi.
75 miles long, 35 miles wide
Estimated brine fly population: 100 billion
3 major rivers deposit into the Great Salt Lake: Bear River, Jordan River, and Weber River. The extreme saltiness is due to the fact that there is no outlet besides evaporation.
The salinity of the lake varies from 5-27%. On average, oceans are 3.3%. The dead sea is 33%

A picture of me enjoying our local phenomenon is forthcoming. And I promise that future entries won't be quite so lengthy. I do have ideas for new things to do, but I would welcome other suggestions. Enjoy!

Here's the pic of me in the lake. It was taken on my sister's camera and I just got it from her:

First two weeks

So, I have survived the first two weeks of school - and so have my students!

Here are a few highlights and lowlights

Amazing, on-top-of-it new principal. I really think he will do some amazing things for our school. Also, he wears a tie every day and the kids love it! They need to know what tie Dr. Morris is wearing today. It's great to know that the kids are liking him so much already.

Today I was reading a story to the class about a boy who said that he had a "dumb third grade teacher" I stopped and said that I hope none of my students will ever say that. One boy, who is particularly hyper and active just said "No way! You're the nicest teacher!" It was so sincere and adorable coming from him! Also, another girl has already showered me with pictures (most of them depict me with a ponytail and no hair on the sides of my head) and "I love you, Miss Gray" letters. I really think I have such a great class this year and hope they continue to work as hard and well as they have been so far. I'm feeling good about third grade this year.

Sign time. We have a deaf student in third grade who has a full time interpreter and she teaches us sign language twice a week for 1/2 an hour. I wasn't sure we could make it work at the beginning of the year and I am so glad we did. It's awesome! The kids love it and the teacher is great. We have learned the pledge of allegiance and how to "sing" happy birthday and lots of other words. Plus, it's some prep time for me. Win win win.

Completing the first of FOUR conferences this year. Tonight at 7:00 I walked out of the classroom after 3 hours of conferences plus teaching for seven hours. Long day = exhaustion. (it will be beditme soon). The best part was that it was still daylight when I left. That is unusual for conferences. I'm accustomed to walking out in pitch black and driving home in a blizzard in January. Ugh. Can't think about that now. Right now, I am the furthest away I will ever be from conferences. Good thoughts.... good thoughts... good thoughts...


LOWLIGHTS

Waking up at 6:00 every morning. Definitely the top of the low list. Not a morning person and will never get used to teacher morning hours.

Long days. Working from basically 7:30 to 6 at night -a little work at home after managing, teaching, chasing, etc. 17 kids all day. TIRING!!!! Especially after almost 3 months of summer relaxing and just chillin'. Quite a rude awakening.


No more late, warm, summer nights with shaved ice. Yummy. See you next summer.

Not as much time to hang with my friends. I miss seeing them so often and being able to take off with them at a moment's notice. See you next summer.

I have a plan of attack to not get sucked in to the teacher void. Check back within the next couple of weeks to see my documentation of this plan!!!!

Last the best

It's officially the last week of summer. Fellow teachers are stressing, planning, setting up rooms, training, agonizing over class lists, getting folders, pencils, paper, dry erase markers, books, etc. etc. I am so lucky to be in a job that allows me to live a little like a kid and to go "back to school". Remember how exciting it was as a kid to find out who your new teacher is, get new clothes, buy a new back pack, see all your friends again... etc. Well, is it really as exciting as a teacher to go back to school? hmmm. I'll leave that question up to all of you to answer... I am pretty excited this year though. We will have a new principal and lots of new staff to meet, and I am looking forward to meeting and working with a lot of great people. I also think that I have a pretty good class for next year along with several new students. I'm excited about changes I have made to my room. After starting a brand new year twice already, I hope that I am getting better at it!!! Well, hopefully after a week, the newness and adreneline won't wear off too much.

I have been trying to enjoy my last week off and get those last minute things done that I know I won't be able to get around to for a while: a really good cleaning, shopping and other errands, etc. Not to mention some fun too. I have been to 3 movies this week (yes during the week!!! That doesn't happen often during the school year). They have all been dollar movies - yeah! I have to admit that I saw Prince of Persia, again. That makes 4 times. Such a good movie! Here's a few words to describe how much I love it: Jake Gyllenhaal and Parkour. Go see it if you haven't.

The best news of all this week, and maybe the summer, has to be this: I no longer need to go to Iowa for the Thirty Seconds to Mars and Neon Trees concert. They are coming here!!! More specifically to UVU, right in my backyard, almost. Does it get any better than that? I should say not. I got tickets yesterday and its official. My sister was saying that her husband was playing some 30 Seconds to Mars for her off of his IPOD and was surprised that she knew a lot of the songs. You might be too! Well, I'm super excited and of you who want to come - it'll be a fabulous, rockin' night. It's general admission, so let's go early and get front row!!! It's always good to have something to look forward to as the summer ends. Goodbye summer, hello Jared Leto and Tyler Glenn.

Wannabe Groupies

So, my friend Tifani are very determined. We want to make a trip to Iowa (go figure) to see 30 seconds to Mars and Neon Trees - our favs, together again! Sadly, it costs money to do these things. I hate money, don't you? Well, nothing worthwhile is easy. So we have devised a little plan. My friend is an amazing massage therapist and will give a 60 minute massage at your house for $40 - a great deal! So come one, come all. It's a win win win situation. Seriously, let me know if you, your friends, your family, co workers, anyone is needing a relaxing massage. Let's face it, who doesn't need that?

Best/Worst of late

As my summer is sadly and quickly winding down, I thought that I better get a blog in while I have a lot more time. First a little recap of the last few weeks. I have gone to a couple of amazing concerts. I was able to see Kings of Leon thanks to my awesome connection of a friend who works for Zion's bank. She totally hooked me up with a VIP ticket. I'm not too familiar with their music, but it was a good time. A few of the highlights, a man crying about spilling his $16 worth of beer and nachos, three girls holding their beers directly over our heads as they were dancing, lots of smoking, going to the VIP tent and getting our photos taken on the red carpet, good sounding music... Later that same week my friends and I went to see Neon Trees. They are one of my very favorite groups now. They are from Provo - go local band!!! Check them out if you haven't yet.

I also went to a 2 day training about teaching astronomy - so cool! I can now tell you almost anything you would want to know about why we have seasons and the moon. It was a great opportunity that will help me (hopefully) be a better teacher.

Last weekend I got to again to my cabin with my family. It's always a favorite and we all love going there. Here's a quick recap of our highlights: pedicures and Steel Magnolias, a great day at the beach, a lot of games (including Password - Panda Plant.... a little inside, I know), great food, 14 hour power outage, wiping down and sealing all of the logs inside the cabin, lots of quality time with my newest niece, and just otherwise good humor and family time. We missed the Memmott side of our family, however, as they weren't able to come.

Yesterday, I went with 2 of my best buds to Lagoon. Kind of a spontaneous trip. It was a lot of fun. A few highlights: The L'orage show, giving the riders a score for their "re-entry" on the log ride as we waited in line, riding the log ride in the pouring rain, Wicked, riding the scrambler with my friend Tifani and giggling the whole time. Such a fun day!!

Now, I have 1 week left until going back for training for school and I have 2 main things in mind to accomplish before that time: getting the most summer relaxation/fun time I can and getting a few school things ready. I have gone in to school a few times over the summer and I am proud to say that I am in very good shape for the new year!! (knock on wood)

Now that you have a recap of some of the best things of the last few weeks, here's the best and worst of today.

BEST: Seeing a shirtless guy pop out the dumpster and throw a bag out as I was driving by. Very random... I hope he found what ever important thing that he lost.

WORST: Finding out that my latest attempt at pincurling my hair did not work at all. It turned in to a hat day because I did not want to do my hair again.

Best/Worst of the day

So, today I substituted at a Montessori School for the first time. I was more of an assistant to the head teacher, so mainly I got to play with some pretty adorable 3-5 year old kids. Quite a change from my usual 8-9 year olds.
Best part of the day (actually, I have two): teaching 5 girls to play "Down by the Banks" - they loved it!! Also, the two hour nap time after lunch was nice. I'd like to recommend that as a daily routine at my school.

Worst part: Driving home at 5:00 in 95 degree heat and rush hour traffic. It's been a long time since I had to do that. Being a teacher I don't often have to drive home when it's that hot, also there usually is no traffic coming home from my school in Santaquin.

Where do I live???

Teaching is the best job in the world! I say that now because it is July, smack dab in the middle of my summer vacation. June was a blur. So much so that I don't think that I spent more than 2 nights in a row at my house. I went to my cabin 3 times in the last month plus a trip to Disneyland. I love that place- it really is that happiest place on earth. By the way, if you have any plans to go, check out the new World of Color show at California Adventure. Go to California Adventure early (1/2 hour to one hour at least before it opens) and get a fast pass for the show that night. It's good and worth it to see at least once. Oh yes, also get a Dole Whip by the Tiki Room. Delicious!!!

Another amazing part of summers for me is that I get to spend some time with my friends. Perhaps that I have neglected a bit during the school year. I think that everything you do means more if you share it with someone else. As you fellow teachers can possibly attest to, it's easy to isolate yourself during the school year. Maybe even cut yourself off from the world in order to be a good teacher and all that that entails. But this summer, I hope I have reentered civilization. Some of the things that I have been able to share with my good friends this summer: road trips, rides, movies, outdoor movies, music, dinners, shave ice, four wheelers, sun, So You Think You Can Dance, Bachelorette, glitter toes, games, etc. I am so lucky to have exciting, entertaining, beautiful, generous friends. You know who you are and thanks for the memories!!

I have had an outstanding summer so far and am feeling recharged for the next school year. Did I just say that??? It's hard to believe that I have just over a month until it starts again. But thanks to my awesome, hardworking, fellow third grade teacher, we have put been getting things together and I am feeling pretty good about the new year. At least now I am - we'll see if that changes in the next few weeks. I am sure they will go by all too fast.

VIVA SUMMER!!