A Little Maintenance...

Beginning tomorrow, December 01, look forward a little overhaul on my blog.

I'm changing the way I do things...

Rather than just writing about what's going on in my life, which only a few people seem to care about, I will start blogging about things that interest me or annoy me, depending on my mood on any given day. Plus, that way, I can tell myself and those who agree with my more negative rants to "shut up and have a good time"... :-)

Looking back at my previous blog entries, I find it sort of sad that this is my thirty-fourth entry. I began this blog in July and only have thirty-four entries... How sad is that?!

Things will change tomorrow. I'm not saying that I'll blog everyday, but it'll certainly be more frequently than I have been. I've been letting my blog slip under the radar too much; it is now becoming a top priority of mine.

Enjoy the last day of November!

Time is NOT on My Side

Seriously? It's already November? Holy crap... Where does the time go?

There has been so much that I would've loved to blog about; however, I never seem to find the time. I even try to stay up with bloggers who post regularly, but that doesn't always go to plan either. Between work, Graduate school, and life in general, time is not my side.

I have finished my first Graduate course, and I received an A. Now, I know how the online Graduate program works, so I'm anxious to continue. It took a lot of adjusting to completing the assignments on my own time without attending lectures also. It's certainly a new challenge, but I really enjoyed it, so bring on the next course!

Being that it's November, it's that time of the year: The time for cooler weather, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Academy Award-caliber movies! I must say, it's my favorite time of the year!

The cooler weather thing cracks me up. I live in South Florida, so it rarely gets cold here. When I lived in Tallahassee, I'd wake up and see that it was 35 degrees outside. I would rejoice because I never had that experience living down here. I certainly do miss the coldness of North Florida... Plus, we've only had ONE cold front so far this year. Really?!

Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of my favorite holidays. Being that I'm older now, the presents and all of the excitement that they bring doesn't even matter to me anymore. I just enjoy spending time with my loved ones. Each day, I realize that I am one of the luckiest people in the world because I've been blessed with such a wonderful family and a terrific group of friends. The issue is... There never seems to be enough time to see them or visit with them. (Notice a trend? TIME! I told you... It's NOT on my side!) Therefore, Thanksgiving and Christmas allow me to take advantage of all of the missed opportunities of spending quality time with my family and friends.

Finally, the Academy Award-caliber movies are released during this time of year. Woo Hoo! Rhiannon and I spend a lot of time at the movie theater in November and December, especially, because we have, or take, the time off of work. Last year, for example, over one week of my Christmas Break, we saw 13 movies. I hope to top that this year between Thanksgiving Break and Christmas Break. We've certainly got a lot to see. Here is a quick list of what I'm anticipating to be Academy Award nominees in some way:

November Releases: Precious, The Messenger, Broken Embraces, The Road, and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. (There are other movies that I want to see in November, but I don't foresee them garnering any major award nominations, such as 2012, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Blind Side, Me and Orson Welles, Old Dogs, The Princess and The Frog, and The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Don't get wrong: If they were to receive nominations, that's fantastic!)

December Releases: Everybody's Fine, The Last Station, Up in The Air, Invictus, The Lovely Bones, A Single Man, Avatar, The Young Victoria, and It's Complicated. (Once again, there are others that I want to see: Brothers, Serious Moonlight, Did You Hear About The Morgans?, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Sherlock Holmes, and The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond.)

So much to see... So little time... I'll try to keep you posted on what I see and my thoughts, of course. It's definitely going to be an interesting awards season, so stay tuned!

Now, before my Sunday is over, I have to use my remaining time finishing laundry and ironing my clothes for the upcoming week. Then, if I have any time left over before dinner, I'd love to work towards finishing my reading from my Graduate course. (You read that correctly... My course is over, but I skipped some of the reading. So... Being the way that I am, I'm reading it now, so I can say that I actually did read it, even if it was after the assignment passed. Whatev!)

Enjoy the rest of your night, and use your time wisely!

Don't mind me... I'm going to shut up and have a good time!

Are You a GLEEK, Like Me?

While I have been enjoying several new shows this season, which I may blog about in the future, there is one that sticks out more than all of the others and deserves to be the first to be blogged about: Glee.


If you haven't heard of this show, you're certainly living under a rock. It has become a phenomenon! From the quirkiness of the characters and storylines to the fantastic musical numbers, this show has hit it big! It certainly deserves all of the attention that it's getting, too. It's wonderful!

Here's a little about the show, taken from its official site, for those who have never seen an episode:

The series follows an optimistic teacher, Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), who, against all odds and a malicious cheerleading coach, attempts to save McKinley High's Glee Club from obscurity, while helping a group of aspiring underdogs realize their true star potential. It's a tall order when the biggest stars of the group include Kurt (Chris Colfer), a soprano who hits a high note in fashion, Mercedes (Amber Riley), a larger-than-life diva with a voice to match, Artie (Kevin McHale), a geeky guitarist who rocks and rolls, and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), a punk rocker who hides behind her stutter and blue hair extensions.

Mr. Schuester's only hope lies with two true talents: Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), a self-proclaimed star who is convinced that MySpace and show choir are her tickets to fame, and Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith), the popular high school quarterback with movie star looks who must protect his reputation from his holier-than-thou girlfriend and "Cheerios" head cheerleader, Quinn (Dianna Argon), and his arrogant football teammate, Puck (Mark Salling).

Mr. Scheuster is determined to do whatever it takes to make Glee Club great again, but his only ally is fellow teacher and germaphobe Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays). Everyone else around him thinks he's nuts, from his tough-as-nails wife Terri Scheuster (Jessalyn Gilsig) to McKinley High's scheming cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), but he's out to prove them wrong.

That's the gist of the series... The actors are fantastic, especially Jane Lynch. She certainly deserves an Emmy nomination next year; she even deserves to win! Her comedic timing and delivery is flawless!



As I mentioned earlier, included in each episode are fantastic musical numbers! What's great is that each night after the episode airs, the songs are available in their entirety on iTunes. There has been a few occasions where I rush to my computer to download certain songs...

The music has become so big, in fact, that on November 03, 'Glee: The Music - Volume 01' is being released. Eighteen songs from the first part of the first season are included. Here is the track list, taken from iTunes:

01. "Don't Stop Believin'"
02. "Can't Fight This Feeling"
03. "Gold Digger"
04. "Take a Bow"
05. "Bust Your Windows"
06. "Taking Chances"
07. "Alone" (with Kristin Chenoweth)
08. "Maybe This Time" (with Kristin Chenoweth)
09. "Somebody to Love"
10. "Hate on Me"
11. "No Air"
12. "You Keep Me Hangin' on"
13. "Keep Holding on"
14. "Bust a Move"
15. "Sweet Caroline"
16. "Dancing with Myself"
17. "Defying Gravity"
18. "I Say a Little Prayer"

As you can see, the music ranges from classics to current hits. From Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" to Heart's "Alone" and Kanye West's "Gold Digger" to Celine Dion's "Taking Chances", this show covers it all. I look forward to the musical numbers in each episode; they're certainly a huge highlight.

If you haven't watched this show, do yourself a favor... TiVo it, watch it live, or watch it online the next day. You won't be disappointed! It airs on Wednesday nights at 09:00 on FOX.

Here are a few of my favorite moments from Glee:

Kristin Chenoweth appeared in 'The Rhodes Not Taken' as a former Glee Club member, April Rhodes, and performed three songs. This was my favorite: "Alone" with Matthew Morrison. (Download the full version on iTunes; it's fantastic!)


In one of the episodes, the boys and girls were split up and challenged to create their own "mash-ups" of two songs.

Here's the boys' mash-up of "It's My Life" and "Confessions: Part II".


Here's the girls' mash-up of "Halo" and "Walking on Sunshine".

One last thing... I read recently that the beginning stages of a Glee tour have commenced. I will certainly be attending, if they choose to come to South Florida. :-)

Time Certainly Does Fly...

Is it really already October? Where does the time go? It'll be December, which means the craziness of the holidays, very soon... That's insane!

Now, onto what I want to say.

I can't lie. I seriously contemplated getting rid of my blog altogether. I haven't posted in two weeks, I think. Plus, when I do post, it's only once a week, and the entry consists of what's going on in my busy life. That's not too exciting to read... I went from posting everyday about random things to just a quick update once a week. I didn't like that, so I thought my time in blogging had come to an end.

After thinking about it, I finally decided that I wouldn't discard my blog. I mean, after all, I promised myself and whoever reads what I have say that I would keep it going no matter what occurs in my life. I can't let work, school, and other things stop me from achieving a personal goal. I said in my very first entry that I seem to never follow through with anything...

I couldn't let this fall in that category, so here's my shot at keeping it going. Wish me luck!

I'll leave you with a picture from last week's Spirit Week at work. The day's theme was Movie Day, and the entire faculty and staff dressed as Dalmatians, complete with dog collars and special nicknames, to correlate with Becky's Cruella DeVil. We're awesome like that!

What a Week!

Last week was certainly an interesting week in all aspects...

First off, I was completely exhausted throughout the entire week. I could barely keep my eyes open when I got off of work everyday. I prayed that I wasn't in the beginning stages of getting sick... So far, I've been good. I made sure to get plenty of rest this weekend to prepare for next week.

At the beginning of the week, I found out that I'd be adding Science to my teaching regime. Last year and up until now, there was a separate teacher for Fifth Grade Science. Rather than go through all of the details, I'll just say that I'll be teaching Science from now on. I'm split about this... Half of me is really excited about developing a love for Science through teaching it, as well as a fantastic salary increase, which really comes in handy as Rhiannon and I plan our wedding. On the other hand, I'm a little nervous because I've never been the best at Science. My grades in school were always average, and I have limited experience teaching it. Hopefully, after a week or two, I'll really get into a groove and enjoy it. Above all of that, I want my students to enjoy themselves! Science is four times a week, so I will spend two days going over the material using textbooks and workbooks and the other two days conducting experiments/labs and participating in interactive games/activities on the SmartBoard. I'll keep you posted on how it all goes... Wish me luck, and pray for me!

Even before all of this occurred, I watched The Emmys on Sunday night. I must say that I enjoyed them overall, but was completely shocked at many of the winners. Rather than go through each category AGAIN, here is a rundown of my thoughts:

• I loved Neil Patrick Harris as the host. He was very entertaining and kept the show running smoothly.
• I'm wondering if they read my blog because the show was split into five sections, as were my entries regarding the nominees. Hmm... :-)
• I'm happy that Grey Gardens received a lot of Emmys, but still upset that Jessica Lange beat Drew Barrymore!
• I'm still in a state a shock that Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men), Michael Emerson (Lost), Kristin Chenoweth (Pushing Daisies), and Cherry Jones (24) won.
• I absolutely LOVED that Glenn Close (Damages) and Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) won two years in a row! So deserving!
• I'm a little bummed that Family Guy didn't pull an upset and win Outstanding Comedy Series...

The new season of television shows has begun! Some of the new shows that I highly recommend are Community (NBC), Cougar Town (ABC), Glee (FOX), Modern Family (ABC), and Eastwick (ABC). If you haven't seen those shows, do yourself a favor: Set your TiVo! You'll love 'em!

Until next weekend... Have a great week!

Quick Update...

I have just a few minutes for a quick update...

Things are super busy in my life right now. Between work and school, I feel like I don't have a lot of time for other activities. (I do always seem to squeeze in one of my favorite things, TiVo!)

Work is fantastic! My students continue to grow scholastically and socially, and I continue to enjoy waking up each day and going to work. I look forward to spending the day with them, which is certainly a good thing.

School is keeping me busy outside of work. I'm reading, watching segments on the DVD from my course, and completing a few assignments a week. My first grades have been good, so I'm excited about that. (I haven't lost my touch of being a good student. HaHa!)

Tonight is one of my favorite events: The Emmy Awards! I hope to be able to blog about the winners this week after comparing them with my previous entry, where I picked who I wanted to win in each category.

Well... Dinner's ready, and The Emmys will be starting in less than hour. Goodnight!

Altering My Goals...

So... This past week has made me realize that I need to alter my goals when it comes to this blog. Originally, I wanted to write an entry everyday about various things. That was certainly logical over the summer when I wasn't working.

Now, I'm back to work. Every afternoon, I come home with papers to grade, TiVo to catch up on, and dinner to sometimes make and always eat. (After all, I'm not one to miss a meal!) By the time that I'm done with all of that, I'm too pooped to blog.

This past week added something else to my already-busy schedule... I began working towards my Masters degree. I've been accepted to Walden University, an online Graduate school, and my focus is on Elementary Reading and Literacy. So... Expect lots of blogging about the ups and downs of "attending" Graduate school online.

So far, it's been great, but pretty busy. I have lots to read and several assignments to complete each week. My first course, Teacher As Professional, is an eight-week course. After that, I'm done for the semester and will take another course in January. That way, I won't become too overwhelmed. By taking only one course a semester, it will take me four years to obtain my Masters degree. What's the rush, though... Right?

On top of ALL of that, my foot has been giving me some issues this week. It began hurting a while ago, and I ignored it, thinking that it'd go away. Well... It didn't. I went to the doctor, who requested some x. rays from the hospital. I did that on Wednesday morning and found out on Thursday that the x. rays came back negative: No breaks or fractures. While that's fantastic news, I still have no idea why my foot is still hurtin' like hell. We'll see what happens this week.

As you can see, I've had quite a busy week. This is exactly why my goals for this blog have changed. Rather than attempt to post everyday, I will blog once a week, at least. If I find the time to blog more than that, I certainly will. :-)

Take a Tour of My Classroom

As you know, I teach Fifth Grade at a private school in my hometown of Boynton Beach, Florida. I finally took pictures of my classroom to share with you, my readers.

When you enter the classroom, this is your first glimpse:

Hanging above the desks are three strings of yarn with this title: "We Are a Tee-rrific Class!"

During the first week of school, I have my students create poster board shirts that represent them. They have certain directions to follow, including what to put on each sleeve. The students present their shirts to the class on Friday, and I hang them up with clothespins for the month of September. (Thanks to Kristi, my supervising teacher from my internship, for introducing this activity to me. I pretty much stole it from her!)

To the left of the desks, you'll see various items, including cabinets, mailboxes, and trays where my students turn in their classwork. Also, notice the map of the United States and the row of Presidents on the wall. (Those were certainly fun to hang... HaHa!)

If you were to look straight ahead when you walk in, you'd be looking at the items in the next picture. There's an overhead projector, which last year's class named Neil, some bulletin boards, and other random things...

Once you begin walking into my classroom, you'll notice the amazing technology! I've been blessed to have a SmartBoard. The school only has a handful of 'em, and my classroom is one of the lucky ones to have access! In order to use a SmartBoard, it must be hooked up to a computer and a projector.

Last year, I had it hooked up to my main computer. It was really awkward to use because the students had to sit on the floor in front of it, and I didn't particularly care for that. Rhiannon stepped in and bought me a laptop for Christmas to use strictly for the SmartBoard. It works perfectly now; the students can stay in their desks when we use it. :-)

When I was in Fifth Grade, my teacher created a bulletin board that had all of our names in a crossword puzzle. I've never forgotten it, so I decided to make it a tradition for me by doing it in my own classroom.

The back part of my classroom is used for small group instruction, including the use of Eggspert, which is an interactive game where the students buzz in their answers. I use Eggspert every week when I review for a quiz from the current section of the novel that we're reading. The students LOVE it!

In the back of the classroom, I also have an amazing classroom library. Thanks to donations, gifts, and my own spending, it is well-stocked, and I feel like I have one of the best classroom libraries on campus.

Plus, I have to represent my college, Florida State University, by displaying some memorabilia! (And... If you look closely, you'll see a poster of Bette Midler with her children's book, The Saga of Baby Divine. My classroom wouldn't be complete without The Divine Miss M.!)

Every classroom needs a job chart, and mine is no exception! I use a money system in my classroom, so I "pay" my students to complete their jobs each week. The students love it! (The money system also came from Kristi... She's the best; what can I say?!)

Accelerated Reader (AR) is vital in schools today. (I didn't have it when I went to school!) Students must obtain a certain amount of points each quarter by reading novels and taking comprehension tests. This is where I keep track of my students' progress.

Finally, I'm blessed yet again to have a bathroom in my classroom. I don't have the craziness of having to send students out of the classroom to use the restroom.

I take advantage of the space by hanging up my students' acolyte robes and blazers that they wear for Chapel on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

So... There you have it! You've just toured my Fifth Grade classroom without even coming to Boynton Beach!

I love my classroom, and I'm so proud of how it looks. I'm glad that I could show it to you all. :-)

One Week Down...

What a fantastic first week of school/work! I really enjoyed getting to know my new students and their parents, as well as getting a sneak peek at what this year will bring.

First off, my students' parents seem to be very supportive. This is such an important aspect of a classroom, I've come to learn. I have four really helpful and great Room Parents, and I also have a handful of parents who have offered their services whenever needed. I'm just so lucky to have a group of parents who are willing to help out in any way, shape, or form. (Thank you!)

The students are also a great group. I have 17 students. Only one of them is new this year; I knew the other 16 pretty well last year. That made for an easy transition for all of us.

We had a fun and busy week that was full of introducing the routines and procedures of my classroom. I'm a very organized and anal person, so I expect things to be done in a certain way. My students learned that this week. :-)

Next week, we will delve into our curriculum and actually begin Fifth Grade. I can't wait!

With that being said, I want to state some things that I have learned from college, my internship with my fantastic supervising teacher who I am still good friends with, and from my first year of teaching that I feel are important for all teachers and aspiring teachers to know:

• There are challenges in each classroom, which is what makes the job of teaching so rewarding. It may seem like you'll die from how hard a student is making your life, but you're truly making a difference in both of your lives by being there for him or her.
  
• Your co-workers are the best support group that you'll ever have! Find another teacher on your campus that has been teaching for a long time and has seen it all. They will listen, give advice if asked, and always be there for you. (Luckily, my mentor from last year, Audrey, became one of my closest friends at work. She is still mentoring me and will hopefully continue throughout my career because she's such a great role model and friend.)
• Don't get me wrong... Your family and friends are great support groups, as well. :-)
  
• You will have days where it seems like nothing is going your way. Do not fear... Everyone in every profession has days like this. Just get through it as best as you can by praying and asking God for strength!
  

That's enough for now... I'm not a seasoned/veteran teacher by any means, but I have learned a lot in the past three and a half years: Two years in the College of Education with a semester of interning, substitute teaching for a semester, and my first year of teaching.

I'm eagerly anticipating the second week of school! I can't wait to start teaching and showing my students how fun and exciting learning is! :-)

"I'm Like The Ringleader; I Call The Shots..."

On Wednesday, September 02, Rhiannon, Sarah, and I headed down to Miami to see The Circus: Starring Britney Spears for the second time this year. (We went to her show in March, as well, which is where the above advertisement is from.) I had read that she was "revamping" the show with new costumes, new dance routines, and adding a new song, "Mannequin", so we bought tickets.

Plus, the three of us just heart us some Britney Spears, so we would've gone even if it was the exact same show from March...

The show began with THREE opening acts... Kristinia DeBarge, One Call, and Jordin Sparks. After suffering through the first two, I really enjoyed Jordin Sparks. (I love "Battlefield" and "Tattoo"!) The opening acts finished up a little after 08:30 PM.

Then, a countdown clock appeared on the screens, telling us that The Circus would start in twenty-two minutes...

When the twenty-two minutes were up, The Big Apple Circus performed for what seemed like an eternity. I can only stand to watch acrobatics for so long without becoming extremely bored. (Couldn't they have performed during the twenty-two-minute period?)

Yes... They are amazing.

Yes... I could never do any of the stunts if my life depended on it.

However... I didn't come to see them; I came to see Britney Spears!

After they finished up, the show started. Perez Hilton, who I'm not a fan of at all, welcomed the audience in a video dressed as Queen Elizabeth. Enough said...

Here's the set list from Wednesday night, which is broken up into four main sections. I tried to find a picture from each section, so that you could see some of her outfits... Enjoy!

Act I: The Circus

• Welcome to The Circus (Video Introduction)
• "Circus"
• "Piece of Me"
• "Radar"

Act II: House of Fun (Anything Goes)

• "Ooh, Ooh, Baby"/"Hot As Ice"
• "Boys"
• "If U Seek Amy"
• "Me Against The Music" (Bollywood Remix)
• "Everytime"

Act III: Freakshow/Peepshow

• "Freakshow"
• "Get Naked (I Got a Plan)"
• "Breathe on Me"

Act IV: Electro Circ

• "Do Somethin'"
• "I'm a Slave 04 U"
• "Toxic"
• "...Baby, One More Time"

Encore: "Womanizer"

Now, it's time for my thoughts... Let me preface this by saying that I'm a HUGE fan of Britney Spears. I think that she's had some really rough times in the past, but I truly feel that she's on the mend. This "comeback" tour for her "comeback" album really proved that she is a gifted entertainer. (By the way, if you don't own 'Circus', you should. It's a fantastic album!)

Okay... Here we go...

My Thoughts:

• The fact that she lip-syncs throughout the entire show, except for "Everytime", doesn't really bother me. It's because she performs so well, and there's so much to see onstage. This is truly a show and not a concert.
  
• With 'Circus' being such a wonderful album, I was a bit disappointed that only the "singles" were performed: "Womanizer", "Circus", "If U Seek Amy", and "Radar". The album is full of other great tracks, including "Kill The Lights", "Shattered Glass", and "Unusual You".
• One of the reasons that Rhiannon, Sarah, and I wanted to see the show again was to see her perform "Mannequin", another great track off of 'Circus'. For some unknown reason, it wasn't performed...
• "Touch of My Hand" was also missing from the set list, which she did perform in March. (This didn't bother us at all because we're not fans of that song!)
• The beginning of the show is spectacular with "Circus" and "Piece of Me" being performed back-to-back. Those are two of my favorite songs, and the performances are fantastic.
• In my opinion, the show hits a bit of a lull during the Freakshow/Peepshow segment. Besides "Get Naked (I Got a Plan)", I don't care for the other songs... Luckily, once again, the performances are enough to keep you engaged.
• I'm glad that she touched upon some of her older hits, like "Me Against The Music", "I'm a Slave 04 U", and "Toxic".
• Speaking of "Me Against The Music", the Bollywood theme is fantastic!
  
• "Everytime" is performed live, and she does a wonderful job. (In March, she sat on an umbrella that floated above the stage while singing this song. On Wednesday, she told the audience that some of her stage was "down", so she stood center stage and sang. It was a neat moment because there wasn't any glitz or glam; it was just her.)

All in all, it's a terrific show that I highly recommend. If she's coming to your area, get tickets. You won't be disappointed!