Life of the Party

     A year can come and go,      But our feelings will always show      That you were more than just a name      More than a part of this game       Fishing tales and tying hooks       You never had to open a book        To teach me what was important in life       How to live and be a good wife      Every October will be hard      In the woods alone I will be on guard      I will use the lessons you taught      Because you always thought       The best of me was real      And I just never figured out that deal      Thank you for always being the grandparent      Who never knew you were really a second parent.      Who helped raise a crazy child       While she wanted to run free and wild ...

      I'm so thankful for all our service men and women. They should be treated better, paid top salary, and have all accommodations afforded to them. They sacrifice their prime years for us and they deserve the best. Hopefully one day everyone will see that! 

       Enjoy the following images of my surrounding snow covered property! I'm sad to say that the snow has covered up the beautiful Fall trees that we have to offer. Most of the trees haven't even lost all of there Fall decor yet. I guess the snow will take care of that.              It was so cold that my phone and camera kept fogging up. I was so mad that I couldn't take better pictures to share. It's always a good thing to have a back up plan, but clearly I didn't plan ahead and failed to bring a third camera. 

I'm hooked....         It's as simple as that. Being glued to my television for hours has become a habit twice a week. There is nothing else to do in this town. One any given day one can drive by our Mcdonalds and see the local "rebels" ganged up in trucks out beside it. What is a girl to do?  Believe it or not, I actually went to town and didn't run into anyone I knew while in Ingles. So, YES!  GRIM has become my new obsession. The storyline and characters have captivated me.          I haven't found a TV series to fully engage my attention in a long time. I can only hope that this show will continue to manifest itself. Becoming a fan of a show is really hard for me and often enough I give up and stop watching it. The stories remind me of the fairy tales I read as a child. This has just provided me with a more adult portrayal of the themes. This is a show that many age ranges could enjoy if they were made aware of its presence....

    Our leaves haven't even fallen off yet! I was super excited to end my halloween night with snow and freezing rain! This is odd weather for this time of year, but maybe this is a sign that the winter season will be short. I went to the local Ingles Friday and I couldn't even find any bread nor milk on the shelves. Everyone was running around in town getting candy for the Halloween events, while I was trying to get food for the up coming snow. 

     This movie was amazing. I was literally engaged the entire movie. While reading the book I had imaged a completely different set of faces for the characters, but this caste seemed to completely out shadow all my previous thoughts. I laughed and cried during the same ten minutes spans of time. The storyline was both thrilling and heartfelt.        Being bored after school can only be solved through a movie night. Mom and I made the trek up to Sylva, NC. My hormonal butt was perfectly planted beside my mom. She and I both needed tissues before the end of the first thirty minutes. Falling in love with characters is not something that I take lightly, but honestly this is an amazing movie. Thank you so much for this movie. Who ever took the time and effort to put this all together is talented and gifted.           I posted on Facebook that I had went and saw this movie. Everyone decided that this was crazy and ...

          My birthday was super sweet and having to work that day wasn't that bad. My students all seemed to join in on the fun of picking on me. :)    Who could help but laugh?  My day was spent in laughs and smiles. I can only hope that there will be more days like that!  I decided to share what some of my students brought me.       My eighth graders came down to visit me. I really do miss them too!  Some of my students even brought me food and treats. I still wish I knew how they found out? 

     I ended up having to spice up my lessons with some Halloween additives. It is never detrimental to always have a back up plan. Students often become bored or lulled by the daily routine, and sometimes we have to be creative. Enticing seventh graders to get excited about the reading was actually like pulling teeth from a raging cougar. Okay..... SO IT WASN'T that hard!      I have them some nonfiction to read about that concerned what Halloween is really about. My students weren't really enthused to learn about this material until I found this link that provided a short film to go with it.  Students enjoyed reading about the Salem witch trials and learning about the tests that were given. In turn each group was responsible for explaining one assigned person's death that they had to look up. Some of these people were men, which added to the overall conclusion of the class: Most people were accused due to past misdoing. Middle schools student...

       I've had this gadget for about eight months now, and honestly I feel as if I've got my money's worth out of it. My pink bracelet that goes around it is stained and ugly now, but that is perfectly okay. I can alway purchase another one in another color. I was upset to find out that the company didn't replace it if it stained after a week's wear, but that is okay too. What was I expecting?       The battery life of my unit hasn't been too bad either. I wear it seven days a week and only have to charge it three times a week. I don't think that is too bad. I was surprised at how well it works considering I use the alarm clock every morning. The vibration should have caused the battery to deplete faster, but it didn't. This is a nifty little gadget that has come in handy on a daily basis. I have no fitbit friends to keep me motivated, but trying to bet last week's step count is always my goal. My mom seemed to think it was a complete waste of mon...

Oh this movie wasn't even worth the forty-five minute drive to the nearest theater. One sure thing you can expect about living in a small town, is that you will get your "driving time" in. We say the movie trailer for Annabelle and decided that it would be a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.             First of all, that doll is just creepy. I think the intention should have been scary, but it was unsuccessful. There was a handful of people there watching this film. I walked away angered and disappointed. I like horror movies that make me jump and cringe. The hype that backed this movie was false advertisement and frankly, I was just upset that they didn't do a better job with this. My students had been talking about this movie and even excited about getting to see it. I can't wait to see their reactions. I wonder if they will feel the same way?            I will admit that it did have a good storyline ...

     Fridays are so relaxing and exciting. I felt like a child today because I counted down the time until I could leave work. Today was a teacher work day, which means my day was spent planning and grading papers. It's always boring when the students aren't there. I looked at my pacing guide and realized that I'm officially two weeks behind in curriculum. I think this coming week will be spent on catching up and covering notes.       Teacher work days are also very quiet......       The hallway was almost erie and silent, except for my blaring music that was buzzing from my room. I was walking back from the teacher lounge and realized how the low hum from inside my room made the hallway even more creepy. I ended up propping my door open and welcoming anyone who passed by. Only a hand full of teachers even came to school today. No surprise there! lol 

          Let me just say how amazing it is!  I'm super excited for all my students and I hope the stickball game goes great tonight. I was literally caught in traffic for about thirty minutes trying to get out of Cherokee this afternoon. One word of advice for travelers. Get there early and pack a umbrella! I hope the rain holds off. Actually, I think the game will go on even if it does rain. My students were ecstatic about tonight' s events.           The activities may not be everyone's forte, but the food is another reason to come on out! Food can and does end up pleasing everyone and I'm sure there is something for everyone here in Cherokee. One of my students brought in bean bread this morning, and I was so thankful. Living here in the mountains is truly remarkable. We get to celebrate all walks of life and heritage. 

     I think collaborative learning is the way to go, but often I also find that it's hard to keep them on task. So, the solution is that I will let them tackle two out of five assignments in "learning communities." Things to Consider:  1. I have prearranged groups for some of these activities. I needed to make sure that these groups were going to actually work.  2. Some class periods will be divided up randomly. I will have them pick up Popsicle sticks from a cup that are colored coded. Certain colors will sit at certain tables. 3. Give DIRECTIONS first!!!!! 4. Plan ahead and decided what will happen when a group doesn't exactly work out.  5. Have the groups display their work back to the whole class.  6. Peer evaluations. ( I have found that this is a great way to minimize one student doing all the work and the other doing all the coping.)  7. Have a task sheet or have the tasks written on the board.  ...

       I had my students do a book/ movie comparison. I was amazed to find out that most of my class was divided in their opinions of which was better. I preferred the book because you actually got to know all the characters and you got to see things through Joey's perspective. The movie did not provide this for me and I felt like it missed what the book really displayed. As always, my middle schools students surprise me with what they had to say. One student said that, "maybe they make movies to show how America has lost its ability to have creativity." I was speechless. I wanted to have something "light" for them to do today. I hadn't realized that the movie would take three class periods. I guess I need to plan ahead next time.          Tomorrow is Indian Heritage day and we will not be having school. Our students were encouraged to go to the annul Fair in Cherokee. They were all supper excited. Their anticipation and excitement could no...

Welcome to my sixth grade classroom!   Although I really enjoy my seventh graders, I have the unique ability to teach both this year. I hope you enjoy the following pictures. Please feel free to share your ideas! I paired the literature circles up in groups of two or three. Each group was responsible for a series of questions and this final project. The poster includes: a summary, list of characters, plot map, and key vocabulary. My students seemed to enjoy this and I believe this project will be repeated again next year! Most of my students had a hard time drawing a horse outline so i decided to help them out. I projected the image on the wall and they traced it out.        War Horse was a terrific novel to read. I had to spend most of my time explaining the terminology, but it was totally worth my time and effort. I was wanting some of my peer teachers to provide some useful feedback if they had any.

     It never fails! Each week I sit for about an hours planning what we will be doing the following week. Well...... everything seems to fall through here lately. I literally sit and map out everything on scrap paper before transcribing it over into my official lesson plan book. I wanted my students to have opportunities to do more group work, but it seems that group work only makes our work take twice as long.        I promise to post pictures of their projects with in a week. I didn't get to see all of my classes as planned. I had forgot about an early release day and that this past week was our homecoming. 

      Getting my students to explore new books is like pulling teeth! I have learned that literature circles is the answer to my problem. They really like to work together and having a team mate to get things done with seems to ease the tension. We are currently reading the awesome book, War Horse . Most of my classes seem to really enjoy the book. I will be posting some of their projects. Hopefully we will have this book completed before the end of this month!         

It just isn't worth my time going out to these games.   I wanted to go and support my students, but nothing went was planned. A angry parent ruined my entire day.  Hopefully, I will never experience that kind of reception again. 

         Waiting on hold is not how I want to spend my Saturday morning.   When the Verison employee answered the phone I was completely lost. First of all he didn't even understand my question and he didn't really seem to want to help me.   He was speaking in complete lingo so I was lost in translation.   Maybe it was his broken English/ misuse of vocabulary, or maybe it was my aggravation, but now I'm just mad! I vehemently called the customer service line!           I wasted two hours of my day to get one simple problem fixed. 

   I usually don't get caught up in TV shows, but a friend convinced me to watch True Blood. I was almost immediately hooked. I cannot believe that I have missed six seasons of this HBO show. I watched all six seasons within a month on my days off. My mom wouldn't approve and secretly this seems funny.      I would love to hear other people's insight about this show. 

     It's a few weeks before school starts back and I'm once again caught in that awkward moment of wanting to extend summer and wanting school to start back. I spent most of the day out in our old fishing boat with my dad, and before you ask ( YES ) it was blazing hot. The figs weren't biting, but our conversations were genuine. It's during these random moments that I treasure having the choice of summers without work.       There wasn't many people out enjoying lake Fontana today, but that was just fine by me. I hate sharing anyways. We rode all the way down to the dam and only saw a hand full of boats.     When school starts there will be no time for fishing and tanning out on the boat. I will not be battling endless misquotes and flies. I will not be listening to the distant sound of a humming boat nod wishing it was us riding around. I will not be stalking fish with my dad while listening to his old fishing tales. I will be in my classroo...

     Sometimes I believe I'm indecisive. I was going to spend my summer on the lake and working my part time job, but things have changed. I am currently participating in Cultural Summer School. I have the luxury of working in a community that values their past and will embellish their students in it. This year the program has offered native plants as a topic. Of course this is what I was wanting to help with. We have discovered what plants can be used as medicine, editable, or for dyeing.      Our students had to go out and collect samples from outside to add to their plant books. They learned that Maples can be used as food and that the leaves can be brewed. I looked this up on the internet and couldn't find this information anywhere, but our fellow instructor insured us that this is true. My students ranged from first to seventh grade and we had all ability groups. I was lucky enough to have two students that I have previously taught this year....

    I just want to say that I'm truly thankful for my job and its location. As I was leaving campus I had the chance to see the elk. They are so graceful and have learned to completely ignore the cars. These comedians held traffic up for nearly thirty minutes.             Some of the younger ones weren't tagged or collared for data information. I think these were last year's babies. Normally, they travel in larger herds, but these guys seem to be okay in this small group. These pictures were taken directly in front of the school.            This is a picture of the entire herd. This is the smallest herd that I have seen this year. Most of the herd consisted of young elks. When we tried to get by them they would just out in front of the car. I had the chance to observe their aggressive behavior, when a motorist beeped their horn the elk charged the car. These elegant creatures make appearances daily and...

     I was always taught that there were two types of trout in the creek. A trout was either a stock fish or a native one. Stock fish are seen as the "lesser fish" and they are usually very small and sickly. My grandmother decided to go fishing without me and caught her limit. her biggest fish was a native that is worth mentioning. Below you find a picture of it.        The fish is mostly brown hence the name, "brown trout." This native trout is going to be the bulk of our conversations for months. She was smiling ear to ear when she walked through the door. We are outdoor people who enjoy fishing and getting dirty.  Grandma has spent her evenings looking for green worms on trees for days. She finally had a bucket full of them and this is the result of hard work. 

      Every year my grandmother has made her famous strawberry jam. It isn't really famous, but we have called it this for years. She spends hours in the kitchen slaving over a hot stove and pressure cooker.  Every small town has it's (set in stone) traditions and my families just happens to be jam. This year will be different, and somehow I feel incomplete. Strawberries will not be ripe for a few more weeks, but we have already started the process of finding containers and making sure they are all clean.       Grandma starts out collecting sugar in small batches. They local grocery store always gives her a hassle if she buys the sugar in bulk. They think she might be using it for something illegal. Come on now! Really? She is a little old white haired frail woman who wants to cook in quantity. Once she has her sugar, she beings looking for local farmers who have surplus berries. I have been on several outings where we have done nothing but talk to p...

       It's tank top weather guys!   I decided that this summer will be spent fishing and working my part time job at BP. Hopefully I will get the opportunity to relax after summer school is over. It's the simple life for me...        I believe I might even go to the beach. 

                  First off you need to know how many days you will need to pack for. You will need to know the conditions and environment, in which you will be visiting. I great word of advice would be to always pack some sort of light rain jacket. It never hurts to plan for rain. Lay out all your items and keep a count of “outfits.”   How big is your suit case? The downfall of packing usually consists of not knowing how much you can pack.                 Are you going to fold your clothes? Have you ever tried rolling the cloths? Usually, this will save you some space as well. Never be afraid of over packing. You never know if you will need the extra stuff. Underwear is a must and having too much of it cannot be a bad thing. Put your bigger items on the bottom of the suit case. The smaller items can go on the top. Y...

          I guess we are supposed to be married by the age of twenty-five, or we become “strange.” The fact that I am 24 and not married has really been a blessing. The elders in my closed minded community would greatly disagree with me. It is their understanding that every woman is to be married and having children. Many of my peers have already completed this milestone and are living the “true life.” I’m just not ready to move into a trailer park and call it quits.           There has to been more in life than this. I want to explore and have freedom. We seem to be in this mindset that all females are homemakers or caregivers. I think we as a society have tarnished what young women could be. I will not bind myself to a trailer park and have children. I am more than these typical small town girls. I have come to the conclusion that we only live once and why waste that precious time. My g...

       Every morning consists of the same ritual. We wake up, eat breakfast, and watch News 13. We are very set in this tradition. This morning there was a gay couple shown on the TV and for the first time in years no one had anything negative to say. I found this to be remarkable.         Small towns are usually rumored to have bias opinions on those who live an alternative life style. I was actually amazed that it is becoming a “norm.” Maybe thing are really changing and one day we will be up to speed. I was actually glad that NEWS 13 had made this couple a spotlight in their early morning report. Thank you!

       We have a week until school lets out, and the students will be finished with EOGs here in a few days. So I was asked, "What now?" That was the key question of the day.  We have been prepping all year for this crazy test, so now what to we do?

Well, we did it. My students have a week of fun to look forward to. I cannot believe how fast this year has passed me by. All the agitation and stress has really been worth it. This summer still seems like a life time away. We have already begun our tourism months and the motorcycles have taken over. My early morning commute is often delayed by slow moving people from Florida who have never seen a curve before. The speed limit will be around 50 mph, but they are driving 30… Small town summers are exactly what I expected them to be. I will be working and gardening all summer. Hopefully, the lake will warm up and I’ll be swimming a majority of the time. I will not be thinking about school or my kids. I will not be doing endless lesson plans and rushing to get things completed. I will be relaxing and working at the BP. I have often wondered what like was like for a teacher when there was no school. I guess I will finally get to find out. Your whole day is usually circling curriculu...

                 Trees can reflect us as a people. You can only survive by you smallest leaf when you are working together. My yard is filled with trees of all kinds. They shelter use from storms and hide us away from the sun. I've lived my whole life under the shade of a tree, and it has been a good one. My favorite tree is located down in the field. I've spent many days sitting lazily under that tree. It is a tall redbud tree with beautiful leaves and a wide spread of limbs.                  We grow and thrive on our surroundings. I have been really thinking about themes for next year's units. Living in mountainous community has made me realize that I can inspire my students with their understanding of woodlands. I will be able to make the comparison with my students: Your Life As a Tree. I can even aline poetry with this. 

                 It's hard to believe that a whole school year really only comes down to one moment. They only get a snap shot of each student's potential. I'm at a loss for words as my students have their last weekend before their exams.                 I will not get to see any of my student’s tomorrow due to the dreaded MSL testing. Today was my last opportunity to encourage my students to take their time and really focus. I hate seeing them worry about a test. The stress only surmounts as the days grows closer. If only we could find another way to access their knowledge. I have taught my curriculum all year, only to spend the last three weeks on test prep. I have trudged through prep for the last few weeks and I’m really tired of all this. I hate that our whole year of reading and writing will come down to a test. The test will not see ...

     Starting my week off on a Tuesday is just ridiculous. I have felt off all day and I have called it Monday all day. I even wrote it across my board. I had the most productive substitute teacher yesterday. She organized my room and completed everything that I had left for my kids. I can honestly say she was a true professional.      We often forget about our substitute teacher and we under appreciate them. I have had the Tuesday Blues all day. First off, I wanted to come in and start on review for figurative language and I didn't get to see all my students. I also missed the fact that I recieved a new student yesterday. I feel as if I have missed so much in one day. 

    I love my smartphone, but sometimes the cost is just too much. It's such a luxury to have a cell phone, but I'm currently annoyed. I do not get service at my house and therefore renders my phone useless at home. I also feel angry about paying a bill and only using it half the time. I need it when I'm out and about. We still have a "land line."  I can only wish and hope for service here.     I'm thankful I have service close to home. I can drive twenty minutes out and get service. I think if more towers were placed out and about they would have more coverage and users. Mom told me that we would gladly switch over when we have service. I can still remember the days of dial up internet. It was only last year that we recieved DSL in my area. As a small community we were skipped over I guess. 

     Now that I'm getting a little older, Monday's come and go so fast. This morning was filled with dread as I drove into town. Usually mom accompanies me, but this time I was on my own.     The court house was as pale as ever, with it's menacing double mahogany doors. I have failed (NOT INTENTIONALLY) to do my civic duty and now I have to answer for it. I never recieved a letter stating that I had to do jury duty, or I would have gone. No one gave me a curtesy call or came by, so now I have a day at court. This is so humiliating and I just know that this will get back to grandma's church circle.       I wasn't notified, so I don't believe I should get treated like a common criminal. As I was driving across the mountain I noticed the pinkish red sky, and I thought for a second that this was a warning. I the sky was breathtakingly beautiful.        Dread filled me as I parked my car. Why did this have to happen? If the...

     I had to work this morning, so I wasn't here to greet her. Sometimes the morning shift is too much for me to handle, but I really needed this second job. Getting up at 4:30AM isn't my cup of sweet tea! I didn't get home until two this afternoon.       Mother's are really God's way of extending his protection. My mom has really tried her best to raise me right and instill good solid morals. How often we forget those who mean the most? I know I do. I don't know what I would do without my mom. To all moms out there here are a few words I wanted to share with you: You make everyday special and thank you for that! We really appreciate everything you do, and one day you child will realize this. Moms are God's extended hands and YES, YOU COUNT. Thank you for your unconditional love. Thank you for the endless meals that you cook, and the special lunches that you have packed.       I would now like to thank my mom: Thank you ...

                My grandmother always says, “That a homemade cake shows more about you as a person than store bought one.” She also tells me that, “you are only as good as your cake.” I actually despise cooking in general, but I prefer to bake. Baking can be a creative way to express yourself. I enjoy decorating my food instead of just cooking it. I thought I would allow my readers some insight into small town cooking.   PORK CHOPS Done right: What you will need: 1 packet (1 ounce) Hidden Valley ® Original Ranch   Seasoning Mix 6 or 7 pork chops about 1-inch thick (You may want to shred it) dash of garlic powder salt and pepper splash of lemon juice Directions: ü   Preheat oven to 435 and make sure the grease your pan, because we don’t want anything to stick ü   Premix your seasonings you may also deem it necessary to add some additional...

        It is strange, and I'm sure most people wouldn't understand. Mom and I are excited to say that we bought a new lawnmower. If your yard is as big as ours it's necessary to always have one in working condition. Life is so boring here in the south, that this lawn mower will be what my mom discusses with everyone she sees. YEAH!  She will say, "It's yellow and it came in a box. Imagine that? The old thing wasn't even put together, so I had to put on my big girl panties and do it by myself.                             Nothing exciting happening here. LOL                    She is currently so bummed out about the rain. She was like a kid in a candy store, when we brought the mower home. She went straight to work assembling it. I was amazed at how determined she could be. Mother's day is this coming Sunday and I need to remember to ...

Here we go...                   This is my first year of teaching and honestly, I have come to dread the EOG. Making prep into a game has really lightened the mood in my class. It’s not completely “horrible” to my students when they get rewarded for winning the game. First off I put all literary terms on flash cards. I can only play this game once they have covered all the terms.                  The students have around 140 cards. Some of the cards contain examples. They are to have three cards a piece. They are to form a line and tell me one of their terms. In return each student receives a point and an additional card. With each card the students become competitive and want to know what it means. This is a good way to kill two birds with one stone. I have observed that with time the student get to where there is no h...

      I think everyone has a addiction, but mine seems to be the strangest thing ever. I need an intervention and I need it now. What I don't need is someone dictating over me. I have grown up with overbearing parents and I don't need another mom.      I used the term, "we" because I know that I'm not the only one who suffers from a shopping addiction. I cannot go into a store without buying something, and this has only continued to progress as I've gotten older. The things I buy most are cloths and shoes. I officially have 32 pairs of shoes in my closet and enough clothing to float a boat. So, NO I don't need anyone telling me my business.      We don't need people coming into our community and introducing zoning either!  I feel that this may change our surroundings. I do not need anyone telling me what can and can't be don't to my property. One day I will have a family of my own, and I would love to be able to build what ever I wa...

       Can it be true? Is it possible that I'm going through a mid-twenty crisis?   I believe that it is time for me to confess this...        The last few days has really made me ponder the notion of doing something unexpected. I have always done everything by the book. I want a motor cycle, but not the traditional ones. I want one with three wheels and for it to be the color of a bumble bee. I'm tired of doing everything that is expected of me and I want to be that person who really lives. I want to travel and have experiences to recall upon when I am unable to do so. The whole idea of aging has me frustrated.        The best course of action seems to be for me to start small, and that would mean having my cake and eating it too. I'm currently researching my next big purchase. My parents are very disappointed that I would even dare to do this.   It's almost laughable.        If anyone ha...

      Girls we need to be honest with one another. We all secretly love to shop, and over shopping all to often becomes an addiction. I have come up with a few ways to avoid the dreaded shopping. I absolutely hate myself after a shopping spree. Facing myself in the morning is the hardest thing I have to do. I'm usually broke and only have a new outfit to answer for it.  1. Take a friend with you who is actually honest with you. Have them tell you that you DON'T need it! Yesterday, my friend and I went dress shopping for her graduation ceremony. She put a clear limit as to what we were looking for and how much we could both spend. She also helped me avoid buying more than one dress.  2. Leave your credit cards at home. This has always deterred me from even approaching a store. If I don't have the money, I don't go in. I'll make something up to avoid the clothing stores.   3.  Have a shopping list and stick to it. Even if there is a sale.  ...