Winter is Gone?

This winter has been a weird one as it has not been very cold nor have we seen very much snow. Although the groundhog said we would have six more weeks of winter, I think he's wrong. I can't really complain as it's been nice to not need to wear fifty layers while on recess duty. My students seem to have contracted spring fever about two weeks ago. Kids are a really good indicator of weather changes, so I am inclined to believe that spring has probably begun to arrive.

Student teaching has been a lot of fun. I have really enjoyed not having to do the usual busy work for school. Instead, I have been able to focus on my students' needs and learn things about teaching that can only be learned on the job. Classroom management tends to be an area of weakness for most new teachers, and I am no exception. Really believing that you are in charge of a classroom goes a long way. Also, figuring out what works for one student and what will work for the next keeps me continually on my toes. I come home exhausted, but I love each and every one of my kiddos.

In other news, I will be going to Northern Asia for two weeks this May. We have a team of about twenty going from Montana State University. We will be helping with conversational English classes at a university. We will also be hanging out at a cafe where students go to practice their English. These students love practicing their English with native-speakers and are full of questions about the United States. Not only is this a great opportunity to connect with another culture, but it will give me an opportunity to see if that is where I want to work after graduation. At any given time, the organization we will be working with has over 1,000 openings for native-English speakers to teach English.

The time is going to fly and I will finish school before I know it. Hello, World!