Top Ten

I survived. One week ago I started as a new teacher, with a real room and a full schedule of bright-eyed 9th graders. Everyone kept asking me if I was nervous. I wasn't. Everyone kept asking me if I was ready. I wasn't. So sixes, I guess.



Often in my Teacher Ed classes they would say "you'll learn more your first day of teaching than most of your BYU career." Fact. Imagine what I've learned in one week. Well you don't have to imagine. I've summed it up concisely for you here.



What They Don't Tell You About Teaching



10. How naturally teaching comes. You really don't have a choice but to get up there and teach. I know I am blessed and it isn't as natural for some people. But generally speaking, its an absolute necessity. You simply HAVE to be prepared. You simply HAVE to employ some classroom management. You'd die otherwise. And I haven't yet.

9. Over 80% of my job is being able to successfully multi-task. You guys know how I feel about that.

8. How quickly the day rushes by. I'm there frantically making copies. Then first period starts. Suddenly it's lunch. I blink again and it's flex time. I take a breath and the kids are all gone. It's insane. I love the fast pace.

7. How much time teachers spend each day. Not enormously surprising. Everyone in the universe knows teachers are overworked and underpaid. But its very different to be on the teaching end of that. Especially as an intern. I'm doing the full amount of work (more even, because I'm a first year and doing a lot from scratch) for half the pay. I consider myself lucky. But even I can't believe I'm showing up at 7:15 a.m. and getting home at 5:30 p.m. or later consistently. Good thing I love this, right?

6. Being mean is such a good idea. In the same way that a girl loves a guy who treats her badly, students don't hate you when you're mean. It kind of drives them to win your respect and love even more. Plus discipline problems diminish steadily.

5. Teachers love to steal and be stolen from. I love that I can walk into a classroom, steal someone's idea and they commend me for it. Encourage it, even. It's fantastic.

4. There are no such kids as "bad kids." Ok. They kind of teach you that. But you don't realize it until you have the opportunity to watch and get to know some of your problem kids. Even over the course of one week I've gotten to know one kid that hates trying. And he's delightful! I see it as a fun challenge.

3. Teachers see everything. Oh, you think you're a sneaky texter? You aren't. Oh, you think I can't see you making lovey-dovey eyes at your boyfriend? Well, I can. And gross. HEY TEENAGERS. I GET IT. YOU ARE CHAMPION EYE-ROLLERS. Guess what? Me too. [rolls eyes]

2. How little teaching you actually get to do. So much of my time is spent in preparation, giving instructions, grading stuff, answering random questions and babysitting. In a 45 minute class I generally get around 20 minutes of instruction if I want them to get some independent practice (which you almost always do). That's disheartening and relieving at the same time.

1. How much fun it is. For reals, you guys. All day I smile and laugh. The kids, teachers, staff, everything is just so fun and hilarious. It's so comforting to me that I enjoy it so much. I know I made the right decision and I'm going to love this for the rest of my life. I'll work as hard as I can to not become a grumbling, cynical teacher. Because I believe that isn't inevitable. The noble profession of teaching can be just as fun and exciting 10 years from now as it has been this week.

I'm just glad I have the chance.

Animaniac

GoAnimate.com: Dress Code Policy by DanicaBudge

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Not Your Average Mormon Housewife Recipe Blog

On the first day of school I'm having my students write a recipe... for themselves. This is a good way for me to get to know them, as well as providing an opportunity for creativity. We're also making a school-wide effort to increase reading and writing in all disciplines, which I think is a fantastic idea. Everyone, even you. Yes you. College attending or not. You should read and write more. (Hint: it makes you smarter.)



I have a policy of doing each assignment I'm asking my kids to do so that I make sure

A. It isnt ridiculous

B. I have good instructions for them

C. I can answer any questions/prevent problems



Therefore I condensed myself down to a recipe. What is YOUR recipe? Enjoy!



Preheat oven to St. George temperature - 80 degrees Farenheit.



Mix 7 seasons of The Office with 1 Liter of optimism in a mixer.



Add 3 softball games, one at a time. Mix on low.



Add 2 teaspoons of Zombie movies, 1 bag of microwave popcorn and a case of Diet Dr. Pepper. Let sit for 1 weekend.



Form into a short, blonde mass and sprinkle with a handful of classic rock.



Bake for 21 years.



Prepare a frosting of yoga and reading. Spread on when cool.



Serve with friends, family and students.



Makes 1 Mapleton Mustang.

The Perfect Day

They always say the day will go by so quick that you won't remember a thing.

Well I do.

They always say the day won't be perfect.

But it was.

How to Parallel Park a Bookcart: A Secretary's Tale

Three years ago, I was a newly-graduated 18 year old, full of hope and excitement for the opportunities lying ahead of me at BYU. I decided I wanted to be more of an adult. More independent. More grown up. I decided to move out and to start applying for part-time jobs, even at the behest of my parents. I was lucky enough to get 10 or 12 interviews for jobs on campus, but nothing seemed to pan out. I was a freshman. No one will hire a freshman for a demanding secretary or receptionist position, which was exactly what I wanted. (Knowing my addiction to The Office, you can hardly be surprised.)

I still remember my interview at the LAO. I remember standing in the atrium, waiting in the chairs by the front desk, the interview with Wendy & Dave, and walking to my car thinking "Well, there's goes another interview with people who just classify me as a naive freshman." I was sitting in my room days later when Wendy called to offer me the job. I was absolutely pumped. I knew my prayers were being answered and that this job was going to be very important to who I became at BYU. And I was right.

I began at the bottom of the totem pole. I worked with Cody & Dave, both married seniors who had worked in the LAO for quite a while. From them I learned how to be professional. How to relate to adults in a work environment. How to use Google Docs and program code for Wiki sites. The best tips and tricks for the Testing Center, bookstore, and campus in general. Because of them and this job, I never felt like a true freshman. Because of them I was ahead of the campus curve. Thanks guys.

After Cody and Dave left the following April, I became #1. It is a coveted position. The AUL's (Assistant University Librarians, the administrators in my office) began to trust me. Librarians and full-time employees began to know my name. I really started to get a hang of it. The LAO became my home away from home, and I sold my soul to it. I would miss class to help with lunches and projects. I'd stay late for conferences. I would often get in trouble for working over 20 hours a week, but everyone in my office knew I was a slave and loved it. I knew I was a goner when my friends and family would ask how the library was going every time they'd see me. Embarrassing.

Last summer when I left for Wales, I was so grateful the LAO held my job for me. It might have been a deal breaker for my study abroad if they hadn't. Being gone for 6 weeks made me realize how much my life revolved around my job. All my study abroad friends new about my job and how much I loved the library. I missed the inside jokes and even wondered about how daily tasks and small projects were going back at the office. I found myself snapping hundreds of pictures of libraries and sending them to the office.

In all honesty, the best part of my time here at the LAO has been the friendships. I have formed some of the greatest friendships of my life here in this office. People I would never have been friends with otherwise. People that have impacted my life immeasurably. People I love.

• Katie. [We bonded over Michael Scott, Cocoa Bean and Las Vegas.]
• Kami. [A co-secretary, now on a mission, that became a much-needed friend and fellow Harry Potter enthusiast for Summer and Fall 2009.]
• Aremy. [An LAO Secretary legend. She is the cutest mother and wife, and I always looked up to her.]
• Paul. [My baseball buddy back in the business office, and a Royals fan. Ouch.]
• Eliesa. [BFF, and the best little designer I know. Congrats E & B! Love you!]
• Tiffany. [One of my best friends that taught me it's ok to be a little touchy-feely. :)]
• Chris. [Started as a shy little project for me, and became one of my best friends and Zombie partner in crime.]
• Laura. [The only person who understands my Star Trek jokes.]
• Jeanette. [Mini-Me and the funniest freshman I know. Look out for this girl in the Advertising program soon. She'll change the world.]
• Cassandra. [Actually not an employee of the LAO, but we'll claim her. She's our newest little buddy and we just love her.]

I'm actually falling apart emotionally as I type this and realize just how special the camaraderie in this office is. It's even better than the great relationships I built with teams I played on. And I don't know how it happened. I'm just eternally grateful that it did. These people have changed my life and made me better, and they aren't just work friendships. We will be friends forever. I know it. Even though I'm leaving, I can't wait to come visit Katie's baby, have dinner parties with E&B, congratulate Chris on his engagement and wedding, watch Jeanette take the Advertising world by storm, and hear about all the guys that come into our office just to ask Laura out.

I became who I am because of the Library Administrative Office. The technical skills I've learned have been absolutely crucial to my academic career. The social and professional skills I've learned, I'll carry with me in my personal life and in the classroom for years to come. But the memories, the most important and most valuable, I'll have forever. Cocoa Bean. Binder assembly lines. Office parties. Lemonade and Christmas punch slushies. Office supply shows. Arrested Development quoting. Treat Monday/Tuesday. Hating on Grad Studies and random librarians. Inside jokes. And especially just the daily office time, catching up and hanging out together. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Thank you LAO. Thank you HBLL. Thank you Wendy. Thank you friends. Thank you Heavenly Father for providing me this job, this opportunity and these wonderful people to color my life.

LAO Secretary for life!

Blogging is the New Black

Who are we kidding. Black will always be the new black. And I'll probably always wear it head-to-toe. But blogging has taken the world by storm, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Last week, I got talking with some friends who love to blog stalk (I'm looking at you Hailey, Karlie, Kaylyn). I realized how quickly catching up on blogs became a part of my daily routine. Google Reader is the best thing that ever happened to me. For those of you who don't use it (or any other reader like Blog Lovin' or whatever), I recommend it. I love having all my stuff in one place, with neat little numbers that disappear once I read everything. And it isn't just blogs. I have websites on there too, all that update in my feed whenever there's something new. I love it.

So here it is. My top 10 Favorite Blogs to Stalk.

1. The Glitter Guide. Awesome, awesome tumblr. My favorite fashion blog. They post a lot, so there's always something to look at. They are what they claim to be: "A guide to all that's chic. fun, and glittery in fashion, trends, design, and food."
2. Verbal Vomit. This girl is pure genius. Her illustrations make me laugh out loud (LOL). She's a BYU student, too. Click through to read her post "How To Be A Hipster." It's the best blog post I've read in ages. I share it with everyone.
   
3. Kendi Everyday. She was one of my earliest fashion blog finds. She's awesome. She does the 30 for 30 challenge frequently. I copy her outfit ideas. Not ashamed to admit it. And she's the only fashion blogger who's text I actually read, instead of just skimming for the outfit pictures. Go Kendi.
4. How To Provo. If you can't make fun of yourself and your city, you don't have a sense of humor. And as much as I love Provo (and I really do), we are pretty ridiculous you guys. Enjoy the post on Engagement Photos. It's a favorite of me + The Beard.
5. Sh*t My Students Write. Teacher or not, you will find this amusing. As a teacher, I find it absolutely hilarious. Maybe my tumblr will feature some of these once I start grading papers. (Cristina... this is for you.)
6. A Spot of Whimsy. Funny how home design and lifestyle blogs start to get more interesting once you're facing a big empty house of your own. This blog is the perfect blend of fashion, design, pop culture, and overall style. I've flagged a ton of these posts for decorating my house and I can't wait to get started!
7. Cupcakes & Cashmere. She's a pro. Seriously. Check out the categories along the side. Her How To's are incredibly helpful. She's so good at finding unique things and making them fashionable.
8. The Art of Manliness. The Beard showed me this a couple months ago, and I think it's just awesome. A couple of the posts have been really helpful, actually. Mostly I just read it to remind myself that there are men out there trying to be men. Share this with your boyfriends and husbands. You'll thank me later.
   
9. Awkward Family Photos. Never gets old.
   
10. National Geographic Daily. What kind of a Geography teacher would I be if I didn't follow this? But honestly the photos are stunning. Great addition to your daily stalking.
    

So there you have it. Be advised that this is only a small portion of my blog stalking. If you would like more suggestions, let me know. I'm always happy to share my stalking tips. What are you guys following? What else should I look for?

EF- Why?

**Belated Post. My apologies. I was still trying to decide what I was going to do with this Tumblr/Blogger fiasco. I love my blog. I like my Tumblr. I made the executive decision yesterday that this would remain the permanent location for my existential, philosophical detox, while Tumblr will be my spot for my funny links, photos, etc. Facebook is on it's way out, I feel. Who knows. Anyways. Back to a philosophical rant you've all been waiting for.**

Two weeks ago I was an EFY counselor. Some people were surprised, others were less surprised. It was long, exhausting and 100% worth it. Let me tell you why.

Secretly, I've wanted to be an EFY counselor since I went to EFY 50 years ago. {Ok. 4 years ago.} I thought my EFY counselors were rockstars. They were nice, cool, going to college, and were totally outgoing. Not to mention I was greatly impacted by their teaching and bearing of testimony. I knew I would love to do that. I wanted to help youth like they'd helped me.

My first summer of college, I wasn't old enough.

My second summer of college, I went on my Study Abroad instead.

Finally, I had a free summer. No classes, no travel and plenty of perk.

So I applied. In January I had an interview. After some complications with the EFY system, I was finally offered contracts in March, but none that I could accept since my situation changed. I thought I had missed the boat.

Right before Memorial Day, I got an email from EFY asking me if I could fill in for the June 6-11 session in Provo. Yes. I would love to. I hurriedly completed the employment information, read and re-read the handbook and began preparing all my devotionals and lessons. Come Sunday I was excited and well-prepared.

When I showed up for the training session from 3-5, I quickly shrunk to be 2 inches tall. Really. They pounded in our heads how the youth watch our EVERY MOVE, how influential we can be, and how the Lord was relying on us to rescue some of these kids. I felt pretty inadequate. I would have felt much more confident coming right out of high school, when I was meticulous about scripture study, attended every hour of church and had this insatiable need to be the best. Over the past few years I've gotten more lax. I let myself get away with more. I have more fun, and concentrate less on work and spiritual growth. I was truly humbled. I learned a lot in that moment. You can study every scripture reference and conference talk, attend the temple, pray for your kids, and try to be good for 2 weeks straight, but it will never compensate for the righteousness and spiritual power you will gain by consistent good decisions over time. I felt weak and never wanted to feel that way again. Luckily, they tried hard to buoy us up and meeting my awesome Co's - Mike and Amy - made me feel a little better.

Monday morning began bright and early with breakfast and our business meeting. Obviously I LOVED my enormous bright green and purple EFY tees {sorry BYUStylers...}. Don't worry. I'm not going to give you a day-by-day log of activities. Although it is pretty interesting.

Meeting my girls was awesome. It really alleviated stress when I could just feel love for these great girls and knew it would be easier for me to be better. I had a good mix. They were almost all 16, which intimidates a lot of people, but I just love teenagers. Crazy I know.

The week went super fast. I was exhausted. I never slept more than 5 hours a night and had to be perky and physically energetic all day long. We walked all over campus, and it was alternating between sweltering heat and windy chill several times a day. The schedule was jam packed, because they never want to waste a moment of precious time during the week. Every activity is carefully planned to maximize fun AND spirituality, which, amazingly enough, CAN go hand in hand.

By Thursday (the most spiritual day), I was completely exhausted and the kids were starting to bond. I can't explain how amazing it was to see some of my girls get up and bear their testimonies in front of the big group, and several later in our small devotional. If these kids stick to what they know right now, the next generation of the church is going to be absolutely fine. Again, I was humbled and uplifted by their faith for the future.

Friday's dance was super fun, and the "Taking It Home" afterwards really motivated participants and counselors alike to examine their lives, make the hard and scary improvements that we need to, love others and be better. The coolest thing that I learned was the idea of "practice." {Our director was way into sports analogies, which obviously I loved.} He said we should start practicing being the person we'd like to be in the future. When he put it that way, it sounded realistic and far less daunting than an immediate 180 degree switch. I can do a little practice, can't I?

Following "Passion Patrol" - keeping participants from getting too lovey-dovey and physical (yes it's actually called that) - I did our last devotional and then reported for Lockdown Duty. As the last night, post-dance, when no one wants to say goodnight or goodbye, kids try to sneak out. Therefore, counselors on Lockdown Duty are placed strategically to guard halls and doors. We can't go to bed until we have 1 incident-free hour following kids going to sleep. {Everyone made fun of me all week for sneaking in my Diet Coke. Joke's on them. I was 100% alert during Lockdown. Suckas.}

Thanks to some idiot running around Helaman Halls in a wolf costume, I couldn't go to bed until almost 2 am.

Up at 6 to check my girls out, sad to see them go, and then off to our wrap-up meeting. By 9:30 I was home and climbing into bed.

I slept till 4 pm. Yikes.

It was hard getting no sleep. It was hard walking all over the place with a heavy backpack in the hot and cold. It was hard minding my every individual action to be the best example I could for these kids. It was hard being perky and spiritual every waking minute for 5 days straight. It was hard to not see Ryan.

But so worth it.

It was a small price to pay (....and I was getting paid) for the opportunity to spend time with the most amazing youth in the church. I got to spend literally HOURS in the scriptures. I practiced my teaching and management skills (they need some work). I made friends, danced my heart out, and had a blast.