Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Ms. Krause?

Rise and Shout!...
This is where you respond with "the cougars are out!"
It's an attention cue for students!

Ask me if I enjoy doing Special Education, I'll tell you I love my major and my career path. It's challenging, yet rewarding.

Sure, I do some pretty silly things. For example: play with puppets to teach students how to break up syllables, or play with IPad apps that are for students with motor disabilities, or today we used props to act out stories in class, a teaching strategy!

All of those fun things, I also am learning some awesome, yet difficult things too.

Guess who can administer a bunch of assessments that inquire about student progress/behavior/cognitive abilities? Can write extensive Lesson Plans in 20 minutes? Teach you how to write any letter of the alphabet? Create a behavior intervention plan? Write individual education plans with structured goals? Oh and my favorite, give sufficient praise for correct/unison responses?

THIS GIRL. And I do it well.

I have the highest grades of my whole college career. I could actually get a 4.0. Though, let me remind you I'm taking 16 credits, working two jobs, have a demanding church calling, do volunteer hours and still make time for my lovely friends...so we'll see if that happens!

I'm feeling particularly good about it all though because school has never been easy for me like others; I work hard for those grades. It's nice to see that I actually understand everything that I'm learning, and have it represented in that sweet A on the grading site. Not to brag, but seriously, I'm good at what I do, or am learning. It's a confidence boost!

It's crazy to think that my whole life, everyone telling me "You'd make a great teacher." "Teaching would be perfect for you." I wanted nothing to do with it! I was convinced that Pre-Med was the direction for me. Well Chemistry went and ruined that aspiring Oncologist dream but that's okay. I found that people really were right. It may not be medical, but it is something just as helpful and necessary. Plus, I LOVE IT!

Only downside is the Teacher Talk. Apparently, I have a habit of talking to my friends, peers or other individuals as if they are my students. Whoops?

"Good Job!" "How does that make you feel?" "Can you explain that please?" My favorite is when I instructed a coworker how to put together the Ice Machine and then she did it correctly, and I said "Nice job, that's right!" In the most teacher-esque way possible, high pitched tone, smile, everything.

If praising my friends and others after they do things correctly is awkward, oh well. Everyone can benefit from a little extra praise, right?

Anyways, life is good. Besides 7 hrs in urgent care and an ultrasound last week, only to determine that I have a severely strained muscle....all is well! (One more week and I can finally be active again) School is keeping me busy, along with my jobs, and my various adventures here in the bubble. Oh and if you see me wearing lipstick, it's a new thing I've started doing since I was Rosie for Halloween. I kinda like it.

7 days til I'm no longer California Dreamin', I'll be flying into my city by the bay to go back to the City of Trees. Sippin' Dutch Bros, eating Taco Truck delicious-ness and driving those county back roads, home with those who I love most. Plus, I'll have my Marley dog cuddles! Man, do I miss my Moo.

Xoxo from the Frozen Bubble