Me=Nerd and I love it!

Here is a LINK to a website that I have been having so much fun on!  It has awesome simple science experiments on it.  My favorite is the LAVA LAMP. I am going to be doing this for the nieces and nephews this Sunday for the Smith Christmas get together.  I hope that I can get enough of these simple experiments together so that I will be able to do these once a week for my classes.  I think that it would spark a little more interest in science.  Crazy science teacher.  I love it!

Passed!!

I was writing my resume today before meeting with the career councilor at the U and I realized that I didn't get my scores from my Praxis PLT and my Content Praxis.  These are the 2 tests that I needed to pass to become a fully certified teacher starting in May.  They were posted when I checked them.  It took forever for me to find the score needed to pass for the PLT, but once I did, I did the biggest happy dance ever!!

For the PLT I had to get a score of 160 or better. I got a 166.  I had no idea how I did on this test so I was happy that I passed by more than 1 point.

For the Content Praxis I had to get a score of 153 or better.  I got a 184!  I knew that I was going to pass it.  I am really glad that it was by such a big margin.  They know that I will definitely know my content!

I was just really happy about this. 

Back From Vegas

This trip was a much needed break.  I am rested and relaxed.  It was really nice that Endrit and I were able to just get away.  We weren't allowed to take our camera into the concert.  We already knew that so there are no pictures of the concert, but we have a few Vegas pictures.  The concert was beyond awesome.  It was so worth the drive and the money to go there.  Muse is absolutely amazing live.  Paper Tongues and Cage the Elephant were pretty good too.   Muse played for 1 hour 10 minutes.  They played my favorite song.  It was beyond awesome.  Endrit had a great time too.  He doesn't know the words to most of the songs.  But, he was amazed by how they sound live.  Better than on the albums, we both agree. 

On Sunday we were able to see my friend Nichole and walk around the Bellagio. It was awesome to see Nichole again.

Here are some pictures from the trip :)
Here is a LINK to the album I made.

Coincidence

It is just a coincidence that my good friend from Arizona is having her bachelorette party in Vegas this weekend.  I haven't seen her in 7-8 years.  It will be so nice to see her and hang out for a while.  I am sure she knows Vegas better than me. 
I am getting really excited to go to Vegas.  It is a much needed break from reality.  Not much has happened the last couple of days.  It has just been cleaning and relaxing.  I have to go to school tomorrow, but that is life I guess.  I am sure that this weekend will turn out more than great.

Coming to a Close / 5 DAYS!

The stress and joy on campus is almost tangible right now.  I know that as I hand in final projects and presentations, it feels really good and less stressful.  I have officially finished 1 class.  Today I will finish another class.  That leaves my exit interview for my student teaching and my computerized final next week.  This semester really happened.  I don't know when.  It hasn't seemed like 16 weeks have gone by, but it has. 

We also had tithing settlement yesterday.  Amazing that 2009 is also coming to a close.  It has been an interesting year, especially the latter portion.  It has been a good year too.

Also, as time is winding down, it is only 5 days until Endrit and I hit the road down to Vegas.  A much needed reprieve from the every day.  A time that I don't have to be worried about finals or assignments. 

After everything I will be doing all of my lesson planning.  That is going to be interesting, but I am excited for it.  My site teacher wants me to start teaching right after the break.  I will do that, but she will be making the lessons for the earth science portion while I make the plans for the physical science that I will be teaching.

To Do List

My to do list for tomorrow is hefty.

I am going to the 8:00 am session at the temple (I am so glad we live so close to the temple). 

After that I have to transcribe my self assessment of the last mini lesson that I did for my class today.

I have to go to a concert and take notes on 3 songs that are performed and write a full description with technical music terms into a paper that will be about 2 pages.

Repeat the last one (for extra credit in the music class)

Transcribe and get statistics for approximately 75 surveys of middle school kids for my final project in my urban education class.

Make a PowerPoint (well finish it.  I started it tonight) for my final presentation on said surveys of middle school students.

Do a self reflection for November and October for my AmeriCorps scholarship.  Oops, October should have been handed in a month ago, but the will take it. 

Plan for Endrit and I to do the magic show on Tuesday.

Lots, and lots of things to do.  I might be able to breathe and eat in there somewhere...

Finals

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but I have been blogging a bit less this last little while.  I shouldn't be surprised that I have so much homework due at this time of year, but it is catching me a little bit off guard this semester.  I don't know if it is because of the student teaching or what, but it is interesting.  I have a few things that I have to do that I normal don't have to do.  I am behind on some things, I am caught up on others and I am trying to get ahead on a select few things.  Come Monday I will be done with one of my classes. Tuesday I will be done with another one of my classes.  This Friday I am done with my student teaching class minus the exit interview.  It is definitely interesting.  I can't believe that the semester is almost done.  I don't know where 2009 went.  This has by far been the fastest feeling year by far.  I hope that it is the same way when I am teaching next semester. 

I am feeling more and more optimistic.  I am almost certain that I will get a good enough grade in my classes to keep my scholarships as well as keep me in the program. It was touch and go for a while in one of my classes.  Like I said it has been an interesting semester.