I can't believe it!!!

This is referring to my previous post about my voice.  Since I knew that I needed to change my vocal habits in school by the instruction of my teacher, I decided that I would test it out today.

So the set up of my class is that they come in and they have a question on the board that introduces what we will be talking about that day.  Today's question had 3 sentences in it.  I always read the ATB to the students just to get them on the right track.  After I read the 3 sentences, a female student in my class raised her hand.

"Ms. Rachel, are you happier today?  Your voice sounds so happy."

Jaw drops to the floor...not only did the change get noticed by the students, it was a big enough change that they felt the need to tell me about it.

"I like your voice today" another student says...a male student.

The smile grows wider on my face.

"Ms. Rachel, how did you change your voice so much?  You shouldn't just be able to change your voice like that!"  More students chime in agreement to the question.

"Ah, if you are quiet, I will tell you".

"SHH!!"

I proceed to explain how I have been in theater and choir from a young age.  I have taken vocal lessons for many years.  I am currently taking voice lessons.

"Ms. Rachel, can you sing a song for us?" another male student asks.

"If we can get through the review and there is extra time at the end of class, you pick the song and I will sing it if I know it."

The review went wonderfully.  They were very well behaved.  They participated and asked questions.  There was 5 minutes left at the end of class when we were finished and the suggestions of songs came in like a throng.

The consensus was between "I'm a little teapot" and "Amazing Grace".  The latter won...and I sang it.  Yay for me, the students were impressed...impressed enough to ask me to sing "The Star Spangled Banner".  I obliged.  Whispers were around the room that I wouldn't hit the high note...I hit it and I had most of the boys (who are the singing people in the class) gave me a standing ovation.

It isn't the first time we have sung in class.  A few weeks ago a male student sang a song in class for the daily incentive.  Everyone thinks a duet is in order for another incentive.

The students were happy to learn a new thing about their science teacher.  I sing.  I sing pretty well.  They got to hear it.  They participated in science to hear it.  I hope they remember me for it.

It was all because I changed my voice because my University supervisor said I had a boring teaching voice. Thank you.

Over Trained

Going to voice lessons again is interesting.  I keep on getting untrained from what I was told I needed to do in high school.  With all of the voice training that I have done I have excellent control over my voice.  Surprisingly enough, that is bad when you are a teacher.  I teach in a very different voice than I converse in.  My range is smaller in my teaching.  I need to untrain that as well.  I need to teach in a more conversational voice.  After all those years of carefully using and controlling my voice, it trained me to have a bad teaching voice.  Who would have thought?  More things to think about when I teach.

My Passions

I know that I am a very passionate person.  I learn new things that I love and I really try to stick to them.  I think one of my heavenly gifts is passion.

Passion can come in many shapes and sizes.  Endrit has a passion for Chemistry.  It is amazing the things that he goes through to learn more about it as well as his constant head in the clouds thinking of ways to use Chemistry to make the world better.  He has a passion for technology.  Anyone who has met him knows that.  He can sniff out technology deals and predicts new technologies that will be out like no one else I have ever seen.  It is really fun to listen to him talk about what will be out in 5 years.

My passions are a little bit different.  I have a passion for technology, but it is the use of technology.  This is blogging, texting, Smart Board, ELMO, website design, etc. I like to use it but not actually research it.

One common thing with my passions is that I like to involve other people. I love to teach. I love to organize.  I am excited to be able to be paid for some of my passions.  I am excited to give my time for other passions that I have.

Another passion that I have gained in the last several years is that of adoption.  It really is an amazing system.  I am an advocate for home birth.  I love natural family planning.

Passion is a great thing to have if it is in the right avenues.  There can be not so great passions.  It is all sorts of fun.

Bountiful Baskets

There is a resource out there that is called Bountiful Baskets.  It cuts out the middle man of the grocery store for fresh produce.  Each basket each week costs $18 initially and $16.50 each week after that.  As with anything I am the person that says if it sounds too good to be true then it probably isn't good.  Well, let the picture speak for itself...

Pardon the smudges.  I didn't clean the lens before I took the picture and didn't look at the pictures before I put the food away.  This is after Endrit and I ate a banana and a strawberry. I think I forgot to put one more pomelo in there also.

I am a completely satisfied customer.  I am looking forward to see what I will get next week in my basket.  It is like Christmas morning every week.  You never know what you are going to get.

BOUNTIFUL BASKETS WEBSITE check it out for yourself.  It is in Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Washington.

Passport

Endrit and I have known that we needed to get him a new passport ever since July when he got his citizenship.  The one thing that has prevented us from getting it is his parent's family union case for them to get green cards.  Well, we decided that we needed to just go and get a passport.  Well, the passport people now have Endrit's official Naturalization paper and we are left with the notarized copy of it.  Well, to our surprise, his parents get their court date in the mail today.  April 1.  April fools day!  What a day to have court.  We should have his paper back by then, but what are the odds?  Crazy.

So, Endrit is getting his blue passport in the mail soon.  He is excited to think he has 2 passports.  I told him he can only use his red one when we adopt from Albania in a couple of years.  It was funny.

So, passports and court dates.  What more can one day have in it?

Yoga

I think that I get more granola every day.  It starts with me needing to change things because of medical issues to me being 100% on board and getting more hippie every day.  I have started to take yoga.  I started a few weeks ago.  I really like it.  Today I went to a free class at a yoga studio.  It was so nice.  It was a lot of stretching.  I finally got past my toes in the stretches today. The instructor was really great.  I will be going tomorrow as well.  So, I do yoga 3 times a week now.  I would recommend it to anyone.  Fun times.

Happy Birthday Endrit!! + misc stuff

Endrit turned 27 today.  He is a sweetheart and it has been a good day.

As for the miscellaneous stuff I had my graduate school interview today.  They all but told me that I got into the program.  I will know for 100% sure by the end of March.  When I get in I will start taking classes this summer! I am very happy about it.  I will be busy, but I am excited.

On Thursday I am going to some mock interviews and I am talking to the administration to show my interest in the jobs that are opening up at the school I student teach at.  It has been an interesting couple of semesters.  I am planning lessons and I think that I really like it.

So things are going well.  This year will hopefully be a really good year.