Back to School Shopping

This post is pre-scheduled due to how crazy I know the first week or so of high school is. #teacherlife It’s so weird to write these words, but it’s always a sad moment the day or two before starting work … Continue reading

Class of 2015

I was so proud of each and every one of students as they walked across the beautiful stage in Mayer Theater at Santa Clara University on June 10th. It warms my heart to that my students graduation ceremony is at the … Continue reading

Year Two, To-Do Lists, Blue Beast and SCU

So I fell off the blog writing planet. My apologies, but life turned into one hot mess. But I’m back now!

I started back with professional development at my school basically the first week of August. It was a surprising return to work after a lazy, delicious week and a half in France, and a week in Holland with my dear old mum.

This year I am teaching 4 sections of Intro to Art, and one new honours class called Visual Communications. It has been a big change jumping from teaching 3 sections last year to having 2 preps and teaching 5 classes this year. I’m also in my second year of BTSA, which is this huge project that feels like insane amounts of busy work.

In September I started at Santa Clara University for my Master’s program. It has been the worst experience of schooling in my life, but I have already invested so much there, that leaving now seems like such a waste. I can go more in to detail at a later point, but for now I am just putting my head down and finishing my masters and getting the hell outta there. I thank god, that my good friend Annie is in the program with me, or else I would have given up on SCU a long time ago.

About 3 weeks ago, I was in a car accident on the freeway. I was shaken up and pretty sore, but overall I am fine. My beloved blue beast of a Prius, was not fine, it was totaled. It was my first accident where I had been the driver.

Losing my car was such an emotional blow to me, it was my first brand new thing, that I got to pick out and own all by myself. Afterwards I struggled with feeling guilty, even though it was not my fault at all, I still felt a sense of loss over losing my first car. I have been unbelievably blessed by kind and giving parents (and a super awesome and helpful brother) who are helping me with all of this headache and drama of being in a serious car accident.

We got money from the insurance company pretty quickly, but I wanted to do some research on cars. I looked at a few others, but am pleased to say that I am going with another Prius. For now, I am lucky enough to borrow my mom’s car while my parents are out of town. My brother has been amazing over the last few weeks, he was a giant help with the whole car mess, and overall we have been hanging out a ton and getting along famously (which is rare for us), so that’s nice.

So, in short, life has been busy, some days better than others, but still pretty good I would say. I am trying to remain positive. I have a job I love, a great itty bitty apartment that is all mine, and in the future, a bigger paycheck. I voted (yahoo!) and have been trying to stay on top of all my different areas of life. But to be fair, my to-do list is out of control! Even my to do lists has a to-do list! I am so behind on my Christmas shopping, usually by now I’m done.

But, life is still pretty good. Hows yours? How are things? How has your week been?

-S

Subbing, Singlebarrell,and a New Job

The last few days have been crazy busy, so thus the radio silence.

It all started Monday with a job interview. The interview went well, and Tuesday night they offered me a teaching contract. They had a vacancy and I had to jump to get everything settled. I had already agreed to sub for Los Gatos for a few days, so I had to sub and then run around after a full day of school trying to get all the details worked out. I took a TB test, fingerprinted, printed and signed my contract (it was like 30 pages!) and scouted out things at the school.

Last night the family, Roomie and I went over to Singlebarrell, this epic Prohibition era style bar in San Jose. We got there early and enjoyed a nice cocktail (or two!) before grabbing Thai food for dinner. We saw this yarnbombed tree, and it made me laugh.

A yarnbombed tree in San Jose.

A yarnbombed tree in San Jose.

I got my keys to my classroom today!  I start Monday. I will teach intro to art for two periods and then I am the Site Testing Coordinator for the rest of the day. I will be giving tests like MAPS, CAHSEE and CELDT. Sounds like fun eh? But the best part is that it’s at Roomie’s school so we can hang out together at work, just like last year!

Now I am off to my mother’s birthday dinner. Tomorrow, my best friend Robert will pick up his swanky new car.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Do you have any weekend plans? Was your week exhausting like mine was?

-Love,

S