Long Time No See...

Greetings my friends! I'm sorry it has been so long since I've posted! This year has literally flown by! It seriously feels like I started school last month! Instead, fourth quarter starts tomorrow. Wow! So much to say, so much has happened! I've encountered so many new experiences in my first real classroom. I started the year with 20 students. 11 girls, 9 boys. In mid-January, I gained another student. A boy. I love my class! Right before Presidents day (the day I was absent btw,) I had a girl transfer out to another school. Now I am back down to 20, and even split 10 boys, 10 girls. I still love my class! I'm a little worried that I'm going to miss my class... scratch that, I KNOW I will miss this class! I know that I will love all my classes (maybe not always love but really get attached...) but this one is special to me. They are serious goofballs, which is awesome because I am too!

Oh! This is fun... At the beginning of February, I was giving a Friday Spelling test, and just for a change, I started saying all the numbers in German. They loved it! AFter the test, they begged me to teach them German! How could I say no? We have had so much fun with it! I know that learning another language when you're still young, has a positive effect on brain growth. It was really exciting for me because when we were going to start the first lesson, I got the shock of the year! I have a boy in my class who, I am hardpressed to be able to get to do much... He's not really a motivated child.. He could be very smart but would rather just play his Xbox... Anyways, we were about to start, he whipped out a notebook and asked "Miss Scholten, we're allowed to take notes right?" I just smiled and said "absolutely". It made my heart happy! They have been having so much fun with it! We even set up a webchat with my good friend in Germany. Wow did they love that! I put the webchat window up on the smartboard and they were sooo excited!

In other news, the tension is still here about next year. Probably even more now since it's coming up to contract time. It's hard for me because I feel like people are dropping like flies from my building. Everyone wants out because of all the drama that has happened this year. That one board meeting that I went to that was full of drama... well, sadly most of them have been that way. It's frustrating to see grown adults arguing over stuff just for the sake of trying to be heard and wanting to be right. I think I will be offered a contract again for next year but I do have to admit I have an interview in another place in the beginning of May. I think if I got offered that job, I would take it. The loneliness had not gotten better living here. Of course, I have people that I hang out with and thoroughly enjoy spending time with! However, I do not feel that I can stay here just for those 3 people, even though they are awesome! So, I'm putting this in God's able hands. If I do not get the other job, I will stay here if I"m offered the contract. I just have to keep praying.

Hmm.... what else? OH! The Friday before Thanksgiving, I rescued a beautiful black lab puppy! She was abandoned (I hate that people do that to their pets) and chose me... That Friday night, it was -10 degrees, and animal Control was about to take her. Animal Control here solves these problems with bullets. FYI- NOT ok with A.J.! I went out to ask the Animal Control guy if I could check on her on Monday, and he gave her to me that night. I told him if the owners came looking, send them my way. They never came. Because it was soooo darn cold the night I rescued her, I named her Chilly. She is a little love! She is soo happy being with someone who loves her! Tanner tolerated her too. Sadly, Tanner passed away two days before Christmas, while I was in Washington. My boy of 14 years, is probably now playing the best game of heavenly frisbee with my dad that has ever been played! Now, it's just me and Chilly, and we're working on her manners, and behavior. I estimated she was about 6 months when I took her in, so she's probably about a year now.

I've gotten to go to Washington, and Minnesota so far! I spend Christmas with the fam, and that was awesome! I miss my niece and nephew so much! And seeing my friends in Minnesota was awesome too! Although, it seems that everytime I travel, there is a horrible weather event! I'm a little nervous to take the train anywhere anymore!

Ok, I know I'm getting a little long winded here, and I'm almost done! I've learned so much this year and I feel that I'm in my groove. I have a very well-behaved class, and they know what is allowed and what is not. As hard as it is living here, I really love my job and I love teaching. I was so scared of teaching 5th grade because I had never taught this age before. I love it! You can actually talk to them because they are old enough to understand a lot more! Each kid is so different and it's fun to get to know them! Each week, we have what's called "Mail Call". I write letters to each one (all different letters), so they get "mail" and they write back. I don't grade their letters, I just mark that they wrote back so they get a score in that sense but it's automatic if they write back. They love it and I love it! I learn so much about my students this way! I find out about their families, what they want to be when they grow up, what they do in their free time... etc. It's awesome! I love what I do... and I'd like to think I'm pretty good at it. I cannot think of anything else I would rather do! I think that is all I have for this one! Feel free to drop me a line anytime!

Blessings,

~A.J.