So, I've been thinking I need to get the heck outta here this summer -- for the past couple weeks. I mean, I love Minnesota! Don't get me wrong. It's just -- huhhhmmm.....
I'm 26.
I'm single.
I've been in the same apt for 2 years.
I've NEVER gone to a new place by myself to live, (or even go to college, for that matter).
I'm sick of having my life just "happen" to me. I'm ready to actually start making decisions that will impact my quality of life.
So, here are some options I (and others) have come up with:
-Have an aunt who has a H U G E house in California. Could ask to stay with her for the summer and get a job.
-Know of a professor of Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing in California. Could email her and ask if she has anything open for the summer, (office assistant; TA; research lab rat; etc.)
-Have a friend who has a friend with a job in Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Education in Hawaii. Could ask if there's any opportunities there.
-Have a former professor who spends 5-6 weeks in Slovakia (sp?) teaching English to kids there. Could see if she would take me along.
-Friends in many other places, (Boston, LA, Phoenix, Virginia, North Carolina) who would love to have me near by, working at a low-paying job, living on my own.
-Could just stay here and teach summer school, (or not), and work at the bar
So.....
What do you think?
What should I do?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
initial eval
So, here I am -- Monday at 10:55 am. No school today, thank you dead presidents.
I'm on the brink of finishing my first initial evaluation report of my career, (which is just part of the job -- but it's a HUGE part....), and realizing I am one of the worst kind of perfectionists ever.
I'm the procrastinator-perfectionist. absolute worst kind......
I want the work I do to be perfect. I'm actually quite fearful every time I have a bit of work to do, because I know it will not be perfect, (how could anything be perfect?). So -- for me -- it's easier to not start something, than to start it and have it not be perfect right from the get-go. It's just downhill as far as output, expectations, and motivation once you start and know it will never be perfect.
See what I mean? The worst kind....
Today I need to finish writing this initial evaluation on a student I spent hours upon hours testing. I have all the data. I have all the tests. I've started the eval. Now, all I need to do is finish it -- but I've saved the toughest parts for last, of course. And I find myself at this most familiar juncture: do I start early, (like now-ish) and get it done with, or do I agonize over it and put it off till after dinner tonight, and then have to stay up waaay to late finishing.
It seems obvious, doesn't it?
I wish the perfectionist-procrastinator in me would see the obvious answer as well.
slay the beast....
start now....
I'm on the brink of finishing my first initial evaluation report of my career, (which is just part of the job -- but it's a HUGE part....), and realizing I am one of the worst kind of perfectionists ever.
I'm the procrastinator-perfectionist. absolute worst kind......
I want the work I do to be perfect. I'm actually quite fearful every time I have a bit of work to do, because I know it will not be perfect, (how could anything be perfect?). So -- for me -- it's easier to not start something, than to start it and have it not be perfect right from the get-go. It's just downhill as far as output, expectations, and motivation once you start and know it will never be perfect.
See what I mean? The worst kind....
Today I need to finish writing this initial evaluation on a student I spent hours upon hours testing. I have all the data. I have all the tests. I've started the eval. Now, all I need to do is finish it -- but I've saved the toughest parts for last, of course. And I find myself at this most familiar juncture: do I start early, (like now-ish) and get it done with, or do I agonize over it and put it off till after dinner tonight, and then have to stay up waaay to late finishing.
It seems obvious, doesn't it?
I wish the perfectionist-procrastinator in me would see the obvious answer as well.
slay the beast....
start now....
Monday, January 12, 2009
Day One
First day as an itinerant is done!
And of course, the weather was.....awesome. :) Lots of snow, and blowing wind to make it a truly fantastic day.
I went from a high school on the north side, to an elementary school in the heart of downtown, up and down two major highways, and around a lake to get to an office where I don't even have a desk yet.
......I guess there's still work to be done!
Overall it was a good day. Much more low key than I anticipated. I think though, that ignorance is bliss and this is just the calm before the storm. (You never knew I had it in me to throw two cliche's into the same sentence...did you?)
We'll see what tomorrow brings!
And of course, the weather was.....awesome. :) Lots of snow, and blowing wind to make it a truly fantastic day.
I went from a high school on the north side, to an elementary school in the heart of downtown, up and down two major highways, and around a lake to get to an office where I don't even have a desk yet.
......I guess there's still work to be done!
Overall it was a good day. Much more low key than I anticipated. I think though, that ignorance is bliss and this is just the calm before the storm. (You never knew I had it in me to throw two cliche's into the same sentence...did you?)
We'll see what tomorrow brings!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
ch-ch-ch-changes
What can I say? It's been a while...
I have been working in a school serving students with hearing loss since September of this year. It's my first year in "the field" as people like to call it....and already I'm being asked to move.
Not because of anything I did! They love me at school, and are so bummed I'm leaving. However -- our enrollment is down, and kids keep moving, so one of the classrooms in our program is closing. And since I'm the youngest and newest teacher in the program, I get to move.
As of tomorrow morning at 8:00 am, I will no longer be a classroom D/HH teacher. No -- I've already spent countless hours packing up my classroom, preparing students for the transition to a new teacher, hauling borders and markers and posters and dixie cups in my small-ish Alero to my even smaller bedroom.... and now I'm on to the next phase: Life as an Itinerant.
The itinerant world is a complete 180 from the classroom world. In the classroom world, we have our students all day, we are the main source of information and instruction. The focus is on content, passing tests, strategies, and lots of contact time with students. In the itinerant world, we travel from school to school, serving one student at a time or small groups of students. We are not the main source of information and instruction for them....their classroom teachers are. The focus is on teaching kids to advocate for themselves, teaching the other adults who work with the child about hearing loss, certain portions of content, due process, and limited contact time with students.
Two completely different jobs under the same title. I'll keep you posted about how it goes, and which setting I find most preferable.
I have been working in a school serving students with hearing loss since September of this year. It's my first year in "the field" as people like to call it....and already I'm being asked to move.
Not because of anything I did! They love me at school, and are so bummed I'm leaving. However -- our enrollment is down, and kids keep moving, so one of the classrooms in our program is closing. And since I'm the youngest and newest teacher in the program, I get to move.
As of tomorrow morning at 8:00 am, I will no longer be a classroom D/HH teacher. No -- I've already spent countless hours packing up my classroom, preparing students for the transition to a new teacher, hauling borders and markers and posters and dixie cups in my small-ish Alero to my even smaller bedroom.... and now I'm on to the next phase: Life as an Itinerant.
The itinerant world is a complete 180 from the classroom world. In the classroom world, we have our students all day, we are the main source of information and instruction. The focus is on content, passing tests, strategies, and lots of contact time with students. In the itinerant world, we travel from school to school, serving one student at a time or small groups of students. We are not the main source of information and instruction for them....their classroom teachers are. The focus is on teaching kids to advocate for themselves, teaching the other adults who work with the child about hearing loss, certain portions of content, due process, and limited contact time with students.
Two completely different jobs under the same title. I'll keep you posted about how it goes, and which setting I find most preferable.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
september cold
Now that I'm back into the swing of things with school, kids, lessons, parents, and teachers....what better way to say, "Hey! I'm so glad I'm working again!" than with the worst cold of my life.
seriously.....
Wednesday morning:
-woke up with a horrendous sore throat. Tough it out, Maren. Go to work.
-had to leave an afternoon meeting early because I was getting too sick.
Wednesday night:
-let's take some NyQuil! That shit always does the job.
-NOPE..... I was awake more than I was asleep. thaaanks, nyquil.
Thursday morning:
-dead to the world. missed my alarm. woken up by my roommate. for SURE not going to school.
Thursday day:
-sore throat
-achey body
-major congestion
-ears ringing
-so dizzy i could hardly stand
-fever of 100 degrees or more for at least 8 hours
-shooting pains in my head every few minutes
-a cough
Thursday night:
-decided NOT to go to work again tomorrow. best decision ever.
-NYQUIL PULLS THROUGH!!! slept for 10 hours. brilliant.
Friday morning:
-head pain gone
-dizziness gone
-the feeling of death has morphed into just the worst cold of my life. thank god!
Friday night:
-another dose of NyQuil and another 10 solid hours of sleep.
Saturday morning:
-still the 2nd worse cold ever, but 300% better than Thursday! I'll take it!!!
***my hope for you is that you: drink lots of oj, wash you hands a trillion times, sleep more than you need to, and DON'T get this damn death cold! :)
love ya!
seriously.....
Wednesday morning:
-woke up with a horrendous sore throat. Tough it out, Maren. Go to work.
-had to leave an afternoon meeting early because I was getting too sick.
Wednesday night:
-let's take some NyQuil! That shit always does the job.
-NOPE..... I was awake more than I was asleep. thaaanks, nyquil.
Thursday morning:
-dead to the world. missed my alarm. woken up by my roommate. for SURE not going to school.
Thursday day:
-sore throat
-achey body
-major congestion
-ears ringing
-so dizzy i could hardly stand
-fever of 100 degrees or more for at least 8 hours
-shooting pains in my head every few minutes
-a cough
Thursday night:
-decided NOT to go to work again tomorrow. best decision ever.
-NYQUIL PULLS THROUGH!!! slept for 10 hours. brilliant.
Friday morning:
-head pain gone
-dizziness gone
-the feeling of death has morphed into just the worst cold of my life. thank god!
Friday night:
-another dose of NyQuil and another 10 solid hours of sleep.
Saturday morning:
-still the 2nd worse cold ever, but 300% better than Thursday! I'll take it!!!
***my hope for you is that you: drink lots of oj, wash you hands a trillion times, sleep more than you need to, and DON'T get this damn death cold! :)
love ya!
Monday, June 30, 2008
June at a glance
I can see I have some work to do to get back on track with blogging! It's the last day of June, and I promised this wouldn't happen again another month.....
But, with family, friends, birthdays, work, and a vacation, I guess I was actually busy!
So, here it is -- my June at a glance:
June 1 - Grand Old Days in St. Paul!! We hung out with friends at Maura's apt. on Grand and watched the Twins win!
June 2-5 - Deadwood, South Dakota. My sister and I drove 10 hours (each way) to visit her best friend from college, Molly. We got to see Mount Rushmore, Deadwood, casinos, Kevin Costner's resturaunt, and more!
June 5-9 - Work at the bar.
June 12-16 - Work at the bar.
June 13 - Turned in my application for my teaching license!! (finally!)
June 17-18 - Helped my mom clean the entire house to get ready for out of town family. We even had to take down Christmas (which was still in full swing) in the basement.
June 18-19 - Hang out with aunts and cousins from Washington, California, Florida, and Minnesota.
June 20 - RELAY FOR LIFE in Anoka!!! My dad gave a speech at the opening ceremony; Sarah sang the National Anthem; I saw my aunt and cousin from CT, and Nick's band played at night.
June 22 - Sarah's SUPRISE Birthday Party!! Held at my parents' pool. SO much fun with friends from high school, college, and teaching there!
June 23 - Show Nora, Paul, and Peter around Uptown and hunt for apartments for them. Work at the bar.
June 25 - Sarah's GOLDEN Birthday!! We went to the pool, hung out with Nora, ate dinner at Benihana, and drank our way through Uptown. (Pictures on facebook).
June 26 - Nora and Paul decide to move in to our building!!!!! They fill out the application and we tour the apartment.
June 26-30 - Work at the bar.
So, tomorrow's July, and this time I am SURE I will keep you updated on a more regular basis!
Love,
Maren
But, with family, friends, birthdays, work, and a vacation, I guess I was actually busy!
So, here it is -- my June at a glance:
June 1 - Grand Old Days in St. Paul!! We hung out with friends at Maura's apt. on Grand and watched the Twins win!
June 2-5 - Deadwood, South Dakota. My sister and I drove 10 hours (each way) to visit her best friend from college, Molly. We got to see Mount Rushmore, Deadwood, casinos, Kevin Costner's resturaunt, and more!
June 5-9 - Work at the bar.
June 12-16 - Work at the bar.
June 13 - Turned in my application for my teaching license!! (finally!)
June 17-18 - Helped my mom clean the entire house to get ready for out of town family. We even had to take down Christmas (which was still in full swing) in the basement.
June 18-19 - Hang out with aunts and cousins from Washington, California, Florida, and Minnesota.
June 20 - RELAY FOR LIFE in Anoka!!! My dad gave a speech at the opening ceremony; Sarah sang the National Anthem; I saw my aunt and cousin from CT, and Nick's band played at night.
June 22 - Sarah's SUPRISE Birthday Party!! Held at my parents' pool. SO much fun with friends from high school, college, and teaching there!
June 23 - Show Nora, Paul, and Peter around Uptown and hunt for apartments for them. Work at the bar.
June 25 - Sarah's GOLDEN Birthday!! We went to the pool, hung out with Nora, ate dinner at Benihana, and drank our way through Uptown. (Pictures on facebook).
June 26 - Nora and Paul decide to move in to our building!!!!! They fill out the application and we tour the apartment.
June 26-30 - Work at the bar.
So, tomorrow's July, and this time I am SURE I will keep you updated on a more regular basis!
Love,
Maren
Thursday, May 29, 2008
ode to May
Huh... so I guess it's been a while since I "blogged". I love those words that can be a noun OR a verb: blog/blogged; swim/swim; f*ck/f*ck; you get the idea.
Anyway -- this month has been two extremes at the same time: crazy and lazy. Here's a recap of what's been going on.....
May 2 -- Close the bar on a Friday night as a practice for days to come.
May 5 -- Last day of class in grad school. Also -- practice closing shift #2.
May 7 -- First close by myself. Note: I was only there an hour and fifteen after we closed.
May 8 -- Second close by myself. Note: I shaved 30 minutes off my previous time, and was there only 45 minutes after close!
May 12 -- Stephy's birthday!! First job interview: D/HH in St. Paul. Last FINAL of grad school ever!! (on which, I got an A). Close at the bar.
May 14 -- GRADUATION DAY!! At Northrup Auditorium, with family. Also, a quaint reception from the professors in our program.
May 15 -- Close at the bar.
May 19 -- Close at the bar.
May 21 -- Move Megan out of St. Olaf. And rediscover my biceps.
May 22 -- JOB OFFER from St. Paul....yessss! :) I'll be teaching 4th and 5th grade students reading/writing/math in the morning, and then taking them in to a general ed. classroom in the afternoon for science/social studies/etc. Close at the bar.
May 24 -- ACTUALLY get to hang out with my friends! BBQ and near deck fire at Mel and Bob's.
May 26 -- Movie with Sarah and Mel. Close at the bar.
May 28 -- First date with new boy. It goes well, but there are no fireworks. Enough said.
And now, here I am at the end of May, closing tonight, and working tomorrow and Saturday.... leading up to our ONE YEAR anniversary in this building and in this city. It's been a wild, successful, fun, challenging, heartbreaking, mess of a year. I can only hope that this next year is as memorable.
See you in June! :)
Anyway -- this month has been two extremes at the same time: crazy and lazy. Here's a recap of what's been going on.....
May 2 -- Close the bar on a Friday night as a practice for days to come.
May 5 -- Last day of class in grad school. Also -- practice closing shift #2.
May 7 -- First close by myself. Note: I was only there an hour and fifteen after we closed.
May 8 -- Second close by myself. Note: I shaved 30 minutes off my previous time, and was there only 45 minutes after close!
May 12 -- Stephy's birthday!! First job interview: D/HH in St. Paul. Last FINAL of grad school ever!! (on which, I got an A). Close at the bar.
May 14 -- GRADUATION DAY!! At Northrup Auditorium, with family. Also, a quaint reception from the professors in our program.
May 15 -- Close at the bar.
May 19 -- Close at the bar.
May 21 -- Move Megan out of St. Olaf. And rediscover my biceps.
May 22 -- JOB OFFER from St. Paul....yessss! :) I'll be teaching 4th and 5th grade students reading/writing/math in the morning, and then taking them in to a general ed. classroom in the afternoon for science/social studies/etc. Close at the bar.
May 24 -- ACTUALLY get to hang out with my friends! BBQ and near deck fire at Mel and Bob's.
May 26 -- Movie with Sarah and Mel. Close at the bar.
May 28 -- First date with new boy. It goes well, but there are no fireworks. Enough said.
And now, here I am at the end of May, closing tonight, and working tomorrow and Saturday.... leading up to our ONE YEAR anniversary in this building and in this city. It's been a wild, successful, fun, challenging, heartbreaking, mess of a year. I can only hope that this next year is as memorable.
See you in June! :)
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