Weber State University Graduate!

My goodness!!!!!  It has been a crazy 5 months!  I honestly do not know where they have gone.  OK, so I DO know.  They have been torturous, stressful, and exciting all at once.  Let's recap, shall we?
January--I started my student teaching.  I worked at Viewmont High School in Bountiful.  It was a great school.  The students were fun.  I taught one psychology class (mixed sophomores, juniors, and seniors) and five English 10 honors classes.  It was quite the adventure.  I learned a lot.  About teaching, about students, and about myself.  I do not ever want to have to repeat that ever again in my life.  Ever.  I was a basket case for four months straight and my poor husband got the raw end of that deal.  I would cry, I would complain, I had many breakdowns, but also a lot of breakthroughs.  I learned that I can do a lot of things, even if I don't want to. 

I was still working at Watson's 2-3 days a week and tutoring 2 days a week during this time.  It was absolutely insane.  I survived though!  And I came out with a Bachelor of Arts in English Teaching and Psychology Teaching, with a minor in ESL, and a teaching license!  Boo ya!  Not that I have either the degree or the license in my hand yet.  The degree with eventually come in the mail and the license will eventually be e-mailed to me to print. 

In other news, our home was burglarized in January (right before I started teaching, so it was good in the sense that I didn't have to write sub plans while I was dealing with the police/insurance).  The burglars came mid-day.  We are never home, and they must have been staking out the place for awhile, because they knew we were never home, when the neighbors weren't home and that the house next door is a rental home and was currently vacant.  They used the house next door as a base camp, broke our bedroom window to get inside and then just used the back door, hopping the fence to take the stuff into the other house until they were ready to load up their truck and head out with all our stuff.  The took anything of value that could fit into a bag (using our bags--Justin's hockey bag, my swim bag, etc.--to haul everything out in...at least that's our speculation).  Which means they took every piece of school work I have done for the past four years along with my laptop and jump drive.  Pictures with the external drive.  A pretty much everything my husband owned.  I felt naked without my kindle (the one day I left it home to charge).  They had plenty of time, because they went through every drawer, every closet, every nook and cranny.  Things were moved, things were disheveled, our lives had been violated.  Our home had been ransacked and we were now paranoid.  Justin had been the one to walk in on the mess.  He just called me when I was on my way home to let me know that the cops were there, so I didn't freak out as bad when I got home.  We have since had to replace our birth certificates, social security cards, passports, marriage license, and laptops to survive.  Now we are in the insurance battle for reimbursement.  We'll see what happens with that. 

I graduated!  April 26.  I got to choose which college I walked with because I double majored in two different college.  I chose to walk with the Social and Behavioral Science class instead of Arts and Humanities college because it was earlier in the day.  I did miss walking with my friends though. 

Now, I bet you are wondering if I have found a teaching position yet.  The answer is no, nor am I looking.  I was torn between staying at Watson's (for reasons I am not at liberty to discuss at this time) and finding a teaching position.  I have had nothing but bad experiences with teaching.  It stresses me out.  I think it is a wonderful profession for those that are ready for it.  But I am just not ready for it at this point in my life.  I have decided to stay at Watson's for the time being.  I did not make this decision lightly.  I even went to interviews at schools to be sure I wasn't just trying to talk myself out of teaching.  I had a terrible feeling when I went and knew that I wasn't supposed to teach at this time in my life.  People have given me a lot of crap for this decision.  Some have said I have just wasted a lot of time and money.  I don't see it that way.  I see it as I have accomplished something in my life.  I have a degree.  Two degrees, technically.  That is more than a lot of people can say.  I wanted to get a degree, and I did.  Just because I have chosen to stay here for now, doesn't mean I won't maintain my license and have it to fall back on.  It doesn't mean I won't ever use it.  I have gained a lot of knowledge.  I have gained a deeper appreciation for education.  And to those that disagree with me, I say you are entitled to your opinion, but I know what I have chosen to do is what I am supposed to do at this point in my life.  Thanks for sharing, but it's my life, not yours :)

I have toyed with the idea of going back to grad school.  But Justin and I have discussed it and have vetoed it for the time being.  Which is fine.  Maybe a little break will be good for me. 

SO!  Now that I have graduated, my next big dream is going to be coming true soon too.  I am finally going to Europe!  I am FINALLY going to see that beautiful country I have dreamed of seeing my WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE!  ITALY, HERE I COME!!!!  Maybe if I figure out how to post pictures, I'll get some up here when I get back. 

Ciao for now!