One Week In

So far, I have completed one week of student teaching. That means 11 more to go- 5 here in Florida, and 6 back in Ohio. After this week of experience I've come to think that Florida schools might be a little different from the schools I have worked in back home. Not necessarily in a bad way, just different from what I am used to. I am starting to get the hang of things though, and because of that I have spent a lot of time making lesson plans! There is only more to come with the work load.

On to the fun stuff! On Friday night we went to The Polynesian, which is a hotel in Disney. We each got a dessert and sat on the beach facing Cinderella's castle to watch the fireworks. Talk about a sight! It was beautiful. You could see 2 different hotels across the water and right in between them was the castle. Then, at 8:00 Disney music started playing and the fireworks show began! I loved it! One more fun thing to do in Disney. I woke up on Saturday to a gorgeous and warm day. I spent some time working before going out to catch some rays. After that all of us interns went to downtown Celebration to enjoy a meal together. From there we walked to an ice cream store that had delicious ice cream. It was a beautiful weekend out in Celebration with good friends! Hopefully there are plenty more to come.

Getting in the Swing of Things

Today was my first day in my classroom at Celebration K8! Everyone there was so nice and welcoming. I expected to do a lot of observing on the first day, but my teacher was more then willing to let me have a little bit more involvement. She seems like a great teacher and I am so excited to teach with her! I have a more diverse group of students compared to years past, which will provide me with a new experience. These kids are real troopers too. I can't imagine what it is like for a kindergartner in a school as big as this. One boy actually thought it took us an hour to get from the lunch room to the classroom- too cute. So far though, I am loving being able to walk outside to get to other areas of the school. I'm sure this will all change when we have a storm during the middle of the day.

Speaking of storms. . . I experienced my first Florida storm today! I heard we were going to get hit by one, but I didn't really know what it would be like. I wake up from my nap to find a t.v. full of bright red covering half of Florida! A bunch of areas had tornado warnings, but apparently we were fine. I was a little nervous being up on a second level when thunder was literally shaking the house! I guess this storm wasn't really anything to be worried about, so I'll have to get used to them.

I've heard from students who have done this program in the past that they get pretty homesick the first week. I happen to be doing surprisingly well! Don't get me wrong- I do miss my parents, my friends, and of course if you know anything about me you know I miss my pets, but it helps having a sheltie sleeping right next to me right now! = ) The cat joined us earlier too. Needless to say I am pretty happy!

So far, I am loving every minute of Florida. Check in for more later!

Home Away From Home

Well, after two days on the road I finally arrived in wonderful, sunny Celebration, Florida! My dad, who Tiffany voted Dad of the Year, drove probably all but four hours, so thanks dad- Love you! While driving down here and after spending two days here I have learned a few things:

1. Don't get lost or you will be scrapping for pennies to pay your toll!

2. You can do u-turns!

3. Pay attention to the speed limit. At times it's 70 MPH and someone might fly by you!

4. Don't always trust your GPS.

5. Watch out for armadillos and wild boar- I guess there frequent around here.

6. THIS PLACE IS AWESOME!

I am sure there are many more lessons to be learned during my time here. Now, on to what I've done so far, and what's up ahead.

After arriving yesterday my dad and I went to Downtown Disney with the other interns and some of the host families. We ate at this place called T-Rex where there is animation the entire time you are eating! The place is filled with moving dinosaurs, sea creatures, and meteors! It was pretty neat. Spending practically two whole days in a car had me beat so it wasn't long after dinner that I crashed in bed. I woke up to yet another sunny, and SNOW FREE day! (Yay!) My dad and I decided to go to the store, but that idea got cut short when my car wouldn't start-oops. Don't leave a light on over night and this won't happen. We took a nice walk around the neighborhood before coming back and finally getting the car started thanks to a nice neighbor. Not the best start to a day, but it turned out to be just fine (minus taking my dad to the airport, which was pretty sad). I was able to hang out by my self for part of the day then went to the Ganley's to watch a movie with Tiffany and Staci (two other interns here). It was a good time! Hopefully I'll be able to have a good mixture of time to myself, and time with friends.

Everybody has been so nice and it seems that it won't be hard at all to feel at home. Tomorrow I am meeting my mentor teacher and I can't wait! I also will finally get to see the inside of the school, and learn a little bit more about my role as a student teacher. I am so excited for this adventure! Keep checking my blog to see what's next!