Wow, what a long time it has been since I've written an entry. I didn't plan for it to be like that of course. I just get busy and what not. Well, I have finished my first semester at college. I have been in Key West, for almost a week now. I'm glad to be just chillin. Actually today, I went to work. My middle school band director let me substitute for her while she is absent on a conference trip. Unfortunately, I don't get paid because I don't meet all the requirements yet. However, I get on the job training, first hand experience. She had lesson plans prepared and what not, but she told me I could do whatever I wanted. She said it was my playground and my experiment. Somehow I managed to make it through the day. I think I did very well. I am tired though. I had a lot of fun. The kids learned. They seemed to like me. I didn't do things quite like she does, but no two people do. They had the holiday lunch... turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, roll and apple crisp. It was quite tasteful. Tonight I had pizza for dinner. MMM yum. When I go back to Orlando I am like going to get so skinny. I'm not use to this food. I'll be back home eatting bagels defrosted in my car. LoL Nah, you know, I have found that toasted cinnamon raisin bagels are the bomb with grape jelly on top. Maybe when I go back I'll go to the gym on campus. Some of the classes look interesting or fun. I have been enjoying blading and running the beach though. However, Sunday I took off, yesterday it rained, and today it is freezing, rainy and I am tired. Ha. I think I'll go bike riding and stuff tomorrow though. My dad is going to take my bike out of the shed. That should be fun. Tonight I am going to a Christmas party at the church. That will be fun too. Since I've been here I've been to the church everyday for atleast two hours practicing piano/clarinet or hanging out with PK, Mrs.Leela, the girls, or who ever else is around. I have enjoyed that. I am glad to see everyone again. Oooo.. let me tell you, the first thing I did when I got home at like 3:40pm today was take off the shoes. My feet were killing me! I guess I know now why she had that tall chair thing. I prefer conducting standing though. With the 8th graders I just worked with them on their Lower Keys Fesitval Music. I forgot to warm them up, but I did pretty good conducting and rehearsing some parts. I think I did even better with the 6th and 7th grade though. I was teaching them new theory and working on exercises out of the book. They did rather well. I know their behavior would have been a bit better if Mrs.Dallas would have been there, but they were still really good, considering. They were quite respectful. They are still young enough where they raise their hands to answer questions all excited. I remember in HS, no one would raise their hand. You just sit there and you play cool. If the teacher calls on you depending on the situation, you like blow everyone away with some intellectual spectacular answer or you just play stupid. One girl told me after we did the theory that I was a good teacher. That made me happy. :-) I didn't like the whole thing that I didn't get to go to the bathroom and I only had 30 minutes, barely enough time to get my food and eat lunch. Eh, it is okay. Tomorrow I get to do it all over again. It can only get better. I am glad I will not be there on Friday. Those little rascals will be psycho because it is the last day before break. I knew some of the kiddies already, so that helped. It made it a little better knowing a few names. I look forward to doing this again. By the time I get to be a real teacher, I think I'll be pretty darn good. I know there is a lot for me to work on though. I think since I've been in college I've become a lot more confident and independent. I think that is important. I think one area I want to work on more is discipline. I didn't have a problem with it today with the kids, but I want to make sure I have something planned in case I need to take some action. I think I have a lot of patience. I know I will need a tremendous amount of it. It is a lot to stand up in front of 25-35 kids or so for an hour and teach them, correct them, discipline them, work on individual problems while addressing ensemble problems.... I mean there are so many things you could work on, fix... you have to be careful the way you approach the situations though... you have to be positive.. encouraging.. but they have to know they need to work... but you want them to enjoy it and have fun and learn... Hmm.. what do you say to french horn players? Middle school french horn players sound to be like.. dying elephants. They have sounded that way since I was in middle school and learned what one was. "That was better in the beggining, but you need to work on your partials in measure 3-4 and 6-8" It is amazing how they don't give up. French horn must be hard to play. I wouldn't know though. I've never played it. I am glad I have some experience though with most the instruments.. flute, clarinet, alto sax, baritone, trumpet, some percussion. I wish I knew trombone, tuba, and french horn, along with more percussion. Today is my parents' anniversary... 27 long years. Wowzers. My mom is in bed like dying though. She had to get injections. No going out to dinner or anything special for them. :( She has been knocked out for a few hours now. ::cries:: I love my mommy. I hope she'll be okay. She had to go to the doctor in Miami/Ft.Lauderdale in a few days. She probably will be getting surgery before the first of the year too. Hmm... I don't go back to school until like January 5th or so. Yay. I will only be there for a few days though, then I'll be off to Tampa for a Music Educators conference. Wow, I live a busy life. But you know what? I enjoy it!! I have been a lot happier since the psycho roomies have been out and what not. I am kind of okay with being home now. The first few days I was bored out of my mind though. I don't want it to be cold when I go back to Orlando, but I am sure it will be! I need to work on my Christmas stocking some more. It is looking rather nice now. :-) I am proud. I want to finish it before Christmas though. I can't believe Christmas is next week!!!!!! That is so around the corner!!! I need to wrap my dad's presents, then I'll be good. Lucky for me, I wrapped all the rest and bought them up in Orlando before I came down. :-) Smart Laura, that's me. I have all my things ready for tomorrow. It will be more or less like today. I'll just take them to a higher level. I don't know what I will do tomorrow night. On Friday night i have a banquet. On Saturday I have Tina's birthday at this japanese restaurant. On sunday I have church. They are suppose to do their program then. I guess I will sing. I should probably prepare something for the Christmas service too on Christmas Eve, next Wenesday. On Monday we have Christmas caroling though. How exciting!!! Ooo.... Ericka and Maria will be here on Thursday/Friday of this week though. That is exciting. I hope to hang out some with them. Next Thursday is Christmas. WOOO!!! I don't want to look further. I will cry. I only have like 16 more days left. Then, I will be gone back to Orlando. When I was there though, I kind of didn't want to leave. I would love to visit more but, the drive is just absolutely psycho... 6.5 hours one way.. 6.5 hours back. That is half of a day! Atleast I will get Spring Break the first part of March. I will be done with the spring semester before April gets out though. Sweetness!!! Then.. perhaps I go to KW for two weeks, then back off to school for a summer session. Okay, enough for looking ahead. All is well. Life is spectacular. My teeth are lovely, the dentist said so yesterday. I need to go brush them now before church though. I am so use to leaving a half hour atleast before things begin. In KW you only have to leave like 7 minutes before something starts mostly. Well, I'll try to keep up with Blog more often. Til next time....