What Next?

I just turned in my one and only final for this semester, and I'm ready to celebrate! Unfortunately, Ammon still has three of his own finals to worry about. I will have to try my hardest to keep my celebrations to a minimum so that he can focus. :)

For both of us this spring will be our last semester. It's hard to believe that we will be entering the "real" world before too long.{ I think I've forgotten how to live life without college.} As soon as this week is over we will start seriously researching and applying for jobs for Ammon. (I will look at my own options after we find a job for him.) We are both feeling really excited at this point, but also nervous about the unknown.

If anyone hears of structural engineer jobs (preferably designing buildings or bridges) or if you have general advice about job hunting please let us know! We'll keep you updated on our progress.

The Thanks I Get from My 6th/ 7th Graders

1) a homemade beaded bookmark

2) candied nuts bought at the book fair down the hall

and...

3) a note:

Dear Mrs. Hedin,
Thank you so much for helping me! Your such a great teacher! I hope you get your tutoring job like you said. Sorry I didn't get you anything. It's because you didn't tell the class. Sorry if you can't read this.

P.S. Thanks for helping me again
P.S.S. Have a good time. My mom wouldn't come and give you a candy bar.
My mom told me to write you a note instead.
P.S.S.S. Sorry if I spelled your name wrong.

What's My Name?

Trying to teach students how to pronounce Hedin (Hedeen) is always an adventure. I've been called Mrs. Hoodeen, Mrs. Houdini, Mrs. Cindy, and Mrs. Wendy to name a few.

A boy in one of my seventh grade classes seemed to give up trying all together and  finds it amusing to just say, "Hey, Student Teach.." So I was amazed yesterday when I heard the words  "Hey, Mrs. Hedin" coming from his mouth. As I was talking to him, he turned to ask my cooperating teacher a question. In his effort to get her attention he said "Hey, Mrs... What's her name?". Ha ha I was so proud. You know it's a good day when your name is remembered before the real teacher's.

In the Dark

As you may notice, this is my first post regarding my experience student teaching in a middle school. It's not that I don't like middle school enough to blog about it, I actually really enjoy it. The every day happenings just aren't providing as many blog worthy experiences...until today.

During 3rd hour (Pre-Algebra) the lights suddenly went out....and they stayed out for the entire hour. Well, that is not entirely true, they would flicker on every once in a while (picture a class full of groaning 7th graders)  and then go back off after about 5 seconds (excited cheers all around). This happened about 6 times during the period.  Apparently the problem was caused by the wind, but in their attempts to fix the problem, the repair people decided they needed to turn on and off all the breakers in the entire school.

Today was a fabulous day for the this to happen because of course they were taking their end of the unit test. There is only one window in the room, so half of the class could barely see their calculators (their faces were about an inch away from the screen). It was pretty funny. Amazingly they all got their tests done (with decent scores) and were wonderfully behaved. The only kids who struggled were the ones who had to find their way to the bathroom in the dark ha ha. I couldn't help but be grateful that I was in a 7th grade class instead of a first grade--boy that would have been an adventure!

Pumpkin Walk

In North Logan there is a pumpkin walk open to the public (for free) each year. It has been going on for over twenty years now. My first grade class created their own display this year. The theme was The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. 

Each student took turns being recorded so their voices told the story (cutest thing I've ever heard). They painted pumpkins and the whole backdrop with help from the art teacher. My first half of my last day we went on a field trip to the pumpkin walk to see the finished product.

pumpkins and hair were equally painted, luckily the paint in their hair washed out

working on one section of the backdrop

my lovely class and their silly faces
(Don't look too closely..I hesitated to include a picture where you could see their faces, but maybe the silly faces will mask their true identity :) )

I went with Ammon tonight for the final night to show him our class display. It was a really fun date night. Seeing the displays in a snow blizzard made the lines short and we got some rock star parking. There were some impressive scenes...everything from Dr. Seuss stories and the Polar Express to Spongebob Squarepants and Up--all made from painted pumpkins and gourds. We have some seriously talented people in the area.

Farewell to Fall

I walked out of school this afternoon only to find myself in a blizzard of snowflakes, the first of the season. I'm still not sure how I feel about that. Sometimes I wish that snowflakes were warm. That way I could feel like I was in a hot tub rather than a freezer. :)

As a tribute to the beautiful, short fall we enjoyed, here are some pictures we took driving up to the top of Mt. Logan. This drive has turned into a yearly tradition for us. I usually use the opportunity to collect leaves, but I was too distracted by taking pictures to gather any this year. I am so grateful for the beautiful world that we live in!

On the way up

First picture of the day, I was disappointed that no matter how many pictures I took, I couldn't capture how beautiful it was in real life. This world was created by a master artist.

View of the valley below. We could see  Old Main and the Logan Temple in the distance.

Ammon's pride and joy at the top of the mountain

Looking back at the road we came up on

Our experiment: creating a panoramic view at the top

Lessons I have learned in First Grade ;)

1)    1) Don’t throw rocks at balls…they could bounce back and hit you in the eye (in case this warning isn't heeded, see #5)

2)   2) Join a teacher’s union!! Then if you are told that staying at school until nine at night each night and twelve hours minimum on the weekend is just part of the job you can have something to say about it.

3)   3)Avoid European/Australian? lunch programs that bribe students to eat fruit and vegetables with daily plastic prizes and cause heartbreak and drama for teachers, parents, and first graders who refuse to eat tomatoes and red peppers.

4)   4)Don’t be surprised by spontaneous dance parties 

        some of the kids' favorite songs are Fruit Salad by The Wiggles, Caterpillar Caterpillar by Kira Willey, and The Water Cycle Song by ??? (You should see the moves these first graders have!)

D   5)  Ice fixes EVERY injury no matter how serious it is

6)   6) Trololololo…  (my cooperating teacher's ring tone)  just threw it in because it makes my day every time I hear it.

       Thanks to my cooperating teacher and wonderful 1st graders!!! Tomorrow is my last day. I will miss you!!

Need a Book?

Jenson Books in Providence, Utah is definitely my new addiction. It is a huge warehouse full of piles and piles of used books. I spent two and a half glorious hours digging through those piles. Most aren't organized with any rhyme or reason, but it is so worth it. Any single book is for sale for one or two dollars or you can fill a plastic grocery bag with any amount of books you can stuff in it for $7.40. I went the the second option and fit 58 books in my little bag. This means each book cost about thirteen cents.

Am I proud?
VERY :)
Did I even look at the adult section?
Yes, as I walked past it to find more kids books.

Total children's books I own: 119 and counting

The Calm before the Storm

I began student teaching on the 1st of September. This means that today, I have officially survived one month! This month has been full of memorable moments, learning experiences, stress, and less sleep than I'd like.

Finally, I have a chance to catch my breath. Today and Friday are days off because of parent-teacher conferences. I still go in part of the day to participate in the conferences, but overall it is going to be a very nice break.

These are some things that will hopefully happen this long weekend:
1) SLEEP
2) lots and lots of planning for school so that I can feel more organized
3)spiritual rejuvenation from general conference (I'm soo excited!)
4) time with Ammon (it's scarce these days)
5) watching USU beat BYU in football---I can dream right?

I officially take over my class this next Wednesday (October 6th-21). Which I am extremely nervous about. If I think I'm sleep deprived now, I'm sure it will be worse during the upcoming weeks. Most of the problem is that I create my own stress even when there is no valid reason for it. According  to my dad this is an inherited trait..my mom has the same problem. :)

One thing that I have learned about human nature is that no matter what challenges arise, we can generally take that challenge on and handle it better than we ever expected. I'm grateful for the break that this weekend will give me to calm down and prepare myself for this next challenge in my student teaching experience.

Person, place, or thing

A few weeks back my cooperating teacher taught a mini-lesson on nouns. She set up a three ring circus by laying three hula hoops on the ground. Each had "person", "place" or "thing" labeling the hula hoop. The students took turns standing on a table and tossing the bean bag into one of the hoops (very simple yet exciting for them). They then had to give an example that we wrote in the circus tent drawn on the board.

When one of the students was required to name a place, they said "the TEMPLE!!!". From the rest of the class I heard several excited whispers of agreement. One little voice said, "Yeah! The temple is a very special place."

I'd have to say I agree. I've learned to act impartial in the classroom, but secretly I was quite proud of the out-of-school training that these kids seem to be receiving.

Back to School

I came across this picture of me and Ammon today. This was taken a few years ago on my first rappelling trip. I started thinking about how I was probably feeling when this picture was taken. Some of these feelings were: nervousness, exhaustion,  being scared, and some excitement mixed in. I think that  during this semester I will definitely experience these feelings in a whole new way.

 For those of you who don't know I am now about a week into student teaching...
(The first half of this semester I am in a 1st grade class at Edith Bowen Lab School on the USU campus and then I jump to teaching 6th and 7th grade at a junior high in Hyde Park.)

I would love to share all my exciting adventures and funny moments involved in my student teaching experiences (I have a ton of stories all ready), but to respect the privacy of my students and help my chances of getting a job in the future I won't be sharing much on the world wide web. Just know that for now I'm surviving. 1st grade is a big change for me. (I've never taught anything lower than fourth grade.) Some days I come home eager for the next day, and others I come home and try to avoid thinking at all. I think that is true for any teacher. I am learning SO much and definitely feel myself growing. I also have one little annoying night class once a week for three hours that I have to get through for one of my endorsements. I try not to think about it too often, but since homework will be due eventually I guess I will have to start sometime. :)

Ammon for some crazy reason is currently signed up to 18 credits of classes which is generally the maximum amount you can take in the semester. The only problem is he is in the master's program where the most they recommend you taking is 12 credits. On top of that he is the sole income of our little family right now so he is working during any spare time he finds. He has this idea in his head that he will finish his masters (30 credits) in two semesters. (This way we will both be done in the spring.) I have tried to talk some sense into him, but I think he has decided to go through with it. Though I'm worried, I'm not TOO worried because I honestly think once he puts his mind to it, he can accomplish anything. He constantly amazes me.

So,in summary, PRAY FOR US BOTH! ha ha If we survive this semester we'll be in good shape.

New Haircut

We just got back from spending a few days in Zion on a rappelling trip. I had been contemplating chopping my hair off for a while, and staying in the heat of Southern Utah convinced me even more. (Plus, it is a lot easier to do when it is short.) One of my friends from our ward always does a good job with my hair. She didn't disappoint this time either--thanks Erin :). I love it!!! What do you think?






the back

Annual Womack Family Campout

Each summer my whole family--mom, dad, 6 kids(well 5 without Jared this year), 5 spouses, and 12 grandkids--spends a few days camped at a ranger's station. Needless to say, we are a big group. The rules are simple: the family with the newest baby gets first dibs on staying in the cabin, and the rest stay in tents on the surrounding lawn.



This year our festivities included:

a section of the river being redirected to make an less dangerous swimming area for the grandkids. (Ammon was the lead engineer of the project and had a lot of help) There is also inevitably a contest that breaks out to determine who can submerge themselves into the freezing river and hold out the longest. (Not my idea of fun.)







numerous games of horseshoes...complete with miraculous comebacks, talking smack, and heated debates.











hiking to the springs where the Cub River comes out of the mountains to get a refreshing giardia-free drink of water












my wonderful nephew Kayl's birthday celebration (I love these pictures of him)





Grandpa having his hands full, and the youngest grandkids getting a lot of attention. (Anywhere Jace is, Sadie follows eager to give him loves)















...and the excitement of taking down our tent on the last day. Somehow we were the only ones with help, because our tent was "cool". My niece, Savanah, assured me that one day when Ammon and I had kids of our own, they would like our tent too. I guess I won't have to worry about that anymore. :)

West Thumb Geyser Basin

Final Yellowstone Pictures from West Geyser Basin: (now my blog is actually letting me insert pictures again maybe I will catch up)

Yellowstone Trip Day 4

Friday we went to the Canyon area of Yellowstone where they have several viewpoints that we hiked down to to see the Upper and Lower Falls. The rocks in this canyon are the reason that "Yellowstone" got its name.







Ammon's dad left us at noon that day to drive to Billings, Montana to meet his mom (who was flying there from Terra's house in Missouri). They went on their own trip the following week up through Glacier National Park and Canada for their second honeymoon. This left Taylie with Ammon and me for the last night in Yellowstone. We went to one last viewpoint called Artist's Point and Ammon and I hiked down 'Uncle Tom's Trail'which led down to the bottom of the canyon directly in front of the falls. Which, by the way, I never plan on going on again.

I discovered on that trail that I had developed a fear of heights that I have never had a problem with before. I don't know if it is some mothering instinct kicking in now that I am married or what, but my level of self-preservation has increased.

The trail started out as a series of switchbacks down to a sign that in summary said, 'this is a very dangerous, strenuous hike take breaks often and don't go if you are a wimp'. That is when my worries began. Then the 300 something stairs began. They were steel mesh stairs that looked rusted over clinging to the canyon walls. Underneath the stairs was the giant drop down to the falls below. I think I would have been fine if I couldn't see through the stairs I was stepping on to the drop below.



I went down one step at a time forcing myself forward, the whole time nervously telling Ammon things like: I can't go any further, I'm freaking out!, I'm never ever doing this again, and why couldn't they make these stairs solid concrete?! Ammon being the civil engineer he is, kept saying: "Steel is so much stronger than concrete. I should know." He couldn't understand that the strength didn't so much matter to me it was more the lack of view underneath my feet that I desired.


See how happy I am?


The hike destination...was it worth it?

I did make it all the way down and back again--very slowly. I didn't follow the recommendations to stop every few feet and rest. I booked it up those stairs as fast as my nerves would allow. I about killed the people that stopped in the middle of the flights of scary stairs and told me to 'just go around me' forcing me to release my two-handed death grip on the railing. I don't think anyone has ever been so grateful for solid ground.