Now that finals are here I'm somewhat relieved but also stressed. I'm relieved because the semester is almost over!! I couldn't be more excited about it. I have one more class to take after this semester and then it's time to student teach. I actually got my student teaching assignment last week. I will be at P.G. High School for the first half of the semester and then Springville Junior High the second half of the semester. I'm excited to finally be close to graduating and to be able to enter the job market. I'm happy to finish school and go on to bigger and better things. I still haven't decided whether or not I want to go to grad school or teach first. I guess I should decide that here in the next few months.... Well I have 2 finals completed and will complete 2 more this weekend. I'm happy to be almost done with them.

3 more weeks of school

Three more weeks of school left and then I'm done with classes and will be waiting on student teaching to begin. This video was shown to me by a friend and made me laugh a lot. Makes me hope that I don't have the same problem as the guy in the video has. Haha. http://youtu.be/Dd7FixvoKBw Hope you liked it. I couldn't stop laughing for like five minutes. It doesn't satisfy the requirements for the assignment, but I still love it. So I'm way excited that school is almost done because that means all my projects are coming to a close. It's been a very long and stressful semester. I didn't think it was going to be as rough and hard as it was, but I'm glad I survived. The worst part is that I still have finals left, and a couple of my finals are just papers/essays/group projects that are due the day of the final exam. I'm glad the bulk of the projects are done though. I signed a contract for fall/winter semester of next school year so that was a huge burden off my mind. I still need to find a place to live this spring and summer though. I'm thinking of moving to Arcadia or Centennial apartments, south of campus, because they're cheap. I'm getting kicked out of my current apartment this spring and summer because they're renting out the entire complex to the MTC to house missionaries. It's exciting, but a real pain for those of us that have to move now. I'm excited to be in a new ward and make new friends though. It'll be a great experience. Also, I am going to buy a new cd player/stereo for my car!! My old one is broke and it's time to make my car totally functional again. That means I need to buy a new side mirror too since I busted it up delivering pizzas. I broke the whole thing off, but super glue is pretty amazing and does some incredible things.

Spring Break

I hate the fact that BYU doesn't believe in or have a Spring Break. It kills me. I wish that they would at least give us a 3-4 day weekend. We have two holidays throughout the Winter Semester and around this time it gets hard to stay focused. The weather is getting nice, the sun is shining, it's warm outside. Besides, we're getting tired. At least in the Fall Semester we get Thanksgiving as a time to relax and take a breath before Finals hit. I don't want Spring Break to go get drunk, party, have sex, or whatever else the administration thinks we'll go do. I just want to rest and relax some. We need something like that at BYU. Well now I'm done with my Spring Break rant. Anyways... I will have to say that I officially hate group projects. I didn't like them before, but now I really don't like them. In my math practicum class, MTHED 377, I am in a group to create a lesson plan and prepare to teach this lesson to our class tomorrow. I am the only one who is taking the lead and doing anything about it. I hate the fact that I am the only person doing anything on this group project. It's really frustrating because I have four other group projects which deserve my attention but I can't do anything about because I am doing everything for the project due tomorrow. It's unfair to my other groups and it angers me quite a bit. I'm just glad I'm almost done with the project and can catch up on everything else starting tomorrow afternoon. I hate that I have gotten behind in all my homework and assignments because of one project where no one wants to do anything.

On a positive note and changing the subject, the weather has gotten amazing lately! It's been in the 60's and 70's all week. I love being able to drive around with my windows down. It's nice to be done with the cold, gross weather and on to spring.

Well I had no idea what to name this post so I'll leave it blank until I decide. This past week has been interesting. I got a lot of work done on our group project for MCOM 320, but we still have a lot left to do before it's done. I drove up Provo Canyon twice this past week. The weather has been awesome lately. It's finally warmed up some and feeling more like spring. It's cooling down right now, but it's supposed to be wet and cooler this weekend. In my Mathed 377 class, I am also working with a group to create a math lesson plan that we will teach to our class nect Friday. Let's just say that there are a couple people in my group that I would love to yell at. It's frustrating when I am the only person trying to do good on this lesson plan and no one else cares. Or better yet, I love how they will talk about how crazy their lives are and that's why they don't have time to work on the lesson plan. I've already spoken to my teacher, but it's still frustrating. On another note, I am finally half-way through my last semester of classes at BYU!!! I can't wait to be done and not have to worry about school for another year. I want to go to grad school to make myself more marketable. Also, I figure I should get it done sooner rather than later so that's easier. It's crazy how fast the semester has flown by. It seems like a week ago it was only January. I have so much left to do and hopefully I can get it all done. I may be quitting my job delivering pizzas and go back to my job working at a plumbing supply store to help during sprinkler season. It'll be nice to go back to working with friends.

End of the Week!!!

I am way excited that it's Thursday and thus almost Friday!! I found out earlier this week that I passed both of my Praxis exams!!!!!! I'm pretty excited. :) Now all I have to do is make it through this semester with at least a C- in every class and I am on my way to graduation! Now I realize that a C- is a very low score. But I am not aiming that low in most of my classes, just one: Math 290-Mathematical Proofs. Lets just say I took this once already in my college career, didn't get a C- and am thus retaking it; proofs and I don't get along very well..... I took a test in that class today so hopefully I do good. I'm really nervous because, like I said, Ineed to do well in the class. Lets see....this past week, my hometown of Amarillo, TX, got 19 inches of snow in one day with drifts up to 8 feet!! News reports said that the snow plows were parked because they weren't doing anything. They called in the National Guard to help but I'm not sure with what. My mom said it was crazy how much it was snowing, but luckily the pipes didn't freeze in the house. I guess that's the most snow in February in over 100 years there, and the second most amount of snow on record in Amarillo. I'm very happy I was here in Utah where there was a lot less snow. Hopefully it will provide the area with some much needed moisture. If it melts slow enough the ground will absorb it. If not though, it will be another dry year. There's this girl in my math class who I really want to ask out. It's just hard since there's a total of 15 people in the class. It's kinda hard to ask her since it would be obvious if I sat in a different place than normal. That's one of the down sides to small classes. You can't change routine really without throwing everyone else off as well. Then again, I do hate it when people in my bigger classes do it because it throws me off as well. I am now off to class. I got here later than normal because (a) I had to take my math test and (b) my room mate didn't come to his class today. Hopefully my group and I can make a lot of progress on our group project.

Crazy few weeks

In the past few weeks I have taken two Praxis exams, two tests for classes, 3 quizzes, and turned in multiple homework assignments. I spent the majority of my time the last two weeks staying on top of the most important homework assignments, and studying for the Praxis exams. I had to take each one so that I could be certified to teach both physical education and math in the public schools. I am still awaiting my test results. Now that I have finished with my Praxis exams, I have slowly been trying to get back on track and even ahead in my classes. I have been trying to finish my homework ahead of class and even the assignments that are due for the next class period. It doesn't always happen but I'm getting back on track at least. For a while I was feeling really overwhelmed with school, work, and my two Praxis exams. This past weekend and week were the first times in over a month that I have felt relaxed. It is nice since I know that the semester will only get harder, especially with a few very big and important assignments due in the next 2 weeks. I feel more prepared tp handle them and am staying in control of my life. By no means do I think I am out of the woods though. This is my last semester of classes and as such, it will be a huge challenge for me to stay focused and motivated. I'm excited to be looking into graduate schools and also to start preparing for coaching football next season. Since this will be my second year coaching, I am more excited to start and get my players ready for the next season.

Crazy Week 2

This week has been ultra stressful. I have had to complete 3 lesson plans, work in three different groups, one test, my Praxis exam is tomorrow!!!!! and my regular homework load. Oh, and my other Praxis exam is next Friday as well. Lets just say this week has left me feeling overwhelmed. And to top it all off, I started having a mental breakdown last night. Not the kind of I can't handle this, but the "what if I can't get a job after college blah blah blah..." breakdown. I guess it just hit me yesterday that, while I knew a teacher and football coach don't make much money, I won't actually make very much money. And since I'm in my 8th semester of college, I can't really back out now. I just started thinking that maybe I should've gone into either business or accounting. Guaranteed I was going to make a lot more money, but when I took those classes I knew that I wouldn't be happy in them. Now I'm just second guessing myself and my life. It isn't the best thing to do, especially in the middle of two crazy weeks. Well that's been my life. Now I just have two more days to finish a lesson plan and to prepare to teach it on Monday in front of my peers. Talk about stressful. My partner taught our other lesson on Wednesday and did a great job. I just don't feel near as confident about this next lesson. It's on the slope-intercept formula and is gonna be rough. My group met today with my teacher and I learned a lot about what we should've already known. This weekend is gonna be long...

Crazy week

So this week has been crazy. I had to meet with three different groups to create three lesson plans. It was great to have Monday off for Martin Luther King Day, but I don't feel any more rested or ready. I just feel more behind. It's pretty hard because I feel like one class is trying way too hard to be difficult. It's my math practicum class which is 4 credits, but I feel like we could use class time more effectively so that meeting in our groups to prepare lesson plans could happen more in class and less outside of class. I understand it will be more difficult since it's 4 credits, but I feel like that class is running my life. I'm also in a technology class which is to help encourage me to use technology in math teaching. Problem is though that I feel that the teacher/department is trying to hard to make it more than it needs to be. Right now we're just reading articles and talking about why we need it. I would rather see the class take a turn and let us talk about the why briefly and then show us how technology can enhance the learning of our students. I think showing us how and why is a better approach than reiterating the same idea for 2 weeks straight. It's also hard to stay focused and motivated since this is my last semester of classes. I really just want to be done and student teach. It would be so much easier and more fun. I just  hate jumping through all the hoops that the math department and some of my professors want. It feels like the last 1-2 transfers of the mission. I knew I was going home soon, but I had to stay focused so that I didn't get lazy. This is even harder though. Hopefully I can get through this.

Back to it

Well the first week of school is over. Too bad there are 15 more weeks to go.... haha. I'm back on here for another class. Who knows, maybe this time I'll blog more. My last blog posts were for my technology class, this time it's for my advanced english class. I'm in my last semester of classes at BYU and it feels GREAT!!!! I'm so excited and happy to be done with my classes. Next semester, Fall 2013, I will be student teaching. I am hoping to do it at P.G. High so that I can get paid for coaching there. We'll have to see what happens though. Hopefully the district, school and teacher will all approve me. This semester I'm taking Teaching with Technology, Math Teaching in Public Schools, Math Practicum, Athletic Training and the accompanying lab, Communication in Organizational Settings, and Fundamentals of Mathematics (proofs).  It's 7 classes for the grand amount of 16 credits. I'm trying to just be done and not have to take any classes over the summer. I just want to be able to work and relax. I haven't been able to do that in awhile. Now that I think of it, I need to go finish my student teaching application. it's due Tuesday the 15th. I'm kind of a procrastinator...... Except on this assignment. Don't worry though, I'm sure I'll start posting right before my 5pm english class on Thursdays. :)