Alicante, here I come…
(24/30)
So… I mentioned previously that I had submitted a proposal to speak at the International Association of Special Education (IASE) conference in Alicante, Spain this summer…
Well, I got word today that my proposal was accepted… and I’ll be speaking during a regular session at the conference. 
I’ll be speaking about a program that I’ve developed that is meant to help schools implement more effective classrooms for students with emotional/behavioral disorders.
Now, that doesn’t mean that the conference is paid for… I’ve still got a pretty large chunk of change to accumulate by July, but I know it will work out… cause it has to… cause I’m going to spain.
On a related and equallly exciting note, this means I’ll finally be able to hug the neck of my lola (my best friend in Madrid)… which is currently comprising about 50% of my exuberance.
Good night.
3/30
Well, hmmm, how about that.
Today, I REALLY, REALLY did not want to work out…
I had a pretty tough day at work, pretty emotionally drained, AND I had class tonight. Which is fine, but is surprisingly NOT the same as chilling, cozy on the couch.
So, I came home, and… well… I worked out.
Not only did I work out, but much to my surprise, many of the moves were easier, and I’ll be dipped (Texan phrase), if I didn’t get through SO much more than I expected to, or than I did yesterday or the day before.
I’m glad I pushed through, and I’m glad I didn’t quit. 
oh, hi there…
well, I’ve failed again.
I always have the greatest of intentions, but It can be REALLY hard to remember/find time to blog when you’re feeling busy, swamped, sleepy, or stressed.
I’ve not been feeling all of those things at once, but I’ve certainly touched on each of them in the past few weeks.
(if you’re not a google reader, you can now subscribe to my site via email! Just enter your information in my sidebar, and get my updates…if/when they happen 
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Work has been wonderful. I have a great job, at a great school, with amazing people. Thinking about how tough my job can be, while keeping in mind how much better it is with an awesome team makes me feel pretty darn grateful.
So, a grad school first: I submitted a paper to a call for proposals… the international association of special education (www.iase.org) has its biannual conference, and this year, it is in Alicante, Spain! I don’t know if I’ll be selected to present… and it seems pretty bold to hope, but if I do, then I’ll have to start the process of trying to pay for a big TRIP!! I’d get to see my lola, which would be AMAZING!!!! But It’d be hard to focus on the excitement of the conference, and on seeing my darling lolita…. I don’t even know what I’d do if I could see her sweet face in person!!
So, I’ll keep you posted on that.
So… I know it’s quite late, but here are some pictures from our Sedona vacation
P.S. We just had our 3rd wedding anniversary… man, time really flies when you’re married to the most amazing man alive.
hey, hey, hey…
I’m in a really happy mood right now… yes, that is probably because I just earned two very good test grades, but I think that was just the bouncing off point… I’ve got lots to be thankful for… (no, I’m not going to list it, but trust me… I am )
So, I’m trying to decide what I’m going to about when I graduate… I have a few options that will yield a mix of stress to time to money in a complicated ratio. I guess I just still have some thinking and reflecting to do about that.
I am SOOOOO excited about my new job. I can hardly stand it! I can’t wait to meet those new kids and learn all about them and what I can do for their futures. It is a really great job.
My lola is off “teaching” this week in a Camp! She is helping students study english while up in the Sierra Mountains somewhere near (or in?) Spain. While chatting this weekend, she asked if I had any quick suggestions for how to step into a classroom of teenagers and teach. I was a little surprised at the quickness my reply came to me, and the consiceness of its content…
I told her to simply respect them… and that students respond more to respect and positivity than they do to scolding and punishment.
As a teacher, control can NOT be something that you strive to TAKE from your students, or MAKE them relenquish to you. Instead, it has to be something that you give up… By laying your “control” out on the table, in a gesture of vulnerability, you help breed an environment of trust and respect. I’ve found that most students are quite happy to let you be in control, as it builds the structure that they so desperately, however secretly, crave.
Guess thats it. I sure do miss getting comments, if you have any feedback, feel free to leave it.
schoooooools out for summmah! (but not really)
So, technically school is out for summer, but not for me.
I’m taking 12 hours in grad school this summer, and I might have hoped it’d be a bit of a break, but alas. It really is a lot of work. Surprisingly, I’m not really that upset about it, cause, man… I really, really, really love what I’m learning. This term is a bunch of EDSP classes about stuff like transition planning (which is really just helping students prepare for life after high school) Educational programming -planning how to best serve students, and one classroom management/discipline class…
It might sound boring, but I promise it isn’t. its so coool.
All that to say that I’ve got tons of writing to do in each class, so my summer of blogging will probably be a bit reduced. Though I’ll try to keep everyone up on whats going on with me.
I’ll be taking a new position this fall… a middle school very close to where I live. I’m thrilled about the commute, and even more excited about the students and staff… from what I’ve experienced so far, its going to be wonderful.
I’d better get back to writing, but keep your eyes on my plurk (super cool microbloging site) updates for even more info about my daily happenings….
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