School Days

I still don't think that it has really hit me yet that I am actually done with school. I mean, I have had lots of summer breaks before. It probably wont sink in until September!!

As part of my last semester I had to do an internship for 12 hours a week. Due to some confusion and MAJOR miscommunication on my advisers part, there weren't any spots available for me at the UofU's preschool. So I ended up at the Christmas Box House in their Head Start Preschool classroom.

At first I really didn't like it!! The atmosphere was a lot different from the preschool classroom that I had just come from. It was also a lot less organized and structured, which was also really hard for me. But I think the hardest part was knowing the situations the kids came from. Head Start if for kids who are living below the poverty line. There was one little girl who would literally lick her plate clean almost every time. It made me so sad because I'm sure that school was probably one of the only times she got to eat. And then there were the kids who knew all about their dad's drug situations and that they were in jail. These kids are FOUR years old!!

But it really wasn't all bad. Like I said, these kids are 4 years old, so they are also hilarious. One of my favorite moments was when the teacher told a little girl to come over to the art area and help clean up. She took one look at the feathers, macaroni, glitter and paper that was spread all over, put her hands on her hips and said "Who made this big a** mess." Okay.... now I know as the adult and assistant teacher I should have told her we cant use words like that at school, but I couldn't hold it it!! I had to stick my head in the garbage can I was laughing so hard!!

Haha!! I think that is one reason that I miss it!! Preschool is also fun because the kids are so excited to learn and everything is new to them!! For my second solo teaching week the theme was butterflies. I was so excited about it and I even ordered live caterpillars from a really cool online website. We got to watch them grow from caterpillars, go into their chrysalis and then come out as butterflies (seriously on of the most amazing things I have ever seen)!! When the butterflies were ready and the weather got warmer, we were able to go out the the playground and let them go!!

Because the butterflies were so used to the noise and the poking of their net, they were really mellow and calm. Out of the nine we had (we originally had ten but my little "Nemo" wing butterfly died the day we were supposed to let them go..... I'm not gonna lie...... I was pretty sad about it) only two of them flew right away. The rest of them hung around so the kids could hold them in their hands and watch them in the grass. It was so much fun for all of us!!

When the school year ended, the teacher planned a party for everyone and she invited me to come. It was so much fun to go back and see all of them and it made me feel good when a bunch of them ran up to give me a hug!! I had fun chasing them around the playground (in my purple high heels no less) and eating Popsicles with them!!

Aww! I love my little friend Jackie!!! Except for the fact that she make me look super-duper white!!!

These two little boys are cousins!! The boy in the green always had a mohawk!! It was awesome!! And the boy in the red is probably one of the sweetest, most polite four year olds I have ever met!!

I feel bad that I cut Jack out of the picture!! Elyse is one of the funniest four year olds ever!!

This is London!!! She hadn't been at the preschool very long when I got there but she is super smart!!

This is Sage, a small, blond, ball of energy!!!

And this is Ernie!! Okay, he is flippin hilarious!! One day he told another little you, "You are naaaassstttyyyy!" HAHA!! I wish you could have seen the way he rolled his head and eyes!! He is also awesome because he was always complementing me!! He would say "Amenda, I like your hair!" Or, "Amenda, you look goowd!" Awwwww!! Why couldn't he be 20 years older!!

Going back through these pictures makes me miss them!! It also makes me think about wanting to someday have my own preschool classroom!! I hope that all these kids turn out okay! I hope that they continue to love school and make good choices!! They are our future!!