so, a week from today, i graduate from college. woah. (and i’m sure that comment is being echoed all throughout taylor as each member of the graduating class of 2004 comes to this realization, so i know i’m being very unoriginal). but still!

student teaching is going very well. i brought in a penny jar for each class, and a bag full of pennies. I told each class that whenever they did something responsible, respectful, fair, or trustworthy (the four pillars of character), they could get anywhere from one to ten pennies. when they earned fifty cents, they could buy a free recess. its awesome. now, whenever i want their attention, i can just rattle the penny jar. my voice has been saved.

we made noah’s shirt the day before yesterday. it’s unbelievably cool. (remember, i said that i’d make him a shirt cuz he ran the indy mini.) anyway, it says “i’m the best” on the front, and “hands down” on the back and is covered with little five-year-old handprints. cute and cheesy, just the way i likes it. and he wore it yesterday, to all his classes and then on a date with his girlfriend. awesome. the kids were so proud of their work, they were like, “your brother-in-law is gonna love this! this is sooo coool!” and they were right.

let’s see, what else has been going on? my portfolio is halfway done. and it’s due on monday, so depending on whether you look at that as half-full or half-empty, i’m either ok, or hopefully lost.

oh! we got to watch a house burn down yesterday at school. there was a really old rundown house actually on school grounds. it was a safety hazard, so they had to get rid of it. so they decided to burn it down. on a school day. wow, they’re smart! actually, it was really cool because the kids got to go watch it and the firemen did this whole lesson on what do to if your house catches on fire. a much better learning experience than just watching a video, or listening to firemen speak at an assembly. then, they put the fire out and third through fifth graders got to tour the burnt house. they didn’t let the kindergarteners go in. boo. then, after we all went back inside, they finished burning down the house. the pyro in me was satisfied.

well, if i don’t stop writing this, you’ll never get to read it. so i’m done.

beth