WEEK 14- Thanksgiving

This week, since we had Thanksgiving break, I wanted to focus on the aspects of my job for which I'm thankful.

First and foremost, I'm thankful that I actually have a job. I spent quite a bit of time without a job, and without even a direction for where I wanted to go, that I am extremely thankful that I am able to work and earn a living.

I am thankful for my department. Nancy, Katy, Lydia, Josephine, and Alissa are some of the most supportive and understanding colleagues I could ask for. Whether they are brand new to Washburn or have one foot out the door, everyone is willing to try new things and adjust their teaching to fit the current needs of the students. We work well together, and I always look forward to lunch when we can decompress together.

I am thankful for my administration and their trust in me. As only a 2nd year teacher, it's very possible for me to totally mess things up before I really get my rhythm, but they keep their hands off and let me teach the way I want to teach, even if it means making mistakes along the way.

I am thankful that I had 2 very great mentors along the way: Robert Tangen, my Spanish teacher in high school, and Jonathan Townsend, my mentor teacher during my student teaching at Southwest High School. I do my darnedest to emulate these two great teachers, and often when I'm not sure how to teach something, I think to my self, "What would Tangen do? What would Townsend do?"

I am thankful that my class sizes are down to under 30 this year. Class sizes do matter, and this year I am able to give more individual attention to the students that need it.

I am thankful that the subject matter I teach can easily be used to open doors up all around the world, and that the students who wish to do so will better be able to compete in a global society because of my class.

Finally and most importantly, I am thankful for my students, both current and past. When I see my students playing around with the language for fun, or when a student shares a story of how they used their new Spanish abilities to talk with one of their Hispanic classmates, or when a student comes in completely excited because they understood something said in Spanish on TV, that's when I know that I am in the right profession. I look back to when I was starting my Spanish classes in 9th grade, then I think about all of the opportunities that I had because of my bilingualism, and I get excited about the variety of futures that lie ahead for these kids.

I took it easy during Thanksgiving break, as I should do every once in a while.

Day	Date	Start	End	Total Hours
Sun	11/18/2012	9:00 AM	10:30 AM	1.5
		2:15 PM	3:00 PM	0.75
		8:00 PM	8:45 PM	0.75
M	11/19/2012	7:30 AM	6:15 PM	10.75
T	11/20/2012	7:30 AM	4:15 PM	8.75
		8:00 PM	9:45 PM	1.75
W	11/21/2012	7:45 AM	4:45 PM	9
Th	11/22/2012			0
F	11/23/2012			0
Sat	11/24/2012			0
	Total			33.25