Field Experience Numero Uno, Here I Come!

I know, I know, I've been missing for a while. But all I have to say for that is my last week of work was last week, as was Vacation Bible School, so it's been a little crazy in the life of Erica.

But, I HAVE NEWS.

Ok, it's not really BIG news.

I'M EXCITED, though!

The week of September 1, I will be setting foot as a student teacher in a preschool for my FIRST EVER field experience.

The cool thing is, for the class that goes along with it, you have to have a TpT account and a Pinterest account with a board designated for the class.

Weeellllll, I have both already. Except for the board designated for the class. So that's exciting, right?!

I am super pumped and I cannot wait to begin my journey! I know that all of my bloggy friends (who have yet to come forth) are going to be super helpful and supportive so I'm excited to bond with some of you over all of that fun stuff.

I am nervous, though, at the same time, because I have no idea what to expect. But, I guess that's how it is going into any new school year even as the teacher. You never know what kind of class you are going to be blessed with teaching, and you never know what situations are going to arise, you just have to run with whatever happens. It's what teaching's all about, right? :)

I also really think I'm going to like the professor I have for this field experience block I'm in because 1) she doesn't care if we use an old edition of the required textbook, 2) she told us "Don't blink, it might rain" at the end of the email, 3) she's an older woman (we're talking at least in her 60s so don't think I'm calling anyone old) and I LOVE older people (so don't think I'm being offensive!).

While I may be feeling a little overwhelmed right now, I am so excited to be in the classroom, completing lessons and activities and all that jazz!

Woosh! How Time Flies: What I'm Looking Forward To

Welp. For many of you, I'm sure you've been waiting anxiously to get back into your classroom to get it ready for the school year to begin. Others may have even started school already! Maybe? Am I wrong? Please say "yes!!!"

I, on the other hand, cannot WAIT to get back to my second home for this next year, Clark 113 - my dorm! My college feels so much like home and I am surrounded by such a great group of people. I never thought I'd be in a sorority, but I have to say, my sisters top the list when it comes to the list of those I cannot wait to see!

Anyways, I just thought I'd drop in and say "hello!" Things have been way crazy around here and I actually have to leave soon to go to praise team practice. My last day of work in the warehouse is next Friday and I head back to College Town on August 13 to help with Orientation.

BUT... Before I leave!

The Top Ten Five Things I'm Looking Forward To Upon My Return To College

1. FIELD EXPERIENCE BEGINS!! I will be spending my Monday and Wednesday mornings with some pretty awesome preschoolers this semester. I am SUPER excited to get into the classroom, although I am not completely sure preschool is where I would like to spend the rest of my life. I haven't gotten my placement yet, but I'm sure you'll all hear about it once I find out! {I still have to get my background check and my TB test... Better get on that!}

2. With a little help from my FRIENDS... I certainly cannot wait to see all the friends I made during my first year at college. Between my floormates from last year, my BFF I met before school even started, and an amazing guy friend (my momma calls him my psuedo-boyfriend.....), I have a pretty great group of fun people to spend my days with. I can't wait for all the adventures we go on!

3. Sista, sista! I cannot wait to see all my wonderful sisters of Theta Phi Alpha. They make me a better person. They love me for who I am. I love myself so much more because they have shown me how much potential I have and just how many things I can do. They inspire me to be a leader and not be ashamed of what I have to say. One decision last September led me to these beautiful ladies that I get the opportunity to call my sisters, and I would never ever ever change my mind. I cannot wait to see the amazing things we do on campus our first full year as initiated sisters!!

4. Call me crazy, but I can't wait for the food. All you have to do is walk into the dining hall and there's a million choices at your fingertips. You don't have to prepare it. You don't have to go shopping to get ingredients. You just have to get your bum out of bed and go eat!

5. The Rec Center... Because I could use to shed many a few pounds. And it's just a nice break from sitting around working on things and talking to people. Working out is such a great stress reliever and frustration-getter-outter!

Basically, I can't wait for college life to begin again. These past few months have been a blur, and I know school will seem like it too, but I make many many more memories away at college than I do at home working working working!

It's Currently...June! What?!?!

It's been a while. I know it has.
Working in a warehouse leaves very little excitement to blog about.

I could blog about all my ideas and make things but I feel a little stupid when it comes to making TPT products and whatnot.

It doesn't help that by the time I get home from working in the warehouse all day I'm completely shot and just want to spend the day sleeping.

However, I thought I'd make a return with Farley's Currently, because maybe somewhere out there cares what I'm doing about.

I promise when school starts I'll share more about my journey to become a wonderful, fabulous, terrific teacher!

So, here it goes...

Listening: I watched this show at the beginning of high school and I never finished watching the whole series. So I've spent the last few days watching the last ten or so episodes while scrolling though the wonderful worldwide web.

Loving: Jesus has been so great to me lately. After not getting the interim children's ministry director position at my church, things got really awkward because of the way they handled it. Today I went to another church, just to get away, for a break, and it was amazing! One of my friends from high school goes there and he invited me to try it out. I figured, why not? I even made a new friend! Yay!

Thinking: I cannot wait to be a teacher. I love the fun you can have with your students. I love coming up with new ways to teach things. I love the organization that is required, especially with all the paperwork nowadays. I just really love everything that comes with teaching. Getting there may be a little bit difficult, especially with all the things they are putting in place to get a teaching license aside from student teaching and coursework, but working in a warehouse has given me so much time to think and I've realized that teaching is what I'm supposed to do, and I cannot wait until that day comes!!

Wanting: I can literally not stand my job at the warehouse. It's good money, though. I'm sure glad I won't spend the rest of my life there!

Needing: This goes right along with wanting not to work in the warehouse anymore. Everyone is so negative there - I need a vacation! And not just a weekend. We're going to Hilton Head this summer and I am pumped! I get to take my friend and future roommate with me, and it is going to be a fantastic time!

Summer Bucket List: So, the first thing on there is a total joke. Finding someone to fall in love with will happen when it's meant to be. Maybe I've already found that person. Maybe I haven't. I don't know yet. But I'm young and I have years to live.

I have to start preparing for my preschool field experience. I need more "teacher" clothes - suggestions? I should start looking at ideas for lessons, too, probably. I just need to get ready. I cannot wait to be in the classroom!


I'll be back soon! Hopefully I have something teaching related to talk about, too!

I Spy... Me!

So this new job is the reason I've been M.I.A. for the past week or so!

I've been working 9 hours every day, putting stuffed animals in bags and taping them up or putting stickers on them.

Oh so exciting, huh?

I feel like every time I start a blog I hit 12 blog posts and then it's a dud.

But this is something I really want to keep up with! There's soooooo many ideas out here and I want to contribute to them!

This post is going to be super short, but I just want to make you all aware (if you aren't already are) of these awesome baskets at Target in the dollar spot. They're called burger baskets and come in packs of 3. GREAT for use in the classroom. Not really sure what for, but I would've bought more if I had my own classroom!

Mine are an aqua color... Not sure what other options there are. Maybe orange? I'm not sure!

Five for Friday on a Saturday

I know I've been M.I.A. most of the week.

I've been busy relaxing before I start my warehouse job next week.

I wish I didn't have to work there, but a job's a job.

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching to share what I've been up to this week, besides sitting around watching Ugly Betty on Netflix.

The week started off with finals. On Tuesday, my roommate and I had two finals in our two most difficult classes. I have no idea how late I stayed up, but I was running on Lipton Peach Iced Tea - my favorite! At one point, it got so bad I started reading children's books, and she caught it on camera.

People seem to catch my crazy life on camera too often. Like the time I got stuck in an elevator - more on that in another post!

After finals, it was time to move on out! Here's my empty room. So sad and depressing! Quite a change from how it looked just days earlier...

I LOVE this picture. These are seriously my favorite trees on campus and I hate that I had to leave right as they started to blossom. I'm so glad I got this on camera! Beautiful!

I am literally obsessed with making these binder covers. I've also made dividers that look similar, but I don't have a picture to post. I plan on making lots of these to make available to all you lovelies!

 MY CLOSET IS CLEAN!

I have been waiting for this FOREVER!

I cleaned it out last night, to my mother's dismay. It just had SO many things that I didn't ever use or want to keep.

So I cleaned.

Well, hopefully next week is a bit more exciting. I really want to start posting more teacher-y things, but until then... you all get random tid-bits about my life.

Help Wanted!

Sooo.... I may or not be a bit technology inept.

Still.

Yes, yes, I know I've taken a technology class here at college.

But they don't teach you anything about the blogging world!

Like how to make your blog design pretty and cool without hiring someone to do it for you.

Or finding clip art for free or relatively cheap.

Or making products for TpT - or even cute ones just for yourself.

Finding fonts, however, is actually my one skill. I just have to find them again for THIS computer - I broke my first laptop (oops)!

So if anyone has any advice to share or knows somewhere with great tutorials, I would greatly appreciate it!

Help this lil' girl out, why don't ya?

I will love you forever!

P.S. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Currently... May! Say What?!

Soooo.... According to my computer screen it's May.

It's May. Already.

It feels like just yesterday I came back to campus and found out we didn't have classes for two days because of how freezing cold it was.

And now it's May.

Anywayyyssssss. I'm linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for her Currently!


   

 So. Here it is! I guess I have some explaining to do, huh?

Listening: I am enjoying the silence that rarely occurs on my floor. While I love the people who live on this floor with me, I truly enjoy the piece and quiet that comes with finals week and 24/7 quiet hours. {by the end of writing this blog post, it was fairly loud again - laughter coming through the walls, girls talking in the hall...}

Loving: The two things getting me through studying for my five finals and my English research paper are Lipton's *new* peach iced tea and colored pens. I mean, who doesn't love some color added to their notes!?

Thinking: I literally have a list that just never ends of things I need to do to finish up this semester. It's crazy. And I really just want to curl up with the children's books I got at the bookstore the other day and just pretend I'm 5 again.

Wanting: I really just can't wait to be home. Being home means I can take my chances at getting the job as the interim children's minister at my church meaning I would be planning summer Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. Exciting! It also means a break from school and working my booty off - AND being thismuchcloser to my preschool field experience next semester!

Needing: It's finals week. What else is there to say? Annnddd my overhead light just went out so that must mean I should go to sleep sooner than later.

Surprise!: 

<div align="center"><a href="http://kinder-gardening.blogspot.com/" title="Kinder-gardening" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UPSb5ESUg_NJo9FAUFBVkr9XQC7QipFoAuwQcjUtAbM6ZRngNAERxfFuOnyDsqY6F8CdXCNXh7NmOJlOiqIslpBL7amqaIIwWVeGJPw84Tr77s39HBTNofg-MxLFy22DqdfbOhjleqQX/s1600/grab-my-button.jpg" alt="Kinder-gardening" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

The first person to comment on my blog and follow me was Sandy, over at Kinder-Gardening. Let me tell you, she just posted THE most DARLING Mother's Day project. I encourage you to go check out her pretty little blog out and show her some love!