My certification test, round two.

Because of my change in placement to a more bureaucratically complex position (the people who informed me of this change did their best to make it sound like a "super cool upgrade!"), I am taking a second certification test.

I took and passed the Special Education test, clearing me for a Resource Room job, but I will be a in a self contained setting now, so I need to also have certification as an elementary general education teacher.

I took a practice test last night. Passed it, but Arizona won't just take my word for it. Gotta prove it now.



And, to be honest, I am getting excited about the school where I'll be working. In a self-contained setting, where I am with a small group of students all day, I will be able to have much more of an impact on them and get to know them individually.

That being said, I thought I was done with tests back in April.

Hopefully I'll be don with tests for the year as of this afternoon.

Lightning, Monsoon, and More Tricks

Monsoon season arrives once a year and brings excitement to the desert skies. We get lots of lightning (a bolt every few seconds, for hours), "lots" of rain (maybe an inch), and really cool cloud formations. And, even better, I got a video of my storm chasing night with two of my friends here at ASU.

Twice, I think lightning may have made contact with the field where we were standing, and I was filming when it happened. (Yeah, yeah, I know... we should have known better... but I got it on video! That makes it okay!) They're at about 4:25 and 5:45 in the video, but you should watch the whole thing. 

Plus: gymnastics tricks, shot-put, music, and stories.

Enjoy!

Tootsie Rolls!

This morning, as I sat down to start the day with my small math & reading group, the boy to my right looked up at me, smiling because he was about to share something that would undoubtedly impress me to no end, and said, "Mr. Williams! Mr. Williams! (paused, smiled again) Smell my hand!"
With this, he swung his little hand towards my face, cupped his palm and fingers around my nose, and held it there for my reaction. Honsetly, I didn't know exactly how to react. Hands full of worksheets and graded papers from the previous day, just moments before deep in thought about how I might approach the delicate challenge-but-don't-frustrate principle of effective education with my four math students, I sat there for about two seconds, bewildered and not sure what to do. I had been up for three and a half hours, even though it was 8:30am. My mind was not working quickly. So I sat. I had no choice.

"Chocolate!" I said as I leaned back, pulling my nose from the oxygen-mask shaped hand. It smelled like chocolate. I hoped it smelled like chocolate.

The little boy smiled. "Nooooooooooo..."

I got scared.

"Tooooootsie Rolls!" he said. 

Thank goodness. Because you never know. 

Gifts from students so far: 

-drawing of a flaming skull (attempted on one side, drawn to completion on the other)

-plastic/rubber raptor-claw necklace without the cord

-the fact that every time there's an unnamed man in a story, it's automatically "Mr. Williams"