tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62434472011-09-15T13:40:19.706-05:00English Teacher and Teach For America Corps Member on Rosebud Reservation, South DakotaAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.comBlogger2741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-34327633129347039242009-08-27T13:59:00.001-05:002009-08-27T14:02:27.791-05:00

New Blog

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-87951137711896705692009-05-13T15:33:00.003-05:002009-05-13T15:44:06.320-05:00

This is the project that has consumed most all of this semester. Today they had their "last chance edit". I told them today that we were publishing this. That I would send it to all the parents, teachers, administrators, community members, and people that I know. I told them that many people would see this site and would see their writing. I told them that people would judge them based on

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-68077186270730323022009-05-11T11:18:00.003-05:002009-05-11T11:59:01.691-05:00

Not with a bang, but with a movie and a worksheet.We're watching Romeo and Juliet. Not really studying it, just watching it. I wanted to study it, to read it, I really did. It would have been fun. But we lost 10 or so days to cold and blizzards. I underestimated the complexity of our Feature Article assignment and then decided to toss laptops, Gmail, and Google Docs into the mix- which was

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-72013981147187802882008-12-28T16:19:00.001-05:002008-12-28T16:19:11.744-05:00

anne_cats1Originally uploaded by photoschwalbeThis is my crazy cat lady Christmas card photo :)

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-14909498981126732962008-12-16T19:41:00.002-05:002008-12-16T19:43:28.244-05:00

This is the reason school was canceled yesterday. Supposedly it was so cold the buses wouldn't start. Gotta love the plains.... <!-- End of big content/image table //-->

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-38778272344850741172008-11-30T23:22:00.001-05:002008-11-30T23:22:50.813-05:00

sunrise_frozenlakeOriginally uploaded by photoschwalbeyup. it's winter.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-54443883587219583792008-11-13T16:16:00.000-05:002008-11-13T16:20:51.608-05:00

Right On!

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-76475170069964436492008-11-11T17:23:00.002-05:002008-11-11T17:29:39.765-05:00

I don't have the focus to write a detailed account of my storm experience right now, but Marion and Sarah have already written thorough accounts so I'll just link to theirs for the time being:Marion in Parmelee (about 15 mi. away)Sarah in St. Francis (next door)I'm hoping to have my students write about their experiences tomorrow.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-7733962017684046252008-11-11T16:37:00.001-05:002008-11-11T16:37:37.452-05:00

Queen of the DriftOriginally uploaded by cannon.sfisthis is not a snow bank created by plows... it's a 7ish foot drift created by driving winds

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-31475714236021047542008-11-10T23:40:00.002-05:002008-11-10T23:46:46.731-05:00

The blizzard turned out to be more damaging than I knew. Some communities were without power and heat for four days or more.This article appeared on the front page of Rapid City Journal regarding the conditions in Wanblee, where four Teach for America teachers live and work.I can't even imagine what the last several days have been like for the people there or for all of my students here.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-53475163070509716142008-11-07T17:19:00.005-05:002008-11-10T23:40:15.967-05:00

This is a picture taken by Evan of the front door of his school on the Pine Ridge Reservation after the blizzard that just passed through the Dakotas.School was canceled here both yesterday and today. Our power (and heat) was out for about 14 hours last night. There is a snow drift that is about 6 feet tall outside my trailer. Sweet.I should be using this time to get caught up on teaching

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-89771576516025578712008-11-03T08:26:00.003-05:002008-11-10T23:47:59.835-05:00

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-35891550270422650892008-10-25T15:33:00.001-05:002008-10-25T15:37:39.694-05:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-14014287245183343712008-10-19T14:06:00.002-05:002008-10-25T15:38:28.522-05:00

Its Native Tongue Facing Extinction, Arapaho Tribe Teaches the Young http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/us/17arapaho.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-72392754331258615662008-09-30T22:00:00.002-05:002008-09-30T22:11:45.331-05:00

It's been a while. We're nearing the end of our procedural text unit. Final drafts are due Friday. Why am I so much better the beginnings of units than the ends of them?I love brainstorming. I love immersing them in real world examples of the genre and letting them figure out what it is and how to do it.But despite having read everything Jeff Anderson has published... I just can't get into

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-67564444900405718412008-09-16T22:15:00.005-05:002008-09-16T22:22:09.286-05:00

Unit 1 is on Procedural Texts. Sounds boring right? NOT.Procedural Video Example #1:Procedural Video Example #2:

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-17106659720054415732008-09-14T14:09:00.006-05:002008-09-14T14:33:00.947-05:00

Pictures stolen from Sarah.We went to the badlands this weekend. in search of "some kind of--- Smart Bug" after watching Starship Troopers, which was filmed partially in Interior, SD.We didn't find any giant alien bugs, but it was pretty fun all the same. Sometimes I have to get away from school and my trailer to remember that this is a cool place and I'm lucky to live here. Next comes three 5

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-39316848241246066932008-09-11T10:19:00.002-05:002008-09-11T21:54:13.909-05:00

There is a cricket in my classroom. It is living behind a very heavy bookshelf that I am unwilling to try moving to get to it. It is a lively cricket and likes to chirp all the time, even when the lights are on, and especially during silent reading time.Yesterday I was extremely annoyed by the cricket and it's chirping. Today- I'm developing an appreciation for the persistent little guy. It's

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-88074699189418937542008-08-21T22:27:00.004-05:002008-08-21T22:36:17.698-05:00

I have them. I tried posting pictures but apparently my camera card is not working.... I'll figure something out soon. Just know that they are unbearably adorable.Mattie is longish haired with gray and black stripes. She is super friendly and curious and follows me around and gets into everything.Turtle is sleek and almost all black with white paws and a white chest. She is very shy, but when

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-35287109107619806792008-08-19T20:57:00.002-05:002008-08-19T21:04:20.737-05:00

I recently started a Tumblr Blog which is a pretty nifty site where you can easily post snipets of stuff from around the web. Recently I've been collecting lots of quotes about writing from some authors I plan on reading with my classes this year. Check it out.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-80391534306746204372008-08-17T18:56:00.001-05:002008-08-17T18:56:34.431-05:00

Haybale with Rainbow 3Originally uploaded by cannon.sfisA spectacular rainbow over St. Francis last Thursday.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-31477633385662004692008-08-17T18:54:00.004-05:002008-08-17T20:15:30.198-05:00

So I'm back and not blogging much.... time to change that.How did it feel to come back for a second year? The past two weeks I've been feeling something like this: one part excitement, one part dread, one part anxiety, three parts fortitude, two parts optimism, and one big part hope. So mostly- a whole lot of parts and no real consensus.Things on the rez and in St. Francis seem about the same

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-30648778434741473602008-07-28T22:18:00.003-05:002008-07-28T23:29:45.895-05:00

I'll write a real post soon, but for now I want to get this up here.If you are able and interested in helping me help my students this year donate to my Donors Choose proposal to get a document camera in my classroom this year!http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=195605Definitions:DonorsChoose.org is a very awesome website where teachers write proposals for what they need/want in

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-40785907414669691082008-07-16T17:16:00.000-05:002008-07-16T17:17:10.749-05:00

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-46082819248668445732008-07-09T16:39:00.006-05:002008-07-10T22:34:58.602-05:00

Somewhere, somehow in the last two weeks on my travels to Washington DC, Houston, and back to Minnesota, I started experiencing a strange sensation- I think, maybe, possibly... I miss South Dakota. Maybe it was on a crowded metro in DC that I suddenly craved open spaces; or when I saw the eagerness, anxiety, and naive confidence in the eyes of new corps members at institute; or while I was

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-3733614336170445422008-07-09T16:33:00.005-05:002008-07-09T16:37:31.866-05:00

The Drum The Drum in the high school commons, Every morning at 8:20 a.m.. A heartbeat for this day. The heartbeat of warriors and soldiers, Of eagle feathers and full regalia. The heartbeat of jingle dresses, fancy shawls, and ghost dancers. The blood of brown people, buffalo people. From deep inside the earth and time, A circle, the center of a tribe. Now, the drum sees me: White

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-60705094540218407642008-06-23T17:39:00.003-05:002008-06-23T18:38:09.165-05:00

Last week I went on a three day retreat as part of the Minnesota writing project course I'll be taking in July. I met 20 some wonderful teachers from around the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota at a lovely retreat center nestled amidst the forests and plains of southern Minnesota.A few things I noticed that teachers do when they're together on vacation:Recommend books to each other.Swap

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-92103690037019329302008-06-09T00:41:00.003-05:002008-06-09T00:58:27.943-05:00

other worlds, I saw this band perform last week. They somehow bring together Brazilian and Bluegrass and make it sound awesome. They were so fun.At the end of the show they came down into the crowd with just their drums and continued singing and playing while the crowd danced and clapped around them. And I wonder, will I ever hear drums again and not think about the flag song at St. Francis at

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-26830979859278993602008-06-01T23:15:00.003-05:002008-06-01T23:34:01.230-05:00

Quote from either Paul Eluard or W. B. Yeats, seems to be cited differently different places.Sherman Alexie attributes the quote to Yeats in the epigraph of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian.That quote came to mind today when my mother brought me along to one of her friend's son's HS graduation parties. He'll be graduating from my high school this Tuesday and going on to college in

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-32770424423055223242008-05-27T14:35:00.001-05:002008-05-27T14:37:31.062-05:00

How much I hate packing?I have? Oh. Never mind then.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-48345287277771693272008-05-25T11:54:00.003-05:002008-05-25T12:24:21.860-05:00

Monday morning I arrived at school anticipating a very boring last week of school as the seniors were already done and half of the freshmen class was going on a class trip to Valley Fair in Minnesota. I had decided not to chaperon the trip because so many freshmen weren't allowed to go because of failing grades, I thought I should stay back to work with them. At about 8:45 however, the teacher

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-55704988987859875012008-05-12T22:07:00.003-05:002008-05-12T23:21:45.469-05:00

I've been tagged. This is a bit chain letterish for me, but I feel like I need to prove to Shannon that I'm not some kind of exclusive or elitist save-the-world kind of blogger (at least not ALL the time).So, here are some facts about me you may not know:The only bugs that really scare me are moths, I think they're creepy.I've made four quilts (with some help from my mother).I took printmaking

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-37889493478385208942008-04-28T21:34:00.002-05:002008-04-28T22:27:08.850-05:00

...and yet so far. For pretty much my entire life this time of year has been a time of counting down the days until summer, or graduation, or leaving Germany, or moving to South Dakota. And now I find myself counting down again to the end of the school year. As per usual I feel like there is far too much to do and fit into the last weeks of school, and at the same time absolutely cannot wait

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-44329444329322319122008-04-21T20:45:00.007-05:002008-04-22T21:28:09.490-05:00

I keep thinking to myself that I should write more book reviews in here, and then never getting around to it. But this a book I feel I have a somewhat unique perspective on. Plus it just came out last week, so I can be an early reviewer :)The book, Relentless Pursuit: A Year in the Trenches with Teach For America, is by journalist Donna Foote who followed four 2005 corps members in one high

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-75811550737060178662008-04-12T22:51:00.007-05:002008-04-13T11:56:01.356-05:00

"Snow break" seems a more accurate description than "snow day" to describe this weekend. A spring blizzard found its way out to the plains this week, starting Wednesday evening and lasting through Friday afternoon. As a result school was canceled Thursday and Friday. Because I come from a long line of Minnesota farmers and I'm mildly obsessed with radar weather, here's a radar image of the storm

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-34810996830368302672008-04-06T23:03:00.001-05:002008-04-06T23:03:01.507-05:00

heron_nesting_site3 Originally uploaded by photoschwalbe My dad took this picture in Minnesota this week near our lake house. I like it. I kinda feel like those herons up in the trees waiting for the the ice to melt. I'm ready for summer.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-70312989632201224932008-04-06T22:19:00.006-05:002008-04-06T23:05:00.109-05:00

Over Easter break I went on a lovely trip back to Colorado for a few days. Upon returning home I came down with the horrible terrible flu that's been going around and was out sick for the entire 4 day week. Blah. I don't recall ever being that sick before. I've definitely never missed that much school before, as a student or a teacher and I felt pretty guilty about it especially because it

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-4960800037163928632008-03-17T17:26:00.006-05:002008-03-17T18:11:53.969-05:00

break down? break free? breakfast?Last week was "Spring Break". We had Thursday and Friday off so I drove home to Minneapolis. My students get big eyes when I tell them I went to Minneapolis for the weekend. To most of them it may as well be an alien planet instead of an eight hour drive.It was an excellent break. I saw my little brother perform in the famous Passion Play at Holy Name, which

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-49682842398005623652008-03-09T19:44:00.003-05:002008-03-09T20:03:48.314-05:00

There are approximately 50 school days left this year. Too early to be counting down? nah, I don't think so. It's March! almost mid-March even. craaaaaaazy. I must admit that my thoughts are turning more and more to end of the year and summer time daydreams. More that that though, they're turning to next school year and how I'm going to do all of this a heck of a lot better the second time

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-60818932343676876812008-02-25T22:56:00.004-05:002008-02-26T00:02:41.114-05:00

This past weekend I attended a South Dakota Council of Teachers of English conference-- a regional branch of the NCTE-- in Chamberlain. It was pretty fun to be on the attendee side of a conference instead of the staff side. Instead of answering a million (seemingly) stupid questions, I got to ask them! I also go to go to a whole bunch of very interesting sessions and talk with lots of great

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-61364788260202677232008-02-11T16:39:00.000-05:002008-02-11T17:10:04.234-05:00

One of TFA's fund raising campaigns in our region is the "sponsor a teacher" program in which a donor can help offset the costs for training and development for one corps member and in exchange receive periodic letters from that teacher about their school and classroom. So, I'm being "sponsored" this year and thought as long as I was writing an up-beat letter about my work I might as well

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-38990278505647749882008-02-08T15:24:00.000-05:002008-02-08T16:15:27.634-05:00

You start receiving e-mail forwards like this one and you actually want to pass them on just to let everyone know how hard your job is ;-PNext season on SurvivorThree businessmen and three businesswomen will be dropped in a high school classroom for 1 school year.Each business person will be provided with a copy of his/her school district's curriculum (if there is one, if not they are required to

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-51462503987276917512008-02-01T11:00:00.001-05:002008-02-01T11:47:15.027-05:00

Mom and I pose in Team Minnesota's snow sculpture: "Cold Hands, Warm Heart"

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-10301405238054685312008-01-29T20:07:00.000-05:002008-01-29T21:52:04.044-05:00

Our pipes are frozen. Again. For the ten hundreth time. And the sewer line from our trailer is also frozen. About five guys have been out there working on it for over a week now. Shockingly FEMA trailers designed for New Orleans don't hold up well in South Dakota winters. Who'da thunk?So I'm not very happy. Because I couldn't shower this morning and still can't now. And there was a bomb

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-32403551665478385502008-01-20T22:24:00.001-05:002008-01-22T19:15:17.064-05:00

I've been meaning to post these for a while. So, here are some pictures from a walk around St. Francis before christmas. Our teacher trailer neighborhoodTrailHay baleThe sprawling metropolis of St. FrancisIn other more recent news... we went skiing this weekend! I love that over half of our entire corps was up in the black hills this weekend splitting two cabins. SoDak is the best. I'm

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-37021178857497206362008-01-16T17:58:00.000-05:002008-01-17T10:01:52.989-05:00

Love this poem today:****************************The Wind Doesn't Know what to Do But Be Blue. by Simon Ortiz from his book "After and Before the Lightning" written during a residency here at Sinte Gleska University on Rosebud. The wind is bluethis morning so blue, ooooingat a lonely cornerof the house. Look at the sun.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-84430833796484719562008-01-06T14:35:00.000-05:002008-01-06T16:26:42.089-05:00

Why does going back to school tomorrow after two and a half weeks feel like the first day all over again? Only worse than the first day because there's already a stack of uncorrected papers and unfinished work to be dealt with. I don't feel like a teacher right now. I expect that I won't until first period tomorrow when I'm alone with a room full of 15 year olds once again. This is such a

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-85057866696413425762007-12-18T01:05:00.000-05:002008-01-29T21:51:14.094-05:00

Inspired by a few other teachers posting Christmas lists and one of the most frustrating days of my life, here are some things I would like for Christmas:Schedules for my students and rosters for my classes next semester that make senseJust a little bit of appreciation and positive feedbackA stronger professional community (TFA and beyond) and much more help with what I'm doingGraded papers and

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-62537983314287613152007-12-12T14:04:00.000-05:002007-12-12T14:23:03.696-05:00

How's this for a classic example of tests written to favor middle class suburban students:"The city council is considering an ordinance banning cycling on all sidewalks. Consider the effects such an ordinance would have, and decide whether you support or oppose the measure. Then, write an essay in which you express and support your opinion on the issue."What??? Some of my students have

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-75490479600370437632007-12-10T22:28:00.001-05:002007-12-10T23:06:29.628-05:00

I miss this...So, to satisfy the craving for Glühwein that I've been having since the end of November, I'm having a little Weihnachtsfest in my trailer on Wednesday. I even made Lebkuchen, or attempted to-- it's pretty close if not exactly the real thing, I think it will adequately compliment the wine at least. It's winter here. How did that happen so soon? There are inches of snow on the

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-14719576196564535732007-11-14T15:56:00.000-05:002007-11-14T15:58:08.558-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/12/us/12international.html?ref=educationWhoa! They actually mention NAFSA by name!!! props to KCISSS

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-33220502541817021582007-11-13T23:04:00.001-05:002007-11-13T23:50:01.738-05:00

This article makes me miss my old job a little bit....http://www.nytimes.com/pages/education/edlife/index.htmlThat and at least at that job I didn't get ten people telling me they wish I would just not show up so they could have a good day.I'm not a fan of 14 year olds today.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-24923525583946343602007-11-08T21:52:00.002-05:002008-05-01T15:13:31.431-05:00

Can I really have been teaching for 10 weeks now? Was I ever not a teacher? I feel like I can't remember a time when I didn't go by Ms.This week has been pretty good. And pretty bad. Kinda like all of my weeks. I'd say mostly good on this one though. Kids have been making me laugh a lot lately and I've been having fun joking around with them. I'm starting to feel that some of them at least

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-24886198806138502832007-10-22T19:46:00.000-05:002007-10-22T20:53:28.163-05:00

Have you reached the disillusionment phase yet? asked a friend who recently completed her 2 years as a corps member in NYC. Yeah, I'd say I may be just about there. I'm not sure. I am sure that I need some kind of boost in my classroom really soon. The end of this week will be the end of the quarter and finally the end of my memoir unit that really should have ended a couple weeks ago. I'm

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-46050768324429675692007-10-22T13:44:00.001-05:002007-11-08T22:25:42.220-05:00

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-33142242715143867022007-10-22T13:43:00.001-05:002007-10-22T13:43:28.526-05:00

DSCN1226 Originally uploaded by annieswims05

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-42165421032548115432007-09-16T22:03:00.000-05:002007-09-16T22:49:01.695-05:00

I'm kind of in love with my classroom....Which is a good thing because I spend just about every waking hour in it right now. Teaching is fun! and hard! and scary! and I might be messing up everything and failing them completely, but I love them and right now I kind of want to spend every minute of every day trying to figure out how to teach them. Except that I also want to sleep, and catch

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-8073007637472771482007-09-09T21:12:00.000-05:002007-09-09T21:21:11.705-05:00

Almost there... Tomorrow there will be students in the new high school building for the very first time!!! woo!!! There will be orientation activities and dedication ceremonies going on all day, so I don't have to actually teach, just go over the handbook with a small group. BUT there will be kids. This past week has been a mad dash to get the building ready. It's still kind of far from it,

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-20768465604769727442007-08-30T19:40:00.001-05:002007-08-30T19:40:28.401-05:00

field Originally uploaded by mistubako Once again, not my picture. But there are five horses that have been hanging out around school campus lately that look like these horses except there is one extra white one usually leading the pack. The other morning as we were walking to in-service they came galloping out of the mist toward us and veered off across the football field. It was

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-58786678081021915862007-08-27T22:34:00.000-05:002007-08-27T22:55:50.621-05:00

This picture is not actually from Rosebud Fair, but I can assure that the children there were equally adorable. The Tiny Tots portion of the pow wow involved tiny little guys like these in full regalia running and jumping and dancing their little hearts out, it was too precious for words. I am sooooo jealous of the little girls in Jingle dresses. It's like the dream I never knew I had as a

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-51467631073206963332007-08-22T22:03:00.000-05:002007-08-22T22:16:51.694-05:00

Today in in-service we watched the video Blue Eyes about Jane Elliott, a teacher who divided her class by eye color back in the 60s to teach them about discrimination and now does workshops for adults around the same idea. I'm sure lots of you have seen it before. Anyway, this was followed by a round robin sharing of everyones reactions and personal experience with prejudice. I've watched/

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-64532839308364227492007-08-20T23:11:00.000-05:002007-08-26T18:53:42.133-05:00

The teacher in-services continue this week and are increasingly dull and frustrating because we can't get into our classrooms still. The positive side is that we have so long to get to know other teachers and the school community before we have to start teaching. It definitely takes some time for people here to warm up to newcomers, they seem to be feeling us out and watching us carefully, but

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-19998742601543537562007-08-14T22:16:00.000-05:002007-08-30T19:32:01.335-05:00

Ever wonder what your teachers did in the last few weeks and days before school started? Well now I know. They sit through endless all day in-service meetings about test data and school policies and state standards. I have so very much to do, it's kind of frustrating to have to sit through so many meetings. But I'm going to stop being negative. There is some good information. Certainly

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-72814316209084624742007-08-08T16:28:00.000-05:002007-08-14T23:24:33.357-05:00

One of these was supposed to be my trailer....Guess not. For now we'll be squishing three into one trailer. It'll all work out.Ah... the night before departure. The Focus is filled to the gills yet again. I would like to complain about how much I hate packing, but I realized while going through and trying to tag my old posts that I already have numerous posts about how much I hate packing, so

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-54301159591472989492007-07-20T23:23:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:29:52.108-05:00

I finally saw them :) tons more pics on Flickr.P.S. I'm home in MN! And about to go to sleep for a long time- Do Not Disturb!

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-69926369262044146202007-07-17T17:28:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:30:38.963-05:00

Sunset behind the Rosbud Casino and Quality Inn. 25 exhausted but happy TFA corps members arrived back in South Dakota Sunday night after two looooooong days of driving from Houston. I don't think you could find another TFA corps more thrilled to be home. This place is beautiful/amazing/magical/otherworldly.Yesterday I went to St. Francis where we found out that our trailers are not actually

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-10889629850531582462007-07-13T10:12:00.001-05:002008-05-01T15:16:23.659-05:00

Great Teachers = Great KidsWe just had our last summer school class! Today is the last day of institute!! Unbelievable. Our kids are so amazing and smart and great, I wish I could take them with me.On Wednesday after their final we asked them to write letters to our future students (Mine in South Dakota and my partner's here in Houston). Here are some of my favorites:"Dear Ms. S's future

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-88234363194633012007-07-07T21:13:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:31:58.449-05:00

I think I've finally hit my institute stride. Five step lesson plans seem to flow forth from my fingers effortlessly, I feel perky after six hours of sleep, and Houston is definitely growing on me. Too bad there's only one week left :-PHere are some highlights of this week:On the 4th (after a morning of sessions and an afternoon of lesson planning) some of us went downtown to watch the firework

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-30315478495711120612007-07-01T23:13:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:47:42.705-05:00

Week three over and we're already halfway through summer school! Ah!! Two more weeks! We gave our class a mid-term on Wednesday which went fairly well. We're on our way to significant gains! (never mind that the data is marginally worthless.... the whole testing and data collection they do here is pretty silly and has little to do with actual student achievement). Anyway, so after the

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1177135000871984702007-06-28T15:14:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:33:04.145-05:00

Three people have sent me this article now... so I figured I should post it! Scraping By With a South Dakota Tribe

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-5369833156282316212007-06-23T15:49:00.001-05:002008-05-01T15:14:07.989-05:00

This is what teachers look like in their spare time.I'm a teacher!! This was our first full week of being in the classroom. It's crazy, fun, and incredibly hard. I've never experienced anything close to the intense and challenging environment here. We're all running on just a few hours of sleep a night trying to absorb huge amounts of information and immediately apply it in out classrooms.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-75179328296156244692007-06-16T09:47:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:34:11.154-05:00

But first a flashback to pre-institute: At my interview last Thursday I found out that I will be teaching 9th grade English. Woo! Pretty pumped. The administrators and teacher I met were very nice and seemed happy to have us coming in, they have extremely high turnover, there's been three 9th grade English teachers in the last two years. But they seemed pretty positive and are working on a

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-84713094291879798122007-06-10T00:06:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:34:44.426-05:00

A little bit of what we're up against... Indian Reservation Reeling in Wave of Youth Suicides and Attempts

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1506752356696586132007-06-06T22:38:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:35:09.512-05:00

We went to Pine Ridge reservation today, but our line up of activities didn't quite pan out due to inclement weather as seen above. Tornado! We actually stood outside the badlands visitor center and watched this funnel cloud form and touch down a few miles away. Crazy. So I'll have to go back out there soon to see the heard of the badlands and visit Wounded Knee. [More pictures in flickr ---

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-72746694750591950082007-06-05T22:10:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:35:52.719-05:00

I'm not quite together enough to get any pictures us right now, but I will say it's beautiful out here! Like no other landscape I could ever imagine. Hills and plateaus and grassland with sage growing all over and cows and horses and the endless sky! You just have to see it, it's amazing, like breathing for the first time.I'm currently at the Rosebud Casino Quality Inn 20 miles south of

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-40177957558141775442007-06-02T23:07:00.001-05:002007-08-05T19:48:03.285-05:00

I spent all day today sleeping, watching tv with my little brother and pretending to pack, and yet my body and brain still feel like mush after the crazy crazy week of NAFSA conference madness. It was fun it was hard it was overwhelming. I'm so glad I stuck around long enough to actually go, but I'm not at all sad about not sticking out for the next one, it's a lot of work! It's HUGE. I don't

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-43034065609994341802007-05-09T20:38:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:37:42.367-05:00

left of my short DC life. Ah! Yesterday after work my roommate Meri and I rode our bikes down around the monuments and tidal basin, then back up to Georgetown where we stopped at an Argentinian Cafe for Espresso and Gellato, then we changed and walked out to a nearby bar for a couple beers. Talk about your action packed DC evening. There's so much to do in DC that I'm going to miss, I need

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1314985619483883592007-04-15T12:54:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:42:10.496-05:00

The following is my letter of intent written to Teach for America: During my year as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant in Germany I learned that a country’s education system is not only closely intertwined with its culture, but also a reflection of its values. I was placed in two high schools in an affluent suburb of Munich, one of the wealthiest cities in Germany. Later in the year I had

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-28088596486173099922007-04-06T10:53:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:38:31.790-05:00

At some point in the last months the adventures of me turned into something not so adventurous and more sedintary and my brain became filled with less witty observations and insightful commentaries and more whining about how boring it is to sit in a cubicle and push paper all day. And thus the blogging tapered off into nothingness. This development, among other factors, was an indication to me

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-5525761243075047372006-11-14T21:18:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:39:24.724-05:00

Cute little guy, isn't he? I killed four of these minniature monsters this evening. blech. In case you're wondering, it's commonly called a camel or cave cricket. They are found in dark moist areas like caves or... you guessed it, basments! kinda like the one I live in. Lovely. Needless to say, my dehumidifyer is now going full blast- best purchase ever. Apologies for my lack of blogging

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1159663598076778692006-09-30T19:43:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:39:43.132-05:00

at my mother's request I have finally taken a few pictures of my house and room. As you can see it's a bit difficult to take a picture of our house because there are lots of nice big old trees in front of it, but there you have it. Someday I'll take more pictures around DC. But next weekend I'll be in Minneapolis! woo! I'm excited :)Oh, funny story, so my boss asked me to make a list of

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1158109142833350102006-09-12T19:58:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:40:19.214-05:00

I can't believe how German I am sometimes... living there for so long affected me more than I thought. I bought a bike over the weekend and I can't even tell you how much I have complained (at least in my head) since then about the lack of bike-friendlyness in DC. Not only that but I find myself worried about rules and laws and feel distressed that there seem to be no laws about bikes. I'm

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1157680298648828502006-09-07T20:42:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:40:47.735-05:00

hmm, there's a new blogger. I'll have to play with that later. After 7 hours of sitting at a computer at work I'm not all that excited to log on when I get home, hence the not so frequent blogging. But here's a quick update on my life anyway. My weekend in York was really nice. It was great to see Caroline and be around a close friend who's known me longer than a few weeks. I'm hoping she's

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1156961620283394162006-08-30T12:38:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:42:30.523-05:00

No one has clicked on the link I put up in my last post so I'm guessing no one has sent a letter to their congressmen... how dissapointing. I know you're reading this, so do it!In other news... life in DC is going well. The miserably unbearable humidy has finally given way to rain and cloudyness, which is a good thing in my book, it was gross before. I had a fun weekend. Friday I went to the

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1156122291245774142006-08-20T20:01:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:43:07.280-05:00

If you have any interest in supporting international education and study abroad then go to this site to join the NAFSA advocacy group and mail a letter to your senators online. and if you do happen to do all that, then let me know because I get brownie points at work for getting friends to sign up :)

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1156122102288260672006-08-20T19:55:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:43:25.262-05:00

Hello! Here I am, still alive and well and living it up in DC and still loving my life. I now have two full weeks of work under my belt and it's going swimmingly. I like the organization a lot and my co-workers are really nice and fun. The work I do is not the most thrilling, lots of answering phone calls, filling in spread sheets, etc, but I at least feel like it's for a greater good and I'm

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1154752280699411062006-08-04T23:15:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:43:46.319-05:00

I got a room!!! In Georgetown!!! I'm living in Georgetown and working three blocks from the White House. My life is like a cheesy chick book. Minnesota girl starts her first real job in the big city... living in a Georgetown row house with three other young girls she's never met and working in the city... You'll laugh and cry as she stuggles to pull off looking put together in buisness suits,

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1154584427142191182006-08-03T00:37:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:44:36.487-05:00

I will keep blogging, I know you are all on the edge of your seats after my last abbreviated post... and I'm not really going to fill you in completely right now. I'm exahsted. I drove 20 some odd hours in the last two days in my un-air conditioned car (in case you didn't catch that, my car has NO AIR CONDITIONING!!). But, here I am, in DC, alive and well and ready to start my life as a real

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1154231259126826052006-07-29T22:44:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:45:01.643-05:00

I got a job. I'm moving to Washington DC. Next week. eep!

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1152680974170469822006-07-11T23:49:00.003-05:002008-05-01T15:17:43.973-05:00

Hi. I am currently alone in what now seems to me to be an enormous house. A few hours ago it felt so cramped and tiny. Then everyone left (Thank goodness) and now I think I hear the echo of a tapping keyboard in the other room. The family madness continues this week. Aunt Nancy and her husband and three boys got here Saturday, my cousin Tommy is still here, plus I have two brothers of my own.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1152680991181770622006-07-11T23:49:00.002-05:002008-05-01T15:17:05.559-05:00

Hi. I am currently alone in what now seems to me to be an enormous house. A few hours ago it felt so cramped and tiny. Then everyone left (Thank goodness) and now I think I hear the echo of a tapping keyboard in the other room. The family madness continues this week. Aunt Nancy and her husband and three boys got here Saturday, my cousin Tommy is still here, plus I have two brothers of my own

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1152282941821579302006-07-07T09:10:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:46:44.974-05:00

Whew. I feel like I've been on a constant high since getting back a week ago. I can't believe it's only been a week. The jet lag finally caught up with me the last couple days, but was nothing a few unplanned afternoon naps couldn't fix. It's been a full week of family and friends and driving my car (I love my car!) trying to get stuff done, but mostly avoiding things I should be doing, like

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1151856824741173722006-07-02T11:03:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:47:13.583-05:00

I made it. And it's kinda like I never left. The flight was long and uneventful. Being back in the US is a little strange, but I'm getting used to it quickly. I few thoughs I've had, in chicago O Hare- Holy Diversity! I forgot how many different people are all americans. The diversity thing went away however upon arrival in MN where everyone pretty much looks German. I forgot how it's

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1151487180266671042006-06-28T04:03:00.001-05:002008-05-01T15:19:15.549-05:00

Before I left I wrote down a few goals for myself for the year. Seeing as things are coming to an end now, it seems like a good time to look back and see how I've done. Keeping in mind that these are wishy-washy kind of goals I'm going to take the rose-colored-glasses aproach to evaluating myself :-P1. Be a dedicated teacher. Stay on top of lesson plans, be creative, get to know the students

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1151176067422611102006-06-24T13:27:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:49:48.831-05:00

So, plans for when I return: Get into airport at 7:30pm. Home by 9pm or so. In bed by 10 or so. Sleep 12 hours and then.... Watch FOOTBALL!!!!!!!Ha ha, that's right, for those of you completely in the dark, Germany just won and will be playing in Berlin on Friday against either Mexico or Argentina, we'll see in a few hours. Everyone is invited to my house, 10 am June 30th, to watch on the big

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1151011500466455832006-06-22T16:13:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:50:24.382-05:00

So goes the chant, goodbye US. And I didn't even get to watch the game because it wasn't broadcast on regular tv here and I was too tired and lazy to go downtown. Stupid Europeans. So, I don't have my birth country to cheer for anymore, Germany will have to do. You better believe I'm going to buy one of the those stupid little german flags for my car and drive around with it when I get home.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1150971055156417372006-06-22T05:06:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:50:48.428-05:00

In order for the US to advance to the next round tonight they have to beat Ghana AND Italy has to beat the Chech Republic. Both games are on at the same time, 4pm here, 10am EST. I have to figure out some way to watch both at once.come on Americans, get excited!

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1150929778689690282006-06-21T16:12:00.000-05:002007-08-05T19:51:39.730-05:00

and by football I mean soccer, obviously, but I'll get to that in a minute.Since I last wrote....I did indeed to go the beach near Rostock with Julia, it's called Warnemunde and it was pretty cool. Actually it was pretty hott, but the water was freezing, BUT there were jellyfish all over! And they don't sting, so you can pick them up and play with them and stuff, I was pretty excited about this

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1150119298522931512006-06-12T08:01:00.000-05:002006-11-14T21:18:27.071-05:00

currently reporting from... Rostock, Deutschland. It's a bit hard to keep track of me these days, I'm having trouble myself. I'm thoughouly enjoying my two weeks of bumming around europe. Life is good. I left Lindsay's last Wednesday morning and went to Hildesheim where Caroline is now living and working as a stage manager for a play writen and directed by another Fulbrighter there. The

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6243447.post-1149630330410764562006-06-06T16:20:00.001-05:002006-11-14T21:18:26.977-05:00

Hiya! I'm once again surrounded by the lovely German language here in Dusseldorf staying with Lindsay for the night. Ireland was so so nice. Lovely, really. I'm so glad I went. The weather was gorgeous, hot and sunny the whole time. Somewhat unusual for Ireland, or so I'm told. I flew into Dublin with Katie on Saturday, stayed at her boyfriend Dave's house and then he drove us down to her

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04004344327461954080noreply@blogger.com0