G'day everyone. yes yes its definately been a while, but I guess that my day off (Dr's Orders) means I am taking the time to actually catch up with the goings on of the world.

I guess I am just so overwhelmingly exhausted, and my body is trying to deal with a whole heap of crap from both inside and outside. Inside it really has no idea how it should be correctly functioning and outside, Ikeep working it to th limit that one day I fear I may fall asleep and never get out of bed ever again. THat said, this term has been fantastically rewarding for me professionally. My first group of seniors who I carried through from Year 11 to Year 12 graduated 1 week ago today. They had their formal on Tuesday last week and oh wow what a night. I seriously loved these kids, my class was fantastically awesome.

The awesomeness of my Year 12 Science 21 class is hard to describe.
I had 10 students, 2 who were "school refusals" and as such i generally had a class of 8 students.
Firstly there is a kid...lets call him GM. I taught GM in year 10 science and was skeptical of his ability to complete and pass this subject. During year 11, he did very little work and his results suffered, then miracle fo miracles, beginning year 12 he pulled his socks up, changed "cliques" and wow. This kids was on a LA8 at the end of grade 11 (thats a Low Achievement Band 8) and by Exit of Year 12....he was an SA 9...I was immensley proud of the effort he put in.

Similarly, I had DF. DF was another who only put in as much effort as he needed to pass, and that was about it. his mother in our teacher aide and at the beginning of Year 12 she started an incentive program for him....MONEY. Well, this kids would give me note sto looks at, drafts to look at and by the end of Year 12....he was a HA2....pretty darn good effort.

I had KR, MP, SA who all just battled away at their work, and tried their hardest to do their best but amanged to climb bands slowly but surely, especially KR who in her final assessment piece jumped that Barrier from SA10 to HA1! SHE WAS SO EXCITED!

Then I had SH, who did the subject because "its sounded cool" who struggled through the work, and missing one lesson a week to Tafe but still managed to Pass the subject.

Then there is NS. Oh NS. This girl is brilliant. If i had half her ability when I was in high school I would be finding the cure for cancer right now. Her scientific literacy, her abilty to research, her talent at writing scientifically and understanding through research...amazed me. Consquently, she was awarded a VHA 8 - and any teacher out there KNOWS how hard it is to get VHA 8,9 and 10's through panel. But her work was soooo rock solid they just couldnt deny it, and she is the top student in the STATE for the subject....it makes me immensely proud to know that I had something to do with that, but also her beautful thankyou present and words made it all worthwhile.

And finally that leaves me with GM.....OMG GM. This girl has a personality that can light up a room. She's loud, and vocal. Shes a gymnast, shes on the Dance Troupe, shes dance mentor, and shes amazingly friendly. I didnt know exactly what i meant to this student until her second last day when she brought me a beautiful gift and letter. I read the letter and cried, because what she wrote, quite frankly is the reason why I do this job. I am going to post some it below, as inspiration for the other teachers on my flist but also for my own selfish reasons....

"I didnt know what you looked like, who you were, if you were nice, mean, gave lots of homework or anything. then my very first lesson, that fear was left at the door. I walked into the classroom and I saw you. You were smiling from one ear to the other."

"Sooner or later i realised I had found one special class. But not only that, man I had found one special and pretty amazing teacher who believed in me when i ceased believeing in myself. For once everything was making sense. It didnt just go in one ear and out the other"

"Ms, you taught me that learning can be fun, you taught me taht science isnt all that bad, you taught me that I shouldnt give up because sometimes things arent as bad as you think they are, you taught me to smile even thjough i am stressing out majorly, but lastly you taught me how to live."

"I want to say thankyou. i wish there was another word that meant even more and was so cliche, because thankyou is just not enough to express how much you mean to me. You are the most beautiful, coolest, geekiest amazing teacher in the whole world. You are the best teacher ever. People always say some people come intyo our lives, leave footprints in our hearts and we are never the same. You have made such an impact on my life over the past two years I am truly going to miss you."

"truly great teachers are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget. You truly are the best teacher."

Ms GM had me in tears after her 2 page letter, I think this is why i do this job. For the one student who i can shange like her. The one student I can make realise their potential. She wanted to Pass Science 21....she left on a VHA 7. All on her own hard work.

I really truly will miss these kids. And it saddens me to realise my job with them is done. But I have another lot to carry through, and that fills me with just as much excitement, hoping there is another 1 that i can help like i did her.

Upside. 2 weeks left with the kids!

NS, GM and Me


Graduation

I was tagged by dragonlady_gnrd so here goes -

First: If you've been tagged, you must write your answers in your own LJ and replace any question that you dislike with a new, original question.

Second: Tag eight people. Don't refuse to do that. Don't tag who tagged you.

( MEME- its been a while )

I know it has been forever since i posted here, and i promise i will update sometime soon when I have organised all my overseas pics,. and my thoughts and my life because i lietrally have not had amomnet of spare time since I landed back in Australia 1 month ago...! MONTH

1 MONTH!!!

But today....here in lovely sunny Queensland it was

35*c in Winter
this was a record for us!!! So excited to go to the beach and tan up this weekend....Keep my lovely usa tan in shape!


*whhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*

Hey all,

will post a majorly long post about life sometime when I havetime!!

BUT, as Kim and I are soon to Jetset off on our adventure, I figured that we would set up a lovely sparkly new LJ to catalogue our adventure.

So head over to kimandmeags and friends us to Keep up with where we are,who we are with, what we are doing and all our pics etc.

we are on the 3 week countdown!

Seriously!

I love cake wrecks, and today they pulled out some of the BEST cakes of have seen

Stargate related of course!

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2009/04/sunday-sweets-geeky-goodness.html

Follow the link...seriously!

majorsamfan and lisayaeger

I um, kinda need to make plans with you guys for my trip.....its not that far away now, and well i need to book internal flights etc....

so Jill, looks like we will be in SF 2 July - 4th July ....Kim is very keen on some kinda 4th of July thing!!!!

Lisa, prolly be over your way around the 20th July.....

Let me know if its all still okay ladies!!!!

*wibbles with excitement*

Hi Hi HI

It is about 2:18am, we have spent the last 4 hours at "THE PIT" drinking.

A lot.

Me and sharim have had a fair biot of alcohol.

And we are about to have some more.

yayness.

My ears are ringing, and my ankle hurts but it has been a pretty frelling awesome night,

YAY.

this is shaz now. i am deaf. also drunkish. and sore throat.

sassie was proposed to tonight. it was SO ROMANTIC. will post later.

also, why are people blind about clothes worn to night clibs? is woeful teh fat rolls adn boobies and GROSS factor there. however, was good eye candy.

also, it is HOT. really hot.

i miss andrew. lots. and mo. woe.

drinkies times. ytay!

ETA: Its really FREAKING FREAKING hot.

Go away humidity. You crappy thing

I would just like to say that sassie_collins and sharim are totally teh awesome. evah.

the end.

Thats what Brisbane has been declared.

I am fine, my house is fine, my area is fine.

I am just ucky that I dont live in the Gap. WOW. Crazyness there.

We just have lots of water over roads here.

Thats all.

But we are buckling up for more storms.

Oy.

Sharon gest here tomorrow for her fly by party/work weekend.

I am SO EXCITED

Like srsly

:-D

Had the best weekend this weekend....

it inlcuded

- jelly shot from syringes
- jager
- vodka
- singstar
- cake
- bbq
- swimming
-sunbaking
- dancing
-the alex
-awesomness


*is soooooo tired*

I havent slept since friday night, unless you count the 1/2 hour cat nap i had this arvo.

*hearts*

thanks god for holiday.

sleep now!

If anyone even reads this anymore?

Kim watching So You Think You Can DAnce (USA) Finale

"Wow, the Jonas Brothers are like the EMO HAnsen"

SNAP

So for the first time since megs and vernon were here, I am headin to the Alex.

And I am pumped....but not as pumped as kim...LOLOLOLOL

Its gonna be an awesome night....and WHO CARES if we have gym in the morning at 8am...

Not me.

Meh.

You only live once.

WOOOOTS

party time

Wild weather warning and its only going to get worse.

*battens hatches*

*meeps*

I hope it doesnt flood tomorrow.....that would suck.

Just a quick note because I am staying at a friends place and filching her computer....

But....

I loved it. I really did.

No Spoilery stuff here, just that it was great and full of M/S goodness.

I wanna see it again!

Now, you all must go watch!