Praise Report!

I first wrote a post involving a bit of a rant about SOLs and how the scores affect my job security. However, I trusted in the Lord and prayed for His goodness in return for the work I've put into teaching the children I had this spring semester. Well if you noticed the title of this post is called "Praise Report" so it is with joy that I say that out of 16 students 13 of them passed, bringing my pass rate to an 81% and of those thirteen, three scored an advanced giving me a 23% pass advantage rate! Praise the Lord He is good! I was so nervous that some of my students wouldn't do well due to test anxiety but throughout the last week and a half before testing my students proved me wrong and continued to do well with practice questions and the like. I so proud of my students and what they accomplished but all the praise must be given to the Lord who's hand orchestrated all of this!

Horrible Blogger

Don't judge me. I know, I'm a horrible blogger. I guess it would be helpful to know that I haven't really been on a hiatus. In fact, I've been working my buns off! After being accepted to Virginia Tech's OLMA (Online Master of Arts) in Political Science program I have been constantly going since mid-January. I am enjoying the program immensely, although I am burning out. I'm starting to get restless and tired of writing paper after paper. Besides that, I still have all my responsibilities and duties teaching! And for re-certification purposes I'm having to take a course titled "Reading in the Content Area" - a grad school course offered through UVA on select Saturdays. That was the icing on the cake; those Saturday classes are the bane of my existence. Somehow it just doesn't seem right to have be up at the crack of dawn for an 8am class that lasts until 5pm those days. Honestly, I don't know how I manage it all. I wouldn't have if it weren't for my steady as a rock husband! He has been so good to me, helping out around the house where I'm slacking and even helping me dissect articles and books I've had to read and critique. Thankfully, I have approximately three weeks left and I'll be done pulling my first semester and in a little over six weeks, school will be out for summer! I am very thankful the Lord called me to teaching; I certainly need a vacation after all of this, and I certainly hope to be more productive than I've been this winter/spring so far! Welp it's back to work, I'll be seeing you (but hopefully sooner rather than later)!

Our Five Year Plan

I told you a few days ago, that Adam and I came up with a slew of goals for ourselves. Some aren't necessarily for this actual year, but more or less for our lives daily. I will be sharing with you all day by day what these goals/plans are, so for today here's our five year plan:

-Travel
       -Cities we'd like to visit: Chicago, NYC, Boston, and Philadelphia
       -We'd really really like to travel internationally to these places: Israel and Europe
       -And we'd really like to see visit these states: Alaska,
        California,Colorado, Hawaii, Florida, Texas and Arizona
-Get a new vehicle
-Get pregnant and have kiddos
-Pay off credit cards
                                                      -Fix/renovate the house and/or possibly sell it

Please feel free to share what your five year plan is!

Happy New Years!

Well, unlike most of you, Adam and I decided to keep it rather quiet. We spent the night at my parent's place, ordered the best pizza in town, and watched "Super 8" which was interesting, then we fell asleep just after kissing at midnight. Adam's family usually has a game night and at the strike of twelve, will bang on pots and yell across the creek with a boisterous "Happy New Year!" I missed not being at the Davis household this year, but it sure was nice just taking it easy.

Unlike last year, which began with good intentions, this year, instead of using that word resolutions,  I think I'll just say I plan on being more intentional. Instead of making resolutions (there's that word, again), I'd rather have goals I'm continually working toward; some are my own and others are those of mine and my husband's. So, without further ado, here's what you've been waiting for!


2012 Personal Goals:

-be intentional (follow through with what you say and do)

-read Scripture daily; study it as well

-simplify life!
                -watch less TV
                -use the Internet purposefully, not idly
                -live frugally; spend less money, save more
-take Zumba classes at the Y; play Just Dance & Dance Central (3-4 times per week)

-spend more time outside
-write actual letters
-cook more homemade meals
-be crafty
-read


Next, I'll tell you about the goals Adam and I have as a couple! Keep reading!

Exhausted

I wish I could say I've been ooberly chipper and upbeat lately, but I'm not. I'm just exhausted. I feel like I'm always behind and needless to say school seems to be taking over. Thankfully, once 3:30pm on Friday rolls around, I'm home free for two weeks due to Christmas break! Ironically enough, being a teacher does have its perks.

I feel awful I haven't updated in two months! Last we spoke I mentioned grading papers and the fact that we just moved in to our house a month before. Since then, we've finally got bits and pieces of our house together, which I'm hoping to blog about over break so it'll give you something to look forward to and keep you coming back for more! ;-) I'm also hoping you're enjoying the new background for the holiday season! I wanted something festive that could put everyone in the holiday spirit. However, if I knew more about computers and XML I would have designed a template that has the real meaning of Christmas in it: the birth of Jesus! So if you find one please share it with me. Until Friday, have a blessed week!

Grading Papers

This pretty much sums up my night!

Tonight, I'm having to stop and spend at least a good hour and a half (minimum) of grading papers. I started grading a few tests, but became seriously distracted upon choosing to read some blogs instead. I know, shame on me. Bad teacher. It's the one thing I loathe about teaching,  yet it's what the Dept. of Education (state and national) consider to be the most relevant to charting and documenting student growth and achievement. Ergo, my hind parts will be sitting upon the same chair at my lovely dining room table until 8 o'clock. Until then, toodle-loo!

Grad School

I am sorry that I seemed to pick up there for a while and have now let you down. I can't believe half of October is already gone! Where is time going? In the time I have not posted, I have been working on the house, school, and my graduate school application. Today, actually just a mere fifteen minutes ago I submitted my application to Virginia Tech's Graduate School! I feel confident and proud of myself. This has been quite the process and I'm glad that this load is now off my shoulders. Please say a prayer if it's God's will that I be accepted. I received a confirmation email (already) that my application has been received and that I should hear something in roughly two weeks. Now starts the waiting and anxiety, but I know everything's in God's hands. In the  meantime I'm off to working on the house. Again, I promise to start posting some before/after pics in the next few days! Have a blessed weekend!