edTPA

This Friday my edTPA is due.

edTPA is the pinnacle of your education career and induces a lot of stress. The procedures and requirements are crazy even though the general concept is not. Basically, you have to video yourself teaching a couple of lessons and write about a 30+ page paper on why you planned what you did, why you taught how you did, why you assessed how you did, etc. You focus in on two students in addition to the whole class and write on how you were able to assess them and their needs, provide feedback, and so on.

As my professors and peers say, it’s all good teaching. Everything you do for edTPA is good teaching, most of it comes naturally to be honest. The hard part is the writing your thoughts out perfectly so someone else can essentially read your mind.

This Friday I will regain my life. I’ve put so much time and effort into this project. I cannot wait to finally hit submit!

Extra prayers for me for the rest of this week would be appreciated as I put on the finishing touches…
XO Elisebeth

P.S. – SO proud of Trev and his new job! So send up some praise for that too!

The First Two Weeks

My first two weeks of student teaching are done – wow, how can that be?! I am absolutely stunned that this time has gone by so quickly already.

Week one was filled with getting to know my students’ names and personalities as well as seminars at Concordia. As awesomely informative as the seminars were, they were equally scary and frightening. Like, how am I going to get all of this done?!

Week two was filled with my first lessons. I decided to first start teaching math. This was partially because I’ve always found math to be easy to catch on to and Kindergarten math is certainly no challenge for myself. I also chose it because it’s more structured and my cooperating teacher prefers for me to stick closer to the curriculum. Fewer things to need to come up with means less work and less initial stress, right? Wrong. These lesson plan forms are going to be the death of me.

I have now finished week two and have spent my weekend pouring over these forms for not only math, but now Jesus Time too! Yes, my second class I’ll start teaching will be Jesus Time..tomorrow…

I am still so excited to become a teacher and to have my own class, but sometimes it’s hard to keep that all in perspective. These forms and the looming edTPA are all I can see right now it seems. Which brings me to now – sitting at a Starbucks working on my lesson plans for the rest of the week.

I better start….
XO Elisebeth

The Final Semester

One week from today I will begin my final semester. I cannot believe this is it – I’m almost done with college. And to put the cherry on top – I will have completed my 4 year degree in 3 1/2 years.

One week from today I will enter a Kindergarten classroom. I will get to know my students and create so many awesome memories there.  I will commute to Minneapolis every week until December from our lovely apartment in Saint Paul. I will then have to leave those awesome Kindergarteners to do my 3rd grade placement, and create even more awesome memories. In each of those classrooms, I will teach for two weeks full-time (in addition to the other weeks of part-time teaching) and get a real taste of my soon to be profession.

It’s hard to believe the end is here. College has been filled with so many beautiful moments, so many amazing individuals, and so much knowledge gained. While my final semester will not mean time spent at a desk learning from a professor, I know I will learn the most yet from being at the front of the classroom.

As my final semester is about to start, I can’t help but look back on these photos and relive the years that have already happened.

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As this semester begins, I ask that you keep Trevor and me in your prayers! As the semester begins, my name will be sent out (hopefully primarily on the West Coast) for positions at Lutheran schools. While I am beyond excited to see where God will take us and how He will work through me, there is a lot of unknown right now! Prayers are so greatly appreciated!

I can’t wait to share some awesome things from this upcoming semester with you all!
XO Elisebeth

P.S. Is anyone SUPER PSYCHED for fall weather? (I am, obviously).

Growing Up

Today I had one of those weird moments where you realize you’re an adult. I was reading my friend’s blog and it just kind of hit me.

She’s in nursing school and it made me realize that we’re all finishing up college already. It’s been hitting me a lot lately that I will be doing my student teaching next semester, but to see my peers going through similarly exciting and important parts of their academic programs really hit home the point. We’re growing up. Some of us have grown up already. I may still be in school, but I am married. My best friend is getting married in less than two months. I have several friends who have children already. WHAT!? When did all of this happen? And how did it happen so quickly?

I recently came across a large document of information regarding the call process that I will be going through in a few months. For those of you outside of the Lutheran circle, the call process is a placement process for teachers, pastors, DCEs, and DCOs (I think there are a few others too, but I cannot think of them off the top of my head). For me, as I am getting my minor in Lutheran Theology at an LCMS school, I will receive a call to an LCMS school. While I have grown up within this process and gained a lot of firsthand experience with it, there were still many questions I have had. This document answered pretty much answered all of it. It has me beyond excited to begin filling out paperwork (my first meeting will be sometime after Easter!!) and get the wheels turning. This has really hit home the whole growing up idea, too.

I have really been into the “On This Day” feature on Facebook lately. This is partially due to my love of reminiscing, but also because it’s crazy to realize how long ago some of those oh-so-important high school memories were. Like, wow, it’s been almost three years since I graduated from high school. My baby sister graduates in May!

I am just dumbfounded by everything that has happened in my life and how wonderfully well God has established my path. Please keep Trevor and me in your prayers as the call process begins as well as for our schedules. We keep getting busier and it’s becoming reality that we need to actually plan dates.

Remember kids, don’t grow up too fast. You’ll be there before you know it.
XO Elisebeth

MARCH?

WOW! You guys, it’s already March?! How is that possible?

I honestly cannot believe we are already so far into 2016, it is bizarre to me.

My March has a lot to look forward to! I have a nice 10 day long Easter Break, I am planning on beginning a new hobby (more details to come…), am hoping to get a few more photo clients, and will finish the toddler room for practicum (this week!!!) and will begin the preschool room!

School has been so crazy busy lately. It’s midterms and all the projects are beginning. As much as I love learning, I wish teachers planned their schedules differently even though I know it isn’t often possible. I promise I will start posting a few more structured posts soon, Easter Break will certainly help with those!

This past weekend I got a nice break from school and my normal work schedule. Trevor and a few friends of mine and myself went to the casino to officially celebrate my birthday! We enjoyed slots and hit up the bar! I ordered my first legal alcoholic beverage! I had pink Kinky with Sprite. We were a little lost on what we should order since the menu listed a lot of alcoholic beverages we had never heard of before, so the loveliest bartender helped us out. Seriously, we would have been lost without her.

So cheers to the start of March!

The girls + me

XO Elisebeth