*wow*

2009

2010

2011

**wow my babies are getting so big**

Looking forward to next years photo!

 

*super blessed*

This is the room I student taught in from August to December 2011. There were 24 students, 14 girls and 10 boys. I learned A LOT!!

I returned last Friday for their Christmas Party. I was so blessed with so many "We missed yous!" My favorite quote of the day was, "Mrs. Dyke, I missed you so much. I almost forgot what you looked like!" My cooperating teacher had quite a surpise for me! With the help of the student’s parents and our *awesome* room mother they made me a wonderful goodie bag, or two, actually THREE! 

This might be my favorite! I was going to spend Christmas break making labels for my classroom.. now I don’t have too!!!

..Yes I plan on carrying my Goddard cup at Maize, for a little while anyhow!

Cookie Exchange..

For the past two years Cadence and I have went to the annual "Ladies Cookie Exchange" and our Pastor’s home. So Sunday evening we began work on our sugar cookies. I found a picture on pintrest a super cute snowman cooking.. that looked easy! RIGHT!!

*ULTIMATE FAIL* Needless to say these went in the trash and Brett made me some chocolate chip cookies!!

            *mine*                   *pintrest*

Cadence ended up getting shots Tuesday, and with me getting them up at 6:00 am they are pretty much going to bed around 7:00 in the evenings, these days. When she came down to my room at 5 this morning, she wanted to know if it was time to go to the "Girl Party"?!?! I told her that we didn’t get to go but that Mrs. Cheri sent her home a chapstick!! **Thank you Mrs. Cheri**

Thursday makes me laugh!

There has been a lot of stress in our home lately! Okay, mainly just for me! Brett and I sat down the other  night and had a wonderful conversation. I told him I needed help, that I couldn’t keep up any longer. I needed him to take some of the home responsibilities, either house work or dinner! I Love cleaning house and LOATH cooking, so I was so happy when he took cooking off my hands. He is  now meal planning and cooking dinner every evening (sign) *it is wonderful* and we are only on day 3!

When looking at his list posted on the cabinet, it made me laugh...

Monday: Home made pizza, salad and fruit

Tuesday: Roast, Potatoes and Veggies

Wednesday: Beef stew, mashed potatoes and veggies

THURSDAY: KIM GONE CHICKEN NUGGETS AND FRIES

Friday: Chicken Alfredo, break sticks and salad

 

I am super thankful for this piece of my load being taken. He even made the dough for the pizza?!?! This seems so foreign to me !

Our 1st year without Tears...

We decided to take the kids to see Santa this past Saturday. This is the first time in 5 years that we went to see Santa and one of my two did not cry!!

******

    2009                        2010

2011

Santa changed as much as Cadence did

Student-Teaching

I should have "officially" finished student-teaching this past Friday. However, I was blessed by being placed with a Cooperating Teacher who shares my love for special education. When she heard that I had been offered a position teaching structured learning (autism) for the coop, she was very cooperative in allowing me to complete my student-teaching a week early, as to start with the coop. Grades and been posted, and I am now officially graduated from College! (deep breath)

Oh my last day at Amelia Earhart I received beautiful flowers from my Cooperating teacher, and a plethora of cards from my 1st graders.I have put them into my scrapbook of memories from student teaching. Here are are a few of them!!

 

Okay, this might have been most/all of them! But it was to hard to pick out just a few!! I really enjoyed my time at Amelia Earhart, but I am super excited to be back in sped!

What a long journey..

When Cadence was almost a year old I decided to return to college... I had no clue the challenge I was undertaking. I officially graduate this month,(even though Southwestern only has one "walking" ceremony a year, in May) I still can’t believe I am actually a teacher, a teacher with a job. As thrilled as I am, tonight I had a "was it worth it" moment?! I was holding Cadie, and she told me

“Thanks for holding me without your putter, I don’t like your putter and I miss you."

I looked at Brett and asked him, if I didn’t hold her enough, he paused and replied that no, not lately because I have been so consumed with writing my KPTP, studying and passing my Kansas state boards (both of them), student-teaching full time (without a full time pay check), and now preparing mentally and my room physically for my new classroom. I am supposed to be off now until after Christmas, but have chosen to work at the Coop last week and this week in my new room, and in training. I am working on a waiver, which means I have to obtain  my masters in special education. Yes this means more student loans, however the Coop does pay these for me, and if I apply to the state and am excepted they will pay my bachelor student loans for every year I give to them in sped. Even if they do not pay for the past two years, and only my masters I feel that bettering myself, my family, and giving my children the change to see mommy graduate college and become a teacher was well worth it. I will spend most of my Christmas break (with my mentor) in my new room rearranging and getting a new schedule in order for my students. Curt and Cadie are very excited to come up and spend some time in "Mommy’s room"

 

While driving home from Jazzercise Saturday morning, one of my favorite Aaron Shust songs came on.

  "I am not skilled to understand. What God has willed what God has planned. I only know at his right hand, stands one who is my Savior."

While listening to these simple words, my entire body filled with tears. I don’t think that I could possibly explain how challenging the past 2 years   have been. I could make a list a mile long of responsibilities I have taken on, and the long hours spent cleaning house, doing homework, meal planning, doing lesson plans, ect. However, when I step back and look at all of the challenges/opportunities I have been given over the past two years, I am in awe.  I have been in training all week with the coop for the new position I have accepted. I am now the new Structured Learning (Autism) teacher at Maize South Middle School. I know every single one of the boys that is in my class… Who can say that? The Lord has planned my path that I have personally worked with all of these students. Learning to manage adults will come in time. I know that I treat them with respect, I hope to get it in retrun. However, in the end I am there for my students, and will make sure that their needs/goals are being met. When beginning the coop, I had ZERO desire to do structured learning. I didn’t understand the program and I was (like many) very naive to how special these children truly are. When I was pulled out of Life Skills and put to work with the Autism Specialist, I was angry. This is not where I wanted to be! God had such bigger plans, that I didn’t see. During my time with our Specialist I learned sooo much!! And slowly I began to see a passion grow now only for this program, but for these students. I remember one Sunday being in church, I can’t even tell you what the sermon was about that day, I just know that I had a tugging that I was not surrendering "something".   Upon the end of that service at our alters it hit me, and I am not sure where the words came from. I told God that if Structured Learning is where he wanted me, I would go. NOW here I am. I feel so confident and comfortable in this room. The boys are exactly how I remember them, and I promise to give each and everyone of them 100%, for I would want nothing less for my children.

I am humbled that when I submit my time, thoughts and life to a Might God that he does all of the rest for me...