I prefer times like these

Life is far more pleasurable when you have the ability to enjoy it. I recently have had the ability to enjoy weekends again due to some unfortunate experiences by two of my coworkers. Due to the economy I guess their full time jobs could no longer afford to keep them around so I am continuously getting phone calls to work my shifts. It’s a weird sense of satisfaction to not only take the day off and also be helping someone during a rough patch. All of these positive things are occurring at once which means there are going to be some not so pleasant events in my near future to balance my life out and make sure I stay at my desired level of humility. I am 2 papers away from being done with my last semester of graduate school before I student teach. On top of that I discovered that I will be at the Freshman Center for Blue Springs school district for the second half of my student teaching. This is truly exciting for me because it may not have been in the Lee’s Summit school district, but it is a district that is held in as high regards concerning academics. On top of that I’m just excited to have a group of students that I can call my own. Being a substitute teacher over these last four and half years has given me the confidence and self awareness to know that I can handle a classroom, but can I contribute to a classroom? This will truly be a comprehensive test of my intelligence, patience and drive to be a factor in a student’s life and not just a stepping stone. Through emailing the teacher I’m student teaching for I know he is a younger guy who coaches at Blue Springs South and had some connections at my job at Hooper’s, so I should be able to get along with this person which was a huge concern as to whether I’d be stuck with someone without a personality or something worse like a Tea Bagger.

I do know one thing about my teaching abilities. I know how to pacify a classroom with some good tunes. I had two hours of freshman biology and I knew I had to play them something that would please the masses, while at the same time promotes a feeling of being sedated in their seat. I’m not trying to hypnotize them, just distract them from being young and rambunctious in the classroom. Band of Horses was definitely the trick. These kids ate it up and worked through the whole hour without a peep. There is something about this band that can be somewhat of a pop hybrid. Their sound is plenty unique to not be permitted on the radio in excess, but their songs are so catchy. While at the same time there is a depth to their lyrics which give a more subtle clue to their not belonging in the same genre as linkin park or owl city. But if you’ll excuse me I have a weekend to start involving no; soccer, work, papers that need to be done and a whole lot of “The Office”, dates with a special little lady and socializing to accomplish.

Lucky ones are we all 'til it is over
Everyone near and far
When you smile the sun it peaks through the clouds
Never die for always be around and around and around