TEN DAYS!

Ten days and counting until Operation Mrs. Gilmore!

I might be getting a smidge bit excited.

How time flies!

I feel like just yesterday I posted our engagement story, and now there are 16 days until the wedding.  16 days!  I cannot express how excited I am for this day to be here, and for our post-wedding life to begin.  I've had two wonderful wedding showers, a fabulous bachelorette party, and now I'm hunkering down for the final supposed pre-wedding craziness.  Everyone says I'll get bogged down with details and have SO MUCH TO DO.  So...if I really don't have that much to do, am I doing something wrong?

I do have a nice little to-do list, but it's totally nothing I can't handle.  Paint some vases, tie a few ribbons, get some stuff printed, plan day-of schedule, make lists of things to bring.  No big deal.  It seems like everyone makes wedding planning out to be this big, stressful, time-consuming thing.  Is it really?  Wedding planning advice newsletters continuously give suggestions like, "Manage your stress - take time to meditate," or "Designate one non-wedding night per week where you and your fiance hang out without talking about wedding stuff."  Part of me feels as if I've missed something.  I haven't felt stressed, I haven't been freaking out...I just want the day to be here.

The only thing I can honestly say I've gotten stressed about is the overall cost of things.  For example...
Unity Candle Set:  $30-50  (It's a flipping candle holder and three candles) 
Guestbook:  $25 and up  (It's a notebook with lined pages)
Cake cutting set:  $30-$60  (You don't see the handle or personalization in pictures, and you'll never use it again!)

Isn't the point of the wedding day to legally join two lives into one new family unit?  At the end of the day, regardless of the guestbook, candles, flowers, cutting set.....Chris and I will be married.  10 years from now, we wont care or remember what any of it looked like.  Okay, so you might ask why are we actually having a wedding, and I'll be completely honest.  I really really do want to wear a beautiful white dress, get all done up, and party with all of my family and friends.  So...bring it on!  Let's get married already!!!!!!

Enjoy a very select few pictures from my extremely awesome bachelorette party - a girl's weekend at the lake.  It was relaxing, laid back, and fun......my kind of party.

Engagement Photos

Even though Chris and I have been engaged since around Thanksgiving of 2010, we finally took our engagement photos on May 5, 2012.  Why did we wait so long?  Eh, why not?  (More pictures below)

Originally, my dear friend Shauna (http://www.sld-kc.com/) was going to be my photographer.  However, in December she told me that she and her husband were expecting their first child, and she was due within days of my June 23 wedding.  She and I both felt that having a photographer about to pop probably wasn't the greatest idea.  I am so incredibly happy for her and Andrew, and I know that baby Sophie is going to be a beautiful joy in all of our lives.  Now...what to do about a photographer?

So I'm sitting at a meeting, telling my friend Robert Dumler about my predicament.  He casually says, "You know that I've been a wedding photographer for about 10 years, right?"  Um, no, I didn't!  Robert has been a good friend of mine for several years.  He helps me plan the kickoff event for Kansas City Robotics, he's the head-ref for Kansas City's robotics competition, and he's simply an all around awesome guy.  Never, amid all of that, had he EVER mentioned wedding photography!  Problem solved - I have a photographer!  We decide that spring would be a pretty time for engagement photos, and settle on May 5.  Little did we know that "spring" would happen in February, and May 5 would feel more like July 5.  Oh well!  You can't see temperature in photos, right?!?

May 5 was also special for Chris and I, as it was the third anniversary of our first date.  It was a lot of fun to "practice" taking pictures with Chris, knowing that our wedding is right around the corner.  I can't wait to take pictures with him again - this time for real!  Here's some of our favorites from our photo session!

Photos by Robert Dumler, taken at Unity Village, Lee's Summit, Missouri.

In what other profession...

I think this is an article that people should read, so I'm going to share it within my own blog. I also want to state that I truly love my job, and that I try to give as much of myself as I possibly can to my students in order to help them become successful. I hope that I make a difference in students lives, and I hope you all know that I am as dedicated to teaching as I feel I can possibly be.

This article comes from the Examiner, and can be accessed here: http://www.examiner.com/k-12-in-topeka/in-what-other-profession

In what other profession...
by David Reber

I’m going to step out of my usual third-person writing voice for a moment. As a parent I received a letter last week from the Kansas State Board of Education, informing me that my children’s school district had been placed on “improvement” status for failing to meet “adequate yearly progress” under the No Child Left Behind law.

I thought it ironic that our schools were judged inadequate by people who haven’t set foot in them, so I wrote a letter to my local newspaper. Predictably, my letter elicited a deluge of comments in the paper’s online forum. Many remarks came from armchair educators and anti-teacher, anti-public school evangelists quick to discredit anything I had to say under the rationale of “he’s a teacher.” What could a teacher possibly know about education?

Countless arguments used to denigrate public school teachers begin with the phrase “in what other profession….” and conclude with practically anything the anti-teacher pundits find offensive about public education. Due process and collective bargaining are favorite targets, as are the erroneous but tightly held beliefs that teachers are under-worked, over-paid (earning million-dollar pensions), and not accountable for anything.

In what other profession, indeed.

In what other profession are the licensed professionals considered the LEAST knowledgeable about the job? You seldom if ever hear “that guy couldn’t possibly know a thing about law enforcement – he’s a police officer”, or “she can’t be trusted talking about fire safety – she’s a firefighter.”

In what other profession is experience viewed as a liability rather than an asset? You won’t find a contractor advertising “choose me – I’ve never done this before”, and your doctor won’t recommend a surgeon on the basis of her “having very little experience with the procedure”.

In what other profession is the desire for competitive salary viewed as proof of callous indifference towards the job? You won’t hear many say “that lawyer charges a lot of money, she obviously doesn’t care about her clients”, or “that coach earns millions – clearly he doesn’t care about the team.”

But look around. You’ll find droves of armchair educators who summarily dismiss any statement about education when it comes from a teacher. Likewise, it’s easy to find politicians, pundits, and profiteers who refer to our veteran teachers as ineffective, overpriced "dead wood". Only the rookies could possibly be any good, or worth the food-stamp-eligible starting salaries we pay them.

And if teachers dare ask for a raise, this is taken by many as clear evidence that teachers don’t give a porcupine’s posterior about kids. In fact, some say if teachers really cared about their students they would insist on earning LESS money.

If that entire attitude weren’t bad enough, what other profession is legally held to PERFECTION by 2014? Are police required to eliminate all crime? Are firefighters required to eliminate all fires? Are doctors required to cure all patients? Are lawyers required to win all cases? Are coaches required to win all games? Of course they aren’t.

For no other profession do so many outsiders refuse to accept the realities of an imperfect world. Crime happens. Fire happens. Illness happens. As for lawyers and coaches, where there’s a winner there must also be a loser. People accept all these realities, until they apply to public education.

If a poverty-stricken, drug-addled meth-cooker burns down his house, suffers third degree burns, and then goes to jail; we don’t blame the police, fire department, doctors, and defense attorneys for his predicament. But if that kid doesn’t graduate high school, it’s clearly the teacher’s fault.

And if someone – anyone - tries to tell you otherwise; don’t listen. He must be a teacher.

Continue reading on Examiner.com In what other profession... - Topeka K-12 | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/k-12-in-topeka/in-what-other-profession#ixzz1l9NvKr7G

There are days when...

Teaching = Going Crazy

As I envisioned my life as a teacher, I always thought that eventually it would become "easy" and not take up nearly as much time. I knew that the first few years would be crazy, but I always thought it would level out and become more routine and more manageable. I was wrong.

Now, if I'm truly honest, my job has changed and evolved. I wont say it's easier, but it doesn't take me as long to put together a lesson plan, and I feel that I create overall better materials in a much shorter amount of time than I did in my first few years. I also don't feel like I struggle with the same things I did in my first few years. However, I want to make sure that I'm not just putting my job on autopilot, but doing MORE as the job gets "easier." I do hope that I'm becoming a more thoughtful teacher, and a more effective teacher. Yet I find that I'm approaching a reality check - it doesn't become "easier." Not ever.

My typical day feels like a blur. I feel like I don't get a chance to sit down. I feel as if my brain is running at light speed. At the end of a school day, I sit down in my chair, and I often find myself zoning out, staring at a spot on the wall, feeling like I have mush where my brain belongs. Then, after a minute or two, my brain zaps me back to reality, knowing that I have to move on to the next item if I want to leave the building before 6pm.

Just this afternoon, I turned to my computer to look for a Chapter 8 Test Review, but quickly got side-tracked by a parent email that needed to be answered. Then I remembered that I needed to record attendance for my 7th hour. A student making up a test then asked me a question for clarification, and after she finished I filed that finished test in my "Grade These" folder. I turned back to my computer, thinking..."what was I looking for?" When I remembered, I opened my Chapter 8 folder, then got sidetracked by a phone call from a colleague, asking about how we were tackling section 7.6 in Algebra 2. I then looked over my plan for section 7.6, trying to decide if I needed to change the time I have reserved in the lab for EOC review. I again turned to my computer, thinking, "oh yes, Chapter 8 Test Review." Then an email from a student came in that needed a timely response. Have I even begun to look at my Chapter 8 test review? NO! Furthermore, I have about 15 make up tests to grade, the online gradebook to update, more lessons to plan, tests to create, full sets of 120 tests to grade, disciplinary phone calls to parents to make, and the list goes on and on.

There are days that I wish I had a desk job in a cubicle. There are days I wish that I had the kind of job where I could go to the bathroom whenever I felt like it, or work out on my lunch "hour." There are days that I wish I didn't have to deal with students acting rudely while I'm desperately trying to prepare them for their required state testing, much less teach them what they need to succeed beyond high school. There are days I feel like screaming at the students. There are days when their attitudes make me feel like giving up on them might be my best course of action. There are days where I seriously wonder if finding another profession might be in my best interest.

However...

There are days when a student looks at me and says, "Miss Boike, this has never made sense to me before, but now it does!" There are days when the looks on their faces changes from confusion to understanding. There are days when a student walks into my classroom after school in tears, and leaves smiling. There are days when I get a note from a student, letting me know how much I mean to them. There are days when I get a parent email, and after dreading what they might want, I find they are simply saying "Thank you." There are days when my students make me laugh from the very core of my being. There are days that are so rewarding, that I can't help but want to do more, try harder, and be better.

There are days when I realize that teaching might simply be a slow process of going crazy, re-centering, then going crazy again.

In the pit of my biggest frustrations, my toughest challenges, and the most irritating behaviors I've ever experienced...I really do love my job. I can't wait until tomorrow, when I get to go to work, and continue to tackle the most challenging and enjoyable job I've ever had.

And if any of my students (or parents of my students) are reading this...I truly love every one of you, and I feel so incredibly blessed to be your teacher. Yes, even when you annoy me. You're worth it.

2011 Academy Awards

For the first time in my life, I have seen all of the ten nominated Best Picture Films for the 2011 Academy Awards. I thought I'd share my picks in the categories I care about. My top one or two picks are marked in bold green with ***. What do you think? Who do you think will win? Who do you think SHOULD win?

Nominated for Best Picture
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
***The King's Speech***
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Nominated for Best Direction
***Darren Aronofsky for "Black Swan"***
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for "True Grit"
Davind Fincher for "The Social Network"
Tom Hooper for "The King's Speech"
David O. Russell for "The Fighter"

Nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem in "Biutiful"
Jeff Bridges in "True Grit"
Jesse Eisenberg in "The Social Network"
James Franco in "127 Hours"
***Colin Firth in "The King's Speech"***

Nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right"
Nicole Kidman in "Rabbit Hole"
***Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone"***
***Natalie Portman in "Black Swan"***
Michelle Williams in "Blue Valentine"

Nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in "The Fighter"
John Hawkes in "Winter's Bone"
Jeremy Renner in "The Town"
Mark Ruffalo in "The Kids Are All Right"
***Geoffrey Rush in "The King's Speech***

Nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams in "The Fighter"
Helene Bonham Carter in "The King's Speech"
Melissa Leo in "The Fighter"
***Hailee Stanfield in "True Grit"***
Jacki Weaver in "Animal Kingdom"

Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
***True Grit***
***Winter's Bone***

Nominated for Best Cinematography
Black Swan
***Inception***
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

Nominated for Best Documentary (Feature)
Exit through the Gift Shop
***Gasland***
Inside Job
***Restrepo***
Waste Land

A life with the man I love...

Our engagement story...

If you know Chris, you may have a small inkling of his personality and his love for joking around. You may also know that he secretly dislikes surprises. Even though HE doesn’t like surprises, he LOVES surprising other people. Because of this, any time of year involving presents turns into a game.

Chris has been hinting at what I was getting for Christmas this year. One day he would hype up the gift, the next day he would downplay it. Monday morning, November 22, I got a text from Chris, telling me that he’d picked up my present. I asked what it was, he told me he wasn’t telling. I asked what store he got it from, he wouldn’t say. I asked what TYPE of store he got it from, and he laughed. Then he said that he would give me my present early if I took him out for barbeque. Good deal for me – I agreed.

During our date, I asked him if he was SURE he wanted me to have my present early. I didn’t have his present ready, so I felt a little bad about accepting my gift early. His explanation went something like this: “Well, I want you to get good use out of your gift, and you need it for these cold weather months. You should really have it now so that you can use it. If you don’t get it until the end of December, you’ve really lost half of the good cold weather time…you should really just have it now.”

So after dinner, he handed me a decent sized box, wrapped with Christmas paper. When I shook the box (I love shaking the box), it clunked around. He really had me convinced that I was getting something like boots, or a scarf, or some gloves. I opened the box to find…..a three hole punch and a stapler. I started thinking that he made up this huge ruse just to get me excited about my present, and wrapped up junk from the house. We would just laugh at how I fell for it and go home. I turned to look at him (maybe to call him a jerk), to see him holding a ring box, asking me to marry him. Of course, I said yes. Surprisingly, I didn’t cry! (Those of you that know me understand what a feat that is!) The ring is beautiful, and I’m so excited to be engaged to such a great man. I am very lucky!!!

Our current plan is to have as small
of a wedding as realistically possible in the Kansas City area during the early summer of 2012. That gives me about a year and a half so I can stay sane while planning! Thankfully, I have a close friend with experience, and a sister-in-law that is an unending fountain of wedding tips and advice.

I do look forward to the party associated with the wedding. But more importantly, I look forward to a life with the man I love.