I'm not unemployed anymore - I actually have a very fabulous job as a preschool teacher with the University of Michigan child care centers. But I'm still posting, albeit a little more irregularly, and I don't want to ignore the personal progress I've made since starting this blog by renaming it.

Blog inspiration: I read 48 States in 48 Days by Paul Jury in the summer of 2011. It was fabulous...although he planned way less for his roadtrip than I would have. And at the same time, my lovely Anna was constantly reminding me that our lives were awesome, despite the fact that we didn't have job prospects, new cars, boyfriends/husbands, houses, etc., like so many people we knew. So, in an effort to appreciate my life and the crazy uncertainty that it is, I started writing this blog about the little adventures I have. (And by "writing a blog," I mean "making a list" because I make lists, not narratives.) Even if there isn't a BIG adventure that happens every day, I try to find at least one thing to list :)

Monday, May 21, 2012

Battle For Dominance (May 21)

  • Had a huge power struggle with one of my 2nd graders today. Basically, at the end of class, he got mad about something, threw a kid's backpack across the classroom and then tried to leave. However, I stopped him at the door, and told him that he could pick up the backpack and it's contents or get 2 stickers taken off his chart. The other kid picked up his stuff before the angry one could choose that (not that he seemed like he was going to), so his choice were changed to apologizing to the other boy. He still did not do that so we were left with him needing to go over to Winter to get his stickers and throw them in the trash (standard procedure when they get stickers taken off). But he was not having it. He stood stock-still near the door (I was in front of it so he couldn't leave) and just shook his head when I repeated his choices. Winter responded perfectly - finished up with the remaining students, and went to stand by the other exit in our room (which he, luckily, seemed to have forgotten about) - and I was so so grateful. We basically stayed this way for 15 minutes. He would not budge but I wasn't going to let him go. Luckily (yay for all the luck), the 3rd graders came late today, so we had a lot of time that he could just stand there for. Near the end, he was trying with all of his might to open the door, but I held it firmly closed. I asked Winter to try to reason with him in Korean after a while. And eventually, he took his stickers from Winter and slammed them into the trash can - after which, I promptly let him leave. He wasn't happy, but I was so proud that I stuck it out and so incredibly thankful that Winter basically read my mind and understood what she needed to do. We'll see how he behaves tomorrow.
  • Made an omelet for the first time tonight! It tasted really good and was really filling because I stuffed it full of yummy goodness (my Daddy would be proud):


  • I also watered my plant (she seems to be doing well), handwashed some of my clothes and did my dishes...yay for being all self-sufficient tonight!


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