Personality test

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have medium extroversion.You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party.Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences.But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time." Conscientiousness: You have medium conscientiousness.You're generally good at balancing work and play.When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done.But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it. Agreeableness: You have medium agreeableness.You're generally a friendly and trusting person.But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism.You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. Neuroticism: You have low neuroticism.You are very emotionally stable and mentally together.Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly.Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is medium.You are generally broad minded when it come to new things.But if something crosses a moral line, there's no way you'll approve of it.You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue.

The Five Factor Personality Test

Is it Spring Break YET?

I am so incredibly ready for spring break. Only four more days, ptl! The kids are definately an itch'n for a break-- as are the teachers.

I don't even have any real good plans for spring break. I will work on some stuff for work and hopefully be able to get some artwork done-- or at least attempted. I feel like I have no outlet anymore. When i was in school, I was taking at least three studio classes all the time, now I am teaching-- and can't really do my own work. I do samples, but it's not the same as being able to be creative without having to worry about standards. Plus the kids really don't like my samples, so I have been doing them less and less. They think that since I am the art teacher, of course my work is going to turn out good-- they can't look at it and see techniques or get inspired. Usually, if I do a sample, they just imitate it.

Actually-- I'm ready for the summer, not just spring break. I plan on mostly working on my art this summer and working out to lose this nasty winter/first year teaching/ first year married weight. Wish me luck!

Things to love

Have you ever gotten caught up in an everyday task and then realized how much enjoyment you got out of it? I've never been a big fan of shaving-- in the winter I really don't shave at all unless I know I'm going to be wearing a dress or Matt finally gets grossed out when he rubs against my legs at night. Even when Tracy borrowed my razor when we were in Memphis for my Grandma Betty's funeral, I didn't really miss it because I wasn't really shaving. So the other night, Matt and I were at the greatest store on earth- costco- and I finally bought a new razor (Tracy still has mine). I got the Venus Breeze. IT'S AMAZING!! I didn't need soap or shaving cream-- there are lather bars below and above the razor so all you have to do is wet the razor so the lather forms and then shave. This was one of the closest shaves I have had in a log time and it left my skin a lot more moist than normal after shaving-- and no itchy legs! I just kept on shaving and shaving-- it was great!

Kids say the Darndest...

GIRL1: Man, Mrs. Aurand, did you hear that? He just called me a 'B'
BOY: I didn't call you a 'B,' I called you a Bastard!
GIRL2: Is Bastard a bad word, Mrs. Aurand?
ME: Well, do you even know what it means?
BOY: It means you ain't got no Daddy.
ME: Well it really just means that your parents were not married when you were born.
GIRL1: Then I am a bastard!

How do could I not laugh?

DISNEY WORLD

So Matt took me to Disney World-- it was AMAZING! Leading up to the trip, he kept on asking me what I was most looking forward to... was it Space Mountain, Test Track, just seeing Mickey and Minnie? Nope, I was stoked about riding the Tea Cups! It was everything I'd ever hoped it would be-- and Matt, who had promised he would take me to the tea cups, but would not ride them (he gets motion sickness sometimes), actually rode with me-- granted he took a bunch of Dramamine! We went first to the Magic Kingdom and then to Epcot and back to the Magic Kingdom for some shopping-- that was all the time we really had without feeling too rushed since we had a flight back home that night. Below are some of our amazing pictures taken by our Casio digital camera and the greatest gadget EVER-- the gorilla pod. Mom and Jim got Matt a Gorilla Pod (shameless plug) which is a mini tri-pod that bends and can wrap around anything so you can self timer the camera and take pictures of yourself without having to ask a stranger-- or do the extendo-arm maneuver.


(Some Zetas at the Wedding)












(Me and Matt with Minnie)

(Couldn't go to Disney without a picture of Mickey)

(I love the Tea Cups! Thanks Gorilla Pod)

(Pooh's Playhouse-- Gorilla Pod)

(Gorilla Pod is still AWESOME)

Mosaics...

They're here... the pictures of the 6th grade mosaic

These students are placing tiles on the backboard-- making sure to leave space in between each for the grout.

These students are organizing the tiles by size, shape, and color to make it easier to place tiles into the design.

CAN YOU SEE THE WILDCAT?

The Mosaic is hanging in the front lobby with a plaque that has all the students' names on it.

Par-TAY (some lewed photos to follow)

So my sorority big sis just got married in Disney world this past weekend and Matt and I flew down there Friday after work and had an amazing time (next blogg will be all about the wedd'n)! Meanwhile... the weekend before Mary, a sorority sister, and I decided to throw her a bachelorette party (her bridesmaids had done nothing for her. No showers and they hadn't put together a bachelorette party). So.... we invited the girls over for pre-party food, drinks, and games before we headed to Buckhead for some more partying! Mary got the drinks and games organized, while I handled food and the most delicious naughty cake...


The best part about this cake was the pudding filling. The girls thought it was hilarious-- and oh so tasty! Needless to say, Matt didn't want any left overs.

Candling!

So Matt and I heard about this weird thing called ear candling. I first heard about it on a radio show and then talked to Matt about it and he said he had heard some guys from work try it and love it. So the next time we were at a mall that had a GNC, we went in to see what this was all about.

In a nutshell.... Ear Candles are these long strips of cloth that are wrapped and sealed in beeswax and form a cone shape- with two open ends, one tiny and one larger. Now you need a partner to candle with. Then you get a pie tin (we used paper plates) and cut a hole through the center to insert your candle. The small open tip goes into your ear canal at a slight upward angle-- hold the candle in place. Your partner will light the larger open end and all you have to do is sit there and enjoy. Once your candle is burning, ash will begin to form-- once it is an inch long, your partner will need to snip the ash with scissors and then put the hot ash in water. When your candle is burning about four inches from your ear, thats when it's time to run the flame under water to extinguish it (take it out of your ear first). Once extinguished, you can unroll the remaining few inches of candle and see what came out of your ear.

The first time Matt and I did it we were so grossed out by the amount of gross orange wax came out of our ear. Matt wasn't even really convinced that all of that came out of our ear (he thought that it was something in the candle)-- so our next time candling, we bought an extra box so that we could burn one just to see what was on the inside after burning-- there was NOTHING. So we are now total belivers!

This is seriously the most amazing thing-- your ears feel cleaner-- and I have lately even been suffering from a massive sinus infection and have not been able to hear out of one of my ears for several days now-- I couldn't even clear my ears by holding my nose and blowing. So we candled tonight and my ear was able to clear (painful), but it cleared and I have a lot more of my hearing back. I am still stuffed up and don't feel 100%, but I am on antibiotics to help with that.

Man I just want everyone to try it-- in fact, we might just put a pack in everyone's stocking this Christmas so we can have a major candling session! I'm so excited!

Messy Mosaics

My 6th graders are amazing! This new bunch of 6th graders is really on top of things--- they come into class quietly and do as they are told-- but they still have personality! So to reward them for their outstanding self control-- I decided maybe, just maybe, they could handle making a REAL mosaic-- one with cerammic tiles and grout! So I started them off by giving them the super cliff notes version of what a mosiac was-- the briefest of definitions. Then I gave them some black construction paper and tiny squares of colored construction paper. Their instructions were to sketch something that means something to them and then use the tiney colored squares to color it in. They could not let the color "tiles" touch so that the black paper (with was our "grout) could show through. Once they were done with this three day project, I dove a little deeper into the history of mosaics, what they represented, and some examples. After that, they were excited to make a class mosaic of our mascot, the WILDCAT!! These guys are working so good together--once they placed all the tessera (term used to describe the individual tiles in a mosaic), they began using an adhesive compound to "glue" them to the backboard. That's the point they are at right now-- grout is next. When the mosaic is finally complete, it will go in the main office.

I have had several administrators, teachers, parapros, and other support staff come into my room at various parts of the day just to look at what the 6th grade is doing-- in fact.... Ms. Shirley, our Secretary teared up when she saw the final design with all the tiles.

If you set the bar low the students will reach it. If you set the bar high the students will reach it.

(pictures coming soon)

Mungus

It's been a while, I know...

I'm around kids everyday, and many of my students have a severe case of mungus, and I have definately been affected when it comes to daily activities. There are always signs, but I chose to ignore them, and now, after not blogging for months, I can't ignore them any more. For those not familiar with mungus, let me explain it to you....

Mungus is when the iron in your blood turns into the lead in your ass.

So I'm lazy... I'll try to be better-- New Years resolution.

Update: Thanksgiving (I know-- it's been a while) was spent just out side of Elijay in a mountain cabin with my sister, her husband, their five kids, my mom and Jim, and Matt and me. It was a three bedroom cabin with a finished basement-- it was so wonderful! Yes there was a tv, and it had cable, but it was mostly used to play vintage N64. Matt and I bought two of our nephews some Red Rider BB guns, so while Jake and Ryan were taking aim, Luke occupied himself with the frisbee (which he can HURL like there's no tomorrow)! To make a long story short... we enjoyed our time together as a family-- our first holiday married.

At school I recieved a new bunch of kids for another 9 weeks. The other teachers around the building have really nothing but bad things to say about the 7th grade, but I found no resemblance to the rumors-- my two 7th grade classes were amazing! I cannot even begin to explain how much I looked forward to seeing them every day. They had spunk-- but respected my class and me-- they did outstanding work.

Though my 8th grade classes left a lot to be desired. They were lazy. This was their first year of not just getting a 100 for art just for showing up and I think it really suprised some people. Report cards just came out revealing what they earned in my class. One student came up to me in the hall and said, "how come you gave me an F?" I told him that I did not give him anything... he earned it. He continued..."what do you mean?" I reminded him that he did not even turn in the last major project (one which they had three weeks to work on and had step by step instructions for) and that all the major projects are worth 40% of their grade -- which he was aware of. He said, "but I wasn't here the last week of school." I told him that it was his responsibility to turn in his work and that I could not give him a grade for something that I did not have. I stayed after school with other students who were not going to be in school the last week so that they could get their projects completed and turned in-- he made no effort.

My 6th grade was only ok... they're still learning.

Christmas came fast-- the last day of school before the break nearly brought me to tears. I received a card from a student. The card's message was a standard one, "Merry Christmas," but off to the side in pencil was a note written...

Dear Mrs. Aurand, Thank you for everything you taught me. You have been like a mother to me, and that means a lot because my mother was never there for me. Merry Christmas.

I'm reminded by a poem by an unknown author...

As I walked along the seashore
This young boy greeted me.
He was tossing stranded starfish
Back to the deep blue sea.
I said "Tell me why you bother,
Why you waste your time this way.
There's a million stranded starfish
Does it matter, anyway?"

And he said, "It matters to this one.
It deserves a chance to grow.
It matters to this one.
I can't save them all I know.
But it matters to this one,
I'll return it to the sea.
It matters to this one,
And it matters to me."

I walked into the shelter,
The owner greeted me.
She was helping Misty learn to trust.
She was struggling I could see.
I said, "Tell me why you bother,
Why you waste your time this way.
Misty's only one of thousands,
Does it matter anyway?"

And she said, "It matters to this one.
She deserves a chance to grow.
It matters to this one.
I can't save them all I know.
But it matters to this one,
I'll help her be what she can be.
It matters to this one,
And it matters to me."

I know I didn't reach all my kids last semester, but whatever I did... it mattered to that one. That's why I won't let mungus get the better of them.

This semester has gotten off to a great start-- I hope to be better about my bloggling so that you can stay up to date on my first year teaching efforts!