About 10 pounds lighter or so it seems...

So yesterday I cut my hair. Not just a trim, more like a chop... It is barely touching my shoulder, and I have layers in it. I will have to put the before and after pictures on here when I get a chance, but don't hold your breath on that one. I really like it, and even Jared likes it, which is a huge surprise. I thought he would hate it because it is short, or at least it is short compared to what I had. Super short actually. I have these little bang things that get in my face. Seriously how can people stand it have their dadgum hair in their face. It drives me nuts.

After I got my hair cut, I stopped by Target to get some clips because I can't put it all up without them, and it was really windy. So I am trucking along, walking to the car, and the hair goes in the face. Well, I kind of toss my head over to the side, like normal people do, but my head is about ten pounds lighter, and I nearly break my neck. I have done it twice more today, and I know people must be thinking I have turrets or something.

I was also told that I look more sophisticated and polished, and it makes me wonder how bad, I looked before. It is drastic in my opinion, but I like it. I think short haired Jessica will hang out for a while... Maybe...

New Distraction

So this past week I got an IPod, and I am addicted. It is pretty pathetic. In October I got Jared one for his birthday, and every so often I would listen to it when I was bored. According to Jared, I have embarrassing taste in music, and he said that it would ruin his reputation if someone found out that he had certain songs on his IPod, so he decided I needed on. My question was who would be looking at his IPod, but anyways... I thought that I would never use the IPod, and it would be yet another wonderful toy that I look at and think "Wow... I actually spend money on that!" But Jared talked me into it, and now I have this adorable pink IPod. It is the coolest thing. It will even let me rewind the radio! How cool is that? I also have over 600 songs at my finger tips, so whatever mood I randomly adopt, I have the song to go along with it.

The best part it that I have all the music from when I was younger on it, and I can cruise down memory lane and giggle at what a dork I was... Or am rather, but I cool with that. It is wonderful.

I am even finding reasons to incorporate music into my lessons at school, so that I can use it. My students are loving it too. Today we watched movie clips about Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Beyonce, Tupac, and Brad Paisley to practice note taking skills. They ate it up! On Thursday, I am bringing in my amazing little music machine to allow them to hear a couple songs from Bob Dylan and David Bowie as our opening exercise because they did not know what music they played. The movie clips were biographical. They are excited about learning the material too, so that is a bonus. Technology is awesome.

I love my new little toy...

Why I teach...

So I have this little girl, well she is 17, but a little girl none the less, and I have been working with her for about a month now on reading skills. She absolutely hated reading when we started!!! Hated it, and even got emotional about it because she felt she was terrible at reading, and I have to say that it was pretty bad.

Wednesday she comes up to me and tells me that she went to the library and found a book that she is really enjoying. She also told me that she had gone to the library and tried two other books before getting a book she could read on her own, but she never gave up! Today she comes up to me and tells me that she had finished reading the book and is looking for another. She was so proud of herself for being able to read the book by herself, and I am super proud of this little girl too!!! She has come such a long way in just a month. I think this is the first book that she has ever read on her own. I didn't assign it, and I didn't make her get the book. She did it all on her own!

I asked her what she thought about reading now that she has some skills to help her through, and she told me that she really likes reading now! She was so excited to get another book! It is a simple thing, but I can say if I don't have any other successes this year, I know I am where I am supposed to be. That young lady, although she doesn't know it, has given me such a wonderful gift. I was just hoping to help her struggle less, but now she has a love for books, which is like gold to an English teacher! I am so grateful that I am where I am!