Thoughts About Teaching

On Thursday I was sitting in the library with Andrew and chatting. Actually he was venting and I was listening. He needed to vent because he hates his English class and thinks his teacher is an idiot. Now, I don't think I would go that far (I only call stupid drivers idiots), but he had some great points about the idiocy of his teacher. Now, I won't tell you what his issues are with her, but I will tell you the things that I think can help me as a future teacher. Andrew said that it made a lot of sense for teachers to teach a concept, give you a variety of examples of great use of the concept, and then have you go out and try it out. Apparently, this is how engineers think. It is also what we were talking about in my Teaching Writing class, and it was good to hear it from someone who isn't just teaching me educational theories. I can see how this applies to English and engineering, but now I'm trying to figure out how to apply it to history education. History is usually taught chronologically and sometimes topically. I guess you can teach that way with skills that historians use. Let me know what you think if you have any thoughts on the matter.

Which brings me to my next thought about teaching. My current major (History Ed) will make me a secondary teacher, in high school or junior high. Sometimes I am not quite sure if that is what I really want to do. I met with two of my professors and we ended up talking about historical things for about an hour and I got a list of about 10 book recommendations. My profs were both like, "Man, have you thought about grad school?" Yes, I have, but never really seriously about doing it soon. "Sarah is the kind of student I like to talk to. She's not here to complain, but is here to ask questions and express interest." Why complain? Profs are there to impart knowledge and they are such interesting people! "Dr. M, Sarah wrote this paper last semester about Black anti-Semitism during the Detroit race riot of 1943." "Really? That is impressive." And so on. I'm not meaning to brag, but they have planted a few thoughts in my head. I would be happy wherever I end up in my job. But, I have started thinking about timing, and I wish I could see how things would turn out, but that doesn't work. I have never thought about graduate school this seriously. I would love to be a researcher or a professor or a high school teacher. I'll figure it out. I just had to get that out.

Ahhhh, LIFE

Ahhhh, life. Yes, life. I am doing really really well now! After a brief trauma, I am now doing awesomely. Congrats to all my cousin-in-laws and future aunt-in-law who are pregnant. Yay for you.

On Saturday night, Andrew and I went to see Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare, put on here at Utah State by five Actors from the London Stage (http://www.nd.edu/~aftls/ for info on their current tour). What this troupe does, is use five actors to act out an entire Shakespeare play, which means that everyone plays about five roles. I saw them a few years ago doing Hamlet. It makes things sometimes very confusing, but also really amazing to see how much voice, slight costuming, and body language can create an entire character. Everyone playing multiple roles made things even more hilarious. Shakespeare is still hard to understand, and Andrew said it was sometimes hard to figure out what they were saying because of the language! Now he knows of my suffering!

More about my Shakespearian sufferings... We had to draw numbers out of a hat in class to determine which play we are studying we will do a critical analysis on. God is cursing me. I am writing about Henry IV, which is hard. Really hard. Histories are just difficult. I wish I could be writing about Twelfth Night, but no. Oh well. I'm meeting with my prof today and I think that things will be all right.

I'm also reading a really great book. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. It is really great, and it is hard to put down. It is about some historians researching a Dracula myth, and right now, there are people dying as supposed warnings. We'll see how it ends. Andrew said it sounded like secret combinations, but I have heard great things about it and am really enjoying it. It is SO SO nice to read for fun, and to not just read stuff for school.

Less than 100 days (sorry, no exact count yet) until The Wedding!

A Tribute to Wal Mart Employees

As much as I do not like Wal Mart, there are two employees that have gone above an beyond in making sure my Wal Mart experience. So here is a shout out to Beverly and Marsha.

Christmas season, 2007. My roommate Maren and I were on the hunt for mistletoe. It is important! Especially for college girls in need of a guy. So our search took us to Wal Mart. There was no mistletoe in the Christmas decor section. Weird, I know. So we asked this sweet old woman named Beverly where the mistletoe was. She looked at looked, but her search was in vain. We told her it was all right and walked away. Minutes later, we here a shout: "WAIT!" and here comes old Beverly hurtling down the store, mistletoe in hand. What a great Wal Mart associate. So we nominated her for a Superb Employee at Customer Service.

Trip with the parents to Sacramento. I had told my parents the day before that I was going to get married, and we had to stop by Wal Mart for a belt for my dad, cuz he forgot it. Anyway, we get to the register, and there is this tall black woman working there. I think her name was Marsha, or something like that. My dad talked to her a bit, and then he asked if they sell wedding dresses as Wal Mart. Marsha said, "No." And Dad said, "She thinks she wants to get married." Then, Marsha turned to me, and in her kick butt awesome accent said, "Girl, don' chu let no one steal you' thunder." It was awesome. Marsha's advise has become immortalized among me and my roommates.

So that is my tribute to the Wal Mart employees. Yay them!

And here is a picture of my cute gecko, Grendel. I thought this was adorable. :D Yay Grendel! He eats crickets. That reminds me, I need to feed him today.

Pictures of What I'm Up To

Hello everyone. 16 weeks and 1 day! WOOT!!! Then I get to marry the above featured hunk!

Enjoy some pictures of my latest loco adventures. The next two pictures are my hands doing something I like to do. I am reading a rather nerdy book.


The next two pictures are of the ring that Andrew got me. Beautiful! I love it. It is really sparkly. I especially like how it is so good for distractions during boring classes, or frustrating classes, or anything in general that needs to divert my attention. I am way distracted by shiny things as it is, but now it is even worse.


The next picture is of me and Andrew at a wedding luncheon, first pretending not to like each other and then pretending to like each other.


And those are my latest loco adventures! I must admit that blogging is way more exciting than doing my homework, which is going pretty well for the most part. I'm sick and tired of sitting and tired of people giving me chocolate. I'm going to get fat. I'll have to start starving myself so I can be anorexicingly thin for my wedding. ;) Just kidding. I really don't have an eating disorder. And if I did, I would want to be bulimic cuz I like food a lot.

26 Random Facts About Me

Perhaps you want to know some random things about me. If so, you should continue to read.

1) My least favorite chores are folding and ironing laundry. I used to think that scrubbing the toilet was the worst thing on the planet, but then I moved out and my mom wasn't around to fold or iron for me. I have to do it all myself. :P

2) I wish my goldfish pooped less. I have to clean their tank soon cuz it is getting gross.

3) I ate half of a huge gourmet pizza with a friend, named Jordan, he's on a mission in North Carolina. It was delicious. The pizza was from Firehouse in Logan, and was Texas BBQ flavored. I didn't want to throw up until we had the Fzzookie (that is a hot cookie with ice cream on it) after.

4) My secret dream occupation would be a 1980s rock star.

5) I like to color with crayons and finger paints. I got a princess coloring book from Andrew for Christmas, and we finger painted at FHE last week.

6) My knees pop when I crouch or kneel or put weight on my knees.

7) I love dark chocolate.

8) I rub my eyebrows when I'm thinking or reading. When other people rub my eyebrows I almost fall asleep and get totally relaxed.

9) I secretly want to work at Costa Vida, Cafe Rio, or Chipotle so I can steal their recipes and learn how to make delicious burritos and tortillas.

10) I am the proud owner of red slippers from China.

11) I enjoy wiping mud all over my body.

12) I have made one quilt and am working on one with ladybugs on it. I'm also working on one with my friend Tasha for our friend who is getting married.

13) I don't have a fully developed brain yet. Your brain is fully formed by age 25.

14) I have a gecko named Grendel who eats wanna-be Vikings (crickets).

15) I drink a mug of hot chocolate almost every night. It warms my soul. And mostly my body cuz I live in freezing cold Logan.

16) The most painful shot I have ever had was in my left nostril when I got my nose cauterized. After the shot, I couldn't feel the electricity burning my blood vessel.

17) I have a habit of saying things that can be construed to be incredibly scandalous.

18) I can ride my bike with no handlebars.

19) My room is a disaster and desperately needs to be cleaned. Don't worry, in three days, Andrew is having a man night with some buddies so I can tidy things up.

20) I now know how to do flip turns when swimming!

21) My sister and I are in a ballet class together and we like to pretend to be really good at ballet. We both want POOF tutus.

22) I haven't been flossing regularly lately. :( I need to take good care of my teeth cuz I don't know if I will have dental insurance once I get married.

23) I fear that my car doors will be frozen shut in the morning.

24) I make wishes when the clock says it is 11:11.

25) I wish that when I brought my umbrella with me, I actually used it.

26) My idea of a perfect date is one where Andrew and I are outside doing something, like hiking, skiing, or whatever and just having a jolly old time together. We generally do have jolly old times.

There is a spattering of random facts about me.

Me and my lover man

Here are some pictures of me and Andrew. I pretty much love him.

Above, you see us at Temple Square during Christmas time. Below, you see us making faces on a hike. We were going to rent snowshoes, but the rental place is closed on Saturdays (lame, I know. You would think they would be open and lots of people would come. My university is cheap. Stupid budget cuts. Stupid economy). Anyway, we are goofballs and we have a fun time almost all of the time.

You know the Amy Grant song that goes: "Baby I'm the lucky one..."? Well, I think it applies to this situation. I am absolutely crazy about him and feel really blessed to have Andrew, even though he always says that he is lucky to have me.

Another song that applies is from Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band. Love them. Andrew does too. In fact, we went on a date to their concert. Anyway, there is a song that is our theme and it goes: "All I need is you, here, falling in my arms, and me, there, subject to your charms." We like that one. It is true.

Yet another fantastic song is from Taylor Swift. A great memory I have of Andrew is him flapping his arms around, shaking his butt, bouncing, and singing, "You be the prince and I'll be the princess..."

We also like the Zac Brown Band's song about "a little bit of chicken fried, a cold beer on a Friday night, a pair of jeans that fit just right, and the radio on..." Of course, neither of us drink beer, so I suppose we could substitute that with milk. We both LOVE milk.

I think that Diamond Rio's "Beautiful Mess" is also a good one for my relationship with Andrew. Not that he is a mess, but I am. We have fun. "What a beautiful mess, what a beautiful mess I'm in... spending all my time with you..."

So that is my lover man Andrew. :)

Othello so far...

In my Shakespeare class we are reading Othello. First of all, this is the class I am the most worried about because Shakespeare has always been really hard for me. Second of all, I have to lug around the complete works of Shakespeare every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Third of all, I have to read it out loud, which probably drives my sweet fiance crazy as he does his engineering.

BUT prayers are answered. I prayed to understand what in the heck Shakespeare is saying and I am understanding it even more. Today in class, I made a comment about Desdemona's mini speech about her loyalty going from her father to her husband, Othello. My prof said, "Yes!" Which made me feel brilliant. I talked about how Shakespeare is showing woman who is clever and asserts her independence while telling two men that about her allegiance to them. You may not be impressed, but I was. You all should pray because Heavenly Father is listening.

Some of the help may have come from watching Othello. Getting the plot is really going to help me understand what is going on in the "subtleties of Shakespeare's language," and I quote Dr. Shifrer. I enjoyed the movie. Oh tragedy. Andrew watched it with me, which I think he did mainly just to cuddle with me. I'm not complaining. At the end, he was all like, "Why would anyone want to watch that?" It was depressing. Iago is a twisted, manipulating stink head. I am amazed at how often Othello calls him "honest Iago", when the audience all know that he isn't honest at all! And how I felt about Othello was interesting. He had been played out by Iago, but he smothered his wife! She really wasn't cheating on him. I wanted to yell at Lawrence Fishburne: "SHE ISN'T CHEATING ON YOU!!" But you can't yell through screens to the actors. That would be very Willie Wonka-esque.

Anyway, here is a cool picture I found of the post-Desdemona murder. I always love paintings. This is by Alexandre Marie-Colin, whoever that is. I'm also amazed by how often Shakespeare has been represented in paintings. I mean, there are tons of Ophelia (Hamlet) paintings.