Today was my last day teaching middle school kids. Never in my life have I experienced such a bittersweet day, and I'll tell you why.

The 8th grade students in the first two periods wished me luck. A couple even wanted to give me a hug and thanked me for being there. This was surprising because I didn't teach this class very often- only a few days here and there. It was heartwarming to see that I did have an impact on their lives and that they were going to miss me.

The 7th grade honors students were the hardest in which to say goodbye. When the class started I still had to go over their exams with them. I was even called to another room to talk to another teacher. Little did I know that it was a trick to get me out of the room. When I came back, I finished going over the exam and at that point my teacher encouraged the students to speak up. That's when they surprised me with cupcakes, several thank-you cards and a gift. The gift turned out to be microwave popcorn! Our last lab activity was popping popcorn for science so this was a sweet gift from them. The whole class was so charming and magical I was almost in tears. Several kids were shocked at this and shouted, "I didn't want to make Mr. Rada cry!" which made me feel all the more emotional about it. We spent the rest of the period talking and relaxing. I had half of the same students for the next period so we decided to spend the time playing games and talking. It was wonderful.

The biggest surprise was the later class- the regular 7th grade science class. I've always found these students a challenge to wrangle into paying attention and I didn't know at the time if I was really affecting them. I was absolutely surprised by a request they made the day before- they asked if they could have a party for me on my last day. I told them I don't have stuff to bring to make it exciting, but several of them said they would take care of that. I had no expectation that they would bring anything, being 7th graders, so I was still planning a regular lesson with them. However, I didn't want to disappoint them too much, so I bought a bunch of cookies from the cafeteria to share. By the time that class arrived, I could tell that those students certainly pulled through as they brought in chips, candy, and pop to share with everyone. Not only that, but my teacher brought in a whole bunch of cupcakes decorated in the shape of a snake. We enjoyed the candy and food and just talked about random things. This group was really rambunctious but they made the day special with this wonderful surprise.

To top it all off, my teacher planned on giving me a double-layer chocolate fudge cake and was going to share it at the team meeting, but we didn't get to share it as time ran out. I ended up taking it home and I plan on sharing it with my sister and my Dad.

I ended up with so much from that experience. I miss my students already and I'm even questioning if I really want to teach chemistry. I loved teaching 7th and 8th grade so much! However things go, I know I'll make the right choice when I come to it.

I'm nearing the end of my first placement and I'm already sad. I'm going to miss my students so much. They're all so intelligent and eager to please and I want to keep teaching them for the entire school year. Alas, that is not to be and I will need to move on up to the high school placement next Monday.

I got reviewed again on Friday and my supervisor said he found no problems. He said I'm doing really well and that I'm ready for teaching. It was so exciting to hear that! He also gave me some advice; the perspective to have is that you're not getting paid to zoo around with kids all day. That's the easy, fun part and isn't where the work is done. He told me I'm getting paid to stay up to do all the paperwork after school. Staying up until 2am Sunday night grading papers- that's the real work and that's what I'm getting paid to do. What an interesting point of view!

It's been getting really cold now and last year I had a gym in which I could continue to work out during the winter months. However, I only go down to Buffalo State once a week and any more than that would be difficult and costly. I've been looking around for a local gym that doesn't cost too much.

That being said, I've fallen in love with a local athletic center- the equipment is top-notch and it's very beautiful. it's just down the street and I'd say I could get whatever I wanted done at this gym. However, for a three-month membership it's $189. That's $63 a month or $3 a day. In other words, this gym is more expensive than I want to spend. That's the cheapest deal without spending for a whole year(and I don't know if I'll be around for an entire year). I'm going to find out Monday if my COBRA extension includes the gym membership reimbursement. If it does, then I'm going to use it. If it does not then I am going to seek out a cheaper gym. I hope things work out though!

I hope you ignore the fact that I haven't posted in nearly a month and just enjoy this long-awaited post for what it's worth.

I love teaching. I've been doing it for a couple weeks now and I can't imagine doing anything else with my life. I've had some good days and a couple bad days, but at the end of the day I reflect, I puzzle out what I could have done better, and then I come back and really hit the mark the next day.

My favorite class is the 7th grade honors class. They are so eager to please and are very well-behaved. They don't take advantage of my ignorance or my inexperience. I love them to pieces and I look forward to teaching them every day.

The other two classes, the regular science kids, are much more challenging. This is not to say I don't like them- they are a great bunch. However, because of the pace at which they learn, they force me to think of new ways to teach and to really draw their learning skills the surface. I love them too, because they will be the ones who will make me a better teacher, as I have to constantly adjust and adapt.

I am doing great with the workload and I'm getting the necessary work done. I'm quite proud of my ability to focus and work things out. I keep myself on my toes all the time and try not to get overconfident.

Financially speaking I am in great shape. Even though I am not working I've managed to stick to a bare-bones budget and in the long run it will allow me to last longer without an income, or even if I start getting an income it'll be a good nest-egg.

Health-wise I am doing wonderful. I'm already fitting into smaller clothes and I'm steadily approaching a 5K run. Today I managed to run for 15 minutes straight(about 1.25 miles) without having to rest, and that's pretty awesome. I may not be losing the pounds but I am still losing the inches.

I can't believe how lucky I am right now, so I am counting my blessings as God is giving them. I trust in the Lord with all my heart, and He is pointing me in the right direction.