Once Upon a Time in Second Grade...

• Miss Haynie FINALLY got a boyfriend. (He may or may not be 7...but he is the one who asked if we could date when we got into high school!) He made me flowers out of pattern blocks on my last day, and gave me silly bands!
• I introduced myself and held up objects that described different things about me. I held up a BYU Football poster (because that is my life!) and there were 5 little boys who stood up and said, "I love the Utes!!! They are going to beat the Cougars." haha well wow, this is going to be a long four weeks! ;) We all got a long great anyway!
• I decided that college is WAY lame! I knew I should of stayed in the land of 5 sentences and 5 colors required for writing assignments, recess, carpet time, playing dodge ball and Star Wars at PE, and read aloud!
•  I learned how important it is to truly teach by and with the spirit. I know that I would not have been a near as effective teacher without it. 
• I dominated by observations by my facilitator and Professors! :)
• I had to wear teacher clothes every day. Not to mention close toed shoes. My wardrobe definitely had to be added to. I always rock jeans and flip flops. Two things not allowed as a teacher!
• I laughed probably more than is appropriate at my adorable little students. I tried to hide it, but they just had the best quotes ever! Another post will most likely be completely devoted to those! Be excited.
• I may or may not of had a crush on an 8 year old boy. You just had to meet him. He was brilliant beyond belief, the nicest and more caring boy I have ever come in contact with (not just 8 year old boys, boys in general), he was more willing to help out and teach other students in the class than is even normal for a 2nd grader.  This same little boy came up to me and said, "Miss Haynie! Guess what? Tomorrow I am going to be the newest member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. I am going to be baptized and all my sins will be washed away!" My heart overflowed with happiness at his excitement. He was blonde and blue eyed...his only flaw; he came to school dressed in Ute attire WAY to frequently. But I blame that on his parents. He has no control over what he wears everyday! 
• I taught real awesome guided reading lessons. We read "Song Lee and the I Hate You Notes". Remember Horrible Harry? Yeah, it is from the same classroom. It was great.
• I cried. I decided every May is going to be real rough for me. Leaving has never been my strong point, especially beautiful children, and I seem to be making a habit of it. My Ghanaian children, my 2nd graders... never ending! It is awful. 
• I met and fell in love with the most beautiful children. Mosiah 3:19; "becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." holds so much more meaning for me than it has before. We, as adults, are so good at making things way more difficult and complex than they need to be! We are children of God and have the opportunity to be such good example to those around us.

The last month and week of my life has been spent at Southland Elementary in Riverton, UT. There I became Miss Haynie and a hero to so many beautiful 7 and 8 year olds. I started lesson planning for hours every night and went to bed before 11. We had to leave Provo every morning by 7, which meant I was waking up WAY too early for it to be healthy. We still had classes when we came back to Provo after teaching for a full day and they were some of the most amazing and hardest days of my life! I learned a lot about myself as a person and really grew as a teacher. God reaffirmed my decision many times throughout the experience that I actually was in the right major and that teaching elementary school is exactly where I belong. As hard as it is, and is going to continue to be I know that I am doing the right thing and with that, am entitled help from above. How grateful am I for that?! VERY.

I am sorry you can not see pictures of my beautiful children. It is illegal. You can thank FERPA!

Katie and Jenn. Most frequent site for me on our way to school in the morning. ;)

Halloween in Elementary School, WAY more fun than as an adult. We got to have a parade!! :)

 

 

Picture of just a portion of my classroom. It was real small, but not small enough to fit in one camera angle.