Change is like.....

Its been too long since I last posted, and I blame my lack of time due to volleyball, studies, and a certain boy... However, tonight I am avoiding writing a paper and figured there was no better way to do it than bloggin!

My life has been crazy these past couple of weeks. Volleyball is going great and I am really enjoying my senior year. It is crazy to see those words in front of me: SENIOR YEAR. AHH! I still don't feel like I have been playing here long enough and I really wish I could have been able to play for Utah State for more than 2 seasons, but I have appreciated the opportunity and have loved my experience here to its fullest. I have made such great friends and really feel like I have a second family up here in cold Logan. It has been such a blessing for me to play here and I am loving every second of it... especially because I know it will be over in the blink of an eye.

Speaking of opportunities, this year I am a SAM's leader (Student Athlete Mentor). SAM's is a program for incoming Student-Athletes, freshmen and transfers, where they can do different kinds of team building activities and also hear from some really amazing people as guest lecturers and speakers. We meet every Tuesday night from 7 to about 8:30 or so and we get to play games and just hangout with our groups until we meet for the big group where the speakers talk to us. Tonight in our small groups we were talking about change and how it can be really difficult for people to accept change or to even change themselves at all. One of my group members said the funniest quote that I just had to post... He said "Change is like manure. It stinks, but it really helps things grow." I think it is so true! Change can be really hard but it definitely helps me to grow and to expand my knowledge and abilities. Life is full of change all the time, so it is really good to learn how to deal with change and how to accept change in life. Sweet quote Sam!

So, I am going to school here at Utah State to become a teacher. I just entered the teaching program this semester and it has been really amazing so far. I was a little skeptical last semester because of a certain teacher that I will reference as Voldemort. Voldemort was so negative about every aspect of teaching. Whenever we would think of something beneficial for our students to learn, he would shoot it down saying that not all kids will want to cooperate, or what if a student refuses to do the activity or makes a smart-a comment. What will you do when the students talk about you behind your back? blah blah blah blah blah. Voldemort did have some horrifying stories, but, not to diss on him as a teacher or anything because I never had him as a high school teacher (thank goodness or I think I would have fallen into a deep and permanent depression) but i think that horrifying situations happen to horrific teachers. I realize that not every situation will be perfect and I am not going to have students who necessarily want to learn everything that I want to teach them, but I do think that the way a teacher enters the classroom depicts, to a certain extent, the way a classroom will turn out. I am not going to school to become a teacher because the pay is unbelievable, because it's not. And I am not going to school to become a teacher because that is what my parents want me to do, cause I don't think they do. But, I am going to school to become a teacher because I know how important my teachers were to me. I know how much they influenced my life and made a difference for me, and if I can be that teacher to one (but hopefully a lot more than one) of my students, then I think I will feel good about that. Wow, that was a long paragraph! I just want to change a life. I want students to enjoy learning, because it is enjoyable and it doesn't have to be dull and monotonous. I may be crazy thinking that way, but I accept the challenge and I cannot wait until I have a classroom of my own. What a journey it will be!