End of the year feelings

Hi everyone... ok I'm not sure who even looks at this blog any more and I don't blame you because I NEVER update it.
But I guess this is a special surprise treat to anyone who happens to check.

There are only 13 more school days before summer! Of those, one is a half day, one is a planning day for my next-year team (more on that later), and I am taking off one more day (to visit Rebecca and see Mom in New Orleans for Rebecca's residency graduation thing and also to feel her baby bump and find out if I will have a little niece or a little nephew). So really its like 10 days. Lets call it 10. Yay!

So anyway! Next year, I will have my very own 2nd grade class!! This is what I have always really wanted. This year teaching science was just an interesting detour. There will be two 2nd grade classes and the other teacher, Ms. Christina, is one of my favorite people and we make such a great team! We have had a couple days to plan together so far. Our school has a new, very daunting curriculum that is very different from what I have seen before. However Christina and I are trying to be very creative and positive. For example, we are planning a class blog! Maybe thats what made me remember to post on this one...

I'm excited for summer and really excited for next year. However, this year has been interesting like I said, and while I didn't love it there were some great parts. I got to know all of the students and teachers at my school really well. I got to work on my classroom management skills and get to know more of who I am as a teacher. Also, I did get to take the 2nd grade classes on a field trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens during our Plant Diversity study. Here is a picture of them being little scientists:
(The cutest little scientists in the world! You can't see their faces because, privacy, but trust me they are so excited and interested and adorable and I love them and so do you.)

So anyway... I hate field trips where kids just play around and don't do or learn anything, but since I scheduled the trip too late to get a guided tour or activity, we had to do a self-guided tour.... Which usually means walking around, eating lunch, walking around more and then going back to school. But not these little scientists! I had them pick a favorite plant from each biome (desert, rain forrest, and temperate forrest) and write its name, describe it, and draw a quick sketch on little observation sheets in their science notebooks. They amazed me with their concentration and hard work!! They were so great. Now, with our few remaining classes, they are working in groups to make posters about their favorite biomes with the plants they sketched, including their scientific names, and facts about the biomes and plants.

This is the stuff I love and I can't want to do more of it next year!

First week of school

Graduation News

Hi! Graduation update. Graduation is next week. I have 2 papers to turn in and 3 days of student teaching this week. I have to graduations. One on Tuesday for my school, Steinhardt, at Radio City Music Hall. My Mon, Dad, Aunt Karen, and Uncle Donald will come to that one. On Wednesday is the All University Ceremony at Yankee Stadium. Just my mom and dad will be at that one. On Thursday, I'll move to my new apartment. But I won't be there for long because on Saturday, May 19th I'll fly to Augusta and stay there for a little over a week. At some point while I'm home my mom is throwing a big graduation party ather house. So keep a look out in the mail/ on Facebook for infor about that! Thats all for now! Take care.

Early April Updates

As promised in the video, here is a link to my professional portfolio- online edition!

https://sites.google.com/site/rachelcantuportfolio

Video Blog #2

Video Blog #1: I'm video blogging now

Actually Summer!

Hello all!
As many of you may know, I recently began to doubt that summer would ever get here!!!
Well, today was Memorial Day, it was 90 something degrees and I had a picnic in the park. So I guess it really is summer. Other signs that it is not still winter: I am all done with school and all my grades are in. I moved out of the dorms and after a brief stay with my Aunt and Uncle on Long Island, I moved into my summer sublet in Brooklyn. Summer schedule has started at work and most of my babysitting jobs will start up in June. I have also had actual free time! I went to a museum! I saw the Alexander McQueen exhibit, Savage Beauty at the Met and it was amazing. I saw a MOVIE, Bridesmaids (very funny!), with my friend Pat who won free movie tickets for a short film he made.


Today, like I said, several of us got together in Prosepct Park and had a picnic. Prospect Park is a big park in Brooklyn only a 20 minute walk from my new apartment. It was designed by that guy Olmsted who also designed Central Park, so it is very nice. EVERYONE in Brooklyn was also having a picnic there or even a cookout on these little grills that everyone has. I made a pasta salad for my freids and we also had a bunch of fruit and stuff. We found a very since spot in the shade and ending up staying there for over 6 hours!

Now... I know a lot of you are curious about my new apartment!! To start with the neighborhood is pretty nice. Very residential, with more stores a few blocks over. Its near an expressway and my windows do face the street so I get a bit of noise, but it doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I can't sleep if its TOO quiet, so its perfect!

My building is in a row of four story buildings. There are two apartments on each floor. So here is a picture of the front. My room is on the second floor on the right (I have 2 windows)

And then, here is the inside view of my windows!

So, as you can see, my room is pretty spacious! I had so much fun moving in! But this is the best part of my room: the fireplace! It is non-working obviously but its a beautiful decoration. I am using it as a bookshelf!

Well, my roommates are also very nice. I have only really gotten to know one of them because the other two are away right now. We just recently discovered that their is a BEAUTIFUL back yard to our building, but we don't seem to have access to it. We are going to find out more. There is a fire pit, a grill, tables and chairs, and a  hammock. I think we have to befriend the people on the first floor.

Well, I hope everyone;s summers are also off to a nice start! Stay cool!