I...graduated

So like normal, I didn't do such a great job keeping the blog updated. The 41 days to graduation have since passed and I cannot believe that I am now a college graduate. I am now back at home, and will update you on what the past 45 days have been like.

When you take middle schoolers to Atlanta and they count the tubas under the bus only to realize two were left in South Carolina.

 

When the people above your apartment decide to move furniture at 12:30AM the night before your job interview.

 

When you say "I don't have anything else to do" and then somebody reminds you that you actually do.



When you have your last orchestra and wind ensemble as an undergrad and you don't know how to feel.

 

When your middle schoolers give you their piano music less than a week before the performance and it's NOT easy.



 

 

When your model league team-given award is "Best Dressed in Class and Sass."



 



 

When the food is so good at your professors' houses for the Progressive Dinner.

 

When you survive the Praxis music test at 8:00am Monday morning.

 

When it's a free bar at the Senior BBQ.



 

But then girls take it too far. (This is supposed to be a classy event people!)

 

 

 

 

When highschoolers cat call at you from their mini van.

 

 

When graduation rehearsal takes two hours, and you haven't eaten all day.

 

 

When they sat the chocolate cake on your table before the entrée came at the candlelight dinner.

 

 

When everybody starts crying and toasting their best friends at the end of dinner, and you feel like you're the only one not crying.

 

Everyone:



 

Me:

 

When you have to say goodbye to the middle schoolers you now love!

 

 

 

Putting your gown on for the first time at the Baccalaureate service.

 



Picture time, picture time, picture time.

 

What it's like drinking mimosas the morning of graduation with the roommates.

 

 

When you realize this is the last time you'll be in your apartment.

 

 

 

When you hold your diploma at graduation!!

 

 

 

When your Little surprises you after graduation.

 



 

 

Still can't believe I'm done at Converse College. But I can't wait to see what this upcoming year has in store, whether it be graduate school or a teaching job.

 

love always,



 

 

 





41 Days!

Since there are only 41 days between me and graduation, I figured it was only fitting to put together a post that perfectly illustrates what one feels when your college days are coming to an end...Enjoy!

When family asks how you feel about graduating...

When I think about having to leave all my college friends...

When one of your roommates gets a job/internship...

But then you remember you don't have any plans for after graduation yet...

When you forget important senior class meetings...

When non-graduating friends ask if you can hang out "this weekend"...

When you hit the SUBMIT button for grad school applications and teaching jobs...

When you are debating whether to go to the dining hall for dinner after teaching all day...

When you get a grad school acceptance letter but don't freak out like expected...

When you are explaining to your roommates about being middle school famous as the student teacher...

When you look at all the events you have to attend in the next 41 days...

When a senior gives freshmen advice and the freshmen laugh...

When telling stories about funny things your music students did in class to non-music people...

When someone asks why I enjoy working with middle schoolers...

When 9:30PM hits on a week day...

When my roommate and I show up to meetings...

When you attend networking events and your friends disappear...

When friends ask if my debate poker face has improved since freshman year...

When you have first year debaters in your committee...

When the freshies on your team win awards at conference...

When you get on the bus at 3:45AM for debate conference...

I will make sure to keep updating as the count down continues.

love always,



Because I'm Happy!

For the title of this post I chose to pull from Pharrell William's song "Happy" because the past couple days I have been feeling kind of blue. And I'm hoping by writing about some things that make me happy I can try to beat these winter blues. Imagine Julie Andrews singing to the Von Trapp children in "Sound of Music."

And speaking of Julie Andrews, one of my idols, this article on her and Christopher Plummer's friendship and reminiscing warms my heart. I hope that when I am 79 I am in such high spirits and am as close to some of my friends as she still is.

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/for-julie-andrews-and-christopher-plummer-the-sound-of-music-was-never-%e2%80%9cso-long-farewell%e2%80%9d/ar-BBhRTij

 

Another thing that makes me happy is working with the students at my student teaching placement. I look forward to working with them everyday and I don't want to show preference towards any one group because they are all wonderful. But I do have a soft spot for my seventh grade percussionists in sixth period. These kiddos want to be so good and have all this energy (that sometimes is overwhelming and makes you want to wring their necks) and are always ready to play. Sometimes I find that my eighth graders would be just as content to sit and play on their phones for the whole class period rather than play, but my seventh grade percussionists enter the room and immediately ask "Ms. Spitzer what are we playing today? Can I play this? Can I play that?" Their enthusiasm is contagious and even though they can probably play snare drum better than I can they still think I'm the bomb.com. And you might think that opinions of seventh graders aren't that important, but when you are having an "eh" kind of day the way they make me feel is incredible!

My final reason of being happy recently is that I am now on spring break! Hallelujah!! After weeks of endless work, performances, and sickness, I am finally at home with my favorite people and dog and get to relax at least for a few days. Even though I have to head back up to school on Wednesday for my final National Model Arab League conference, for now I finally have some time to let the fact that only 41 days stand between me and graduation.

 

Love always,









Got Crazy?

After spending a whole semester abroad with a schedule much more lackadaisical than mine usually is, I was quite unprepared for when I re-entered the "Connie-bubble." Imagine, Converse, as a mini-city where the student are the working pedestrians that are always in a rush some place. That is my life! The month of January was filled with clarinet and guitar lessons and completing over 70 hours of observation and teaching in a middle school band class. I loved spending all day every day with the middle school band kids, but when that only leaves you with 4pm to 10:30pm (remember bed time is 11:00, now that you wake up at 6:00am) to get everything else accomplished.

Then February hit and it has been like a freight train. The first weekend was spent at the SCMEA conference, which I spent a lot of time planning for the Converse students attending, model league practices and then NATO conference took up the rest of the weekends, and I officially entered student teaching. I am no longer just observing, but I am running one class everyday and when my teacher is absent I am in charge of them all.

Last Thursday, February 12, was my first time teaching all the classes (6 total) by myself and I was pretty nervous considering Mrs. Crutchlow wouldn't be there to save me if it went bad. Overall, it went pretty well and I realized how much you end up changing your lesson plan from first period to the end of the day as you perfect different aspects. I had a few sassy children, with one saying "Thank God, Finally!" when I reminded them I would be out of town for a conference the next day. And I will admit, I let that statement beat me up for about a half hour--even sitting in my car and crying. But then I remembered that middle school kids are full of hormones and maybe that kid wasn't having a good day and maybe it wasn't my best lesson. But we are both learning.

My senior clarinet recital is in two weeks with a pre-hearing in 6 days and SERMAL, model conference, is in three weeks. Still working on graduate school applications and am submitting some teaching jobs to try and finalize plans for after graduation.

Good thing I like to be busy right?