*Erica Nance graduated from Judson College in December 2009. These are her archived student blog entries.*
Hello all! My name is Erica Nance. I'm a native of the big city of Hamilton, AL. Don't act like you don't know where it is. :) I am an Elementary Education major with a minor in psychology. This is my senior year at Judson. Whoa!....my senior year! Therefore, I was picked to blog under the Senior category. I hope that you have and will enjoy reading my blogs. Blessings!
What can I say I'm a Madagascar fan! I can't help it. Every time I hear this song it makes me want to get up and dance. I love it! Anyway, let's get to the real meaning behind me choosing this particular title.
I'm at the homestretch of my college career. I can actually see the finish line, and it feels so good. These college years have been hard, rewarding, fun, and sad all at the same time. I guess you are thinking, "Man those sure are a lot of mixed emotions". If you are thinking that, well you have the right idea. College is a mini version of the real world. You are in a strange place. You have to learn how to work with many different people. You don't always get your way. As you sow, you shall reap. The great thing is that it is all worth it in the end. Trust me!
Knowing that I only have four more weeks left of college makes me want to just move it, move it. Sometimes, it actually makes me want to hurry and get all of my work done. The other times I tend to get a slight case of senioritis. I will miss my home away from home, WMU, and its great atmosphere, but totally not the work. There is a season for everything. It is my season to move it, move it on into the adult world.
My roommate and I were talking about how people always tell you not to wish your life away. I'm not wishing my life away. I look at it like I'm wishing my new life to start. You have to look at it in a positive rewarding way. Isn't this what I've been preparing for in the entire first half of my life? We all have to grow up. Embrace it instead of being afraid. Our life was given for us to live. The next time you are feeling down or bad about yourself stand and just start singing "I like to move it, move it". I promise your mood will change. Hey! It always gets me moving in the right direction.
Summer is finished, Summer is gone. Winter is around the bend.....- Anonymous
I don't know about you, but there is something about Fall that makes me happy. It may be the beautiful colors of the leaves when they begin to change. It may be the slightly cool weather, or maybe even the fact that Thanksgiving is on its way. Of course, this holiday is quickly followed by Christmas. I don't really know what it is, but I do know that it is wonderful. Being at school during this time, although, is a little hectic. I was told that October was one of the busiest times of the school year. I believe it! There is everything from program practices, to Red Ribbon Week, to Halloween, etc. Today is Wednesday, and Halloween is just around the corner. You can imagine how wound up the students have been this week. They have been anticipating the weekend of trick-or-treating.
I admit that I have been a little anxious as well. My anticipation comes from the fact that I get to go home this weekend. I can't wait! It is funny how you miss home more and more as you get older. Shouldn't I be getting better at being away from home? Oh well! I think that it is the season that makes me long for my family. When this time of the year comes around, you should share it with people you love. There it is! That is why Fall makes me happy! It makes me happy, because I get the chance to be around the ones I love, without having to worry about school. It also makes me realize how thankful I am for all that I have. Enjoy this beautiful season, and share it with others!
My first placement is now over, and I can't believe it. There was so much going on that, I guess, I didn't realize how much time was passing. I really learned a lot from this placement, these students, and my amazing classroom teacher. I'm really glad that my first placement was in Kindergarten. There were many challenges and lessons learned.
The biggest challenge that I faced was simply the fact that I experienced teaching Kindergarten at the beginning of the year. There are so many things that go on at this time of the year. The main lesson that you try to teach children, at this age, is to realize what school is all about. You teach them to follow rules, be good thinkers, be on task, work well with others, and become a part of their classroom. On top of all this, you have to do the first of the year assessments, remember what days and times you have special classes, gather all paperwork on each student, and observe which ones need what amount of help. All this thrown in at once was a big challenge. At the end of the day, I felt like I had been tossed about from here to there.
I can definitely say that I learned to be flexible. I like being prepared. At one time, I became a little frustrated at not getting through the lessons. I had to learn to just do what I did the best I could. It took me a while to get used to not being able to work everything into the day. I guess I felt like I was short changing my students, but then I realized that there were other ways for me to incorporate it in the remainder of the day. Even when we were walking to lunch, I used the tiles on the floor to talk about patterns. I had always heard that it could be done, but to actually do it really felt great.
The end of this placement helped me realize just how much I have learned from my education classes at Judson. Before now, I was worried that I wouldn't remember strategies that I learned, so that I could use them in my own classroom. Now, I see that the education department has planted ideas and knowledge in me that I will certainly use for the rest of my teaching career. You know; it's like when you have grown up in your parents' household with them aiding you and giving you advice in many areas, and then one day you wake up and realize that you are an adult. They have planted many pieces of information or life lessons that would prepare you for adulthood, and now it is time for you to apply it. Do just that! Make it Happen!
Last night was almost the last day of the rest of my life. I have never been more thankful to know God, than I was last night. It had the potential to be a very painful experience. I don't know if you have ever had one of those experiences. If you have, I'm sure you would remember.
Lightning is so scary! My roommate, her little sister, and I were coming back from a great seal party. These are awesome, yummy parties around the Judson seal. It is one of the many lovely times shared with your Judson sisters. Anyway, we were returning from this great time, only to walk directly into a storm. It was already raining, and I didn't have my umbrella. Oh no! That wasn't going to work. Not with this hair! My roommate, being the loving and thoughtful person that she is, whipped out her umbrella for me to use. So here I go, bee bopping to the dorm with an umbrella. All of a sudden I hear this loud POP! I also see sparks flying from the box on one of the power lines.
Ok, let me paint this picture for you. I'm running in flip flops on a cement walkway while it is raining. NOT GOOD! I screamed so loud when lightning struck that box. Well, it was actually a shriek. I couldn't help it! I thought I was gone.....FOREVER! In spite of the entire ruckus, I made it safely to my dorm. The RD of my dorm was there waiting for me, with an opened door and outstretched arms.
I know that this is a funny story, but I'm really thankful. I'm thankful that my life was spared. I'm also thankful that I have people who care about me and my well being. I've found that a lot, during my time at Judson. This story was an extreme situation, but sometimes it takes the extreme to help us remember the little things. It seems like this is a lesson that I am constantly being taught. It is so easy for us to go through life as a routine affair. We all need to realize that time can be taken away just as fast as it is given. James 4:14- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
