New Chapter

at 06/20/12 9:45AM
Well, I graduated! I am now qualified to teach grades K-6 :)

I have been planning to move home to TN (which I have done) and begin teaching in the Fall. However, plans obviously change. Instead of being in TN next year, I am moving BACK to Florida permanently. So, I am moving into a house in Palm Harbor in August and then I am getting married in December. Life changes fast, huh?

Seth and I will be renovating and living in a nice rental home owned by a member of the church there in Clearwater where Seth preaches. I will be substitute teaching before and after we get married. We will be living in Palm Harbor for as long as we are needed there :)
  • heidiw
    Wow!!! Crazy and wonderful! Glad things a falling into place!
    by heidiw at 06/20/12 11:30AM
  • brianne
    Awesome! It's amazing how our plans quickly change so that they're in line with God's plans!! Congratulations!
    by brianne at 06/20/12 8:48PM
  • dellkim
    wow, i just happend to check in it has been like years! CONGRATS! Love ya!!
    by dellkim at 07/23/12 5:35PM

Breathing Again

at 12/12/11 12:01PM *
Well, it's finals time! This morning I took my Humanties final ( that course I spent my summer agonizing over) and it feels so good to be done with that class!Once I get my MTSU trascript, I am officially caught up!! I enjoyed the material, but it brought my total hours for the semester to 19, which was intense. My other finals for FC classes are spread out over the next three days. I drive to Chattanooga on Thursday, then to Columbia Friday morning. The rest of my finals are pretty straight forward since they are for methods classes.ay Next ll semester I teach full time. I've never planned and taught a full day of lessons, even though I've had a class under me for the majority of a day before. So, this will be a new experience. I'm excited and very scared. Oh well, at some point you have to just jump in and try to swim I guess. Luckily, while I will be the primary teacher and I will have control of a class, there will be a cooperating teacher who can watch me and help me from messing up too badly.

The shift from sitting in a classroom to learn about teaching to actually being in control of a group of students is a welcome one. I have loved getting to know my classmates and teachers, but as anyone who is majoring in education can tell you, education classes and projects are pretty intense in scale and number. I will have work to do spring, but hopefully it will be much less intense. I feel like the past year of my life has been spent with blinders on, with my next project being the only thing on my mind. While I am anticapating the last few months of my college experience to be less taxing, I know that I need to make sure to not let my focus exclude the things of real importance.

I keep thinking about how I am going to serve God more fully when I finally get out of school. Granted, I will probably have at least a little more time, but I know that when I finish this, my focus will just drift to the next project,
Have I tried to be a good friend/roommate/daughter/sister/student TODAY?
Have I checked my motives,attitudes, and actions TODAY?
Have I read God's Word and prayed TODAY?
Have I focused on others TODAY?
Have I shared the Gospel TODAY?
What am I doing
TODAY??

So, I am looking forward tomorrow but hoping I can focus on TODAY. (Yes, I recognize the irony of the count-down below. Baby-steps, right?)

l
  • leahhallnoats
    this is a great post! Good luck, Megan Dvorak!
    by leahhallnoats at 12/19/11 11:03AM

I don't want to wish the days away...

at 11/14/11 4:35PM
but you have to admit, being this close to graduation is pretty exciting!


Kindergarden

at 09/06/11 4:27PM *
It's ironic to me that I am spending a good chunk of my senior year of college in kindergarden. I love it! 5 years olds who have never been institionalized are incredibly interesting. By institutionalized, I mean they have never done this "school" thing before and it's fun to watch them figure it out, unless they are a crier,then you just feel bad for being part of this experience that they are going to need therapy for later.

There are many things that kindergardners don't understand at the beginning of the year. It can be frustrating to walk them through every single step of a concept or procedure, but it's fun when they get or to look back on the day and laugh about the round-about, non-sensical ways in which they do some things.

So, here is a list of things that most new kindergardeners don't understand:

1. The concept of a straight line. Unless you constantly herd them with praise or direction, you are going to have stray children all over the place.
2. Smacking the teacher's arm repeatedly is not the best way to gain recognition.
3. Glue.( I have nightmares about this one).
4. The correct order in which to use the restroom. Today I told a kid to go wash his hands after using glue and I walked him through the "washing hands process" before he went to the bathroom. So, he goes, does a splendid job washing his hands like I had instructed, and then uses the bathroom. He didn't get why I made him wash his hands again.
5. The lunch line.
6. Rhythmn... they have none whatsoever, but then neither do I, so I guess that's okay.
7. That they are at school to learn. One method we use to teach kids to read, even if they dont know their alphabet is to read to them and to have them look at books. It's called a top-down approach. Throughout the day they learn phonics and letters and HOW words work. There are two little boys who still struggle with their alphabets and dont read or write very much yet. Every time we tell those boys to go to the reading center and pick a book, they both say "BUT WE CAN'T READ!" or we teach them a new letter " BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO WRITE!!". The looks they give me are hilarious and I feel better when they actually do it.


Anyway.. I love it and am blessed to be getting a degree in something I LOVE doing.

Megan
  • desi
    I'm glad you are enjoying it!!

    Your 7th point reminds me of one of my students today. She is 5 and I told her we were going to start learning to read music today. "But, I can't READ!" she said :)
    by desi at 09/06/11 4:41PM
  • juliamiriam
    Hi Megan!
    This is Julia Perz!!! I had no clue you had a pleonast!!
    by juliamiriam at 09/06/11 7:53PM
  • snoopy
    "Straight line" -- amen sister. Amen :)
    by snoopy at 09/06/11 9:04PM
  • paradise_ray
    I LOVE your list. I am so glad you are doing what you love! It is the best, isn't it?
    by paradise_ray at 09/25/11 2:06PM
  • leahhallnoats
    MEGAN DEVORAK! This is Leah Hall. I had NO IDEA you had a pleonast. But it makes me really, really happy! I decided a while ago that we definitely need to be better friends. I can't tell you how much fun (even though it was sad fun?) I had studying with those Mormons with you. I love your passion for truth, and also, you happen to crack me up! :)
    by leahhallnoats at 11/04/11 8:17AM

Going Back to FC This Week

at 08/07/11 11:05PM
I have one more year before I'm a teacher. :) Blessed to have a good school to go back to. Going to miss home but glad that I have good people in Florida,too. :)


See many of you soon.

Megan
  • desi
    Have a great final year!! Make lots of memories....and pictures!!
    by desi at 08/08/11 8:03AM