~Phases of First Year Teachers~

Okay so I am sure you have noticed I have posted alot about my incredible family! Well I am going to update all my concerned family and friends about my first year teaching. Below is the diagram that you get when you start teaching from your principal or fellow teachers. I am officially in "SURVIVAL MODE" I think being hired so late that I skipped "Anticipation" and went right into "Survival". If you want a little description see below.......I think by CHRISTMAS I will be "Disillusionment". Seriously I am LOVING what I am doing the kiddo's are great, my para-professionals are awesome and I have made alot of new friends with the staff at my school!
HOWEVER, teacher's have more resposibility than what you think. I dream NOW about all the things I need to do! The teaching portion is about 4 hours the planning and paperwork is about 45 hours a week! :)
Survival Phase: The first month of school is very overwhelming for new teachers. They are learning a lot at a very rapid pace. Beginning teachers are instantly bombarded with a variety of problems and situations they had not anticipated. Despite teacher preparation programs, new teachers are caught off guard by the realities of teaching.

During the survival phase, most new teachers struggle to keep their heads above water. They become very focused and consumed with the day-to-day routine of teaching. There is little time to stop and reflect on their experiences. It is not uncommon for new teachers to spend up to seventy hours a week on schoolwork.

Particularly overwhelming is the constant need to develop curriculum. Veteran teachers routinely reuse excellent lessons and units from the past. New teachers, still uncertain of what will really work, must develop their lessons for the first time. Even depending on unfamiliar prepared curriculum such as textbooks, is enormously time consuming

~Thanks Grandma~

Today was early release from school!!!! My parents drove down from Pinetop and will be here until Monday. Grandma graciously came over and had lunch with Harrison and Madison....She even took them to Deer Valley AMC and they all saw "Space Chimps"..... The kids thought it was great giving it five stars, while Grandma only gave it two! She then spoiled them by letting them get some things at Target...... Thanks so much Mom I truly appreciate your help today. Your the best.... Also the kids loved spending time with you! They are so lucky to have such a fun and outgoing GRANDMA...........

A TOLIET Funeral This Evening.........

Well we tried that is all I can say! We started with 3 goldfish and now we have "0"... Nemo and Dorey kicked the bucket after 2 weeks in our home. HOWEVER "SUSHI was a SURVIVOR and held on for a record 1 month and 3 weeks. HOWEVER after a crazy afternoon we got home around 7:35pm only to see "SUSHI" floating at the top of the fish tank! The kids did their ceremonial FUNERAL with a quick flush down the toliet and a couple of tears. Of course the first questions were when can we get more???? Ha Ha Ha..... Of course I had to burst their bubble and let them know that until we get a filtered tank we are not going the fish route..... :) So we have done the Hamster thing, the Fish thing, now Harrison is bucking for some Turtles in the yard, who knows.....

First Place Fisherman.....

WAY TO GO JAMIE! Our good friend Jamie is not only a Dental Practice Owner, a Devoted and Loving Husband, an Awesome father to his three kids BUT also a very SKILLED BASS FISHERMAN! He took 1st place last Wednesday! The Paul Family is SO proud of you......

1st Fantasy Football Draft down 2 more to go!!!!!

Can you guess who Scott selected for his three quarterbacks in his Desert Canyon Fantasy Football League? Here are some hints below! V~E~R~T~I~G~O~

Fantasy Football is about to Begin...Ugh

Scott had SO much fun with Fantasy Football last year he has decided to be in three leagues (a school one, a family one, and a friends one) this year... So what that means is on Sunday Daddy will be watching every football game he can catch! Here is Avery and Scott on the CBS Sports Beers and Balls website scouting players.........I told Scott to draft Tom Brady this year he is just too cute! I may even watch some games this year! Go Patriots......Go Vertigo..........

Love ya like a sister!!!!!

Carley~Chloe~Jamie

Missing her Cheer Buds.....

Carley & Alyssa
The goddesses...

Miss Carley is really missing seeing her friends from cheer. I am not sure if she is really missing the cheering aspect yet that will probably come when they start to compete. All her close friends email,text, call, get on Webkinz and Club Penguin to stay in touch....All the girls she cheered with lived all over the valley Anthem, Scottsdale, Cave Creek, Surprise and Paradise Valley. I actually think I am starting to miss cheer too.....I do not miss the drive to Scottsdale but I do miss the excitemnet that came with being in a program like DSE. We miss you McCall, Mason, Olivia, Faith, Allie, Lindsay, Ashley, Kingsley and Carissa..... :

My Posse

You gotta have Faith!

Hey Girl.........

Toot... Toot.... JK

Cally I miss you.................

CLARIFICATION..........

I know you all will see the babystrology on my Blog but I am here to set the record straight. I am not pregnant but my incredible sister is! After YEARS of trying my sister and her husband have been blessed with the miracle of life. Yes a beautiful baby is growing inside and is moving and growing each day. My kids are excited to have a new cousin, we are excited to have a new baby in the family and my PARENTS are so excited to be grandparents to their 7th grandchild. I love my sister so much and know that besides having a wonderful husband who loves her dearly a baby will be the frosting on the cake. She has always yearned to be a MOM and now she will live the dream! Baby Richardson is due February 17th, 2009.

After School Fun!

WOW... The Paul kids are back in school and the after school activities have began. Carley is doing Hip-Hop Dance and Musical Theatre at Az Dance Co., She is doing Young Rembrandts with her buddies Chloe and Jamie on Thursdays. And she also has tumbling at DSE West on Thursdays. In October VOLLEYBALL starts for two months, she is so excited to be playing with her same team. Harrison is doing CCV Soccer and Cub Scouts. Madison is doing Hip-Hop dance at AZ Dance Company. Brownies with her circle of friends from last year, and she will also start Volleyball in October playing with her friend Casidee and other girls she met on her team this Summer. Avery is starting dance on Tuesdays while Dad and Mom are at work at her Preschool. Her recital will be at Christmas, I can't wait she is a TOTAL HAM!!!!!!!

She's a big girl NOW!

Avery Claire is offiicially potty trained at 2 years 5 months. She is doing SOOOOOOOO good and we are so proud of her. We even rewarded her with 9 new pairs of big girl panties. She is so proud of herself that we get to hear about it every time she goes. She is such an amazing little girl 2 going on 10... Yes she can run with the big dogs!

Back to life as we know it!

Welcome family and Friends to the Paul Blogspot! Hopefully this will allow you all to keep up with our crazy life. Not that our life could get any crazier but it did, I am now officially working this year Teaching Pre-K. SO what that means is Scott and I both teach, the kids are in school and then we attend to their after school activities as well. Scott is coaching and tutoring. We are both members now at LA Fitness and are religous about working out so we can get back into shape. The first day of school was alot different this year since I could not take the kids to class but they were troopers and did very well. Of course I cried, they are growing up so fast. Little Miss Avery does Pre-school and she LOVES it. Here are some pictures of the first day of school! Also a HUGE thanks to Team Ski for helping with the kids in the morning and afternoon. My kids are able to ride the bus to and from school and absolutely love it!

Ugh..........

YEAH.....Gina has just spent some quality time with me on the phone assisting in the set up of the Paul Blog! Thank you so much, you are awesome....My official first post is coming soon...