Why I Love Middle School

I thought I loved teaching high school, until I tried out middle school, and now I don't think I'll ever go back! These last 2 months have been absolutely nothing but rewarding, and SO much fun! The moments I'll never forget:

My first week there, I told my class, "If I see any of you misbehaving during the assembly, you're sitting next to me". Then I see cute Derek intentionally whip out his cellphone, and I snapped my fingers, "Derek, here, now", and he uttered a "Yessss!" and got to sit by me the whole assembly, haha ha.

I was teaching my 8th graders about the milk group, so I brought in the marshmallow fluff and we made "milk mustache" poster pictures, which I put up on a bulletin board outside our classroom.

The intense cologne aroma on everyone, in the halls, and especially all those 13-year-old boys.

How I may never be able to find a parking space at my apartment complex, but at South Hills, I have an entire 200-car lot all to myself.

In my rowdy 7th period, there were 4 boys who I was always having to keep on track. Their names were Travis, Braden, Derek, and Spencer (all four names of my brothers).

My students wave to me in the hallways and say, "See ya Miss Hancock" as I go out to my car!

Feeling a little guilty for being so excited that my two worst students got in a fight and were suspended for 3 days!

The plate activity--see below

Giving all my classes a test on the opening night of my show so I didn't have to talk. And then finding out that the boy I kiss in this show has a little sister, in my 7th period. Awkward! Poor girl, imagine watching your older brother kiss your teacher!




From my students:

"You are so nice! I never want you to leave. You're one of the nicest teachers I've ever had!"--Megan Jensen

"You have such beautiful brown hair" --Chase Williams

"You are a great teacher and I feel like you have taught me a lot. Thanks" --Cathy Park

"I like your sense of style! I totally need to find out where you get your clothes" --Sierra Samowitz

"Miss Hancock you are the best teacher I've had all year" --Isidoro Machorro

"I always love your hair I mean does it take you a long time to do it? And your outfits are always cute!" Grecia-Maria Ferreyra

"Thank you for being a wonderful teacher. P.S. substitute for Mrs. Fisher when she isn't here please" --Josh Foxworth

"You are the nicest student teacher I ever had, and are really fun too!" --Erin Barnum

"Ms. Hancock, you are really, really pretty, inside and out. Your a great teacher and will go far" --Kassi Killian

"You have looked uber stunning this year" --Kenzie Pettit

"You are awesome!! I don't want you to leave us!!!" --Josey Nix

"You are an amazing teacher! You made class sooo fun! :)" --Katelyn Smith

"You look amazing all the time and you are a very good teacher" --Brittany Clements

"You have been the best student teacher ever." --Korri Sage

"You look amazing in jeans. And I'm not just saying that. You really do." --Jennica Henderson

"You were great. Your better than half of the teachers I've had!!" --Derrick Rodriguez

"You were always super happy and it makes it easier to learn" Lindsay Hale

"You are very sweet and nice. You care about everyone. I love that. I will miss you :( " --Amber North

"Ms. Hancock you are my favorite student teacher I've ever had, come back and visit" --Mariah Emal

The Plate

During the "Friendship" unit, I started class showing this china plate and told the story of how it belonged to my grandmother, has been in the family for years, its so priceless to me, this is the last remaining piece, etc. Then (this is all staged) Trevor the trouble-maker of 2nd period walks in, and hands me his 'late' note.

I walk over to change his absence in the gradebook, and he picks up the plate and smashes it into a million pieces! I totally played up a scene, almost in tears, and just about to walk out of the classroom! It was priceless! The girls were almost in tears and the boys were all like, "I'll beat him up for you, Miss Hancock!"

Then we let the class in on the secret, that we had planned this, and then related a broken plate to a broken friendship, how you can glue it back together, but you'll still always see the cracks, remember what was said, how you felt. Haha, they've been talking about this for days now!

Growing Up Isn't Easy

And then one day I woke up and I was a grown-up. I accepted the job at Pleasant Grove Junior! On my way home, I looked at my car, at my cell phone, I thought about how I'm graduating on Thursday, and how I have a real job as a real teacher, and I wondered, how did it all happen? How did it just all happen so very very fast?

I'm SOOO OLLLD. Age seems to come into conversation so very often lately, and I ask, "So how old do you think I am?" And its a 23, or 24, which is AWFUL! I want to throw up!! Do I strike you as that old?? 21, folks, twenty-one. Ok, so perhaps I come across as 'mature', but I don't like it. For being an RM, and a graduate, fine, but I hope my personality doesn't come across as that old. I need to start doing immature, irresponsible, irrational things again.

So Many Choices!

1. Pleasant Grove Junior http://www.pgjr.alpine.k12.ut.us/pgcms/index.php (Alpine School District)
(19 min. drive) .67 contract
Teaching CTE & Teen Living
Principal offered me the job on Monday--I'm going in next Monday morning to see the school.

2. Crescent View Middle http://www.jordandistrict.org/schools/middle/crescentview
/index.htm (Jordan School District)
(33 min. drive) I'll be substituting here in 2 weeks
Teaching CTE & Teen Living
My interview is tomorrow.

3. Mount Jordan Middle http://www.jordandistrict.org/schools/middle/mountjordan/index.htm (Jordan School District)
(35 min. drive) right by the Mayan in Sandy. Teaching Foods, CTE, Teen Living, & Clothing.

The principal offered me the job this morning.

4. Eastmont Middle
http://www.jordandistrict.org/schools/middle/eastmont/index.htm (Jordan School District)
(37 min. drive)
My interview went SO well, and the principal was very enthusiastic about throwing me incentives to work there.

So what do I do?! Not like its a big life-determining decision or anything!!

Come See Smokey Joe's Cafe!

I'm having a blast with this show! We open on Friday!

Smokey Joe’s Café is the jumpingest joint in town with a nostalgic time trip to the 1950’s. This celebration of the rock ‘n roll music of songwriters Lieber and Stoller delivers exciting choreography and a score featuring 40 of the greatest songs ever recorded: “Jailhouse Rock,” “On Broadway,” “Hound Dog,” “There Goes My Baby,” “Yakety-Yak,” “Poison Ivy,” “Love Potion No. 9,” “Stand By Me” and dozens more recognizable tunes that’ll have you singin’ and dancin’! It’s easy to see why Smokey Joe’s Café is the longest-running song & dance music revue in Broadway history. Directed by Shawn Mortensen.

April 11-26 7:30pm (Mon-Th-Fri-Sat)

$12 Adult, $10 Child/Student/Senior All seats reserved

My Students Have all the Fun

So I teach cooking classes, but hardly have any time to cook myself, (I was up till 4am last night writing lesson plans) and I feel kindof left out, so Saturdays are my cooking days :)

Today I made homemade chocolate pudding for breakfast (egg, cocoa, milk, sugar--don't ever stop stirring!) and hamburgers for lunch!

Try it out: I combined in a bowl, the ground beef, an egg, bread crumbs, chopped onion, salt, and pepper, formed the patties and sprinkled paprika. I let the rolls rise all morning, rolled them in flour, and baked them at 350 for 15 minutes. I cooked up some bacon and diced some olives for on top. Just guess on the measurements!

Just Another Average Day

My life is anything but mediocre lately. Take today, for instance. I started teaching middle school! I LOOOOOOVE it!!! Those kids are so funny, and they just want to talk and be friends with you! "Are you the new student teacher?!" "Are you related to John Hancock?!" "Are you married?!" "What's your first name?!" Darling. And my cooperating teacher is a gem! I want her to be my mother-in-law, that's how much I've already grown to love her.

And then this boy has been on my mind like ALL day and it sort of stresses me out, the feeling of having to decide right NOW if that's what I want in a relationship, when really, I should not feel rushed. Some day I'll post what my roommate says I've been saying in my sleep, haha.

And then not to mention names, but Eric Sackett and I were leaving from rehearsal, and he chucked my water bottle across the room. I cried about how he had dented my dear water bottle and he laughed, "Next time it'll be your car!" And then not a minute later, as he was in front of me at the red light, he totally backs up into my car. My week-old pride and joy. BUT it could be a lot worse, and I can rest assured b/c I have great insurance, and we both know it was his fault. Bah, just another thing to work out.

And then I found this engagement ring as I was walking to the Provo library this weekend, in the grass, in a pretty jewelry box. So I put up signs, and then tonight reported it to the Provo police, who just picked it up, and the officer said I can have it if no one claims it in 90 days. Grand. That'll pay the rest of the loan on my car :)

May tomorrow just be one of those average days? For once?