The Last Post

As apparent in the lack of my last few blog posts, it’s been a crazy few months. I ended my term of service with College Possible in Omaha in the end of June and have been ever grateful for my experiences in the past year.

My favorite moments and memories from this year:

Increasing my student’s ACT scores 13%!

Making new friends that are all service-oriented and come from all over the country.

Going on campus visits with students (their first time on a college campus)!

Buying a car with the help of my awesome neighbors, Jen and Paul (baby Jacob was helpful too).

Moving away from home and being HAPPY.

Battling mice and cockroaches (not a favorite, but significant).

Working with students to become better and stronger writers.

Learning how to be patient. Four months of not having students changed my ability to tough it out.

One of my students telling me that  no one ever believed in her until I encouraged her. I didn’t take no for an answer.

Making a new best friend.

Learning that my passion and my career do not have to be one in the same.

Working with other AMAZING AmeriCorps that were supportive and encouraging in my most trying moments.

Learning how to truly pack up my life into a car (probably the last time in my life that will ever happen).

Living life without regrets.

All in all, it’s been a year of growing up. I wouldn’t go back and change anything. While there were definitely moments of crying alone in my car, I know that I have become a stronger and more faithful in my purpose on earth. Thank you to all of my readers and friends for your support, encouragement, and listening ears. 

This is my last blog post on Kbizz in Home-aha.

Please follow my new blog: Kbizz in the Twin Cities. I am on a personal challenge to post every week, so you know it will be entertaining! 

The Buick is Officially Gone

Well, it's been almost 2 weeks since the 94 Buick Century was stolen from the streets of Omaha. After much hope that it would be found in a parking lot somewhere after being taken out for a joy ride, I have come to the understanding that I might not ever see it again. Here are a few parting words...

My fondest memories of the Buick:
Driving from St.Paul to Hudson for the first time without any real brakes in the middle of winter.
Folding my twin mattress in half and shoving it into the backseat.
Driving around in the summer with all the windows down because the air conditioning didn't work.
The clock ALWAYS being off my a strange interval (18 minutes, 1 hr 23 minutes, 47 minutes).
Low-riding in the bench seat.
The built-in ashtrays in the back seats.
No cup holders!

I will now be moving on to a newer car (in the 2000s), but will never forget my good times with the Buick. It will be missed!

Omaha: A Year to Remember

If I were to write a book about my life, I believe I would focus on my time as an AmeriCorps due to the crazy situations I seem to find myself in each week. These are my chapters thus far:

Chapter 1: No office, supervisors, students or functioning cell phone service.
Chapter 2: We have students! Wait, no we don't. Wait, what?
Chapter 3: It's November, and we still don't have students. What have I been doing for 3 months?
Chapter 4: Woah, I have 40 students?
Chapter 5: A mouse in the house. Also, on the nightstand next to my bed.
Chapter 6: Whoops, left my check card in the ATM.
Chapter 7: My laptop's been in repair for a month?
Chapter 8: The Buick was stolen from the streets of Omaha.
Chapter 9: Three practice ACTs in 3 months.

I'm sure that I will add to these chapters by the time my term of service is over in June; there's always a new story to share about my life!

A Summary of My Year

College Possible Blog

Checkout this link: http://blog.collegepossible.org/katie-my-unforgettable-college-possible-momen to read about my Unforgettable College Possible Moment!

Step 1: Increase Math ACT Score

So I have a LOT of reviewing to do. Myself, as a junior coach, is expected to teach lessons on the different sections of the ACT: English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing. We utilize Kaplan ACT prep curriculum, so I have a great starting point to teach. There are also a ton of other resources that past coaches have saved for our use.

I have no qualms about the English section (it’s all review), the reading section (I enjoy reading strategically) or the Science and Writing sections. Math, however, has been messing with me. In high school I was always in the normal math classes and enjoyed learning new formulas and way to solve problems. It was definitely a class that I had to put effort into but I looked forward to the challenge of doing my math homework: there’s always ONE right answer.

Upon planning for my math lesson for next week, I quickly became overwhelmed. On top of me needing to review and practice using these formulas, I now have my student ACT math scores back.  Most of my students struggled in the sections of “Variable Manipulation” and “Coordinate Geometry”. AKA basic algebra and geometry. I’ve been working with a few of my students outside of class to help them get caught up from missing a session and am amazed at how many of them struggle with basic algebraic functions. They don’t know what an exponent means, how to add/subtract from a negative number, and how to solve for a variable. Obviously not all of my students struggle with this, but about 15% need lots of help.

I’m doing what I can to give them their basic math skills, but I know that this section of the ACT will be the hardest to increase their score in. This week, each student will be working on setting their own individual goals for our time together so I’m looking forward to learning what students want their score to increase to. 

My First Hot Cheeto...

My student were so surprised that I've never had hot cheetos before!

January 28, 2012