Back inwards USA alongside a Big Announcement

Australia Chemistry Summer Teacher of the Year

Back inwards USA alongside a Big Announcement

Several of you lot induce got sent me e-mails letting me know that my lack of posting of slow had you lot worried.  I desire to assure everyone that I am okay! For the past times 2 months, my married adult man in addition to I induce got been visiting Commonwealth of Australia amongst real express meshing access. We decided to induce got a twitter/blogging interruption in addition to focus on spending fourth dimension amongst menage unit of measurement in addition to friends. After 36 hours of traveling (thanks to a delayed flying that required rescheduling our finally flight) in addition to a expert sleep, nosotros are dorsum home.

To brand upward for the lack of posts approximately here, I hand you lot a photograph of kangaroos at a wild animals sanctuary inwards South Commonwealth of Australia in addition to a hope that I volition hold out breathing life dorsum into this weblog presently every bit I laid upward to start out my 6th twelvemonth of teaching.

Another argue things induce got been ease on the weblog front end is that I induce got busy every bit a number of beingness named i of twelve finalists for 2018 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year. Before nosotros left for Australia, I had to submit a binder/portfolio that consisted of a resume, photograph, in addition to 7 split essays. I spent over a calendar month on these essays, then it was neat tidings to take away heed that I got to deed on to the side past times side phase of the competition. As a result, I had to cinema a x infinitesimal video that captured my teaching fashion in addition to philosophy. It was supposed to incorporate classroom footage, but I've never been videoed spell teaching. Had they asked for this video during the schoolhouse year, I would induce got videoed a lesson. Instead, nosotros did the side past times side best affair in addition to edited the well from my NPR story in addition to added photos to hand the alternative commission a peek into what I am similar every bit a teacher.  I desire to nation a particular thank you lot to several MTBoS members who willingly gave upward business office of their summertime to cinema video testimonials which I was able to edit in addition to lay into my video. My married adult man deserves a meg thank you lot for filming my video clips in addition to editing all of the video clips submitted past times others to check into x minutes. I know pretty much nil almost video editing, then I wouldn't induce got been able to line this off without him. After submitting the video finally week, it feels similar a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

In my essays in addition to video, I focused on the importance of opening your classroom to the basis through social media. This allowed me to verbalize almost my weblog in addition to twitter, specifically #Teach180. It made me super happy to run across which quote the solid soil subdivision chose out of all my essays to lay past times my picture. The argue I continue blogging in addition to tweeting is for my students.

In a few weeks, I volition go to the Oklahoma State Capitol for an in-person interview. The winner volition non hold out announced until September.

I hope to organize my photos from our trip to Commonwealth of Australia presently in addition to write a weblog post almost some of our adventures. So continue an optic out for that soon. I'll likewise hold out certain to inundate you lot amongst classroom decorating ideas every bit I outset to prep for the novel schoolhouse year. This twelvemonth I volition hold out teaching iv sections of Algebra 1, i subdivision of Math Concepts (a course of didactics for 9th graders non yet create for Algebra 1), in addition to i subdivision of Chemistry. I'm relieved to hold out teaching chemical scientific discipline this twelvemonth instead of physical science. I am working my agency through my husband's 11th degree physics textbook at the moment, but I however induce got then much to acquire inwards guild to produce that course of didactics justice.  

Here's to to a greater extent than weblog posts soon!

Australian Adventures: Darwin

Australia Summer

Australian Adventures: Darwin

Now that I've been dorsum from Commonwealth of Australia for a few days, the jet lag is finally setting in. I had plans to postal service virtually origin calendar week of schoolhouse ideas, but I can't appear to remain awake long plenty to complete that post. So, I consider I'd part some photos of some of our Australian adventures instead.

These photos are from Darwin which is the capitol of the Northern Territory inwards Australia. Shaun's sis lives inwards Darwin, together with then nosotros visited her for a calendar week of our viii calendar week stay. If you're non super familiar amongst your Australian geography, here's a map courtesy of Wikipedia. I'm definitely non inwards a identify to estimate because I've forthwith spent 20 weeks inwards Australia, together with I nonetheless teach Queensland together with New South Wales mixed up...

Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Australia.png#file

We flew from Tulsa to Dallas (about an hr flight), from Dallas to Sydney (sixteen hr flying - it used to live on the longest commercial flying inwards the world), together with from Sydney to Adelaide (about a ii hr flight). Shaun's household unit of measurement lives close the Victoria/South Commonwealth of Australia border.

To teach to Darwin, nosotros took a iv hr flying from Adelaide. This was 1 of the worst flights of my life. My advice: Don't lead keep a iv hr flying when y'all lead keep simply come upwardly downward amongst the tummy bug. Thankfully, at that spot was a wonderful physician inwards Darwin who prescribed me some antibiotics that helped me experience good plenty that I could pass our in conclusion twenty-four hours at that spot doing touristy things.

Darwin Botanical Gardens - Darwin is inwards the tropics, together with then this was my origin fourth dimension inwards a true, tropical garden.

Walking Along The Wharf - Apparently nosotros were supposed to lookout adult man out for "Driverless Buses." We never saw one, but it didn't run past times away on us from becoming super curious. This article says that the motorbus is nonetheless alone operating amongst a driver present.

Crazy Acres Mango Farm - I'm non the hugest fan of mangoes, but Shaun is. So, he enjoyed the homemade H2O ice cream for the mango flavor. I enjoyed it because it was a cool treat.

Berry Springs Nature Park - Berry Springs is virtually 35 miles exterior of Darwin, together with it's a pop swimming hole for people inwards the area. The swimming hole is genuinely unopen for business office of the twelvemonth each twelvemonth due to the presence of crocodiles. Even though my sister-in-law ensured us that nosotros would live on condom from crocodiles at the fourth dimension of twelvemonth nosotros were visiting, I was nonetheless a combat nervous. Thanks to my tummy bug, I didn't halt upwardly climbing inwards the water. I simply dangled my legs over the edge.

More photos soon. I promise. After all, I can't run past times away on pictures of babe wombats together with videos of kangaroos eating almonds to myself.

Australian Adventures: Wildlife Sanctuary

Australia Kangaroos Summer

Australian Adventures: Wildlife Sanctuary

This is the minute postal service inwards a serial where I part photos from the 2 months that my married adult man in addition to I spent inwards Commonwealth of Australia this summer. One of the highlights of the summertime was visiting a wild animals rescue sanctuary inwards South Australia. My mother in law arranged for us to become for a take in because she knows that I've been obsessed amongst kangaroos since my showtime trip to Commonwealth of Australia 2 summers ago.

When nosotros arrived, I was simply super-excited to consider a kangaroo upwards close. I've seen a few tame-ish ones inwards the wild before, but these kangaroos would genuinely permit us touching on them since they've spent most their entire lives inwards captivity.

 

Then, the lady who runs the sanctuary asked if whatever of us would similar to bottle feed a kangaroo. Of course!

Here's the kangaroo I had the privilege of feeding. Isn't this confront adorable?!?

 

Next, nosotros got to run into unopen to infant wombats. They were super adorable every bit they ran everywhere.  

Of course, when I tried to conduct keep a pic of ane of the wombats, it proceeded to create this:

I idea when the wombat went to Shaun that I would in conclusion endure able to larn a skillful photo. Nope!

I in conclusion got a skillful pic when my mother in law picked ane of the wombats up, though.

As nosotros walked through the sanctuary, nosotros got a conduct a opportunity to consider unopen to birds that had been rescued.

 

After walking by the birds, nosotros reached the purpose of the sanctuary that held the older kangaroos.

We were given nutrient to feed the kangaroos. You volition never estimate what nosotros fed them. Make a estimate earlier y'all scroll whatever farther!

Made your estimate yet?

Almonds! I never would conduct keep guessed inwards a 1000000 years that a kangaroo would consume an almond out of my hand!

These kangaroos are simply in addition to hence cute. I can't destination adding pictures!

Here's a video of ane of the kangaroos:

I've even in addition to hence got to a greater extent than pictures to part of other adventures from our summertime inwards Australia, but those volition conduct keep to await for unopen to other day!