This is a picture of me on my second birthday!  Of course we had to end my birthday celebration with cake, how else?  Aren't I just too cute?!?!

I did my student teaching in a third grade classroom in DeWitt, Michigan.  This is a picture that one of my students gave to me at the end of the day one day.  It doesn't say much, she wrote that I was "Number one and the best student teacher!"  It is amazing how such little words can mean so much!  This is why I know that I went into the right profession!  So the reason that I chose this picture is because it shows that I have made an impact on her life and have been successful at showing that I care about her more than just school.

This book is my absolute favorite children's book.  If you have not read this book yet, I would highly suggest reading it.  This book is about a little fish, pictured above that does not really have any friends.  His only friend is an octopus.  When a few other fish ask for one of his shiny scales, he will not give them away until he goes to talk to octopus.  After talking to octopus, he finally gives out a scale to several fish in the water with him and he felt overjoyed.  When I was a little kid, this was my first book that I had gotten and I still have it to this day!  I am sure many kids now a days have either heard of or read this book.  

Throughout my student teaching and subbing experience, I have encountered many stories that have touched me, but there is one that sticks out the most.  Throughout my student teaching experience, one of my students had been held back in the 3rd grade two times.  He struggled since the beginning of the year and his grandparents had responsibility of him.  I reached out to his grandparents and asked them if I could give him some one-on-one help two days of the week, which they agreed too.  I worked with him an hour after school for the two days on math, science, fluency and comprehension when reading.  Every day as the semester continued, I started to see small improvements.  I tutored him all year and kept constant communication with his grandparents.  He was able to go onto fourth grade at the end of the year.  I got a phone call from his grandparents in the middle of the summer and they said that they could not thank me enough for what I did for him and them.  Every time I see him at his school when I sub, he always runs up to me and gives me a hug and always tells me that I am the best and that I helped him a lot.  This story makes me tear up, just knowing that spending that little bit of extra time with one kid can go a long way and not only impact him, but their family and others around.