Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween!!!! When Halloween rolls around, I always freak out because it means the semester is moving quickly along! I am so very busy! However, I am very excited about the month of November for the following reasons:

On Monday (11/3), I will be traveling with a group of 70 7th graders from a local middle school to Atlanta,GA on a tour called "Houses of Worship" which aims to teach 7th graders about the different world religions as part of the social studies curriculm. This tour was created by the The Center for Diversity Education which is housed here at UNCA. I will be leaving at 5:30am and traveling most of the day. I am so excited about this opportunity to once again engage with current middle school students and their teachers!

On Tuesday (11/4), unless you have been living under a rock, it's Election Day! I am a political buff so this Election has been so exciting to watch! I voted last Friday and am proud to say it was my 3rd presidential election to vote in!

11/11: Opening Doors to Teaching! I am so excited about our open house! It is shaping up to be a great event!

And finally...Thanksgiving! I love food therefore I love Thanksgiving. My mom is thinking of switching out the traditional fair for her world famous lasagna! A little different but I would never turn down her italian feast!

Have a great week everyone!

The below photo is of my younger brother and I on Halloween many years back! I believe I was 3 or 4 years old and was very thrilled about my pink tutu!



~Adrienne

Countdown to Election Day!

I realize that I wrote a lot about the election last week but since next Tuesday is election day I think that it warrants more talk! I am proud that so far there has been little or no major conflicts between the parties here on campus, although there is a lot of heated discussion (and yes, it is still nearly completely one sided)... I love election time! People actually get involved and have meaningful discussions on country and world topics. I think that we are all pretty worried and interested about what is happening and will be happening in our economy but there is also the War, environmental issues and health care! I am excited to have a change in government and I think that things can only get better- or at least different!

My students that I tutor and the classes I observe at the school where I will be student teaching are also getting even more excited,which I think has a lot to do with what is going on at home probably!

Although this year is and has been extremely busy and stressful at times it has also been one of the most exciting for me so far. Teaching at the community college and finishing up my pedagogical classes in preparation for student teaching has really made me realize that I am about to embark on my career in less than a year- and that is so great- especially since it took me so long to actually figure out what it is I wanted to do.

Don't Forget to Vote!

SO MUCH IS GOING ON!

Alex and I are starting up the Education Club with TWO meetings next Tuesday. Alex will run the interest meeting from 12:15-12:45pm and we both will be at the nighttime meeting from 5:15-5:45pm. The night one is also a potluck. I'm excited and I hope to see tons of people there. I've begun recruiting. Alex handmade huge posters and I designed some smaller ones that I will post up tomorrow morning.





Normally, I don't wake up early on Thursdays, but I forgot to turn in my old draft (#1) with draft #2 of my thesis. Draft #2, by the way, was due today! :) I'm happy because it's slowly getting more polished. Next month, before Thanksgiving, I'm presenting my research at the Living with Diversity Conference on campus. I'm not so much speaking, but I'm making a big poster. I'm ecstatic because I've fallen in love with my paper and history once again. I love the multiple opportunities to showcase my hard work. In addition to this conference, I'm considering the spring symposium on campus and the Big South conference this spring also. :) My topic is complex though so I'd rather make posters. than try to explain it sometimes. Plus, I love designing things!

Speaking of design, one of my projects for class is to make a parent newsletter. I'm writing parent expectations and having everyone send me their parts to compile a fancy newsletter. :) I'll post it up when we finish!

The Education Department also has a newsletter called "Chalk Talk," which we were featured in this time! I definitely grabbed a couple to commemorate this great event. Furthermore, I love reading about my fellow classmates doing research, graduating, or doing other amazing things!

Amazing things: HALLOWEEN is on Friday and my 9th graders are coming to visit UNCA! Some of them were here this summer for AVID Summer Bridge. They loved the opportunity to learn and use the school facilities. Of course, they're excited about the college caf food especially in comparison to what my students joke as "roadkill" in their schools. :/ I don't think it's that bad, but they do at least enjoy the break from high school food and classes. Instead, they're attending classes with us. I'm taking students to Spanish once again because I loved the teacher and class so much last time. My other class is an Intro to Statistics course, which I took freshman year.

Here's my Halloween costume:


It's a tribute to when I was like 10 and liked Sailor Moon. Haha. Most people just think I'm a sailor. You can see that my house is clean, or at least this is what I call clean!

Other things I'm excited about include applying for graduation! This is both a happy and sad event. As I mentioned before, this is an accomplishment. However, it's also the end of my schooling (not my education though).

I'm also continuing to form relationships with my fellow tutors, which is another reason I don't want to leave! With everything going on and so little time to socialize and meet new people, I'm happy that I work with such amazing people and that they've become great friends. :) It's a great bonus.

Oh yeah, I found out that being around the department so much, some people know my name even though I've never formally introduced myself. I think that's awesome because the other day, I had to ask a student I never tutored to do something and used his name. He didn't know I knew his name and was so shocked and excited about it. I think I've mentioned this before, but knowing student names and interests is so important. You can tell without even talking to them what they are into. For example, students may come in with an instrument or a jersey on and from that, we know some of their activities and we can chat with them. I'm a huge believer in building relationships with students and having an interest in them and their success.

Week Oct. 20-26

This week has been riddled with tests, quizzes, challenges and much work. However, it's good to be back on here to talk to you guys again for another week.

It's really easy to get comfortable with being mediocre after spending so much time with putting in your all and feeling as you don't see the fruits of your labour. Well, that happened to me. I went from great time management, friend/work balance, work/academic balance, and choosing what organizations to consider myself a member. One thing you'll learn as an education person is that you must always be in good balance and the best thing about it is - You'll notice really well when you're not in the groove.

This week, I met students who came to a seminar on our education program here at UNC Asheville. For the first time, I met someone who is involved in my education field - French. So I had the opportunity to make that official connection with someone with true experience in a 360˚ fashion. It was nice!

This Sunday, I had the opportunity, also, to attend a political rally here in Asheville, and I would like to encourage everyone to vote if you are legally eligable. Enjoy your week to come, and I hope to have the opportunity to meet more great foreign language licensure potential candidates here at UNC Asheville at our November Event and future Open Houses and campus visits.

I. Lemar Newsome

Nothing too lofty--Just making history.

All over Asheville and especially on campus, anything voting related is all the rage. Lawns all over town are spotted with political signs. Early voting posters plaster halls and windows all over campus. My facebook inbox seems to receive more political postings and invites than friend requests. NPR, or FM 88.1, (my radio station of choice) serves up continuous reports on the Obama/ McCain race as fast as they can form them, interviewing experts, listening to the opinions of average Western North Carolinians. Music continuously plays from all corners of the downtown area in rallies for Obama, including the rally I attended last week starring the legendary James Taylor.
The concert was held in Martin Luther King Jr. Park and it was PACKED. A line all the way around the block, people all bundled up against the cold, an angry republican clown drifiting through the crowd trying to sell balloons, blankets and picnic baskets abundant, a few of my favorite people as shown in the phote above, and older generations of Ashevillians and children alike, all gathered together because of their belief in this campaign or their love for James Taylor. Tickets were begot by voting early, two per voter, only 5000 up for grabs. Thus all of those in attendance where especially pumped, all of us part of this truly momentus election year.
To be a part of a city that is so involved in this election, to be a part of a campus that is so thoroughly commited to its promotion--it is truly great. After leaving the rally concert, I felt the full effect of my time, this era, like a history already in the making. Much like a college student of the '60s, living in times that would make and change history, I am a college student in 2008, that great year of political upheaval, when all anyone can talk about is the state of our nation and how greatly they yearn for change, when the economy every day seems to grow more sour but the people continue to hope for tomorrow, when I could hardly pay attention to my studies out of the desire to be a part of all of these great things happening around town, whether it be Michelle Obama coming to UNCA, Hillary Clinton coming to the Civic Center, or Sarah Palin visiting town this evening.
I am marked and changed by these things, and our nation will feel the same effects in a different way. How remarkable to be a young person, right now, doing these things, in this place.
Only time will tell just how great the effect will be.

JAMES TAYLOR



Alex

Okay, first, can we talk shopping? I love shopping for everything from clothes to home accessories and school supplies. I'm rather obsessed with buying the perfect school supplies. Anyways, I don't know how I ever survived without a nice wool (blend) pea coat and sneakers. I've lived in Asheville for 3 years now and finally decided to make the jump! I'm definitely a sweater person so the 40% off pea coat was a steal. Yet I wear sandals all the time. This wasn't always true. I once had twenty-some pairs of sneakers. I won't try to analyze why I only own one pair of sneakers now, but today I got pair #2, my grey and pink Asics Ultimate 81 in the mail today!

Hm, I think my new pea coat and sneakers will go to great use this fall as I actually might go out into nature. I did this a lot freshman year, but since I already had that experience then, I never really needed to go outdoors again. :) We are blessed with nature in Asheville and it's not something I'm used to, particularly because I have terrible balance, can barely swim, and hate bugs. Because of this, I'm actually going to find someone to make me do these things and maybe even camping! Oh!

This weekend, my friends and I are going to have a fall picnic. Tomorrow, I'm spending the day cleaning. Trust me, we're in dire need of some tidying up. With so many options, who would anyone want to clean? Right?

So I'm a history major with a psychology minor. I'm getting my license in 9-12 social studies, but at one point, I wanted to add on 6-9 language arts until I realized how much I love my high schoolers. Still, I decided to take the Middle School Methods course anyways. Okay, my advisor teaches it and I learn so much from him about teaching any student. But I love that we don't just meet in class. We go to the middle school all the time. This week we saw the literacy coach. We each also get placed with a teacher there and get to interact with the teacher and students. The students are working on a unit called the Hungry Planet and my class is collecting canned foods to take on their field trip to the food bank. I definitely think this is the best thing about our education program, the field experiences. When we talk in class, everyone connects the theories or whatever to things they've seen in classrooms.

I am extremely nervous. I had advising with my profs and it seems like I have so much to do yet I'm graduating?! I don't want to go yet. What's even more of struggle is anticipating my meeting for student teacher observations and placement! I'll be at a school for about eight months! Clearly, I have a request and wrote a hopefully convincing request. I know wherever I go, I will love the students and connect with them, but today, I just had such an amazing day tutoring. We're doing our mid-semester reflections with the students where they make comments about what works, what doesn't, and any additional comments. I let my students fill in "additional comments," which included "Bring Julie back!" from a super adorable sophomore and "Thanks for the best tutor ever!" from a junior I've known since she was a freshman! :) I LOVE THEM TOO! I think my positive experiences have come from being with the students consistently and some interpersonal skills. My main goal, and I wrote this in my self statement, is to surround the students with an upbeat, encouraging environment.

Tomorrow, Alex and I are getting together to forge ahead with the Education Club. I'm definitely recruiting my tutors for this!

*Oh, I've totally got the handshake with one of my students down. It takes us 5 seconds to do the whole thing and this is done when I see him and once I return as they leave the class. :)

Politics are heating up!

It seems that at all the schools I am at during the week- four in total!- that the main thing on everyones mind is politics! In the high schools the mood is a little less intense, mainly because the students can't vote yet, but they definitely have opinions already which is nice to see, I can't remember being so involved when I was their age! At the college level there is so much discussion about the issues and how exciting it is to have an election such as this one- definitely history in the making! That is one of the things that I love about being on a college campus- all the different opinions and the openness that people feel because of the accepting environment. UNC-Asheville definitely seems to leaning way to one direction, but there is plenty of banter from both sides!

On a more academic side, classes are going well and I am planning on teaching a unit in the class that I will be student teaching in next semester and that is taking a lot of time to plan, but luckily my co-op teacher is wonderful!

The weather is definitely colder now- that always signals to me that the semester is going to be over soon and there is still so much to do!

Full speed ahead!

Amazing how time flies! Things are moving right along here in the Teacher Recruitment Office. We have been busy working on the Open House scheduled for October 25, 2008 and Opening Doors to Teaching which is scheduled for November 11, 2008. Opening Doors to Teaching is going to be a event where prospective teacher licensure students can learn more about our program. This program is open to current UNCA Students, post-baccs, prospective undergraduates and transfers. The event will take place from 4pm until 7:00pm. For more information or to register please e-mail teach@unca.edu.


I have been busy enjoying the crisp weather and being very diligent in my studies. The professional year not only entails a lot of valuabe field experience but a solid foundation in educational methodology. I have been busy doing a lot of reading, research and reflecting. As overwhelming as it can be sometimes, I know that I will be better equiped to student teach in the Spring.

As I've mentioned before, I love animals and have quite a few. The one I am featuring today is one of our five cats, Whitney. Whitney is 8 years old but spent the first 5 years of her life in a cage in a shelter. A chance encounter at a Petsmart Adoption a few years back, and Whitney finally had a home. She was barely 4lbs when she became ours but we are happy to report she is nearing the 7lbs. Here's a picture:

Iceland!

WELL I feel that I must gush a bit about Iceland because it's pretty much all that has been on my mind for the last few weeks, and apparently all that has been in the news. To start the whole story from the beginning, I am WAY interested in Iceland initially because of a music group called Sigur Ros (check them out if you haven't heard them!). UNCA has a study abroad program there sooo I decided I wanted to go and, like magic, a spot turned up for this spring, 2009, pretty suddenly. This is great news because it was hard before to get a spot at the university in Reykjavik, Iceland, and now it will be especially hard with their newly failing economy. Most people in Iceland seem to have lost a great deal of their assets due to some improper investing by the richest of the country and now the bottom has dropped out in the last few weeks as the world economy in general begins to take a dive. The latest financial drama concerns the suing of Iceland by Britain, and the return suing of Britain by Iceland--it's like a national/financial soap opera! ( here is a link to read more if you are interested: http://www.icelandreview.com)

The severely degraded Icelandic economy will be great for me however and all other tourists in the country--everything is cheap!
So why Iceland? I'm a big geology fan and Iceland is a great place for studying this subject--it's an island formed from the activity of a mid-oceanic ridge....
Awesome.
So there are lots of cool rocks...
Even better.
And volcanoes...
Oh my gosh I have to go.

The largest city is called Reykjavik and it seems quite lovely, full of lots of history. These are the ancestors of the vikings! Lots of great old literature and neat monuments, but also, apparently, a place with a very "colorful" nightlife.
Lots of adventures to have! I, of course, must make a trip to the north to see the Aurora Borealis which I am THRILLED about. Geothermal pools are also a must-see. Icelandic sheep and ponies should also be interesting!

ICELAND AURORA

ICELAND-BLUE LAGOON

So, the greater message here--college is for the traveler! Study abroad! It's not impossible, ridiculously expensive (through ISEP it is the same as going to UNCA for a semester plus a ticket), or as daunting as it may seem. UNCA gives you the option of going just about anywhere you could ever imagine, the farthest, most ridiculous reaches of the earth--even Iceland!
Alex

Fall is here in full swing and it is so lovely everywhere! It has been unseasonably warm lately but no one is complaining, it is supposed to cool down tomorrow and feel more like normal! The majority of this week I have been working on my education research paper topic that I will be working on when I student teach next semester and that has been very enlightening! There are so many articles on education and styles of teaching that I am very thankful to be in a program that requires research because it really is helping me realize all the factors that go into being a great teacher!



I did not have tutoring this week because we had Fall break here at UNC-A and I missed it! It is amazing how attached you become to students and look forward to helping them with their work. My co-op teacher and I discussed a lesson that I am going to be teaching in a few weeks and I am very excited about it! I feel very confident because she is so helpful and gives me so many ideas. I was in my class today and they had a test and it was bizarre being on the other end of the test!



My class at ABTech is going well also, we are getting into the hard stuff now so there is a little more confusion than there was at first but I am using some of the skills I have learned in my education classes and it seems to be helping them (I hope!)



Now that Fall break is over it is like we are all in hyperdrive which I guess we will be in until the end of the semester but I think I have it all scheduled...I'll keep you informed!



Bye for now!

Happy Wednesday and a short week! :)

Happy Wednesday... now that the day is over! Mondays and Wednesdays are long, but I got through it and I'm pretty energetic. I was thinking of taking a nap after my class ended at 4pm. I still have the habit of tiring in the late afternoon. I think that comes from 12 years of public school when I came home for a snack, TV, and possibly, nap time. :)

Today, though, I had my individual meeting with my thesis professor after class. I drank part of an energy drink to stay awake for my 5:30pm meeting and sat waiting in the lobby. Two of my thesis classmates sat with me and we talked for a bit. One of them graduates in December and is going to Australia!

The person with the 5pm meeting has such a tight thesis that he just needed a 5 minute chat, which meant I got to use up his 30 minutes. I sat with the prof for an hour and got excited about my paper. I absolutely love my professor! She is so much help; I feel confident and know exactly what I need to do.

Everyone who has read my paper loves the quotes I found so I want to share - one funny and one sad.

• "You can be fat and frumpy in Orange County, but you better have good nails." Laura Saari, “Waiting on Women Hand and Foot: Barely a Mini Mall Exists That Doesn’t Have a Nail Salon,” Orange County Register, November 27, 1989, E01.
• He "saw tears dropping down in the water of the toilets I was cleaning and wished I could die." “Vietnam’s Legacy: Indochinese Refugees Prosper in United States, Drawing on Survival Skills, Special Values,” Wall Street Journal, March 21, 1985, 24-25.

We've had two days off school for fall break (Mon/Tues)! I love the fall and that is just one more reason. Because of break, I haven't seen my students in almost a week! :( I still haven't seen my seniors since last Monday, and today's PSATs meant I didn't get to see my sophomores!

A few stories from tutoring, and some lessons.

• One of my sophomores just started the program this year so I just met him, but we already have a special handshake! I still need practice.
• I also felt loved when I told one of my juniors I start observing the teacher I will student teach for next semester. He hoped I would still have time to come to tutoring.
• I know all my students by name and always acknowledge them when I see them. It's tough especially the first couple of weeks and I'm meeting entirely new classes.
• I love my students and I hope you get to love the students you tutor!
  

Fall break, tutoring, and my meeting today has relaxed me, so I picked up Thirteen Moons, a book by Asheville native Charles Frazier, who wrote Cold Mountain. One of my amazing tutor buddies recommended it and it's right up my alley - historical and detailed, fancy folklore literature (I'm not sure how else to put it).

Hm, I'm contemplating sushi tomorrow. Zen Sushi, which is like a 2-minute drive or 10-minute walk from school, serves a lunch deal of miso soup, salad, and TWO rolls. I like the bagel and Boston rolls, and I'm full the whole day!

It's Going to Be a Bright...

...Bright Sunshiny Day!

It's been a little while since you first heard from me. I've been a little busy running a hall, programing, being an awesome barista, and an even better student. I've also been sick since last Wednesday with everything from a virus, upper respiratory infection, and an ear infection. But life must move on!

Since we last talked, I've gotten to talk to so many high school students who want to be science teachers, math teachers, Spanish teachers, art teachers, and mostly social studies and history teachers. Now is a great time! UNC Asheville is the right place! The high school students that I met at Mayfield Community College were excited about the possibility of attending UNC Asheville and becoming a student at our asthetically pleasing campus. Moreover, the students at the Departemental Fair at our Open House were even more excited because they had prospects on coming to UNC Asheville, and they were scoping out their options. They were the most excited.

Everyday I look at CNN with the economy going in circles and people losing their jobs and jobs being cut, now is the time to almost guarantee a job once you graduate. I think about it everyday and how what I do will help me be a good educator one day. Running a hall and creating a bulletin board and programing is somewhat like having a 24 hr classroom.

Rainy week

I love rain, I really do but I'm a little over it. I don't know about everyone else but I have been dealing with a stuffy head and sinus headaches all week due to this weather. I hope to feel better next week.

It's been quite a busy week for Teacher Recruitment. We have all been busy running all over WNC representing UNCA Teacher Education at College Fairs. I got to go to Haywood Community College and Brevard College this week. I enjoyed both drives thoroughly as the North Carolina leave changing scenery is gorgeous to look at. It was really great to interact with prospective students and their parents and I loved being bale to share my knowledge and personal experiences with them.

Being able to be so involved in this recruitment week has really reminded me why I decided to be a teacher in the first place. I love engaging with people; particularly children and adolescents. I learn something new from my 7th graders every week and more importantly my cooperating teacher. She let me teach for almost 30 minutes out of her 70 minute 3rd block this week and was really impressed with what I was able to do. She did however offer some advice: my pacing is a little too slow for this particular class, the majority of them have been identify as AIG students and catch on to things pretty quickly so told me it's okay to speed up a bit. Also, she encouraged me to not be so uptight and to have a little more fun. She says the beauty of 7th graders is that they at a great point in their development to process humor and love it when their teachers can have some fun with the lesson. She told me how excited she is that I am there and that I am already showing signs of becoming a great teacher. This was very encouraging to hear in the midst of a busy week. I am really glad that I am working with Teacher Recruitment during my professional year; it allows me to share personal experiences with prospective students which is very important.

As you can see it's been a busy week but I will leave you with one of my favorite teacher quotes:

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young."
--Henry Ford

College Week and presidental candidate visit

This has been a busy week in Asheville! There have been a lot of college fairs this week at nearby schools and we have all been recruiting people for the education department and feedback has been great. One prospective student was really excited that we offered Latin and German with the opportunity for teaching licensure so that was great. It really is amazing how many different interests there are out there! Today I was at a college fair that had 8th graders at it, they wanted to start exposing the students early to what it was like to prepare for college, and how many choices there were I guess, which I think is a good idea.

In other areas this week I was doing my tutoring at a local high school where Barack Obama had spoken over the weekend. A lot of my students were there so were very excited to be able to talk about it. It was awesome to see how excited they were in politics and interesting that they already have such strong opinions. The students are now really getting use to having us (tutors) there and we are developing good relationships, which allows us to really get along well and communicate. It is definitely helping to prepare me for what I will be experiencing as a teacher in my own classroom. It has been another crazy week, but also very rewarding!

I just got home from my small group thesis meeting. I know you're itching to know how that went! My professor meets with a group of 4 for an hour a week to discuss our theses. We turned our papers in last week and read 2 papers apiece for today's meeting to offer advice. Well, I have to cut my 34-pager and show more of my voice in the paper; nonetheless I'm happy with my A-. :)

My high school seniors came to visit last Friday and it was a treat! I woke up at 8AM just to meet them at 9AM. Normally, I sleep in until my 1:45PM class. I took three students to a fantastic Spanish 1 class with an energetic teacher who jumped around the class and had the students participate in group and hands-on activities. My students, who are at least in Spanish 2, loved showing off their knowledge! The day also let me get to know my students even better. I haven't tutored them all and some are new to the program, but all of them knew me. I got to chat with each of them and find out what interests them. The students also got the chance to meet the other tutors who volunteered to help. As I've said before, I have a great group of dedicated tutors this semester! :) We took a group picture, which sadly I can't share, but it's a gorgeous picture thanks to the beautiful day we had - not too cold and not too hot, a bit of a breeze, and a nice balance of light and shadow from the trees. I got an 8" x 10" printed and am in the process of finding a suitable photo frame. :)

This Monday, I went to Haywood for one of the college fairs. I might have scared some people; I'm not forceful but friendly, maybe. :) I will usually see someone standing about 3 feet away, looking around and I'll say, Hi. And thankfully, people come over and talk to us or at least smile. I'm extremely excited about the Asheville Mall fair! My high school students go for extra credit and hopefully, I'll see them there. This one will be huge!

In my middle school methods class, we got the chance to interview AIG (Academically or Intellectually Gifted) and EC (Exceptional Children) teachers. They came in prepared, bringing examples of how they've worked with teachers. This is our third interview at the local middle school and tomorrow, after tutoring at the high school, I'm going to work with a 7th grade class. I love that I'm already exposed to the schools so often. I'm overwhelmed, but I always know where to find help when I get out there (as a teacher)!

Baked goods this week:

I made HALF this recipe and still had too much to eat by myself! I also made, but forgot to take pictures of, peanut butter cup cookies (18 of them). I gave 4 to one tutor and the other 12 to another... everyone else left before they could get them! :(

Hello to all readers and fellow bloggers! I think I am the last to write, but rest assured it is not because I did not want to. Things have been extra busy for the last few weeks and the craziness does not appear to have an end in the near future!

So, I suppose I'll start off with a bit about myself too. My name is Alex Neidermeier, it's German, can't you tell? I am actually a Hoosier, a native of the great state of Indiana. I moved to Dubuque, IA, in the 4th grade and finally moved to the lovely North Carolina about 7 years ago, and it has been the best move so far! Some things about Asheville, North Carolina, that I find particularly pleasing:
1. There are millions of fascinating bumper stickers on the cars here. No, really, it seems trivial, but you should see them--they are controversial, colorful, egotistical, religious, beautiful, and unique. So fitting for Asheville.
2. There are lots of interesting outfits and characters to behold in downtown Asheville. Of course you get the run-of-the-mill person dressed as a pirate on a Sunday afternoon, or someone wearing more colors of the rainbow than you even knew the rainbow had, but also waist-length dreadlocks, statues that are actually people pretending to be statues (desiring only a bit of change for these services), people spray-painting alien landscapes in Pack Square, and, if your lucky, a massive, smelly, loud, wonderful drum circle on a Friday night.
3. MOUNTAINS! A splendid hike is only a 15 minute drive away and I can guarantee you will find willing trail-mates around campus. And the mountains are about to be particularly beautiful as the leaves should be changing in the next week or two so bring your camera.
4. The art/music/fashion/food scene. Really, Asheville has so much creativity, it's about burst into a flood of crazy artists, scene fashionistas, delectable pastries, or instrumental chaos--it's awesome. The film scene is huge here, everyone loves the art, tourists and natives alike, and everyone can find something to eat, the most important part! I have SO many favorite restaurants I can't ever even decide what to recommend to visitors. Thai, American, Japanese, German, French, Irish, New Orleans, New York style, and anything else you can imagine-yep, we have a restaurant for it. So much to eat, so little time.

So. I'm a big fan. Clearly.

But, there's no doubt about, it's not for everyone. So, come and visit, read the bumper stickers, watch the people, and DEFINITELY eat the food. If anything, Asheville is an experience and a half, and a good one at that.

Whew! Fall is here!

Greetings everyone! I hope everyone is doing well! Being an Ohio native, I am so excited that the colder, crisper weather is starting to creep in! With Fall comes a lot of excitement in the Teacher Recruitment office. We have been sending out mailings every week and talking with prospective students at Open Houses and on the road! Next week is a busy week for all of us as we a jam packed week full of WNC Community College Fairs! All of us representatives will be making trips to talk with students about UNCA's Education program. What a great time to travel around and see all the leaves change!



I am pretty busy myself. As most of you know I am in my professional year at UNCA. Basically this means that I am finishing up my methods course work and will student teach starting in January. I have already begun to work with my 7th graders once per week and they are teaching me great things everyday! I love that UNCA's Education program offers field experience opportunities in every class including the introduction course, EDUC 310. It is because of my early field experiences that I am well equipped on how to handle myself and work with my cooperating teacher in my professional year placement.

Anyhow, something you should know about me, is that I am a big animal lover. I live down in Flat Rock with my mom and we share our home with 9 animals...10 if you count our beta fish. Every week I will try to introduce you to one of our critters. I'll start off with one of our four dogs, Josh. Josh is a Bernese Mountain dog that we rescued from a shelter where he was taken after he was dumped on the side of a road. He has the most energy of our four dogs and is very excited about the cold weather.




Have a great week everyone!

What a week!

It has been one of those crazy weeks already- and it is only Wednesday! I have been fighting a cold for a week and a half now, but I am starting to get over it and get my energy back- thank goodness! This past Saturday we had an open house here at UNC-A and it was great to see such a turnout and all the interest in the Education department! People were interested in pretty much all the different areas so that was great. Afterwards I was feeling kind bad so I just went home and crashed all weekend- but it was a gorgeous weekend and I hated not being outside more. Fall has definitely arrived here- finally! This is my favorite time of year here- it is so pretty and just driving to the grocery store is fun because of all the leaves and views. I am definitely going to go hiking this weekend- probably with about half of Asheville, but there is plenty of room for everyone. School this week has been crazy but not stressful, just lots of meetings and observations and assignments are due, but since I was stuck inside all weekend I actually did all my work ahead of time (that never usually happens...). Fall break is quickly approaching and that usually means that 'crunch time' is coming up so I am going to try to cram in all the fun I can before that happens!

Hello! This is Carly...

Hi Everyone, This is Carly and I guess I'll tell you about myself to start off! I was born in Charleston, S.C. and lived there a few years until my family moved to Greensboro N.C., then to Columbia S.C. and finally Monroe, N.C. We moved to Monroe when I was in the 4th grade so I attended the same Middle and High school (Sun Valley High- Go Spartans!). I am an only child and I can't really say if I missed having siblings or not- I have nothing to compare it to!

I first came to UNC-Asheville for undergraduate in 2000 and graduated in 2004 with a B.S. in Cellular/Molecular Biology. I was not sure what exactly I wanted to do so I went on to WCU for my masters in Biology. While I was there I was a student teacher and absolutely loved it! It took me a while but I decided that I wanted to be a teacher, and probably at the high school level. I contemplated a PhD but decided that a research based teaching career was just not for me! While I was finishing up my thesis at WCU I re-enrolled at UNC-A in the Teacher Education program. This is my second semester back and I have found it pretty easy overall because I had so many of the requirements from being here the first time! I have had nothing but a great time since I have decided to come back and the classes in education are definitely preparing me for the job! I am working on a comprehensive Science degree for secondary education and will be done in May.

When I am not in classes at UNC-A or observing in the local high schools I am working on my other job- teaching at ABTech, a community college in Asheville, NC. I teach an Anatomy and Physiology class there and love it. The students are all wonderful and it has shown me the importance of being a master in the subject you teach and how to improvise if nothing you plan goes the way you think it should!

Away from the academic side of my life I also spend a lot of time in the woods around the area- Asheville is great for that- with my friends and dog. I also like to go downtown and catch up with friends that I was in college with for undergrad. Really I just like to relax and enjoy the area that I live in when I am not at a school! I consider myself to be a pretty happy person and going in the right direction!