Elizabeth Abbey, M. Ed.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I DID IT!  I have completed all my coursework with Grand Canyon University and completed my Student Teaching and as of today, May 05, 2021, I have met all requirements for a Masters of Education in Secondary Education!  WOW!  What a whirlwind.

I started this program mere months before a global pandemic, I started my student teaching on zoom, and I ended in a classroom teaching students online concurrently with students in the classroom, all whilst wearing a mask!

There is but one additional hurdle and that is my Assessment of Professional Knowledge, I'll be taking that exam on Monday, May 10 - so send those positive thoughts and prayers (I do believe they help!)

Let the teacher adventure begin!

Student Teaching

Well, it's certainly been a minute since I sat down and made a blog post.  Looks like I left off almost three years ago when I decided to take the CBEST (California Basic Educational Skills Test).  Well, I passed that and did nothing with it (except enjoy a few teacher discounts).  After taking the CBEST, I finished my Bachelor of Science degree from Azusa Pacific University and graduated in Dec. 2018.  Officially having the degree conferred upon me in April 2019.  Six months later, when it was time to start paying back student loans, I decided that if I was going to stay on this education course, I'd better get credentialed...

In October 2019, I enrolled in graduate school at Grand Canyon University for a Master of Education in Secondary Ed. with an initial teaching credential.  In March 2020, I took the Arizona exam for English teachers (about 10 days before we were locked down!)  I passed that and have been steadily going through classes for over a year now.  I am currently on my last class and will be starting my student teaching in January!  If all goes well, then in May 2021, I will have my Master's degree conferred upon me and that is just so crazy to me!  A girl who didn't like school, who flunked out of junior college, entered the work force, only to get back into the classroom as a teacher with a graduate degree.  I never would have guessed this would be my life!

CBEST

So, like my title states, I'm just a girl who "should have been a teacher" according to my friend, the former superintendent.... since that encounter, I have had several of the same type from my friends in education.  "You need to be a teacher!"

This led me to sign up for the CBEST (for those of you non-Californians, that's the California Basic Educational Skills Test, it's what let's you start the journey toward being a teacher.

In a few days I'll get my results from that.  I guess if I passed, I can start being a substitute teacher to see if this really IS the thing for me.

Life is an adventure!

Community Service

I work at a High School and one thing (of many) that I greatly admire about this particular school is their graduation requirement of at least 75 hours of Community Service.  That's voluntary service (not getting paid), to help out the community as a whole.

We have a list of approved organizations which the students can chose from or they can even submit a proposal for a new organization that they'd like to be added to the approved list.

There are those who will just make it to the bare minimum, they will rush to get those last hours in at the end of their Senior Year to simply satisfy a requirement.  They will complain about it the entire time that they are a student here and their parents likely will join in the commiseration and possibly complain to the Community Service Coordinator, Teachers, Administrators, other parents, whoever will lend an ear.

Then there are those who go above and beyond the mere satisfaction of a requirement.  I am in awe of these students, they have truly embraced the idea of helping their community and they are humbled and touched by their experiences.  They grow and when they turn in their reflection papers regarding the service, they are beautiful to read.

In life, you will get out of anything what you've decided to put into it.  When you help the community in which you live, you are really helping yourself, your neighbors, your family, your friends.  I see this as an outward world view, these people will have an awareness for those around them and a compassion that can only be learned.  The others will have an inward world view.  They will go through life seeing what is in it for them.

Which kind of person will you be?  Of course, these are just silly predictions.  What do I know?  I just work here.

Welcome Back to Education!

So, I was working for over three years at a County Office of Education and was approached by the local Superior Court to come be a Records Clerk.  Seeing as how this new job offered the benefit of being only one mile from my house, I accepted the offer.
Not far into my new career path, I realized that even though the legal field intrigued me and I was (and still am) very interested in it as a subject, it was not the right path for me to be on as a career.  Two and a half years later I was welcomed back into the arms of my beloved education realm by way of a local high school.  I was hired to be the Senior Office Assistant covering the Registrar, Student Records, Media Center, College Visits, and Library!
This new job has been a God-send to me.  I have been here almost a month and I cannot imagine being happier in a job assignment!

So, it turns out I really was meant to be with education all along.  The former superintendent was right.

My Little Pony Party

My daughter is turning 5 this month and we just had an amazing birthday party for her at a local park. It was My Little Pony themed and my daughter dressed as Pinkie Pie.

The party was a hit and the decorations were amazing, thanks to the tireless efforts of my very best friend!!

A good time was had by all :)

Enjoy the pics:

The set up

A close up of the candy station

The water bottles were wrapped with My Little Pony duct tape!

We played "Pin the Cutie Mark on the Pony" and I found MLP puzzles at the local Dollar Store for the prize for closest!

The cake was ordered through a grocery store and I just added the figurines myself.

Valentine's Day

So today at work we are celebrating Valentine's Day because we have tomorrow off for Lincoln's Birthday (side note: Abraham Lincoln preferred to be called "Lincoln", hated the name "Abe", and was basically obsessed with cats).


We love Valentine's Day here. So far I have received a cake pop, almonds, and assorted chocolates as well as some VERY cute Valentines. I think next year we will be doing more and each creating a Valentine bag with our name on it for everyone to deliver their little love notes.

My feeling is, if you can't have fun at work... get a new job! I love that we have fun here and that we ALSO get our work done. It's the best of both worlds.

Wishing you all a VERY Happy Valentine's Day 2014!

Lisa

Recipes

As I was talking with some of my colleagues this morning, the subject of recipes came up.  Being busy educational professionals, we were all interested in something that was tasty, easy, and FAST!
My mom's fool-proof Bisquick Quiche quickly came to mind.
The thing that keeps a lot of people from trying a quiche on their own is the dreaded crust!!!
Well, in this recipe, there is NO crust to make.  You simply add Bisquick to your quiche mix throw it in the oven (not literally, your quiche container may break), and the Bisquick settles to the bottom to form a "crust".

So, I'm sharing it here:

Ingredients:

1-2 c. fillings of your choice (e.g., broccoli, mushrooms, ham, green chilies, etc.)

1 c. shredded cheese

1/4 c. chopped onion (optional)

2 c. milk

1 c. Bisquick

4 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease 10" pie plate or 8" square.
3. Sprinkle fillings, onions and cheese in plate.
4. Beat remaining ingredients until smooth and pour into plate.
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean.
6. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

It's so yummy and so easy, I think you'll LOVE it!

Office Halloween 2013

Each year at my office, we celebrate Halloween in a BIG way!  There is stiff competition with the hopes of winning in one of the four possible categories.  Best Costumes, Best Food, Best Pumpkin Carving, and of course the most prized, Best Overall.

When I first came, the department had just won the previous year for Best Overall the year before (2009), then in 2010 we won for Best Pumpkin for our "Cafe Macabre"

(2010)

The following year in 2011 we won for Best Costumes, thanks to my ordering of matching shirts for our roller derby team, The Royal Rollers, I was "The Duchess, Skate Middleton"

 (2011)

(2011)

In 2012, we went all out, trying to get the Best Overall with an airport, we all dressed as flight attendants from different airlines and we even had a ground crew of baggage handlers... we were ROBBED and did not get ANY prize that year.  It was still lots of fun, but the awards ceremony was a disappointment.

(2012)

This year, we made our GRAND comeback!!
We did The Nutcracker Suite.  We had a Nutcracker, Clara, Sugar Plum Fairy, Flowers, Ethnic Dancers, etc.  We ROCKED our office and decorated beautifully and even did a little performance and when it came time to announce the winners we were NOT disappointed.  We were awarded BEST OVERALL 2013!
And we will gladly take it.

(2013)

We worked very hard and are so happy that the judges noticed and awarded us accordingly!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Lisa

Penny Activity

Here's a fun activity for professional development!

We all came together for a consultant meeting today and we were met with a cup of pennies. We were asked to take a penny out of the cup and look at the year, then share with your table group something significant that happened to you either personally, professionally, or other historical event!

First I picked up a penny from the year 2000. In the summer of 2000 I travelled to Europe with my mom. Then I picked up a penny from 2009, that year I lived all over the country: Ohio, California, Indiana, and Alaska!

This activity was a hit and I think you will like it too!

-Lisa

Resource for Administrators

This is a link to my friend, Claudia's blog.
She is a former superintendent of a unified school district in Northern California and is currently heading up a program for new administrators.
As part of this new program, she has started a blog for the Administrative Credential Candidates called "The Well-Read Administrator"
Whether or not you are an administrator, these can be very helpful books.
She will recommend reading materials and give her own insights on the works.

You can find it here:
CLICK
(TheWell-ReadAdministrator.blogspot.com)

Happy reading!

Where Do I Come From?

My mom recently did a little family digging and was rewarded when a cousin produced some stories about our Scottish ancestors.  And he was even able to produce pictures!

My Great Grandmother, Barbara Soundy was Scottish.

Charles Archibald Smith and Barbara Dawson Smith 1888

Her parents were Charles Archibald (C.A.) Smith and Barbara Dawson Smith. They came over from Scotland in the late 1800s.

C.A.'s parents were George Smith and Ann Archibald-Smith of Tarland near Aberdeen.  Smith and Archibald are both surnames that have been associated with Clan MacPherson.

Barbara's parents were George Dawson and Jane England-Dawson of Peterculter near Aberdeen.  Dawson is a surname associated with the Clan Davidson.  England does not have a known Clan affiliation.

C.A. and Barbara with Jim and George (two of my great grandmother's brothers)

The Smith Family around 1905 in the back row is Jim, George, and Paddy, the middle is Barbara, C.A., Jeannie, Frank, and Sydney.  On Barbara's lap is my great grandmother, Barbara Elizabeth Smith, and her twin brother Stanley

The Smith Family around 1925 (my great grandmother is with her beau, Frank third and second from the right in the picture.)

The Smith Family, all grown up.  Back row Sydney, Jim, Paddy, Frank, and Stanley.  Front row Jeannie, C.A., Barbara, Barbara Elizabeth, and George.

And here are C.A. and Barbara in the mid-1930s

The Smith Family lived in Goleta, CA after moving here from the "Old Country".  They rented and farmed land that sits on where UC Santa Barbara now stands.  Charles and Barbara raised 8 children and with the exception of George's early death, all the children lived long lives, and Jeannie Smith-Pitts even lived to be 105 years old!

Barbara Elizabeth married Frank William Edward Soundy in 1928.

He emigrated from London, England as a child.  Next, I hope to find some information about my British roots through the Soundy family.

Dig into your family history... what will YOU find?

Tumbleweed Elementary

My boss and I went on a site visit today. We drove approximately 77 miles each way to visit a school in Palmdale, CA. Not long ago, an article was published about Tumbleweed and how they enhance student excellence by incorporating expanded learning time.
They have an extra hour each day and added 7 days to their school year. It was an amazing visit!
The principal, Jezelle, showed us around the campus and talked about the Professional Learning Communities she has created on her campus.
What a model of a great school site culture!!
A+ for Tumbleweed!

American Girl Dolls

Growing up I so wanted to have an American Girl doll. I loved Samantha, Kirsten, and Felicity. I remember cherishing the catalogues when they came. I would spend hours and hours looking at all the dolls and outfits dreaming about the day when I would have my very own.
That day came all too late for me. I was an adult before I purchased my first AG doll for myself while visiting American Girl Place in NYC. I was in college. I didn't get that childhood playtime I dreamed about. But I made a list of dolls I wanted for my collection and slowly I am acquiring them. Only three more to go!
This is what I believe initially started my passion and drive to learn more about history, and not just America's history, but the history of cultures much older than ours.
I found some pics of old Pleasant Company catalogs I'll share here.
So feel free to fall back into your childhood and open your mind to the dreams of your past!

Best Regards,
Lisa

Easter is Coming

Easter is upon us! I decided Arabella should dress for the occasion.

Rule for Good Posture Whilst Walking

Always walk as though Mr. Darcy is behind you!

The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus - Summary Checklist

1. Build a wonderful workshop
2. Choose your reindeer wisely
3. Make a list and check it twice
4. Listen to the elves
5. Get beyond the red wagons
6. Share the milk and cookies
7. Find out who's naughty or nice
8. Be good for goodness sake

Flax Muffin in the Microwave

My friend shared this recipe with me for a flax muffin in the microwave!

• 3 Tablespoons/ ¼ cup of ground flax (this can be found at Lassen’s, Costco, or Whole Foods market)
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• A pack of non-calorie sweetener, or tablespoon (or to taste) honey, maple syrup, or sugar
• 1 tsp of oil  (I use coconut oil or olive oil)
• 1 large egg

These are all the ingredients that you will need.

Start with putting your dry ingredients into a bowl.  I used a big coffee mug.

Break one large egg into your mug or bowl.

Just fold the egg into the mix, do not blend to much.

Microwave on High setting for about :65 seconds (try different times to see which you like best).

This is what it looks like out of the microwave.

 

 

 

You can eat it right out of the cup or bowl, but this time, I dumped it onto a plate.

Basic Ground flax muffin in a cup:

In a coffee mug or bowl add the following:  I like to use a larger/wider coffee cup. 

•  3 Tablespoons/ ¼ cup of ground flax (this can be found at Lassen’s, Costco, or Whole Foods market)
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• A pack of non-calorie sweetener, or tablespoon (or to taste) honey, maple syrup, or sugar
• 1 tsp of oil  (I use coconut oil or olive oil)
• 1 large egg

To this I add cinnamon and some kind of fruit, such as small banana chunks, blueberries, dates, chopped nuts, etc.  Use your imagination!

 

Mix the first 3 dry ingredients, add oil and fruit and mix – then add the egg last. Blend well, but don’t over-mix.

Microwave for 60 +/- seconds on HIGH. 

Let sit for 15 seconds or so afterwards in the micro…invert on a plate. Delicious!

Thanks to Angie J. for sharing her recipe!

Back to School Cupcakes!

Found these on a Disney blog, had to share, too cute!!

Reflection Sheet for LIFE

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JFXg2PQCKHQxrRo3xewneZhPpxvsK5c2X6vqHaDnbUQ/edit

Reflection Sheet for feedback in the classroom, at an event, birthday parties, weddings, whatever!