This past week was my last week student teaching. Monday and Tuesday I was “down with the sickness” and couldn’t make it to school. But I sucked it up and made it in on Wednesday. I was observed by my supervisor and taught a lesson detailing the cha cha slide and the electric slide. It was a great note to end on and you should have seen the expressions the students gave me when they found out it was my last day. It was priceless. It was as rough for them as it was for me to say goodbye. It’s a weird feeling being around certain people for a certain amount of time and then them being taken out of the picture. But all in all it was an awesome experience and I loved every second of it. I promised the kids I would return sometime soon, when that is I do not know but hopefully in the near future.

Aside from that fun the North Central College baseball team is about to embark on their Spring Break trip down to Atlanta Georgia. We have 5 games and the weather is supposed to be beautiful. Soak up some sun and play ball. We are taking a coach bus down and I plan on sleeping, reading, and watching some movies. Our first home game is Saturday March 28^th vs. Augustana come root us on.

Quote of the Week:

 Herb Brooks: Great moments… are born from great opportunity. And that’s what you have here, tonight, boys. That’s what you’ve earned here tonight. One game. If we played ‘em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game. Not tonight. Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them. And we shut them down because we can! Tonight, WE are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players. Every one of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done. It’s over. I’m sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw ‘em. This is your time. Now go out there and take it. – Miracle

 The Madison Jr. High PE Staff minus Mrs. Nudera

“The Best PE Staff Around”

Last weekend the North Central baseball team traveled to Franklin Indiana and had two double headers. I have been playing baseball since I was 6 years old and I have never seen this many home runs or runs scored in four games in my life. Over 100 runs with 27 homruns. The wind was blowing out 25miles per hour which had a lot to do with the home runs, but still. We ended up taking 1 from them and them winning 3. The weather was beautiful 60 and sunny until the 4^th game where it felt like a tornado touched down and left real quickly with the sun in replace of it. The ride was about 4:30 hours long and going back the wind was awful making my coach grip the wheel like it was a stress ball and swerving left and right constantly. We made it back safely and are looking forward to Atlanta next weekend.

My student teaching is rapping up with my last day Wednesday. I will truly miss my students and co-workers. The relationships I have created and the great adventures I have embarked on with them have given me a vast amount of great memories. I will be back into the college mode with classes spring term. It will surely be different but I’m excited to get back into it.

I wish luck to all of my fellow student teachers who are finishing up as well as the students taking their finals.

Quote of the Week:

 Herb Brooks: Great moments… are born from great opportunity. And that’s what you have here, tonight, boys. That’s what you’ve earned here tonight. One game. If we played ‘em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game. Not tonight. Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them. And we shut them down because we can! Tonight, WE are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players. Every one of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done. It’s over. I’m sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw ‘em. This is your time. Now go out there and take it. – Miracle

 The Baseball Boys in the traveling van

While here I have learned that North Central College rarely ever takes a holiday because of the strict and short 10 week trimesters. While student teaching I have learned that there are more days off throughout the year that I totally have forgotten about. Madison was off this past Friday and so I attended the DuPage County PE (Physical Education) Convention held at Naperville North. I volunteered last year and this year attended with my cooperating teacher from Madison. I ran into my old PE teachers from my high school along with other PE teachers I have met throughout my career at NCC. At this convention you can find state of the art PE equipment along with strategies for enhancing teaching with the health and PE classroom. I met up with Phil Lawler (The creator of PE4Life and the guru of the new age PE mind set.) Talking with him is like talking to Babe Ruth. If it were not for North Central I would not have been placed in PE clinicals throughout the Naperville area and hence would have had never met Phil.

This weekend was suppose to be our first road trip for baseball but was unfortunately cancelled due to weather conditions. So with every obstacle in the way my buddies and I decided to go down to ISU and support the men’s and women’s track and field team. This was my 3^rd overall track meet I have ever been to due to my own baseball, but it was exciting. I got to see the huge, jacked throwers shot putting in the middle of the field house. Along with the cross country 3K and 5K. It was exciting to see how much pride our track and field team has in North Central. They got me pumped up and I wasn’t even running.

This weekend we travel to Franklin Indiana for our first road trip. Wish us luck!

Quote of the Week:

Why We Play D-III Athletics

It’s not about getting a scholarship, getting drafted, or making SportsCenter. It’s a deep need in us that comes from the heart. We need to practice, to play, to lift, to hustle, to sweat. We do it all for our teammates and for the student in our calculus class that we don’t even know. We don’t practice with a future major league first baseman; we practice with a future sports agent. We don’t lift weights with a future Olympic wrestler; we lift with a future doctor. We don’t run with a future Wimbledon champion; we run with a future CEO. It’s a bigger part of us than our friends and family can understand. Sometimes we play for 2,000 fans; sometimes 25. But we still play hard. You cheer for us because you know us. You know more than just our names. Like all of you, we are students first. We don’t sign autographs. But we do sign graduate school applications, MCAT exams, and student body petitions. When we miss a kick or strike out, we don’t let down an entire state. We only let down our teammates, coaches, and fans. But the hurt is still the same. We train hard, lift, throw, run, kick, tackle, shoot, dribble, and lift some more, and in the morning we go to class. And in that class we are nothing more than students. It’s about pride–in ourselves, in our school. It’s about our love and passion for the game. And when it’s over, when we walk off that court or field for the last time, our hearts crumble. Those tears are real. But deep down inside, we are very proud of ourselves. We will forever be what few can claim…college athletes – Author Unknown

Phil Lawler and I at the PE Convention