Nuestro Hogar, Our Home

Nuestro Hogar, Our Home

Everyday is like Christmas morning
As I open my eyes,
And realize mis suenos are mi realidad.
My wall is brown, because I want it to be,
The picture is hanging, because I put it there.
I can sing, puedo bailar, I can laugh, puedo gritar,
All I want, whenever I want,
Because it's nuestro hogar, our home.

Everyday I open the red front door
As I scan my surroundings,
And it's almost too much to take in.
My house is decorated, because I want it to be.
There are chairs on the porch, because I put them there.
I feel warm, I feel peace, I feel love, I feel at home,
All the time, todo el dia,
Because it's nuestro hogar, our home.

Everyday I go to bed smiling
As I feel grateful,
And realize the sun will shine through my windows in the morning.
My car is in the garage, because I want it to be.
There are flowers out front because I put them there.
I am thankful, estoy orgullosa, I am happy, estoy comoda,
Every morning, every night,
Because it's nuestro hogar, our home.


So I've finally got around to posting pictures of our new home. We absolutely love it and enjoy spending our time making it ours and working on repairs. We already find being home owners very rewarding. We have just put away the Halloween decorations and I don't know how much longer I can resist the urge to put up my Christmas decorations. I've been listening to Christmas music for weeks. I LOVE holidays! Life can become so mundane, and having something to look forward to and to celebrate tends to change the ordinary into extraordinary. I'll be posting some new pics of Christmas decorations in the future.


Mike is still working hard in school and we're slowly adjusting to getting fewer than five hours of sleep every night. His semester has been rigorous and required a lot out of him. We are very thankful that we were prompted to have him drop one of his classes, because I don't know if he honestly could have handled one more.

I'm still working hard being a pioneer in the Dual Immersion world. I haven't had any real district support, and I'm the only dual immersion teacher so far in my district. But that has given me a lot of freedom to utilize my expertise and do what I think is best with my students. We are almost done with all 55 parent teacher conferences, and they have gone really well! My students are already producing Spanish and are feeling so comfortable in my classroom. I love every day! (Well, nearly every day :) )



I had an amazing opportunity last week to attend the UFLA conference (Utah Foreign Language Association). It was a pretty big deal! All foreign language teachers and professionals were invited to attend, including professors from colleges. I met lots of important, intelligent, and influential people in the educational world at this conference. This conference was a monumental moment in my life. This was the first day that I felt like I had officially reached "professional" status in my life. I had never intended on becoming a teacher; it was a path I was led down, and I have felt like a student the entire time I have been teaching. I didn't receive traditional professional training, and have always felt more like a student even as a professional teacher. While at this conference, people were coming to me for advice, and inviting me to help develop curriculum. People were asking if they could come observe me in my classroom. People were asking what my professional opinion and experience was. I felt completely comfortable and excited in my environment. I know I have found what I was born to do. I am good at it; I love it; and I'm confident in it. As a part of this experience of attending this conference, I was nominated and voted in as the president of the state's Dual Immersion Association. I will be scheduling meetings for all dual immersion teachers, giving them guidance, starting and updating a website, and providing opportunities for us all to get together. I will be collecting resources and distributing them to different teachers teaching all foreign languages to elementary students. I will also have monthly meetings with the UFLA board, and I believe this automatically puts me on the UFLA board myself and I will help plan the UFLA conference next year. What an honor! And I am so excited to be an active part of such a great association and movement!

I Love my Job!!!

This is mostly for my family who didn't get a chance to read the article. The Salt Lake Tribune called up my principal and wanted to do a story on our district's new program-- Dual Immersion. I am the first teacher in Murray to teach in a dual immersion classroom, and it has been a fabulous experience so far! I am LOVING it! Here is the article that was printed about my program and my class:


Murray Elementary Kids Going Bilingual
School's 'dual language immersion' program is off and running.
By Natalie Dicou
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 09/09/2009 05:03:03 PM MDT



It's been two weeks since Horizon Elementary School began its "dual language immersion" experiment, and the sponge-brained first-graders participating in the program are already speaking Spanish.
Horizon Elementary is the first and only Murray school to offer "dual language immersion," a program that splits children's days into two distinct halves.
Half the day, they learn in English from Linda Curtis, the other half is in Spanish from Tristin West.
When Spanish is spoken, no English is uttered, and vice versa. The two teachers trade classes halfway through the day so each child in the program is exposed to two languages.
Fifty-four of the school's 85 first-graders opted to take part in the innovative program that will continue to split their days down the middle throughout their elementary-school careers.
When they head to junior high, the plan is for them to be bilingual and literate in both languages.
Horizon Elementary is one of 21 Utah schools that started offering "dual language immersion" this fall thanks to funding provided by legislation in 2008 (SB41).
"What a fabulous opportunity," says Horizon Principal Martha Kupferschmidt . "These kids are learning a language. They're not learning just vocabulary."
For West, the Spanish teacher, it's a "dream come true" to introduce students to the language she fell in love as a sixth-grader at Richmond's North Cache Middle School (now White Pine Middle School) thanks to a passionate teacher named Serena Biddulph.
"I will never forget the enthusiasm she had and how cute her classroom was," West said. "It was at that moment when I said 'this is my favorite thing.' "
For all intents and purposes, West, a Sky View graduate who earned degrees from Utah State and UNLV, can't speak English -- at least that's what her students are led to believe.
"If they knew I spoke English, it would be a big crutch for them," West said outside her classroom last week, out of earshot of her students. "[Students will think] 'she understands me. If I throw a fit or if I'm really upset, she'll speak to me in English.' "
Miraculously, once West -- who last year taught a regular third-grade class at Horizon Elementary -- reaches the safe confines of the teachers' lounge, her English skills are restored.
Many students at the school remember West from last year, and are confused by her sudden lack of English skills.
"I heard them whispering to each other, 'She lost her English over the summer,' " West said. "A couple of them have told me they'll come after school to teach me English."
"Dual language immersion" is not about learning to conjugate verbs or memorizing the names of colors. It's about simply submerging children in Spanish as if they were at a Spanish language school in the heart of Madrid.
Teaching 6-year-olds in Spanish involves singing, dancing and movement.
Children, West says, are kinesthetic learners. Movement helps the learning stick.
Besides their supple brains, teaching children a second language is easier than teaching it to adults because children aren't afraid to look stupid, West said.
"They're not afraid to make mistakes," West said. "These kids don't care. They will make mistakes willingly, and that's truly how they learn."
So far, the young school year has been exhausting for both West and her students.
To get her points across, West uses dramatic gestures while she teaches. She's also unaccustomed to speaking Spanish all day, which exercises different cognitive skills.
For the kids -- who are also learning to read and count in addition to being exposed for half the day to a foreign language -- school is tiring.
"Some of them are reaching a point of frustration, which we expected," West said. "They get a little overwhelmed. Intermittently, we have a kid who has a little breakdown, so that's hard because I don't like to see that."
After a few months, West says, school will become much easier for her students.
While the program is a benefit to native English-speakers, it's also an advantage for Spanish-speaking students learning English as second language, Kupferschmidt says.
"They don't lose literacy in their native language; that's one huge benefit," Kupferschmidt said. Another windfall from the program is the high scores native Spanish-speakers achieve in high-school testing because of their participation in the program.
"They are incredibly, hugely more successful than their peers who don't go through this program," Kupferschmidt said.
Some Spanish-speaking parents don't understand what "dual language immersion" is all about, the principal says, and opt to keep their children in regular classes, fearing their children will fail to learn English if they focus too much on Spanish.
But for the kids whose parents chose to enter them into the program, the past two weeks represent the first steps in a long journey, which -- if all goes according to plan -- will end with each possessing a valuable skill.
ndicou@sltrib.com

Life is Great!

So yes, we finally got OUR HOUSE!!! We are absolutely loving it! However, a lot of it is still in boxes and may be for some time until I adjust to my new job. I will be putting up pictures shortly.

Today was my first day teaching first grade in the dual immersion classroom. I am the Spanish teacher and I teach math, social studies, science, health, and spanish literacy ALL in Spanish. I am honestly not allowed to say a word of English, ever. That's harder than you think! I did pretty good today, and didn't really slip up. I did so well in fact, that the students really think I can't speak English at all. Some students who knew me before think I lost my English over summer. It's sooo funny. I've included some of my favorite quotes of the day. I am going to try to keep a regular blog about my experiences as a first grade teacher and the great things kids say.

Teaching has always been so challenging for me. I am a perfectionist with a type A personality. I push myself to the max and I burn out. I've had a real passion for different aspects of teaching, but have waited for that moment where I KNEW I was in the right place doing something I absolutely loved. For the first time, I think I may be in that place. I LOVE the little kids. First graders are SOO cute, yet much more independent than the kindergarteners I've taught before. They are hilarious and so full of energy. They love learning and they are still afraid of their teachers. (This is a very good thing!) I hope that every day is as good as today. If so, I could honestly live the mantra: Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." Confucius.

Today the kids said:

(From a caucasion blonde little girl): "Mrs. West, I know a lot of English. I could teach you after school if you want."

(Conversation between two students): "She spoke normal before, I know it. I don't know what happened." "Mrs. West, can you speak normal?"

(Caucasion boy talking to me): This is a backpack. Say back-pack.

(From boy after school): Come on Mrs. West, just talk English. My ears are tired.

Home Sweet Home???

So we have been searching for a house since February and have been looking at many short sales in the Salt Lake and Utah valleys. A month and a half ago, we put an offer on our FOURTH house throughout this journey. This house is on a cul de sac in West Jordan in the same neighborhood as the house on Shooting Star Avenue. I think this is the house that has fit us best as a couple. I can visualize us moving right in and being very happy. It is the smallest of the houses with 1350 square feet (not including the basement) and 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. The master bedroom is good sized with a huge walk in closet :) It also has a nice yard and a sweet shop for Mike to work in. My favorite part about the house is the fact that it has vaulted ceilings and as soon as you walk in, the house feels so open and bright. It also has a cute little loft. This house has a lot of character and style. So far, our offer has been accepted and we have a closing date of August 10th. We're getting the inspection on Wednesday and we should know by then if we're going to go through with it. Check out the pictures, although they don't do the house justice. :)

Goodbye Shooting Star

After Shooting Star was inspected, we changed our minds. We knew this place was a fixer-upper, but we didn't know the whole master bathroom needed to be basically gutted. There were some major leaking issues. We thought about repairing it but decided we would pass on this good home and look for a better one. Mike and I already have our eyes on another... What an exciting time! So many good homes. Which one is right for us???

WE HAVE A HOUSE!!!

WE ARE GOING TO LIVE ON SHOOTING STAR AVENUE!!!
"Shooting Star" is what we've named this house and we've compared every other house to Shooting Star. Wow, what a journey it has been so far! Our house hunt has seemed like one big roller coaster ride, but right now I couldn't be happier! We finally had our offer accepted on a house. And it was our FIRST house to ever put an offer on. This house has stuck out in our minds all throughout our house hunt. We put an offer on this house in March, but because it's a short sale, we hadn't heard a thing about it all of these months. We got the exciting phone call last week stating that our offer was accepted when there were four other offers. We found this out the day after we put an offer in on the last house. We had to do a little thinking, but we instantly knew what felt right. The last house we put an offer on was move in ready. It was nice and clean. However, there were several things that bothered me about it that I decided I could live with if our offer was accepted. With Shooting Star, it needs A LOT of work. But it has the potential to be everything we want it to be. It's abolutely everything we want. With new carpet, floors and paint, it will be a whole new house. We have already posted about this house on a blog before, so if you're interested in more details look for our past blog. I am including pictures of our house. Imagine it when it is clean with new carpet, floors and paint. And send me any ideas or inspiration you might have. I can't wait to send AFTER pictures in a couple of months after we've done some work :) We should close on the house within the next 2-3 weeks. I will keep you posted!

The House Hunt Continues

So, we didn't get the last house. We made the first offer and the best offer, but someone else offered a lot more earnest money. LAME! But, we're pressing forward in our house search. We're putting an offer on this house first thing tomorrow morning. Yes, this one is ALSO a short sale. The realtor of the house states that a full price offer might quickly seal the deal. Let's hope that this one is the lucky winner! We're ready to move!!! Seriously, we only have 30 days to be out of our apartment so time really is of the essence. Cross your fingers for us and we'll keep you posted.


This is a house in West Jordan that is really close to everything. It's only a ten minute drive from my school in Murray. It's at the top of our budget, but it really has some nice qualities and amenities that our other homes we've looked at haven't had. It was built in the mid-eighties but has had the kitchen, bathrooms and other areas updated. Here is the front of the house. I'm not sure about the white door, although it's beautiful.






























The front room is spacious and beautiful. It has an interesting chandelier in the corner, but I'm sure we can work with that.





























Here is the dining area. It's not super large, but it's open which is really what we like.















The kitchen is the major selling point in this house. It is gorgeous!!! and very modern.















This is the downstairs living room. Mike and I may actually use this room as our master bedroom for the time being because it has a door separating it from the rest of the house and a bathroom attached. The master bedroom of the house is fairly small, which I really didn't like since we have large furniture for the bedroom. But by using the living room as a bedroom, I can have all of the space I need! :)




















Plus there is this nice fireplace downstairs that would be in our "bedroom" if we decide to use the basement as our master bed.





















The downstairs bath is adjoined to the washroom for our washer and dryer. It also has the furnace, which isn't too cute. But the bathroom has a big window and is actually really pretty and updated.




















Here is the shower in the downstairs bathroom. Pretty nice and clean!!!















Here is the actual master bedroom. It's not petite, but kinda small. The bathroom upstairs is not adjoined to the master bed, but it is right next door. So, all three bedrooms and guests in the home would use this bathroom. This is the other reason why I thought it might be nice to live downstairs and have our own bathroom. I didn't take a picture of the other bathroom because I forgot, but it is nice and updated as well. It has a bathtub/shower.




















Here lies the only changes we would have to make to this house. The carpet in the bedrooms is in good condition, but in ugly colors. We would also paint the walls.




















Here's the third bedroom. Same problems: carpet and paint.




















Here is a bad picture I took of the dining room to the outside. But I just wanted to show how pretty the dining area is as it joins to the deck. Also, the sliding glass door is in good condition but the owners had planned to switch to french doors which are ready for us to put in.















Here is the backyard that hasn't been tended to in a while. But it has pretty good space and even more to the side of the house. There's many areas for flower gardens and it has a sprinkler system installed. It also has a designated area for a vegetable garden on the side of the house. I also like the fence.















The covered deck is the BEST feature of this house. It is gorgeous!!! And of course....the HOT TUB! Yes, the hot tub is included and it's in GREAT shape! This makes up for the fact the house doesn't have a master bath with a jetted tub. I will totally be living in this thing!!!