Student teaching. It’s one of the best, most rewarding experiences of my life. But it is also one of the most tiring and frustrating. As a senior college student who is basically working a full-time job, you are on a completely different schedule than most of your roommates and friends. This means missing out on some things that “normal” seniors get to do, such as participating in spring break. Last week, campus shrunk from 40,000 students, to what seemed to be about 30 students. Here’s my recap of my spring break spent in State College while student teaching.
Day 1: Sunday
This is the first day I really felt how lonely this week was going to be. Over the weekend, there were still a few friends left in State College, just finishing up packing and last minute travel plans. Today, though, the amount of FOMO I was about to feel really set in. Naturally, I didn’t get out of bed until 1 p.m. Once I got myself showered and moving, I decided to be a good student and find a place to do some lesson planning. As with anytime you’re trying to do something productive, this didn’t work out as well as planned. 3 p.m. comes around and I set out to search downtown. Here is how this journey went:
Stop 1 – Starbucks west side. It’s way too crowded, which I find strange. I wonder why, but decide to just move on and find somewhere else.
Stop 2 – Irving’s – Irving’s is one of my favorite places for coffee and food downtown, so I wasn’t too disappointed when I figured I had to check there. I walk up to the door, it’s now around 3:30, and there’s a nice big sign on the door that informs me they’re closing at 4 p.m. for “spring break” hours. Frustrated, I move on.
Stop 3 – Fiddlehead – Now I’m craving some healthy food, and I decide Fiddlehead is the best place to go. I figure there won’t be anyone there, and I could eat while getting some work done. Once again, I walk up to the door to see a sign that they’re closing at 4 p.m.
Stop 4 – Webster’s – Now Webster’s is somewhere I’ve never been before, but a friend told me that they were open and had Wi-Fi and coffee. Okay, I’m sold. Well, I get there by 3:50, get my chai tea, sit down, start working, and the barista tells us they’re closing at 5:00 today.
I give up and accept that the universe just does not want me to have a productive Sunday.
I decide that I’m not cooking, so I pick up one of my last friends in State College from work, cry to him about being alone for the next week and eat buffalo chicken Mac and cheese at Otto’s.
I then curl up in bed and watch vampire diaries until 11:00 p.m., try to get some sleep, wake up every few hours to mysterious noise in the house and wake up at 6:30 a.m. feeling exhausted as ever.
I could now tell this is going to be quite the week.
Day 2: Monday – Spring break snapchats begin
I embark on my first full day of student teaching for the week. It’s definitely a nice distraction, but this Monday consisted of an observation by my supervisor during a rough lesson and every teacher asking me how it is being alone in my house. This Monday definitely felt like a Monday. Let’s just say I was bad moody Judy.
I made I through the day, and after school I decide to spend 30 minutes and $60 at Trader Joe’s. For anyone who has been to Trader Joe’s before, you know it’s not that big. I decided I would just wander around the aisles aimlessly for 30 minutes to pass some time.
I then came home, meal prepped for an HOUR (chopped veggies, cooked chicken and rice, etc.) while watching Vampire Diaries. I did all this, but ended up eating a nice, healthy dinner of leftover Wings Over anyway.
I decided it would be smart to do laundry. I was the only one here, so I had the washer and dryer all to myself. I put in 2 loads of laundry while also taking a nap – I felt like a regular old Mom over here. I then make the horrible decision to watch Gone Girl (remind you, I’m home alone in a house that usually has 7 girls in it).
I spent about an hour doing a LITTLE homework and ended my night with the 3-hour bachelor episode. I fell asleep at 10:30 because I couldn’t make it to 11:00. Again, we’re approaching mom status quickly.
Day 3 – Tuesday
Today was a rainy day that put me in a dreary mood. Watching snapchats of friends in bikinis sipping drinks on the sunny beach definitely did not help.
I miraculously made it through a sleepy day of school.
When I came home, I forced myself to do an HOUR of schoolwork before taking a long nap from 4:30 to 6 p.m
I was excited for the night, because I knew I was going to $5 movie Tuesday with a friend, so, I made a super healthy dinner from 6 to 6:45 and went to the movies from 7 to 9 p.m. We saw “Before I Fall,” which is a movie based off of a book I read and LOVED in high school. I highly recommend book and movie; both are amazing and really make you think about life.
I then did more schoolwork along with some TV from 9:30 to 10:30 before not being able to keep my eyes open.
Day 4 – Wednesday
As any teacher will tell you, especially student teachers, not every day is a good day. This hump day was one of those “not so good” days. The kids were so talkative that I left school in shambles with a headache.
After I came home, I laid in bed from 4 to 6 p.m., taking an hour and a half nap while dreaming of lying in the sand getting tan.
6:15 came around and I couldn’t take it anymore; I needed fresh air or the sight of someone other than 7-year-olds or Vampire Diaries characters. I ventured outside to find a Diet Coke and ended up wandering down Beaver Avenue, basically in pajamas, without a care in the world. I started craving BBQ, so I decide to go to Doan’s Boans, which, naturally, ends up being closed for spring break. I decide to call a teacher friend to meet up to eat, and we decide we want burgers. We check both Underground and Baby’s, but both are closed. Corner room it is! We devour pulled pork and French fries like it is our job and make the decision that 1.) We have nothing better to do, 2.) We deserve it, and 3.) We don’t have to worry about a spring break body so WHY NOT?! Cold stone it is!
We hang and complain about our lives for a little, which definitely does some cleansing of the mind.
At 9 p.m., she drives me home so I can work on lesson plans for an hour (which turned into looking at cartoon videos to teach the 7 continents and 8 planets).
Once again, 10:30 rolls around and I can’t keep my eyes open.
Day 5 – Thursday
Honestly, just another day like all the rest. Trust me, State College during break, NOT LIT.
What is LIT though, going to Café for dinner and pitchers at 7:00 with your teacher friends? A bonus of going to the bars when no one is in town, no cover, no lines, no wait. We sit down, planning on doing work AND eating/drinking. That turns into one shared plate of cheese fries, wraps, and two $4.50 pitches for each of us. Definitely a night we all needed.
Day 6 – Friday
We are BLESSED with a 2-hour delay. Honestly, the best ending to the weekend we all could’ve asked for. I had a substitute for half the day, and the kids were wild, but the day went fast and we got through it.
To my disbelief, friends began returning to State College! 7 p.m. Phyrst Happy Hour brought a few familiar faces, and it literally felt like I haven’t seen friends over the age of 7, or friends other than teachers, in ages. All in all, had a great night because I was just happy that State College was becoming populated again.
Day 7 – Saturday
I survived my week alone in State College over spring break! Friends and roommates are finally back, and the streets, bars, and restaurants are crowded once again.
The overwhelming jealousy I felt each time I saw a freshly tanned and relaxed roommate definitely did not get any easier, but I was just thrilled to be surrounded by my friends once again.
The verdict on spending Spring Break in State College by yourself: don’t do it.
The verdict on if student teaching is worth it anyway: a million times YES.
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