Wednesday September 5^th 2012

Day Forty Three at Mountain Creek State High School

Today was a very easy going day. Year 12 students are taking the QCS tests this week. This means that all year 12 students participating come to the student center and sit for the exam. All other year 12 students just do not have class. Basically this gave me a whole bunch of free time. I have already finished up my planning for the week, and today I decided to start organizing my things at my desk. It was a sad task to do. Session 4 was my only class today and it was year 9 sexuality. I was so excited ready to go with a whole bunch of prizes. I spent so much time creating this jeopardy game for the students that literally went right along with their exam next week. I thought they would have fun and play the game while learning. Honestly it was a disaster. I gave them 5 minutes to review before hand and even from the start they were chatty. I hate yelling at these students but I had to because they were just so hyped up. By the time we finally started the game I must have commented on behavior at least 6 times already. During the game I was trying my best to ignore the constant talking and lack of attention, but I could not take it anymore. I was done. I told them absolutely no talking for the rest of class. I shut my laptop and put all my stuff away and sat there in silence with them. After 15 minutes, I had them all grab a sheet of paper and write out 5 reasons why I stopped the game and then 1 thing they did positively or negatively. Once they were finished I had them raise their hand and I came over to read what they had written. They all knew they were being rude and talkative. I just was so upset because these are usually my favorite students to have! I was so annoyed and felt totally disrespected. In the end they all seemed pretty disappointed in themselves. I have them tomorrow one last night in the gym, and I guess I will see how they behave then. I cannot get over the fact that this was how we ended our last theory lesson together. I am very disappointed in them and truly hope they understand why. 

Tuesday September 4^th 2012

Day Forty Two at Mountain Creek State High

Today was my easy day! I have finished planning and grading almost everything for the rest of my week. I feel very organized! I know my teacher has gone about this a bit differently than Melissa’s teacher, but I am really thankful I have gotten the work I did. I have been responsible for grading all of the classes I have been teaching. I got practice in grading papers, assignments, and their practice abilities. It has been a good way to put the grading into perspective because it has been completely relevant to my teaching. After each time I finish grades, I have my teacher look through. We then go over any grades she might change and talk about why. I have loved this part of my student teaching! Today was a great time to get prepared because now I can enjoy the rest of my week day nights. 

Monday September 3^rd 2012

Day Forty One at Mountain Creek State High School

Today was last Monday here at the school and it sure feels depressing. I keep thinking about how when I get home I have to go back to working at a restaurant, and then another practicum, and back to school for classes, then the search for a job begins. I just want to be a teacher and am getting a bit impatient! Being here, teaching here, has given me a real glimpse of being a part of a staff. I love it and do not want to lose it. I know it will be different when I student teach at home, so I am trying to savior every moment I can. Today session 2 was another oval lesson. I feel more confident and comfortable now. I took the class for a lesson of speedball and none of them knew it! This worked out well because when I was unsure of a rule, I could make my own judgment and none of them could dispute! My teacher and the teacher whose class we combined with just stayed back and let me take charge. They were literally totally off the oval far enough away if I needed them I’d have to blow my whistle. I really enjoyed this because I felt on my own. My teacher mentioned that she likes leaving me like that to give me a good idea on how it will be when it truly is just me. The lesson went well. At the end, the class who we have been combining with came up to me and thanked me for this term. I felt so appreciated! It was the last time I taught them and I thought it was so respectful. After everything, in the end, I know I have been a teacher these students like. I am so glad I got the chance to teach and learn from them all. 

Friday August 31^st 2012

Day Forty at Mountain Creek State High School

Today was a full on day of aerobics!! I went to session one with Melissas teacher to hold our dress rehearsal. We video tapped them and I took the videos home for me to complete the assessments. They were all prepared fairly well with their routines completed. I only wish I could of spent more time with all the aerobics classes because I can compare how well my own class is to the others. There were a few really great routines! Session 2 it was my class and when I walked in I was SO happy to see all the groups in matching costumes. I thought it was adorable. It really proved to me how much they respect me by following my directions. This assessment is not compulsory nor for a grade, and yet they still ALL came, dressed and ready. I was so proud. Each group went and I probably looking like a fool with the big grin on my face. It amazed me how well they came out to be. I loved seeing them matching and performing for our visitors with confidence. In the end, the room was filled with energy and everyone seemed to be happy. We took a whole bunch of pictures and I am so glad to take these memories home with me. I went to visit another aerobics class session 3 to help with feedback. I have now seen all 4 aerobic classes and I think I am bias but I just love mine the most. I went into this class providing my students with a solid aerobic warm up each class, new moves to learn from me, help in finding songs, stretching, and cool downs; I can now see how much of a help all of that appropriate teaching did for my class. We truly set the bar for the rest and I am so proud to call them mine. I am sad I do not get to see the real assessments; however my teacher will send me the videos in email!

Thursday August 30^th 2012

Day Thirty Nine at Mountain Creek State High School

Session 1 today was my aerobics class! We were all working hard to finish and perfect the routines. I am looking forward to holding my own dress rehearsal assessment tomorrow. I am proud of myself. The PE head director looked over the assessment I created, and asked if he could add it to their collection. I love the fact that my work is worthy for a real high school. I must have learned from the very best at home!! I feel so much a part of this team; I cannot imagine saying goodbye next week. Session 2 I was asked to come into another aerobics class to watch the routines and give feedback. It is interesting comparing all the classes’ abilities. Melissa and I ordered school polo’s a while back and they came in today. I am saving it to wear my last day. It is so bitter sweet being here. I fit in so well, but yet know in the back of my head I am leaving shortly. School has become complete habit and natural for me. I can only hope for my next placement to be the same.

Wednesday August 29^th 2012

Day Thirty Eight at Mountain Creek State High School

Today was truly wonderful! Session 2 I took my year 12 students back out on the oval. Each time I have an oval lesson I am a bit anxious before. Today was different. Right before I went to gather equipment, my teacher and I went through the list of things to work on. A few things we mentioned were short bullet point instructions, 2 loud short whistle blows, big hand motions when needing them to come in rather than yelling, gathering a couple of students to learn the drill while others are warming up and then having them be my demonstrators, and being firm from the start. I have to say, listing and reminding myself these things right before I taught helped me 100%. After my lesson, my teacher said that was my best lesson out on the oval! I could even feel it. I knew it was going smooth from the very beginning, and the best part was the students were all there participating. I did not have to deal with one behavior issue in this session, which is a blessing! I was smiling big and just felt the energy pour through my veins. It feels really good to be successful, especially at something that has been a struggle. Session 4 was so hilarious. My year 9 sexuality class has to be one of my favorites. I wanted to create an activity to get them more involved. The more I teach in the class room, the more I want to change up what I am given to teach. Rather than taking the same approach as my teacher would, or other teachers, I decided to go a different route. We have been learning about different contraceptive methods which they will also be tested on. I made a criteria sheet explaining that they are to form groups and create a television commercial aid promoting the contraceptive method assigned to them. I gave them most class time to work and plan it out, then each group performed at the end. We held a silent vote and the winner received a prize. These skits were so funny! I was happy they got into it and I hope it will help them with their memory. Tonight Jordie and I went to the girls’ rugby game together. I really love seeing my students outside of school. They are great kids, and I am really going to miss them. They are so excited to see me supporting them, and I enjoy myself a ton!

Tuesday August 28^th 2012

Day Thirty Seven at Mountain Creek State High School

When I got back to school this morning I decided to make some coffee! We have a new coffee machine in the staff house and my teacher and another teacher always drink a cup right away. I wanted to be nice and make them both a cup. It was hilarious because I had to try a couple times to get it right. But they were both happy and thankful when they came in this morning to a warm cup of coffee. My two classes today went smooth. Year 12 PED theory the students were finishing up the sociology assignment. It was great because this is the class where I graded their draft papers. It was good to help them write and make their papers better. It makes me a bit sad with how difficult it really is for them to complete this well. My teacher has thrown me a bunch of grading I can practice with. I love this new outlook on grading because it is heaps different than how we grade at home. I keep finding pros and cons for both Countries it’s hard to differentiate which way would work better. I am basically completing everything my teacher would for the end of the term and she is double checking my work before inputting the grades. I find it to be a bit much, but it will be worth the experience in the end. There was a staff meeting later in the afternoon so I just stayed and worked on some things to try and make it less overwhelming. It is my last two weeks and I just want to spend time in the sun, it’s very motivating to get my school work done quickly!! 

Monday August 27^th 2012

Day Thirty Six at Mountain Creek State High School

I had today off! My friend Sharon and I decided to go to the Australian Zoo. Each term we are allowed to choose one long weekend to take off and most people will travel. My roommates went to Sydney with a fair bit of others. I choose to save money and stay here for the weekend, but I still took my one day off!! The weekend was amazing and I knew I could use the extra rest. My experiences here are absolutely incredible. It is almost unreal all of the things I am doing because of who I have connected with while here. I attended a motor cross race Sunday morning where Sharon’s good friend Andrew’s company sponsors a team called Full Force. They entire family is involved including his Mum, Dad, brother, uncle, cousin and a bunch of friends. The rider who is his close friend is an amazing racer. He is something like 6^th best in all of Australia. It was awesome to be a part of this experience and getting to see behind the scenes. Andrew and his company (CarsRus) provided a huge end of season party for Full Force, friends, and family. Sharon and I were also invited and included for this. So Sunday night we got all dolled up, helped finishing set up, and went to walk the red carpet of their factory entering the party. We helped the caterer in serving his dishes while tasting each one before, which were all so good! The motor bikes were all on display, expensive cars were on display and guarded by security, live band, bar setup, beautiful decorations, and just a fun time! I felt a bit out of place considering how fancy this party was, but all in all it was amazing. We decided to take today off in order to rest and relax after our big day yesterday. The Zoo was beautiful! I love going and seeing the different set ups and how animals are displayed. I have been to many Zoos and enjoy myself each time. It was a great day walking around with no worries. Tonight my friend Jordie came over to my apartment and I cooked him and my roommates dinner! It is fun to hang out with another pre-service teacher outside of school. We get along great and it was a good way to end my long weekend!

Friday August 24^th 2012

Day Thirty Five at Mountain Creek State High School

Last night I met up with another pre-service teacher named Jordie. He plays AFL and was able to help me create a lesson for today. We went over the rules and even got up and passed the footy around. He taught me how to perform a kick for a demonstration, but also great tips when teaching the students. I also learned how to perform ball handling. It was really fun connecting with another pre-service teacher here. Not to mention it was a fun way to interact with him on a more social level. I learned a lot and I was actually impressed with how quickly I caught on. Today AFL was first session! Jordie’s class and my class combine and this is where I have about 40 male students. This is always a tough one for me! I was in charge of leading the lesson and Jordie was basically my assistant. I killed the demonstration and I was so excited! He also seemed excited, knowing it was him who taught me! The boys were not listening well and I still struggle in ordering them around. I need to be more firm from the beginning. I just feel like I want them to like me, so it’s hard to find that balance. Session 2 was my aerobics class and today made me happy. Most of the groups are close to finishing their 2 minute routines. They are coming along so nicely. Next week I am doing aerobics assessments for 3 different classes. This is not even for a grade for the students, but I am using it as my own practice to assess and give feedback. I am proud with the groups and excited to see how they turn out next week. Session 3 my year 8 class started their assessments. They have been creating their own team sport games during theory lessons, and today 2 groups had to teach the class their own games. It was so fun watching. The games went fairly well! It was management and organization that stumped them both. I guess it is a common thing to mess up on, seeing how I still sometimes can’t figure it out!! The weekend is here and I am so ready to chill out.

Thursday August 23^rd 2012

Day Thirty Four

Today I went to my friend Sharon’s primary school. This is a very unique school due to it being a multiage base school. Basically the school believes that there is not such thing as ‘normal’ when it comes to education. Who is to say a year 8 student should be performing this way in year 8? So in their classes they combine different age groups and treat them all individually. This means much more work for the teachers; however it seems to be very worth it in the end. The class I visited was year 5, 6, and 7. To be honest in the beginning I really could not differentiate the ages of the students. They all seemed to look the same age. It was a real fun and relaxing day for me. I liked observing my friend teach her algebra lesson and to also see how primary students behave. The only really bad aspect of this school is that there are no trained physical education teachers. The school believes the students should be active every day, which I agree with, and therefore the teachers also perform as the PE teacher. They are responsible for taking the students out and running the physical education classes. Although this is a great way for the students to be active frequently, these teachers are not trained to teach this, which worries me a bit. Sharon told me it is very common that the students just get out there and play. Yes they are being active, yes play is healthy for kids, but in reality they should still be given the chance to learn physical education. All in all my day was fun. I got in and taught the students a new game they could play. It was fun teaching younger students because they seemed to listen to well. It was so hot out and Sharon and I were sweaty the whole day! It is a beautiful school and I really enjoyed checking out a classroom filled with all different ages.

Wednesday August 22^nd 2012

Day Thirty Three at Mountain Creek State High School

I have to say I am quite proud of myself today! This was the first oval lesson I feel went very smooth. I was organized, firm, and the students participated well! My year 12 REC class was combined with another year 12 class leaving me with about 17 students to participate. It is so sad that even with two classes combined, when you eliminate those who are out for work experience, those who are excused absent, and those who just do not come, we are only left with 17. It worked out pretty well with numbers though considering lacrosse is usually 10 players for each team. This morning I had already planned out whom to ask to set up the goals and the two girls are great students and set them up just how I asked. I found it is easier to choose those well behaved students to ask for help because they will do it right, rather than asking those who misbehave and have them help for punishment. Yes helping me may give them a sense of responsibility, but in reality it just wastes more time because I have to redirect and instruct them after they try the first time. Once the goals were set up, the class and I were already reviewing from last class. I went over the basic rules and safety concerns, throwing and catching, and a few rules of the game. I gave quick instructions and got them into drills right away. It is always hard for me to decide how to organize drills. I do not want to waste a bunch of time placing markers out on the field to keep them in lines, but at the same time, without the markers they sometimes do not stay in correct positions. Today I chose to use a clear indent line on the oval for one partner to stand on, and told the other partner to go across from them. This worked in a weird way. They got the point and understood, but still spread out in their own ways. I let this slide because to me it was more important for them to be practicing throwing and catching that where exactly they were standing. I am learning to react to the more important things during the lesson. Depending on the class, the age group, and what game we are playing, I need to remember all these are factors in the student’s behavior. We got into game play faster today and we even played field positions. We were able to man up, and switch positions on the field every 10 minutes. I think the students are terrible at lacrosse, but they were all participating, smiling, competitive, and sweaty by the end. I thought this was a good sign! My year 9 sexuality class went good as well. These students are just to die for. Sometimes I need to raise my voice and remind them to listen, however they behave very well considering. I am under covering all these classroom techniques I never knew I was capable of. Yesterday I was grading papers, and today I was designing new assignments for the class. We went over the reproductive cycle last week and today they had to bring in homework of a story of how babies are made. Some students were asked to read their stories out loud which a fun way to encourage participation was. I created a new assignment for this class to create a television commercial promoting the contraception method they are assigned. Next week they get to work on it within their group’s then act it out for the class. I love the fact that I am finding ways to have the students more interactive! Tomorrow I am visiting a different school where my friend Sharon is teaching. It is a multi-aged school and I am so excited to engage in a different school!

Tuesday August 21^st 2012

Day Thirty Two at Mountain Creek State High School

This morning I got to experience my first grading! My year 12 PED class had their theory sociology draft assignments due. Once I collected the drafts it was up to me to take them back during morning tea, read, and mark. Some of these papers were absolutely terrible. I really could not believe how difficult it is for year 12 students to make an opening paragraph that makes sense. The assignment only asks them to write 800 words, and they struggle to even begin. Out of the 10 papers I read, only 2 of them seemed to be at a comprehensive level for a year 12 student. It is so crazy how different school is here. At my high school we had a lot more accountability to earn high grades. We honestly had to do so many more assignments and do them well to even move from grade to grade. These students are lucky, and they cannot even complete such a simple task. It was very hard for me to not mark all over the paper correcting literally every sentence for some of these papers, but I tried my best to just give feedback at the end guiding them for their corrections. It is a good thing these were just drafts!! I really like how I can compare theory from here to home now. Although I believe it is great how in depth this school gets with each topic by spending a whole term on specific things, I really think the way my high school approaches education is stronger. I feel I was so much smarter and well-rounded in 12^th grade than these students. I knew how to research, how to write a paragraph, how to cite in a paper, how to analyze situations and much more. But what I did not know that these students do receive is the intensity of the topic they are learning. The problem with this is that the students care a bit less, so even though we are covering one topic for 11 weeks, it should be worth-while, but ends up being a waste for most students. It is disappointing how different education is, and how motivated students are. I would like to say I am proud of where I came from and where I have been educated! Although it was hard to read through, I am glad I got to experience marking papers and seeing the students in a different light than aerobics. I am ready to go for classes tomorrow and cannot wait to tackle another oval lesson!

Monday August 20^th 2012

Day Thirty One at Mountain Creek State High School

I have had a head cold for a couple of days and this particular Monday was a tough one for me. It was not the fact that my classes were difficult, but just being up and ready to go all the time is not an easy task when I feel a bit sick. When I am a student, I can go through the motions of school and get by just fine when I do not feel well. When I am the teacher, I have to be energetic and ready for anything no matter how I feel. I am the one all the students are looking at, and I constantly had to remind myself of that today. It was my teachers’ birthday over the weekend and it was great to see her in a different light. I joined her and her friends for lunch on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. I really love hanging together outside of school it truly helps me feel a part of her life. A girl in our staff house has announced she is pregnant and my teacher, along with a few other girls, all have encouraged me to talk to the principal to let her know I am interested in a contract here next year. How exciting is that!! I love the fact that my teacher and other teachers look at me and think I am capable of working her for real (I am really loving this). School is becoming more natural for me and I have gotten the hang of everything by now. I am ready to get home and rest to hopefully feel better before the rest of my long week!

Friday August 17^th 2012

Day Thirty at Mountain Creek State High School

I have been a bit worried for session 1 today due to the fact I have some of the students who were around during the kangaroo poo situation. I just got nervous that people would be talking about it or that it would still affect me. I learned quickly that it just did not matter. I grabbed my equipment for handball, got students to help carry it, and went down to the oval. Today I asked my teacher if we would combine with another class to give me more students to work with. Last Friday I only had about 10 students participating and it just dragged out. So basically this morning it was me teaching 40 male students. The class we combined with is a group of year 11 boys entering the fitness program. To say the least, they are very rowdy. But in a good way! They were all eager to participate and have fun. We were playing handball and got into game play quickly. It was fun to see my year 12 REC students participate more due to the fact that these year 11 students were showing them up. There was also something different about this session! The teacher we combined classes with had a pre service teacher as well. This pre service teacher is somewhere around 25 years old, and we got along great! He is pretty cute as well!! This was my first interaction with an Australian pre service teacher and it was cool to talk to someone who goes through this process here a bit differently than me. The class went great and I was happy to see all the boys listen and participate well. There was no poo in my bag at the end which was also a plus. Aerobics again went well and the students have now gotten a hang of our daily routine. Year 8 HPE was not exactly ideal today. I took the students out to teach them lacrosse. This was my last lesson to teach them before they start to take over the classes and begin their assessment of teaching us the games they created. Basically the students went wild. I learned a lot today. My teacher has been writing and giving my feedback lately during each class. Because I have now taken over each class 100%, my teacher has more time to sit and observe more thoroughly. Basically the students have never played lacrosse before which gave them energy and excitement. I tried to be firm in the beginning, but clearly was not firm enough. Once we got up and into the warm up game, rules were immediately not being followed. I have to have them drop their sticks and run to the end of the field and back. Once they got back they were to sit in front of me while we discussed the rules that were broken. I had them give the warm up game another go, and they were still having problems. Literally after every section of the lesson we had to stop, bring it in, and sit for the next directions. I was getting very frustrated and annoyed. I tried to set up the next drill for them to pass and catch with a partner. The one main rule I had for them to keep two hands on the stick at all times due to safety. This rule kept being broken and in result the only punishment I could think of in the moment was to run. Basically they were not listening or obeying at all and I was pretty fed up by the end. We never even got into game play due to lack of listening. I sat the students down at the end of the lesson and had to yell at them all. I was unimpressed with their actions and very disappointed with how the lesson ran today. Basically at this point all the students were looking up at me with their sad faces, silent as could be. I suppose I should have started off a bit stricter from the beginning to resolve some of the misbehavior problems I encountered. I hate yelling at the students, but sometimes it just needs to be done.

Thursday August 16^th 2012

Day Twenty Nine at Mountain Creek State High School

Today was a fairly relaxing day at school. My year 12 aerobics class runs smooth each time. I am surprised with how great some groups are doing in designing their routines. But I am also a bit disappointed in some groups that could be doing much better than they are. There is one group that I am very fond of, but they just do not put as much effort into their routine as I expected them to. I really have high hopes for my class and cannot wait for week 8. On the last day of week 8 I have created my own assessment for the groups. We are holding a dress rehearsal for them to perform and be video tapped. I am going to take the video tapes home and grade each individual! I know I see them each class, but I am hoping some of these groups pull together something better for the assessment trial. My year 9 HPE class is my favorite. I hate to even say I have a favorite, but I really just adore these students. Some of them goof off, but never enough that they are truly off task. For the most part they participate in both theory and practice. I love getting to know them and being able to enjoy them during class. I saw them during gym today session 4. This is the class that is run by year 12 fitness students. Basically my teacher hands me the class, and I organize with the year 12 students to have them run the class. They are always so shy with the students and I usually step in with organization and management. This is a great experience for me because I am not necessarily teaching the students in a normal way, but I am teaching older students how to teach my students. I get to show them to be firm and not to be scared to yell. I also get to show my year 9 students that when I talk they better not be talking and to show the same respect to the year 12 leaders. I love this class because although I am young, I now have year 12s asking me for help, and my year 9 class really respects me. It is a great way for me to let loose and while the year 12 students are organizing, I walk around, interact, and give feedback.

Pictures of Paradise

Beautiful moon from balcony view!

 My Volleyball girls warming up!

Year 9 Seniors 2
Volleyball Team 2012 !!

What a great view while I drink
my morning tea before a run!

 Could this be any better

Thank you cocktail party !

Wednesday August 15^th 2012

Day Twenty Eight at Mountain Creek State High School

Well it is about time I have a bad day. Nearly one month of teaching and I finally got to experience some bad emotions. I don’t know if I was just tired, my lessons weren’t planned well enough, or the students were just not feeling it, but man I struggled. Session one I team teach with Melissa for a large social dance class. I had the students get ready to review from last class in order to perform a dance for the warm up. Basically I just forgot the moves while I was up there trying to review with the class. I had called out and directed them wrong 2 different times where they had to correct me. I missed a step here and a step there, just making me look dumb up in front of the class. It was defiantly embarrassing and I just really was not happy with myself. Session 2 then came along and I was collecting all my equipment to bring down to the oval. This is my year 12 REC class where we combine with another year 12 REC. I had a lot of equipment for lacrosse and I had asked some boys to help carry it all down. By the time I got down to our spot on the oval I noticed the bucket of sticks was twenty feet away, flopped over with all the sticks on the ground. The equipment bag was also not at our spot. I was confused why these year 12 students could not simply follow the instructions in a mature way. I had to make the boys go back and pick them all up and bring it down. Most of these students have never played lacrosse so I went through some basic skills and rules. Basically they acted as young kids once they had their equipment. I assumed they would be mature enough to handle the sticks and balls spread out on the oval during drills, but they just proved me wrong. They were not staying in the lines, balls were flying everywhere, and the basics of the drills were not getting across. I felt like my class was running wild and I had NO idea how to manage them. I kept blowing my whistle and bringing them in for instructions, it just felt very difficult to manage. By the end of the lesson most of the students had no idea on the basic skills for game play. I had higher hopes for the students’ skill wise but we just did not make it there today. The worst part of the lesson was after. I went to collect my bag and put my binder back in only to find a handful of kangaroo poop in the bottom all over my things. Yes kangaroo poop. This may sound funny to those reading, but let me tell you I freaked out. I am amazed with how I held it together in front of the students. I told my teacher right away, emptied the bag, and we called the students in. My teacher basically told the students how disrespectful they were all class and explained the incident that happened. She warned them that if they knew who had done this or saw anything to let us know. I basically stood there in silence, still in shock that had just happened to me. It was a good thing it was morning tea after because I went straight to the bathroom to let a couple tears out. Yes I cried. This is the first real terrible experience I have encountered and it was bad enough to shed tears. I truly just still cannot get over the fact that someone was gross enough to put poop in my bag. I really hope that the students will not continue to be disrespectful, but I am a bit nervous to teach them again next week. Deep down, it made me really upset that these students could have possibly disliked me enough to do such a thing. But I am trying my hardest to believe it was not personal and maybe just a dumb teenage joke. It was reassuring to hear my teacher explain to me how she truly felt none of the students could have done this to me purposely. She mentioned a lot of times students will play jokes on another especially to their unattended bags. It made me feel better knowing she believed I have made great connections with the students and that it is hard to believe one of them would do this to me. I really think that she may be right, and that whoever did this was unaware of who's bag it was. Well at least that is what I am going to believe :)