My Thespian Conference Apostrophe...I mean Epiphany

This weekend was Colorado Thespian Conference! It's a huge convention of High School students who have qualified as a Thespian by earning points by what they've been involved with in the after school program. They have the opportunity to participate in Individual Events, (monologues, duet scenes, duet songs, solo songs, mime, improv, & all the kinds of designs), audition for college (many college representatives in the same place with call backs), a Thespian Show audition (directed by a high school director and a variety of students to audition & do tech.), workshops (tech, singing, dancing, acting, and so much more!), 2 mainstage productions (presented by 2 high schools.), and just being around other thespians.
There are workshops for teachers too. I went to two teacher workshops. At the first one some teachers came up to me and told me about how they taught at Adams City for a few years. They said they started there and then went somewhere else. I realized why my program hasn't grown. High school students don't do well with turn over. When a teacher leaves they think it's because they, the students, weren't good enough for the teacher and they've moved on to something better. It hurt my feelings when they said that. I want my program to be like the other schools that I see around me. Greeley West, Brighton, Horizon, Pamona, Thompson Valley, and others like them. I realized when I was talking to those teachers that all these schools have one thing in common: The teachers have been there for more than 15 years. Peggy Freemole has been teaching at GW longer than I've been a live. Jane's been at Brighton for almost 20 years. Their programs didn't start where they are now. They've been built to reach that point by dedicated teachers who stayed through the hard times.
My program is where it is now because the teachers before me have used it as a stepping stone. They haven't built it up because they weren't there long enough to change it. When they left, whatever they had done went back to the way it was or changed to how the new teacher wanted it to be. There wasn't enough consistency for the program to really change and grow.
Believe me, I understand why these teachers left. Adams City High School is a rough place to teach because of the students we have. They don't want to learn. They're not motivated. They're finishing school so they don't have to go to truancy court. They ditch classes to be with their friends and hide in the halls because they don't see the value of getting good grades. The teachers and administrators are trying to help them in any way we can. It's hard because students get lost in the shuffle at school. I have 37-43 students in all of my classes. Most teachers in a 'normal' classroom at ACHS have about 35 in each class. What they need is teachers who know them and they know care about them. We don't have that. Students here see the teachers only as people who make them do a lot of things they don't want to.
Anyway, that was a tangent. What I want to talk about is my program. I want it to be quality theatre. I remember watching Cats at GW and forgetting I was watching a high school production. That takes a lot of effort from me, which I'm already giving, and my students. I also need more help. I can't do it alone. I need to do what one of the retiring teachers said: Find a good tech director and marry them. I want someone to take over my tech. I want my program to grow and require 2 theatre teachers. That would be amazing. I want feeder programs in my middle schools. I want students to want to be involved. I want my program to become a family of people who care about each other and accept everyone. I want other students to not be able to make fun of my students because they're involved in a successful program. I want boys to come and not be accused of being gay and worse things just because they're in theatre.
I was talking to my Uncle Tommy, the acting professor at UNC, and I told him where I was teaching. He said "Good for you! The kids there need you more than any other kids at this conference." I said, "I Know." I know theatre changes kids. It helps them grow into leaders. It helps them relate to people. It gives them real life skills that they can take and apply to anything that they decide to do. It teaches them to work with other people on a common goal. It changes kids.

I Love to See the Temple! and can't wait for the Ft. Collins one!

I couldn't believe my ears today when the Prophet said they were building a temple in Ft. Collins Colorado! When President Monson started talking about temples I thought, "I love this part! Where are they going now?!" I remembered when he announced the Rome, Italy temple. I was in the Greeley Institute and everyone gasped when he said there would be a temple in Italy at the heart of Catholicism Central. That was the day they announced that a Temple would be built in the Greater Kansas City area, which I felt was getting us closer to the Second Coming.
I was surprised when I heard the words "Ft. Collins" leave the Prophets lips and I thought, "there must be another Ft. Collins." Then I heard "Colorado." I am watching conference by myself at home and wished I could be at the Institute where they would surely be having a party! I was so surprised.
I remembered a time when it was Ward Conference in the Greeley University Branch and President Dunn was allowing questions to be asked. Someone asked if he anticipated a temple being built in the Northern Colorado area. I thought "what a stupid question! Of course not! We already have a temple in Colorado and it is barely even an hour away! Why would they build one in Northern Colorado!?!" Well, I guess it wasn't such a dumb question after all.

A New Life

So, it is Spring Break! My district gets 2 weeks for Spring Break, and Week 1 is already half over! I haven't been nearly as productive as I should be, and after I write this post I'm gonna go clean my apartment.

But first, I want to update the World Wide Web about what's going on in my life, since it's not my friend on Facebook.

A long time ago I was studying in The Book of Mormon and was in 1st Nephi. I was reading the part where the Liahona came and Lehi's family was following where it told them to go. It says they named the place "Shazer" which means twisting or intertwining in Hebrew. I felt that my life was "Shazer". It was going all the wrong ways, it took twists and turns and didn't go where I expected it to. I knew where I wanted my path to go, namely I wanted a theatre teaching position and I would go ANYWHERE to get one. so I applied to so many jobs! I wish I had kept track of how many positions I applied to, I would estimate about 50. I heard back from 2 jobs. TWO. And so I interviewed at them and didn't get them. The second one was at Eaton High School, which I thought was the job Heavenly Father prepared for me. It was close to home, family, friends, everything I wanted. Except it was a 1/2 time position and I would be back in Greeley, where I started and have gotten sucked into and locked in for five years. So, maybe it wasn't perfect, but I was pretty sure it was what Heavenly Father had prepared for me and prepared me for. It wasn't. I didn't get the job. That interview was the very end of August, so I thought it was my last hope to get a job before the next school year. I was so upset when the principal called and told me he had chosen someone else.

Then I applied to be a sub. I subbed in the Greeley district. Some days it was fun. I love elementary schools, except for Martinez Elementary, and Winigrad Middle School and P.E. at Heath Middle were good, but other than that, I HATED subbing. I started in October and over Christmas Break I felt like I needed to prepare for something. I didn't know what and decided that I was going to die soon and should prepare for that. In January I was dreading going back to subbing and I yearned for my own classroom and students to teach. I prayed to Heavenly Father. In Romans 8:20 I learned that the Spirit can communicate our feelings to God, so I sent that desire and feeling to him. Later that DAY I got a text message from a friend and former roommate, Lori Dawn Depew, that said "If you or any of your theatre friends are looking for a job, there is an opening in my district!" I got the information and started applying that day, Monday, and finished on Tuesday. On Thursday I got a call from the principal of Falcon Middle School saying that he wanted to interview me the next day. My Mom rearranged her schedule, we went down that night, stayed in a hotel, and went to my interview the next morning. On Monday I was supossed to find out if I got the job or not, but the district had a snow day. The next day, Tuesday, I subbed for my PE teacher at Heath Middle School. On my lunch break I called the school to see if they had hired someone. The secretaries didn't know, so they put me through to the principal, who didn't pick up. I was relieved, but he called me back a few minutes later and told me I was their first choice and that he was waiting to hear back from some of my references. I called my references and at 3:55 I got a call from the District HR representative. I was subbing until 4:05, so I couldn't take the call. She left a message saying that she would leave her office at 4:00 if I could call back before then, or I could call the next morning at 7:00. I called the next morning and she offered me the job.
I had a week and 2 days before I told them I could start. A bunch of little things happened those 9 days and it was a miracle I had a place to live and transportation to get me to and from work every day! I found my path even more "" and I prayed to Heavenly Father, saying, "I know you can perform miracles, and I know you will provide for me. But you're cutting it kind of close this time, aren't you?" He did cut it very close, but he made the deadline, provided me with an apartment I can afford, a car that gets me to where I need to go without costing my left limbs for gas, and a job that could pay my bills and make me a very happy girl.

Teaching middle school has been so fun. I feel like I'm making a difference in my students lives. While no day has been perfect yet and my life continues to be "Shazer", I love every moment of my new life.

I love my students! At the end of school on Friday all the teachers went outside and waved goodbye to the busses as they pulled out. I didn't know about this ritual until I was walking to the office and heard yelling outside. I thought someone had gotten into a fight and went to the window. I understood what was really going on as the last bus left. I was sad because I felt like I didn't get to say goodbye to my students. I finished my trip to the office where I shared my story with Karen, our Administrative Secretary (who, by the way is a miracle worker!). One of the students I have in class was walking thorough and heard my story and very energetically and enthusiastically waved to me and yelled across the office "Bye Miss Stieber!!!!" I wanted to hug him.

In 1 Nephi 11:16 it says about the intwining path: "And we did follow the directions of the ball (the Liahona), which led us in the more fertile parts of the wilderness". My "Shazer" path has been very fertile for me. I learned so much during the time that I didn't have a job and had to sub. I learned that he has a plan for me. His will is more perfect than mine, which is why and how he takes us on the fertile paths. He knows what he's doing, even when all I see is the turns, He is leading me safely through the more fertile paths.