Justine's Joy and Jumbles

  Study Unit 5................I can do it!!! Almost there I can do it, almost there I can do it, almost there I can do it.....I have been repeating this mantra in my head nonstop for the last 2 weeks.......what a ride this second semester has been!  I must say, this is the most excited I have ever been for the semester to come to a close.  I wake up really early in the morning to get some study work in before  the rest of the family are awake and in need of my attention, and I can honestly say that I absolutely love the quiet early mornings in front of my laptop.  There is just something so beautiful about that time of day and the stillness that accompanies it.  That being said.....I think  that I will carry on with the early mornings throughout the holiday......maybe I will take up something creative in the form of artwork to do in that time.  I cant wait!  In the meantime, let me answer my blogging questions :) I think that the possible rea...

  Study Unit 4..........Hey, hey! The last time that I wrote my blog, I was in the middle of a very hard, stressful and emotional two weeks. This week........I AM BACK!!  I am feeling a million times better and more relaxed.  The workload has not lessened but it is spread out more evenly again, and also I have just spent four glorious days in Cape Town  with my family........its definitely the little things that count the most.  This week I have been able to pace myself well, so would say that things are feeling pretty good with regards to my studies. I must admit, I think that this study unit was my favorite......I love to find out different ways to make learning integrated, fun, and something that children look forward to,,,,,things that trick them into learning without them even realising that, that is what they are doing.  I really loved the videos of the teachers using music as a tool to teach maths and syllables at the same time, and I was so motivate...

  Study Unit 3.......................Whew!! How did we get here so fast? Gosh, the days are flying by, but they are dragging as well....how is it even possible for time to both move fast and stand still? They do say that time is relative, and a man made concept......Interesting, and once again a story for another, completely different blog. This week has been a special kind of stressful and an extremely emotional  one. I am the leader of my WIL group and in this week alone, we have had a member who's 3 month old baby is in hospital, a member who's mother passed away and a member who was involved in a serious car accident.  Then to top it all off, my daughter has a friend who lost her 3 year old baby sister in a car accident on Tuesday.  How can there be so much sadness at one time? The death of the little girl has been exceptionally painful for me, and has made me feel even more grateful and blessed to be able to hold my children in my arms. But it has also been my b...

Study Unit 2................Yeah! So I have heard / read that it is important to be able to hype yourself up.......hence the title ;) To be very honest, I am taking any kind of good energy from wherever I can get it because, I really need it right now.  Man! This semester feels tough, it feels like my to do list is never ending and every time I complete a task and delete it off my list (my favorite part of making the list, btw), that list is just not getting any shorter.......where is the "I am exhausted and cant go on" emoji when you need it??? Breathe Justine, just breathe......you can do it! This week has been hectic and the things that have inhibited my learning are things that I cant escape, such as work, and not enough hours in the day.  I have felt overwhelmed and stressed out, not feelings that I like to sit with.  I know that its part of the package, but it can feel very daunting sometimes. But.......no more moaning, I am just going to buckle down and g...

  Study Unit 1 Whaaaaat? Part 1 My week has been good so far......quiet.....just the way that I like it. I am feeling pretty stressed out though. School has broken up for my girls, and so we are all at aftercare for  most of the holiday, and I am still working.......next week I am on leave, and I would love to spend huge amounts of time with my girls but that wont be possible because I will be spending most of my time doing my study work. Don't get me wrong.......I am enjoying my studies, and I knew that this would be the price that I would have to pay to be a student, and this is just how it has to be for a few years, and hopefully my girls will see the benefits of hard work.......but, sometimes the mom guilt can be really bad. I must admit that, as per the start of every semester, I am feeling very overwhelmed......I never feel as though I am doing enough or like I have enough time.....any other moms reading this and feeling the same? Raise your hand....I feel you sister! An...

 Hey there! Thanks for coming to my blog.....I am going to try to keep this as interesting as possible :)  Who am I? Wow, that is a deep question........Dont worry, I wont be diving in that deep.....no, that will have to be a whole other blog at a whole other time...Im going to let you know a small bit about me, just a scraping off the top....just so that you can get a general outline ;) I am Justine McAlpine, and I hail from a small town on the East Rand called Springs. Did you know that most adults live within 30km from where they were born? I live in Benoni now :) I am an older student, so that would make me 40 years old on the 23rd of September. I wont be having a party.....I am mostly an introvert, except when I am at work, then I am an extrovert.....I don't get it either! I have a handsome husband, and two beautiful girls who keep life exciting! I work at a school aftercare and I love it! I want to be a foundation phase teacher because this is the stage of a child's life...