(No) Labor Day

What a gorgeous day! It's been so muggy lately, and I'm finally relaxing with the windows open. It's especially nice to enjoy a lounging Sunday after a day of college football festivities yesterday. Finally, it's starting to feel like fall.

My weekend began after a pretty great week at school. I'm thoroughly enjoying my new schedule filled with new classes and students. I'm still adapting to new procedures, but it truly feels like I have been teaching these kids for weeks. We are getting to know one another, and it reminds me that my job is awesome. Friday night after volleyball practice, I went to the football game with a friend. I am working on getting to know people and immersing myself in the community.

As I mentioned, I watched football with a bunch of friends yesterday. It was a long day, but we had a pretty good time; however, I woke up feeling tired -- both emotionally and physically. I made my way home and decided to go for a run to clear my mind. I started thinking about how important it is to take time to be alone and still. If I take a certain loop on my run, I end up under a tree overlooking the golf course. It's the perfect spot to pray and just soak it all in. Today, I especially needed to think a few things through.

On this Labor Day weekend, it's important that we all relax and enjoy moments of stillness.

Back At It

I have successfully completed my first week of school! It's difficult putting all of my emotions into words. When anyone asked me how things went, my simple response has been, "I think really well." Pretty vague, huh?!?

As you can imagine, the week was quite busy between the kids being back in the classroom and coaching volleyball. It's made it hard to chat with my friends on the phone, but when I finally had the chance to talk to my best friend on Friday night, I could feel her smiling through the phone. She said she was happy knowing that I am busy and happy. She went on to say, "I just know you're in the right place." After thinking more about that today, I couldn't have said it better myself.

I have been welcomed by my new district with open arms. People have offered advice and gone out of their way to make me feel at home. My confidence in the classroom has sky-rocketted. I wanted to come in to this year firm, yet still fun. As many teachers will tell you, this is one of the hardest part of our job (at least I think). If you control the behavior issues, the focus can be on the content. Speaking of content, I'm so excited for my new classes and curriculum. This is my first time with block scheduling, and I think I will really like it. We have so much more time to read, write, discuss. We don't have to rush, and in English, this is more important than you might think. We can give justice to the piece of literature being study. We can spend time perfecting the writing process. It's awesome.

More than anything, it feels amazing to be in the classroom again. Over the summer, it's easy to lose sight of my purpose. I feel alive again when I'm teaching. It's wonderful to be back at it.

The Blame Game

It's so easy to place blame on someone else. The past few days have been spent preparing for the upcoming school year. I've visited with colleagues, written lesson plans, and sat in a few a lot of meetings. The administration has put together inspirational chats and videos, we've talked about procedures, and gotten to know each other. Overall, it has been a lot, but it's necessary.

On one of the first days of professional development, my superintendent talked about placing blame on other people. If something goes wrong in our classrooms or even in the district, it's easy to start pointing fingers. All the students weren't proficient in reading (nearly impossible), so we look to the 1st grade team. Joe Shmoe can't figure out an algebraic equation, and we begin to wonder what is happening in the junior high classrooms. Obviously, it can't by my fault.

What if instead of placing blame, we took responsibility? Even further, what if we addressed the issue and tried to make it better. I read a devotion this morning from Debbie Griffith. She talked about blaming and how we often follow up apologies with a BUT. "I'm sorry, BUT you really upset me." By adding the BUT, we don't even hear the apology, mostly because it loses it's meaning. What if we stopped right after the apology? "I'm sorry."

This "blame game" is toxic. Pointing a finger at someone else doesn't make the problems go away. It doesn't make me feel better. We are imperfect sinners. God forgives us, and we need to do the same for those around us.

This Is Why I Teach

I couldn't have said it better myself...

This Is Why I Teach by Grete DeAngelo

Trust New Beginnings

Tomorrow is my first day of school... at least for teachers. We have about a week of professional development before the kids come next Wednesday. My emotions are all over the place tonight Mostly, I'm excited, but also nervous and anxious about all of the changes. There will be new procedures to learn, lots of new names to memorize, and getting back into a routine takes time. Deciding to help coach volleyball has been great. I have been able to meet kids and be a part of the school before the school year even begins. I can already tell that this school is going to be a great fit for me. I'm excited to teach a new group of kids.

While my mind feels like it's all over the place, I have decided to trust new beginnings.

Tomorrow I will start something new. I will embrace each moment, live each day as it comes, and enjoy that God has placed me here. I know it's all for a reason, and I'm excited for the magic that will come in this new beginning. Wish me luck!

Teacher Goals

With the first day of school only days away, I've been thinking about growth and goal-setting. It's common for teachers to ask students to set goals for the year, but I started wondering if teachers are doing the same thing. Personally, I have ideas floating around in my head, but I don't think I've ever written them down. I have high hopes for the year. I feel stronger and more confident in my teaching abilities, and I hope that shows as I step into the classroom.

In many ways, I'm starting fresh -- new district, new classes, new students, new faculty. All of the "newness" is a little overwhelming, but it's also refreshing. I know the areas that I need to improve as a teacher. It's up to me to set goals, and more importantly, become a stronger teacher. 

So, what do I want for this year? 

-- A Rigorous Classroom. This begins with knowing content inside and out. It takes work, but it's important to feel as though I have mastery in my field in order to expect my students to grasp what I am teaching. This will probably be my biggest challenge because the English/Language Arts field is vast. 

-- To Help Students Find a Voice. I always talk about giving students a chance to tell their story, but it's more than that. By telling their stories, they are able to find a voice. They are given a chance to figure out who they are and who they want to become. 

-- To Build Relationships. I want my students to feel comfortable and safe in my classroom. I realize as a teacher, I am more than the person that grades their papers. I am a mentor, which is both exciting and scary. It's always been my favorite part of teaching; however, there is a lot of pressure holding the title of "teacher."

-- To Inspire. I love learning and have a thirst to find out more. I want to inspire my students to feel the same way. I want them to get excited about learning (a tall order to fill -- especially at the secondary level). 

-- To Balance School and Personal Life. I didn't do a very good job of this last year. I need to be a teacher, but I also need to be a person. I deserve to build relationships outside of school. I need a better balance, and I'm hoping my location allows for this. 

That seems like a lot, but I'm motivated. With a lot of prayers and a good attitude, I believe this is possible. Happy weekend!!

A Part of Something Beautiful

Yesterday, the school that I've taught at for the last two years won the state baseball championship. It was a very special moment for the boys, coaches, school, and communities. It was special for many reasons. The team finished a perfect season (36-0) on a perfect summer day at Principal Park. The crowd sported blue and white and shouted as the boys battled for the title they've been dreaming of all season. Last summer, one of their teammates was killed in a car accident. They vowed to be the first team in the school's history to win state in his honor while his twin brother wore his number proudly. As the team celebrated on the field, it was hard not to get a little choked up. So awesome. I was so happy to be a part of something so beautiful.

I'm sure the boys are still pinching themselves this morning. As their teacher for the last two years, I couldn't be more proud. Not just of the boys, but the fans from communities all around. People believed in the boys, and they proved everyone right. They worked hard, showed character on and off the field -- something that is hard to find. With the help of an amazing coaching staff, they were able to build a talented team that will never be replaced. Something beautiful.

This morning, I realized it's all bittersweet. While the people at my old school are still celebrating, I've realized that was my "last" with that district. Will I go back? Who knows. Will I keep in contact with teachers and students? Probably. This week I begin a new journey at a new district. I am anxious to begin but also feeling a little nervous. I'm thankful for being a part of something so beautiful yesterday, and I'm looking forward to building those moments in the future.

Author Reading

My sister and I attended our first "Author Reading" at a local book store. The author, Heather Gudenkauf, has been one of my favorites for quite a while. As an Iowa native, her stories evolve in small towns around the state. Not only are her novels captivating, she has a way of making me feel like the characters are my best friends. When reading her novels, I find myself in a constant struggle between wanting to savor the words and needing to know the ending. Needless to say, I completed her most recent book in one day. I just couldn't stop. 

Just like her novels, I was captivated by her words as she spoke freely about her background as a reader and writer. I felt like I could really connect with her. She is an educator and discussed the importance of teaching kids to love to read. Having books of all genres at their disposal can make a huge difference. Being a reader is imperative in order to be a writer. 

She also talked about the writing process and characterization. She develops characters first -- it's almost as if they become real people to her. Then, the story follows. I found this information both interesting and helpful. I am excited to take this into the classroom as I teach Creative Writing in just a few weeks. 

It was a great experience to attend an "Author Reading." I would encourage anyone to find time to do so. It's given me a creative boost as I head into a new school year!

Hiding Behind Words

Writing can be challenging and even problematic at times. As a person that enjoys writing, it's easier for me to put my words down on paper before I speak. It's easier to articulate. I'm able to erase, change, and rearrange. This flexibility makes writing a blessing and a curse. It's hard to find "perfection" when given the ability to continue changing.

There is also the problem of a ghost writer. Are there more people behind the name that is stamped on the piece of writing? I remember sitting around with my girlfriends contemplating how I should respond to a text I was about to send to a guy. We twisted words and phrases in order to make sure it was just perfect. After all, we wouldn't want the receiver to get the wrong idea. I always wondered if guys did that too; my guess would be no.

In the digitally-charged world that we live in, it's easy to hide behind words. We can send a text rather than call. We can write an email instead of talking face-to-face. It's getting harder to know when it's appropriate to communicate in certain ways. Sometimes it's obvious (don't break-up over a text). Other times it's more difficult (call if you have a person issue to discuss). Now, I'm not the etiquette queen, but I do think we need to be a little bit more considerate when communicating about personal issues. It's easy to hide behind words. But, do we want to sacrifice someone's feelings just because it's "too hard" to have a conversation face-to-face? If you ask me, it's cowardly. Instead of hiding behind words, consider others. Consider how you come across in an email. After all, what isn't personal to you may be to someone else.