New Year, Same Blog

Here we are. 2018. I'm feeling much more like a human today (seriously, why do you people invite me places?) and figured I'd take a moment to sum up last year. 

 2017 was a whirlwind of triumphs and tragedies. It was a year of moving on and moving forward. Building friendships and reuniting with old friends. It was rough, but it was fun. 

Just as we made it to the year anniversary of losing my stepfather, I had to say goodbye to my beloved Papa. It hurt, losing two men whom I loved dearly within such a close period of time. My family is strong. Resilient. Though we continue to struggle with our grief, I know that our bonds are stronger for it. Sometimes we scatter, but we always find our way back to each other. This year has definitely been hard on us...but I know we'll be okay. 

This year was definitely a time for me to step out of my comfort zone a little bit. In June I traveled to Amish Country (alone, omg) to do a 200-ish mile relay race with ten people I'd never met and one dear online friend. We slept in a van, ran the miles, at the food, and had a lot of fun. Running a Ragnar race wasn't something I even thought I wanted to do, but now I'm ready for another one. 

July led me to Nicaragua with my church to visit a village that we sponsor. It was a week of meeting people, introducing ourselves, listening to their stories, and praying with them. The best part of this trip was the people who helped me get there by their donations and prayers. I was overwhelmed with support from not only my church family, but also people that I work with. 

I'd have to say that the biggest thing I faced this year was buying a house. It was probably the most stressful thing I've ever done, but also the most rewarding. My sister and I have had a great time making our little house a home (even welcoming a crazy new kitten to the mix). This was definitely a triumph of 2017. 

This school year (if you follow this blog at all) has been a challenge each and every day. So many changes happened early on in the year, not to mention the Cat 5 hurricane that put us out of commission for over two weeks. We are slowly but surely getting our groove back in Room 210. I love my job and I know it's a tough one. But, like I always say, it's a good one. 

When I started this blog almost five years ago I didn't really have a purpose or direction with it. Honestly, I still don't. A lot of the times I feel like what I'm writing doesn't make sense to anyone but me. I know that we are all struggling with things: personal, spiritual, physical, work related...I just try my best to share experiences with others and hope that they help someone in the process. There's a lot I don't put out there, and that's okay. (Some people think I put too much out there. Oh, well.) 

I'm looking forward to 2018 and the experiences it holds. I know that there will be ups and downs. There will moments of sadness and hopefully many, many triumphs. I'm also looking forward to sharing those experiences with you, so be prepared. 

This year I'm going focus on my health in many ways: physical, mental, spiritual. There will definitely be struggles. That's just life. I'm here for it, though. 

Happy New Year, friends. Let do this...

...after I finish watching all ten seasons of Smallville. 

Kids. Are. Awesome.

Teaching is hard. Yeah, I’ve said that a million times (hyperbole) in these little posts but sometimes even I forget how true it is. There are so many things that we have to do for the job that sometimes we forget what the job is about: kids.

Lately things have been a whirlwind of testing, meetings, observations, and paperwork. Those things don’t matter, though. Not really. Okay, they matter in terms of staying organized, keeping policy, being prepared, and, of course, doing your job.

I love kids. I love them in a completely non-creepy-oh-they’re-so-cute kind of way, all right? Of course, just because you like kids doesn’t mean you should become a teacher. You become a teacher because you like kids, learning, and being poor. (HAHAHAHA!)

I’m mostly kidding, I do that a lot. However, I do feel (and know) that there is more to teaching than just loving kids. Teaching is a calling. Teaching is not something to be taken lightly. Those who can’t, do not teach. But that calling, that need to make a difference, to continue your own learning every single day…that is fueled by the kids.

Kids. Are. Awesome.

They are tiny little sponges soaking up the knowledge that you have to give them. And, hopefully, you’ve got some. Kids are amazing, resilient little creatures that give you their heart and soul.

Yeah, you. Kids are the most honest things in all the world. Not only do they tell you everything that is wrong about you, but they tell you what’s wrong with them. Sure, it’s not always in a language you understand, but if it were would teaching be so easy?

Oh, hell no.

The ones that need love the most show us in the most unloving ways, right? I can’t tell you how true this is. (Literally, I can’t tell you because I’m sure it’s not allowed or something.) I’ve seen, heard, and lived through so many situations that are absolutely heartbreaking. Kids these days go through things that I could never dream of or wish on my worst enemy (okay, maybe this one person…), but they make it through. They make it through because of people who care. People (hopefully) like teachers.

Teaching is the best job. It’s the best and the hardest, because being a superhero is hard! Our capes are nametags and Expo marker smudges and leftover Peeps in plastic baggies because a kid really likes you. (True story.)

We have to wear our hearts on our sleeves and put on our mean faces and loud voices sometimes, but that’s just how it is! That’s the beauty of teaching. You get to be the good guy and the bad guy! The superhero and the villian! Captain America and the Winter Soldier!

Have you seen this yet? You should. And take me with you.

I might complain about my job: the long hours, the grading, the chatty kiddos…but I love it. There is not one thing in the world I would rather be doing. Okay, unless you read my Facebook status this morning about missing my couch and my books, WHATEVER.

I love my job, and I hope you do, too. I hope you love your kids even when you’ve got on your angry face, even when you’re using your loud voice, even when you’re up to your eyeballs in papers to grade. Because if you love them through all of that, it makes a difference.

You make a difference.

And I like you.

Here’s a fun little kid tidbit from last week:

Boy to girl sitting being him: “Hey, stay away from my butt. I just farted.”

I hope they always make you smile. 

Make Good Choices

Recently I was teaching a lesson on immigration to my second graders and one of my sweet little girls raised her hand and asked a very, uh, poignant question. I use that word because sometimes they say things that really get to me: like a little life lesson or reality check that comes just at the right time.

Teaching is pretty cool, y’all.

So, she raises her hand just after we’d finished talking about naturalization (the process of immigrants becoming citizens) and says:

“But, if people promise to follow the laws, why do they still do bad things?”

Why do they still do bad things?

It took me a moment to answer, because I was a little shocked at the question. It’s fairly early in the year and I’m still getting to know these sweet babies, and sometimes you just don’t expect something that deep from a seven-year-old.

And, trust me, that’s pretty deep for a kid.

In answering her I simply said:

“You know, sometimes people just don’t make good choices.”

It’s all I could manage at the moment, and she simply shrugged and replied with, “Well, that makes a lot of sense.”

Why does that have to make sense? Better yet, why does that have to make sense to a child?

When the shooting happened at Sandy Hook Elementary security around our school changed dramatically: locked doors, inside transitions, a security officer monitoring daily.

The hardest part was the kids, though. Telling them, talking to them, and answering their questions. There are some things that children shouldn’t have to know about or talk about. To me the number one thing is death. It’s hard enough being a kid without having to know that other kids die.

It’s sad that the only explanation we have when something like that happens is that someone made a bad choice.

Then again, aren’t we all just the choices we make?

If that’s true, then can’t we just use some common sense and like, not make a horrible, life-altering decision that will ultimately make everything suck?

I’m pretty sure the answer is “no”. We were given free will and the ability to choose and, as humans, we do our best to screw that up.

Every.

Single.

Day.

As an adult it is difficult to understand the choices that people make, so it threw me off that a child was so easy to accept that answer. I don’t understand how people choose to harm, kill, discourage, insult, and do various other horrible things to another human being.

How is it so easy?

What seriously goes through a person’s mind?

Am I just that naïve to think they life is just easier if you’re nice? (You’re all probably laughing right now because you know what a sarcastic jerk I am, but don’t I at least smile at you in the morning?)

I make a lot of jokes about hating people and pants and only being able to tolerate my cat and people in books, but it’s not really true.

Okay, it’s not that true.

What is true is that doing good things and making good choices does make it easier.

I say it to my students all the time, but sometimes I don’t realize just how great the meaning is.

“Make a good choice.”

Most of the time it’s about walking in line, or recess behavior, or when they go to specials and we’re having a tough day.

Make good choices about your behavior.

Make good choices about your life.

Make good choices about how you treat people.

Make good, do good, be good.

Simple, right?