#Hashtag

I have a little bit of cabin fever. We've been out all week and frankly I'm ready to go back to school. I need people contact and my parents can only handle my repeated stories for so long. Plus, I want to go sledding, another reason I wish I were still in college. Needless to say I have ashamedly spent most of  my snow days on social media. Facebook and instagram are tied for first, but seriously how many versions of snow pictures can one girl want to see. I also have a twitter, but I really don't understand it. I don't know if that means I'm getting old or what. I mean I know how to work it, (I'm not that big of a grandma),  I just don't really understand the point of it. I really just have it for the uber facts.

Now a little more about instagram. I am a user of instagram and I am a big fan of instagram. I get it honest, but I love taking pictures. My friends hate love when I take pictures of them. I recently bought a canon rebel and Nathan asked me if I was going to be one of those people that carry my camera around always taking pictures of people...oh buddy are you in for it. I'm pretty sure I have more pictures of Drew and Erin together, than they do of themselves...they will thank me later for all the hardship. Basically I love pictures, they create memories and capture sweet moments. However, instagram has gotten a little crazy if you ask me. Yes, I will say I have fallen victim to the "this is my lunch" picture, but I have not...and will not, fall victim to selfies.

Speaking of selfies...

#selfieSunday

We all know that wasn't the first picture you took, you probably spent the majority of your Sunday afternoon practicing your duck lips...oh the duck lips. I think there should be  rules for #selfieSunday...you may post a selife if
 1. it was the first picture you took..no deletes.
2. you are actually doing something cool, say climbing Mount Everest or meeting Peyton Manning.
3. no duck lips
4. You can't be napping...if you were napping it wouldn't be a selfie
5. If you say "just woke up/going to bed" you are not allowed to have your hair straightened and combed and full makeup on.. we all know you're lying

 #mcm

I really don't get this one either. I won't say all, but most boys don't even have an instagram, nor do they have the desire to have an instagam. Even if they did, it really isn't going to make their day if you put a picture of them on instagram saying that he is your #MCM. Let's get real, if you're dating him I'm pretty sure he knows that he is your man crush for Monday. If you don't have a significant other, you're posting pictures of celebrities for #mcm which is a little bit weird  if you ask me. Now I won't be the last to admit I don't have my own celebrity crush...Cory Matthews forever and always. However, I'm not gonna post it on instagram...please,I would rather see a picture of your hot chocolate on this snowy day.

#transformationTuesday

Just another excuse for somebody to post a selfie, which we all know you spent hours on getting. For example, for those of you who were home all day yesterday, we know what you did. Who showers and gets full faced ready on snow days, other than the #transformationTuesday people. You got up and got dressed so you could have a rockin' selfie for #transformationTuesday. Plus, you found the cutest picture of you in the world (nobody brings out the awkward braces/straight across bangs for the #transformationTuesday pic) and used it. Then you say "thank goodness for change"... that comment is not allowed unless it is from your awkward middle school years.

#wcw

Okay, as stated above...the majority of men don't own an instagram. I'm pretty sure they aren't going to want to post a picture of their woman for other men to see, men are a little bit smarter than you give them credit for. Since mostly woman have instagram...it's just weird if you post a #wcw.

#throwbackThursday

How is this any different than Tuesday? Or does this not inclued selfies? I would say that you are allowed to hashtag a photo as #throwbackThursday only if it actually happened over five years ago. You can't throw it back to last week. Just because it happened in the past doesn't mean it is worthy for #throwbackThursday

#flashbackFriday

Does anybody else feel like the instagram world needs a little bit more orginality?

What about poor Saturday, how come Saturday doesn't get a hashtag?

The Life of a First Year Teacher

When I was student teaching I was often warned that I would be crying a lot during my first year teaching. I'm not really one that cries often. I tell my boyfriend that I'm too tough to cry. I haven't cried much this year, depending on what your opinion on "much" is, but it has been a year of lessons. I noticed an article about teaching floating around on facebook and decided to check it out...and boy did it hit the nail on the head for me. Here is a link if you would like to read: teach

People ask me how school is going all the time, and most of the time my response is "it's going", because well let’s be honest...it is going...about 189 million miles a minute. I remember working at Food City and counting down the minutes until I got off. Now as a teacher the 7 hour school day feels like 7 minutes....literally. I am a very fast paced person (if you have ever stood beside me as I told a story you understand) ...I'm a horribly slow runner, but I am just in constant motion...all the time. I feel like I am running circles around myself all day long trying to get to everything I have planned  done and meanwhile disciplining, tending to bloody noses, and leading a chorus of the" Long OOOOO" song. When is there time to get anything done?  I'm not saying that my life is overly jam packed because I don't have many other responsibilities...say like a human being like other teachers have outside of school. Still, there is so much pressure to get done what needs to get done in that 7 hours each day. How am I going to get through everything they need to know? If anyone has the answer to this question...please give me a call. 

As the article reminded me of what I already know, they probably won't remember the card stock I got for Christmas that makes their center materials more durable(true story, I thought they would be as excited as me). They aren't going to remember the cute "We're smitten for learning" bulletin board. They aren't going to remember that I have all my books separated by theme/category in my classroom library for easy access...they are going to remember me. They are going to remember if I cared. They are going to remember who I was as a person. They are going to remember if I was compassionate, real, and caring. That is what they are going to remember. Let's face it...that is what I remember. I don't remember any of the assignments or bulletin boards that I had. I do remember a teacher playing kickball with us, I do remember a teacher hugging me and telling me it was going to be ok after I got my feelings hurt. I do remember a teacher telling the girls in my classroom to go out in the hall and workout our girl drama. Those are the things I remember, so why wouldn't it be the things my students will remember? 

It sounds easy. The article should motivate me to just be that type of teacher, the teacher that focuses on her students, teaching them real lessons in life. Loving them and truly showing them Jesus. However, it isn't easy. Like the article states there are constant pressure looming around me everywhere. Listening to the other teachers talk about what they are doing, seeing how well they have it together when I can't seem to get anything together. The pressures of the standards I have to follow and the standards I have to live up to as a teacher who really has no idea what she is doing. The pressures of what I say to them can make a difference in their lives, both good and bad. 

Yes I strive for excellence. I was taught to be that way, and I know most teachers are doing the same. I know nobody likes to fail, but who wants to fail a group of 7 year olds. I don't want to fail them academically. I want them to be ready like no other class has been ready for second grade. I want them to all be reading on or above grade level. I want them to add and subtract like no other. I want them to be able to write well  and understand what main idea is (even though I have a  hard time with it myself). I want them to know all of this, because well that is my job. I want them to be mentally and emotionally ready for the next stop (2nd Grade), but what if they aren't. If they aren't ready, whose fault is it but mine?  I've written a similar blog about this already, but the pressures never really stop. 

I really am trying harder this semester to do better. By do better I am not just speaking of being a better teacher, but doing better of just worrying about doing my own best. I am a first year teacher, and I can't compare myself to the teacher down the hall who has been doing it for ten years. I can't even compare myself to any other first year teacher, because just like my students are different. I am different from other teachers. Like I try to tell my students, I have strengths and weaknesses (many weaknesses) and that is ok. I can only do my own best. I am probably going to fail ( I already have in many ways), but I guess the lesson that I can teach my students this year is that you have to keep going, you have to keep trying. Even if you feel like you have totally butchered the lesson, you have to get up and try it again. You have to give it your all and sometimes it may not be the best, but that is ok. Most importantly the article reminded me that I have an opportunity to impact my students. I hope that I can impact them in many positive ways even when I feel that I am failing miserably at teaching them main idea. 

Wordless Wednesday-anchor chart

My Faithful Reader: Aimee

It is hard to believe that four years ago I was begining my second semester at ETSU, that makes me for real old. I would give about anything to go back to that time in my life. I wasn't a big fan of high school, but I loved my time in college. I believe that one of the reasons I loved college so much was because of the people God let me come in contact with. I made friends through preview at ETSU (including randomly being placed in the same group as Allison Williams from State Youth Council) that developed as college when on. Those friendships grew into deeper relations and deeper in number because of my invovlement with The Well. I knew that being in college would be difficult for many reasons. I knew that after being so invovled in youth and youth activities that I needed to get involved in something quickly. Through great outreach I was able to find The Well. I got more involved with The Well  through my freshman bible study called Class 13'. I wasn't placed in a group with any of the friends that I had made yet, but I was still excited to begin my weekly bible study with a group of girls. I was placed in a group with Aimee. I only remember meeting Aimee one time before that and it was through a freshman outreach event and I road in her car. Who knew that four years later this girl would have such an impact on my faith. We ate lots of starburst, cookies, and grapes that year  in bible study. We also took lots of funny pictures in her kitchen and played many games of telephone pictionary (I recently taught my sunday school class at a Christmas party and it was a hoot). Best of all, we dug into the word, and I learned a lot that semester. Having that weekly bible study allowed me to stay grounded through a new chapter in my life. It gave me accountablity and most of all it gave me a place where I felt welcomed and excited to be. Aimee was an example to us by her faith and leadeship. As the semester ended I was longing to grow deeper, but didn't really know where to start. I had already turned in an application for the ministry team for The Well but wanted more opportunitites to continue to grow in Christ. 

That summer our bible study group decided to continue "meeting" throughout the summer. We read through "Crazy Love" together and communicated through a thread on facebook. Even though we weren't meeting it was neat to learn from each other as we studied on our own  times. As the semester began Aimee and I began meeting weekly during the day. We studied different characters in the bible and read through scripture. We met one-on-one or with Jillian and/or Chelsea for the entire semester. We also began to meet weekly or bi-weekly my Junior year.  It was really neat to see  how much I learned through this time. She didn't pull some amazing devotional or anything like that. She was just vulernarable with me and taught me God's word. I catch myself sometimes saying "Aimee taught me this.." or "Aimee and I read this" or "I learned this..from Aimee". Aimee is just an ordinary girl like me who chose to pour into me during my college years, but because of her efforts my faith was impacted in many ways. She taught me how to study His word and she taught me how to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. She also taught me that sometimes the smallest gestures make great impacts. Aimee did lots of little things at The Well thought often went unoticed. Aimee has a gift of service. She really knows how to brighten other peoples days in small ways. After I moved back home from school and during a difficult time, Aimee sent me a care pacakge. It wasn't anything "major" and I know in her eyes it wasn't that big of a deal, but that package made my day and made it even better to know that someone was praying for me. Aimee taught me what being a servant of Christ really meant in our normal day to day lives. She actually goes through with what many of us have good itentions of doing, and that is what makes her so special. 

Aimee called me about a year ago to tell me that she was going to be going to England to work with a mission organization and being worknig on  a college campus over there. I was so excited for this opportunity for her.I knew that God had something special in her, because I believe that I am an example of God's work through her life. She is leaving England soon and I am so excited to see the impacts of God's works through Aimee while she is there. I will miss her, but I know I can keep up with her through her blog. So thank you Aimee for the impact you have made not only in my faith but on my life. 

Last meal at Jack's together! So many memories of trips for yummy cake!

Two examples of the impact Aimee has made during her time with The Well. 

Aimee supporting me four years later at graduation. 

Three of her first "girls". 

Freshman Year

       

Sophomore Year

Junior Year

   

           

Senior Year

Year in Review 2013

There were many changes this past year and here are some highlights of year 2013.

January

In January I began student teaching with a great mentor and teaching team. I also got to student teach right next door to Erin!

I also bought a new car and said bye bye to Bertha!

February 

Nothing too exciting happened, but I was reminded of what great friends I had! 

March 

 I got to go to my tenth youth convention with the youth group from my church. 

I got to spend spring break and  Easter with my brother and his family

April 

I finished student teaching in kindergarten and finished up the last couple weeks in a fourth grade classroom. I had a great student teaching experience and really enjoyed my semester where I was placed. 

I went to an awesome concert put on by Train (my last ETSU concert as a student :( so sad ). I spent the night eating dinner, going to the concert, and getting dessert with my three best friends.

May

So much happened in May. It marked the beginnings of a new chapter and the end of another chapter. College ended and it was bittersweet. I was excited and scared about the new season of life, but I loved college. I made lifelong friends and really enjoyed my college expereince. I grew a lot in my faith because of my involvemnet with The Well and I already miss college like crazy.

After graduation I began applying for jobs and visiting schools. I interviewed for a first grade position and found out that I had been offered the postion while I was at church camp. A fellow camp/teacher friend was able to capture my reaction shortly after I heard the good news. 

June

In June I helped with Junior Camp and Junior High Camp at Camp Greene. I was able to lead conferences at each of the camps plus have two great groups of girls. 

Nathan and I finally became an official couple, going steady, facebook official, boyfriend/girlfriend, courting, or whatever you wanna call it!

July 

In July I went to the beach with three of my best friends and we had a blast. It was a week of games, adventures with birds, nutella, crab legs, and fun!

I worked my last day at Food City where I worked throughout my whole time in college. I also cut my finger open on my last day. 

August

In August I started my new job as a first grade teacher and was in my best friends wedding!

September 

In September I went to Fall Retreat with the youth group. I hadn't been to Fall Retreat since high school and I was excited to go back. Erin and I along with another male counselor were the ones in charge until our youth pastor got there late that morning on Friday. I had to be a co-pilot on the way to the retreat and got us there safely. (Nathan is a good direction giver) I've always loved retreat and even though it was really rainy Saturday it was still a good weekend with great kids, plus I got to see Nathan since he worked there. 

 October 

I was a counselor at Children's Fall Retreat at Camp Greene and also lost a thumb nail.

November 

My brother got married and I got to be a bridesmaid.

December 

I was able to spend Christmas with my entire family and play lots of games full of friendly competition.