surprise.

today, i was passing out papers to get started on practicing for our midterms.

students are not allowed to talk in my class, but all of a sudden i had one start like he was leading a cheer!!

no instead, he was leading the class into singing me happy birthday.


i love my students. sweet, precious students. 

100 days.

Today is 100 days since I have married matthew :) 

100 beautiful days.

life changing days.

loving, wonderful days.

oh to spend 100 more? nah, tens of thousands.

<3

West Texas

With teaching, there are plenty of bad days. Days that you wonder why you even decided to become a teacher.. There are times when you wonder if you should go back to school and do whatever you thought you should've done first.

I've been there a few times, but overall I have always loved it by the end of the day..or week. :)

When I have those bad days, I usually think about West Texas.

Oh, how I love. love. love west texas. All the fresh air it brings. It is truly relaxing to me.

I went to West Texas in the spring of 2010 coming off what I consider to be one of the worst years of my entire life. I lost my best friend Jonah that previous year, and his mother just a couple weeks before the trip. West Texas, well I was worried, but extremely ready to get away. While in West Texas, we climbed a mountain. Well, what I consider a mountain which is anything considering I am in Louisiana.

After an entire year of solid no emotions, insomnia, depression, and counseling, when I reached the top of the mountain I felt peace. For the first time, I felt strength. Emotions I had not felt in an entire year, happiness---I finally felt.

So, those days when I feel that I cannot go another day or that I am doing the wrong job, I just think of west texas. and I think of the indescribable hope, peace, and joy that it brings me.

life.

ah, life.

It is SO busy at times. I feel like I meet myself coming!

School has gotten so much better (hope I am not jinxing myself by typing this) since the beginning of the year! I am enjoying ALL of my classes now and truly can say that I love those juniors. They are just a whole class of fun all day long. Each class is definitely unique and individual on their own; there is no way to pick just one favorite! :)

Sometimes I wonder if students know just how much teachers care about them.

As for things besides school, I miss my family dearly. I miss having friends. But, I think those are just things that happen when you grow up and get married. People i guess think that you are too busy for them? I guess it just happens as you go through life.

Don't get me wrong. I love my husband, and I throughly enjoy life with him. He truly is the best in the world. I appreciate the fact that he understands when I am way too tired to do anything or if I have a headache he understands. I could write ten thousand words describing my feelings for him, but I may save that for another time ;)

So, being content in that fact I believe is a good idea. I know friends are definitely not forever and that they come and go; I guess I just did not realize how quickly just because you decide to grow up. But, its okay. That's life, and it's the days of teaching. 

sis-in-law

 niecey & sissy

 brudder & me

 my <3

falling behind?

ugh, there are not enough hours in the day!

I feel like i am constantly falling behind. There's never enough time to grade papers, create wonderful exciting lessons, and spend time with family & friends. Does anyone else feel this way? Or am I alone in this? Is this "newbie teacher problems" or what?

Hopefully I will be able to catch up, but I have never seemed to have this problem last year so whats up? Maybe I am not in the routine of things. Who knows.

On a side note, today was possibly one of the worst days I have had teaching or at least in the top 10 :)
Despite all the ups and downs, I did get to see the world through one of my student's eyes today. What she has experienced so far in life is way beyond what I have words to comfort her for. I applaud students like her for making it as far as she has in life. I know I probably have those type students a dime a dozen, but very rarely do I get to actually hear and see it.

It way a light in the middle of the darkness today. Quite literally :) 

Learning

School has started maybe more quickly than I wanted, but I am now in my 2nd week of school. Fortunately, my wish for "just one more week off and i'll be okay" was granted this week when lovely hurricane isaac decided to grace ourselves with his presence.  (well, actually he never came) 

But, either way I have another school week off which will be very nice for me.

So far, the school year has started off a bit rocky. I guess as a teacher you think you learn it all after some period of time, but I am seeing that it is definitely not the case. This school year is quite more challenging than last year. Well, I dont know if I would say more challenging or just different challenges that I am facing this go around. 

One thing I do know for sure is that I am learning that you never do quit learning. There is always some new student who challenges your wonderfully typed five page classroom management plan or the one who forces you to go back to the books to analyze a piece of literature in a different light. However, whomever the student or whatever the challenge they present to me, I am a better teacher and a better person for it.

As for my personal life, I feel like I am learning many lessons as well. How many friends do you truly have after you get married? How do you communicate with your partner? How do you balance each others lives and needs? Is who I am as a person just disappearing? How do I make my opinion be heard? How do I balance life, work, home, family? Who really cares; who really doesnt? Of course, I do not have all the answers to these questions but I am learning. Its all in the days of teaching right?

Why hello there?!

Summer, ah.

I've never liked summer.

When I was younger, I always disliked summer time. 

My thighs were too fat, its way to hot outside, I didn't see any of my friends because I lived so far away.

Now I am older, and wiser too.

I freaking love summer.

Why do you have to leave me?

Tomorrow I begin work...

2nd year of teaching--commence! 

But summer, why do you have to end so soon?