following directions

Last spring, I ended up in the ER one night after having some chest pains.  They were every 10 seconds or so and just wouldn't go away.  That probably wouldn't alarm most 24 year olds, but when you never had the chance to meet or know your dad's mom because she died of a heart attack in the shower at age 52...it's something that know you need to get checked out.

I had never been in an x-ray room before, but that's beside the point.  I walked into the room for a chest x-ray.  The tech was on one side of the room and I was on the other.  The x-ray machine was facing him, and he said, "chest on the wall."  & I stood blankly at him, with my back to the wall (instead of the facing the wall, like he had asked me to do).  He said it again, "chest on the wall" and I continued to just stand there looking at him, like "let's do this"...thinking about what he had just said in my head.  Granted, it was midnight by this time...but it finally hit me and I quickly turned around so that my chest was against the wall like he had asked me to do the first time.  I was obviously super embarrassed at my ability to follow simple direction and apologized for my mindlessness.  Luckily he wasn't super annoyed and just laughed it off. 

It made me step back and realize, that as a teacher...I spend majority of my time telling kids what to do.  Rarely is someone telling me what to do.  I realized that maybe I'm not so good at following directions and it's definitely something I need to work on!  

Since then, my listening skills have improved, but I've still got room to grow. I'm just thankful that I was made aware of one of my many flaws, so that I can take the steps to move forward and fix it.  It's hard to ever fix a problem when you don't even know about it.

I always get so frustrated when my students "don't listen" or "don't follow directions" that are "right on their paper".   And oh...having to repeat myself 15 million times.  That's super annoying.  Especially when one kid asks a question, and I answer.  Then not 2 seconds later a different kid asks the same question!

Saturday, I was in class at local University all day.  I forgot how exhausting it can be to be a student for the day!  Sitting in a chair, listening to instruction and new information all.day.long. can wear you out!  Physically and mentally!  There were often times during a lab, my partner and I would do something wrong, or have to ask a certain question...when oh, if we would have just read the instructions, our question would have been answered, without having to ask the instructor.  How annoying that I did the exact same thing that I get annoyed by my students for doing on a daily basis?

So many times the things that other people do that get on our nerves, are our biggest flaws.  OUCH right?  So...if you find yourself being annoyed or put out by someone else's actions, I challenge you to step back and ask yourself if you are guilty of doing the exact same.  I obviously was.  

I now find myself giving my students a little more grace in the classroom when it comes to "following directions"--because doing that all day long can make obviously make one exhausted and completely worn out!

I still have a lot to learn as a teacher, but I'm thankful I not only get to teach, but that I also get to learn on a daily basis. 

{semi} dream job

today was day two on the {semi} big girl job.  i've known i was going to long term sub for a while now, almost since i started my internship in august.  i just always wondered if something was going to happen or if it was going to fall thru, or if i wasn't going to be "good enough".  i don't know why, but i guess that first "job" is just always a scary thing--especially in the middle of the year, during the semi-middle of the semester...in a classroom that's not even yours!  it's whole other level of responsibility i feel like.  i was going to be coming in for seven weeks, and then leaving it back up to the "real" teacher after that.

i had psyched myself out about not doing things "right" or doing things the way the real teacher does them, and the kids not "liking" me because i just did things "different"...but since when have i cared about that very much!?  :P  but i had to get over that...and i am so thankful that i did.  i am also so thankful for this opportunity and so blessed by the school i am at and getting to be apart of.  yesterday and today couldn't have gone any better than planned.

not many people get the opportunity i have right now, so i am trying to soak it all up and learn as much as possible (and that's already been ALOT in the past two days...in a good way!)  it's been so sweet to have teachers from my old hall come say hello.  so thankful they are just as happy for me as i am.

i am no longer psyching myself out, or giving myself anxiety over this long term sub position because i've got this!  this was what i was made and trained to do!  the last two days (or even yesterday as i was leaving), again i was reminded that i was exactly where i'm supposed to be.  i just feel so in my element and am so thankful that i found and made the right career choice the first time around before it was too late.  growing up, i never wanted to be a teacher because "my mom was a teacher", but i was letting that get in the way of what/who i really needed to be.  now, i am so thankful that i "get to" be just like my mom...because as i've gotten older, i've realized that that's not such a bad thing!  ;)

Our First Day of School!

Today R & I both started new schools!  I started my Internship I & he started at Snuggle Bug!  I couldn't be happier with either one of our situations!  On days I have my Internship, my alarm goes off at 5:00 am & I have to wake R up at 6:15 to get him up & ready & to my parent's so that my dad can take him to school so that I can be on the road by 7!  Yes...it's tiring, but we are working on it!

Sweet boy was in a GREAT mood for 6:30 in the morning!  The day we have been talking about for MONTHS now was FINALLY here!  He was so excited, & I honestly didn't worry an ounce about him & his first day!

I told him to "freeze" & this is what he did!  Ha!

First day of school!!

Poppy & R have a Monday morning Chick-Fil-A date & I am kinda jealous!  Dad said they were the only ones in there this am!

So proud of this sweet boy!!

Just a little fun comparison from last year!  It all goes by SO fast!  I can't even believe!  

I had a GREAT day at Pine Forest.  I love the school, my mentor, & my students!  It made me even more excited and READY to have my own classroom in a few short years!  I am looking forward to this semester so much!

R had a great day at Snuggle Bug as well!  When I got there to pick him up he was in the backyard playing on the jungle gym, rolling a ball down the slide.  He saw me & came running to the gate saying my name!  I went in & met him...his caterpillar was on green all day long so he got to put a sticker on his chart, & get a treat out of the treat jar!  We got his shoes & things rounded up & headed home!  I am seriously SO thankful for such a wonderful place & it's only day one!  As we were leaving, he said, "When can I come back again mom?"

He also told me tonight that Mr. Jerry told them all to sit on a letter & sit like this...{& he tried to sit Indian style}...I had to help him a little bit ;) but I know he'll get it soon!  I can't wait for all the things he is going to learn this year!