Lessons learned

With all the newness that comes with student teaching, so too comes a need for lots of reflection. There is so much to learn.

About the "failure leads to success" outlook...remember that? Yeah, it's really necessary. Without the positive, the negatives can really bring ya down. I make mistakes like Betty Crocker makes cakes.

There is always something to improve on. But, the good news is, there will always be something that you can do better. Even after teaching for 10 years, 20 years, 40 years. Yep.

With all my reflecting, I've drawn the conclusion that this journey I'm on with teaching is a lot like my walk with God. There is always something God is working on in my heart, no matter how long I've been walking with Him. I'll never reach a point where I can say "I'm mature enough. There is nothing I can do to love God more." And just like with teaching, that is a real encouragement. I never have to feel the pressure of perfection, I only need to try my best. And also, I'll never have to wonder what I could improve on...there will always be something. What a perspective.

Ten Current Loves

1) Bubble baths while reading good books. Two days in a row, baby.

2) This magazine. It’s currently only available online, but soon it will be coming out in print! It’s so encouraging and full of truth.

3) Homemade pudding pops! I used this recipe. Mine look a little different, but are still just as delicious.

4) 3rd graders. Old enough to know how to do stuff, but not too old that they have such sassy attitudes. Love them.

5) Kari Jobe music. I listen to it every day on my drive to school (I get to see the sunrise, too!). She seems to express in her lyrics what so often my heart cannot. And her new cd comes out in one day!! Here is the music video for one of the songs from her new cd: We Are

6) Breakfast at Whole Foods. Mini cinnamon rolls, a chai latte, and the Bible on my phone. Couldn’t get better than that.

7) January by John Updike

The days are short,
The sun a spark
Hung thin between
The dark and dark.

Fat snowy footsteps
Track the floor,
And parkas pile up
Near the door.

The river is
A frozen place
Held still beneath
The trees' black lace.

The sky is low.
The wind is gray.
The radiator
Purrs all day.

8) Teaching with Love and Logic. So smart. I want to use this approach so much that it becomes natural.

9) Giving my dog a bath. She’s pretty cooperative, and I am glad for that! She is so silly and sweet.

 

10) Anyone who comments on my blog. I would love you to pieces…promise. :)

My space.

I usually don’t consider myself an overly emotional person. I don’t cry during movies, books, etc. Yes, I do tend to act on my emotions, but I don’t feel that they are often too strong or overwhelming.

So when I moved home from college, I was pretty surprised at my emotional response. I’m not going to glam it up- I bawled the whole drive home. I was definitely a mess. It was the craziest feeling; I didn’t feel that way at all when I moved to college, so I didn’t expect it when I moved away. It felt like I was going through a break-up. Ya know, the feeling where all you want to do is cry all the time and your mind is stuck thinking about the person (or in my case, place!). I was seriously thinking “Oh my gosh, it feels like I’m breaking up with Kearney, NE!” I knew it was a good thing I was feeling all those emotions, because it meant I had a positive college experience, but still. It was awful. Thankfully, the farther east I drove, the more I transitioned from my college world into my familiar home world. I can say now it’s great living here, and I haven’t cried about missing college since! What a relief.

There are lots of perks to living at home while finishing school to get your degree. Saving money…that’s the biggest plus I can think of. I wrote about some of the other reasons here. More specifically, I love living in my childhood bedroom. It’s familiar and comforting, and I have all my stuff in one place! Who woulda thought.

I thought I’d share just a couple of my favorite things about my childhood room. I’ve got quite the 22 year collection of things. Here are some of the best!

This is a piggy bank I got sometime ago. I decided to add some accessories- my prom queen crown, and blinged-out sunglasses from JAX this summer. :)

I love globes. And maps. I hope someday to have a pull-down map in my house…that would be sweet. This globe right here is really old, and pretty cool. Not accurate- Russia is nowhere to be found, only the USSR- but I still love it.

I also love my bookshelf. I’d have to say the overwhelming theme of my books would be either education or figure skating.  Besides books, I’ve got some skating figurines, Matryoshka dolls, and other random sentiments.

Ahhh…my flannel snowman sheets. Love these! It’s so great to come home to my comfy bed after being exhausted by third graders the whole day. :)

I also loved having this girl in my room this weekend! I miss seeing her everyday, but I am thankful she is still close by. <3