Who am I?

Whether you stumbled upon this blog, found it through my social media, a link in TPT, or you know me, I wanted to take a few moments to introduce myself and explain a little bit about this blog and why I am doing this. I had a blog 10 years ago and I shared about teaching, raising my kids and some different ideas. A lot of life has happened since then and I decided to come back to blogging to share some ideas, some insights I have gained along the way, and to be a creative outlet for me to feed my soul as I battle against burnout.

I am a veteran teacher. I guess that makes me old. I’ve been teaching for 20 years. I started teaching because I had a passion for helping kids. Throughout my career, I have always loved what I do. The last few years have been a struggle and I have questioned if I want to stay in this profession. WIth a global pandemic and a lot of negativity thrown at schools, it can be a challenge. I’ve pursued some different interests throughout my career outside of teaching. These have been fun, a way to connect with others, and have built on different interests. But at the end of the day, I don’t want to leave teaching. It is my passion, my calling. I believe in education. I believe public education is an equity issue. I believe that teachers literally and figuratively save lives for countless children around the world.

There are so many aspects of education. There are many really creative, super cute teachers that are providing great content. TikTok and Reels of teachers can be hilarious, inspiring and super helpful in providing ideas to use in classrooms. I love learning more about teaching. As I shared, I’m kind of old, so the flashy social media posts are not really my thing. I’ve come to accept that I’m not going to be a social media influencer and that’s okay. 

What really interests me in education is Social-Emotional learning (true SEL, not just for initiatives), Teacher Self-Care, Organization, and creative, engaging lessons and activities for students. Over the last year, I began LETRS training and am fascinated at the Science of Reading. I’m blown away at how my students have responded to making changes in my reading instruction. I am very interested in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and am a student of that. I will not pretend I am an expert, though I think this is such an important aspect of education. My plan is to share ideas and resources for the topics listed above through this blog. 

I am a life-long learner and will continue to hone my craft, learn what current research finds, and try new strategies and approaches to meet the wide range of needs I see in my class. I love community and would appreciate it if you shared in the comments how you found me and if/how you are connected to education. Teaching is not for the faint of heart, but it does touch your heart in a deep and meaningful way. Thanks for joining me for my journey.

 

A while ago I had an idea to start a blog. It was brewing in my heart and mind, but I pushed it aside. I was busy. I didn’t know if it would be worthwhile for my time and effort and the people who may read it. I had an old blog in 2013. I didn’t do much with it. I thought about it again in 2018 and 2019. Now it is 2022 and I’m jumping in. 

So here is a starting point, a beginning. I am returning to a dream that has been planted in my heart awhile ago and I am finally doing something about it. Right now it is a seed. This dream, though not fully understood, has been growing within me recently. 

As it has started to grow, I feel compelled to share. Not because I am a great writer or because I have all of the answers. But maybe what I am learning may be able to help someone else. Maybe as I discover what I’m meant to do at this point in my life, someone else needs to hear the same thing. 

Also I want to record this process because I truly believe that what is growing can be something huge for me. Something to fill a white space I see. Something that can blend my passions and experiences to help others. 

Another reason frankly is for accountability. If I put it out there, I won’t give up on my dream, no matter what bumps in the road come. I have learned that if I share my ideas, struggles, desires with others openly, that I have a greater chance of sticking with it. If I tell a trusted friend about something I’m struggling with in my head, even just the act of giving it a voice and getting it out of my head, can be so helpful. Sometimes just verbalizing the lies that rattle around in my head, allows me to see more clearly. 

Over the last few years I have learned so much through my own personal growth and development journey. I truly feel like a different person than I was 10 years ago. Though deeply introverted, through the growth I have experienced, I know that in some ways it is my duty to share with others. If my own experiences can help someone else, then it is worth sharing. If I can help even one person, then it is worth it. I’ve also come to accept that I am a leader in different areas of my life.

I’ve also learned how important it is to be authentic. I am a recovering perfectionist and know how empty it can be to put on a good front but feel like you are dying on the inside. What I am drawn to more and more are people who just put it out there. I love real life Instagram posts where kids are running amok or dinner isn’t exactly as we planned, because that is real life. I used to say I am a hot mess, but am transforming that to say I am a beautiful mess. I am learning to embrace my mistakes and learn from them. I don’t have it all together all the time, and that’s OKAY. 

So here it goes. Jumping in. Not exactly sure how this will go. But ready to fail forward. Some themes I will be focusing on are teaching, social-emotional learning (SEL), and teacher self-care. My plan is to post 2 days a week. One post will focus on classroom related information and links to my TPT products. The other post will incorporate what I am learning or different ideas. 

I’m curious if anyone else has a dream or idea about something that seems to follow you. Is there something you want to try or do? I’d love to hear what it is for you.