SUNDAY THOUGHTS: Appreciation for 20 years in education

In recent weeks, it has become increasingly clear that my life would have taken a completely different turn had I not been a tenured teacher for the last 20 years.  A high school, bachelors, and master's diplomas as well as the ability to reinvent and rejuvenate my classroom have gotten me far.

Nothing could have prepared me for the stability and security of my job, as well as the rejuvenation and fresh start each school year allows.  Honestly, I don't know if I will be able to quite put my feelings and thoughts into words, but I definitely have an appreciation for my career, my colleagues, and my students for what they bring to me.

Financial Stability

In my previous marriage, by former husband lost his job several times.  Fortunately, with my stable job (with health benefits), our family was never in jeopardy.  I feel truly blessed that I could not only pay back college loans in 3 years but also complete my Master's degree prior to starting a family.   This certification requirement by our state was necessary in the first five years of employment, but also put me higher on the pay ladder in our district.  At the time, it was frustrating, but in the long run, it's been a blessing.

With my divorce from my former husband, I fortunately was able to keep not only my house, but also (roughly) the level of comfort our family was accustomed to.  This helped tremendously with the upheaval in my kids' lives in that they could still attend summer camp, scout events, and extra curricular activities as they navigated their new reality.  I would not have been able to do this without my stable job.  Hands down.

Parenting Security

With my career as a teacher, I was able to have two maternity leaves with an extended summer vacation, and return to my job with a new crop of students in the fall.  My colleagues were supportive and understanding when I had sleepless nights due to cranky kids (my teenage students, surprisingly also gave me a wide berth when I was honest with them).

Because I work in the town I also live in, and the school my kids attend, I also was able to be both involved in their school lives on field trips or special events, as well as give them space when they needed it (like NOT chaperone the overnight field-trip or chaperone the 8th grade semi-formal upon their request, much to the disappointment of the organizers).  Occasionally, gym sneakers or lunch money was left at home and it WASN'T retrieved.  Sometimes, a lesson to be learned, with tears, but resulted in more responsibility as the kids got older.  I sometimes wonder if there was another school in the district to be transferred to, would I?  I think that would have been a long pro/con list to weigh.

However, the best thing is that my kids also know, without me saying, that school IS important.  Work (home or class) is NON-NEGOTIABLE because school is your JOB.  We all make choices, and have to deal with the ramifications of those choices.  And you may not get along with everyone, but you have to make it work.  And, of course, I also take on the role of surrogate parent to all my students, and hope that THEY also can absorb some of these ideas during our time together.  Teaching also gave me LOTS of parenting practice with the adolescent age group.  Not that I'm perfect by any means, but I've already learned from the mistakes I've made with all the students that have come through my class... so maybe I won't make as many mistakes with my own kids.

Emotional Security

Because I have worked in the same district for my entire career, I have had the pleasure of working side-by-side with some of my colleagues for as much as twenty years.  I have attended bridal showers, baby showers, christenings, graduation parties, weddings, retirement parties, hospital rooms, court rooms, wakes, funerals... we have been around at our best and our worst.  Sometimes being just an open ear or just a shoulder to cry on.  A voice of reason or a devil's advocate.  And I have taken advantage of that when the roles have been reversed as well.  Some of my colleagues who work in other buildings I don't see as often, but when we do get together, it's as though we haven't been apart.  Old friends, often with a common goal - educating the kids we see every day.

I also know that students have impacted ME emotionally in many ways.  In the trying times during my divorce, my homeroom gave me a reason to come to work and often their innocence and enthusiasm changed my mood for the entire day.  The best part is that they had NO IDEA of the positive energy they gave me.  We often as teachers talk about how students thrive on stability, scheduling, and order.  And how vacations and the end of the school year is quite difficult for some to leave that consistency and safety.   I truly think it goes in both directions.  I also thrive on the enthusiasm and energy of a room full of teenagers, even when drama and angst raise its' head.  I wonder if that is the true fountain of youth - just simply being around that energy!

I am truly thankful for Mr. Sheridan, my first department chair.  Who hired me based on my firm handshake (Dad was right!) after a phone-call interview while I was working at a camp in West Virginia.  I remember that phone call too - I was standing in my bathing suit at the pool at the only pay phone at camp.  Good thing SKYPE didn't exist then.  Mr. Sheridan gave me the opportunity to take on a classroom as well as give me an enthusiastic model to follow.  He has since passed-away from Brain Cancer.  A loss to the education community, but a legacy that lives on.

Fresh Starts

Every fall, I get a new start with a new set of students.  My classroom gets to be reorganized.  Systems get to be reevaluated and put into place.  Old habits can be broken.  And what's nice about that is that the KIDS get that fresh start too.  Which of course is easier said then done, especially with teenage angst and personality development.

Regardless, I love the fact that, even though I've been at this for (YIPES) twenty years and still can find something fresh and new to improve upon.  Admittedly, my to-do list of revamps tends to be overwhelmingly large each summer, but the ideas that are there may take a while to come to fruition.

I am GRATEFUL

Regardless, as I consider where I have been and where I am going in the midpoint of my career - I am very thankful that I chose education as my path  I have been a part of thousands of children's lives and (hopefully) impacted their lives in some way.  I know I, and my colleagues, have learned and continue to grow from our students energy.  I can't see myself being anywhere else but in the classroom.  Let's see what the next twenty years brings!

New Year = New Goals

The new year brings us a chance to reflect and renew for the upcoming calendar year.

Fortunately, in my line of work, I am able to 'regroup' on several cycles (academic calendar at school, seasonal catalogs for my direct sales business, calendar year).  But a disadvantage to that is that I never quite feel like I get my feet under me to get the ball rolling.

 I may not be completely organized (or even partially organized) but with new gusto I will send my TOP 5 goals for the upcoming year.  Putting them here will, I hope, keep me accountable, and will also help me to check in on a regular basis (and reset if necessary, despite the calendar I'm currently on).

#1 Get my financial house in order:  With a monthly budget (and sticking to it! *note, the spreadsheet link has fictional numbers), attending Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University this January, consolidating the debt with a home equity loan, and sticking to the envelope system, I have a big mountain to climb.  But I am determined and I hope that during the first 9 weeks of the year, I will be able to make great strides on this!  I consider this as a birthday present to myself - and a goal I'd like to make significant progress on in 2014.  The nerd in me is making some graphs and timelines and spreadsheets to wrap my brain around it, but I hope attending the class (with my beau) will also allow me not to complete this in isolation.  It's difficult to complete any task, let alone one that has a lot of emotional value, but I feel that this is my Number One priority this year, for the benefit of my family.  Getting expenses under control will also help focus on what the income needs are - especially on some of those 'fringe' jobs I have - and give me a goal on what those areas should bring in.

#2 Manage my time better: This one will be a tough one to actually benchmark.  It's a lofty goal, that will be able to be worked on in all the facets of my life.  I do have my favorite product (and comparable app for my phone) that I use frequently at school.  Read about it here on a previous blog HERE.  I shared the second one with a colleague at school, who worked with students who needed visual cues and lead time.  I also have found that I have been using my phone app more often - but not sharing it with the kids as often (for cleanup, reading, etc).  For the upcoming year, I'd like to be working more on an internal clock that this one, but also focus on a task at a time and give it my all.  If I am focused on a task, I can actually become quite OCD.  But if I have a long list (like cleaning or organizing my house) I notice that I can work for long periods of time, but it doesn't appear that I get much done, mostly because I flit from room to room and never quite get one section 'completed'.  I think I'll focus specifically on a 15-minute cleanup daily before I leave for work, cleaning off my desk each time I use it (both at home and at school), and working on school work for no more than 60 minutes at home.

#3 Focus on Family: Now that my kids are getting older, they are venturing out in their own interests.  As mom, I feel like it's partially my responsibility to remind them of the importance of family and family time.  Unfortunately, with some technical difficulties, one of our true family time events has been disrupted (watching movies together), but I hope to actually get that rectified today.  I also feel it's important for the kids to set (and strive towards) goals themselves, so we also are sitting down today to write down those goals and post them in their room.  Our goals are thematic:  academic, scouting, health/fitness/athletic, recreational/extra-curricular, and personal.  I'm curious as to what they decide as well as helping them create a timeline and smaller goals to reach the big picture.  Personally, I am setting aside one-on-one time each day with each kid and a 'date night' once a week. 

#4 Clutter Control: This tends to be part of issue with goal #2.  I have intention to clean an area, then it immediately seems overwhelmed by chaos (hence the title of this blog).  My two most recent chaos areas are the kitchen and the dining room/office.  I have been essentially 'banned' from the kitchen (no one likes my cooking, so I have relinquished that duty) but not it's clean up.  Some might say that I am giving up control, which is a HUGE step for me!   But some of the routine is just having a place for everything, and returning it when it's taken out.  So the control and the reminders may still be in place (putting items in the trash instead of leaving them on the counter, dishes in the dishwasher instead of in the sink).  The dining room is my undoing.  I have found that going vertical is helpful, as is stylish storage.  Because we use the same space as an office, a library, and a dining room, the table tends to be overrun with papers, books, and a serious catch-all for mostly MY stuff.  As I stated in Goal #2, a 15-minute clean before work as well as cleaning off the desk and table each night will be my benchmarks.  I should even rate myself weekly.  That would be motivation!  Of course, one thing I do need to remember to do is photograph the 'before' and the 'after' of my projects.  I would like to take one one 'minor project' each week (like a junk drawer, or a linen closet) and one 'major project' each week (like a child's bedroom or the basement family room).  I am reserving the garage for Spring Break.  That will certainly be a proud moment to post that 'after' picture! 

#5 Be Grateful: Though I saved this goal for last, it is certainly the most important.  I don't thank people enough.  I don't tell them how much I appreciate them enough.  I don't live in the moment enough.  And I think 2014, despite all my other goals, should center around an attitude of gratitude.  I will thank more people.  I will tell more people what they mean to me.  I will live in the moment more. 

Our close and extended family had a rocky 2013, from a health perspective, employment perspective, academic perspective, but the outlook is bright for the coming year.  We had many people support us and our endeavors last year, and this year, we are making effective progress towards that end. 

So cheers to you and your family!  Wishing you health, prosperity, and love in 2014!