Lesson #20:

Lesson #20: Don't EVER Give Up

Teaching is hard. It has been a challenge returning to it after being in the "real" world of business for two years. Teaching, like I explained in my last post, is exhausting, both mentally and physically. This is the main reason that I haven't had time for other interests, including writing in this blog.

It makes me nostalgic for my previous life, one where I showed up to work at 7:30 and left at 4:30 and did not have to take anything home with me. I did not have to be "on" all day every day and I did not have someone constantly watching me do my job and evaluating me. I did not have to stay after work late to catch up before the next day, all the while feeling like I was never truly caught up. I did not have to forgo things I enjoyed such as reading good books, attending classes FOR FUN, making art, music and writing, hanging out with friends, cooking a nice dinner, working out, running, dancing, etc.etc.etc. Basically, feeling like a human.

It was all nice. I felt very well-rounded. But one thing I missed was feeling important. My job was not as essential as being a teacher. As a teacher, I shape and mold minds and people. I introduce worlds that had previously been unknown to my group of 7-8 year-olds. My classroom does not function with the same efficacy without me there. Each day I see my kids and help them to cross from point A to point B and when they struggle I go home, I brainstorm, and I come back the next day ready with a new arsenal of ideas to help get them there. Because I'm not going to let them fall back and be left behind. Because I care about getting them all to the other side. Because teaching is important.

It's true, we don't get paid what we should. So many people like to think that teachers are overpaid, considering their summers off and Christmas holiday. But if you put together all our hours that we put in during the school year (I usually arrive at 7am and leave around 6 or 7pm). I take work home with me and sometimes end up falling asleep with papers lying all around me. Weekends end up being the same. My husband and I spent one whole weekend grading papers in time for Progress Reports. I go to REQUIRED professional development classes after school and during the summer. Not to mention the fact that the job itself is so draining. There's no time or energy for other interests. Granted, there is a bit of a break over the summer, but it is necessary for sanity. Without it there would be no way to get through an entire year and go right into the next. Teachers are still human, after all. All told, the plight of a teacher is a difficult one.

I had a feeling last night that maybe teaching isn't what I'm meant to be doing. And perhaps there are other things I could pursue. But then another side of me came back with strength and dignity and shook me, saying "Andrea! Never EVER give up!". I thought of my kids. I thought of my ideas of ways to make things better. I thought of myself and the importance of what I do. I thought of progress. And I thought of the race.

I used to run Cross Country in High School. There is something very noble about that sport. It's kind of like teaching. There's not a whole lot of glory in winning Cross Country meets. There's a lot of sweat and exhaustion and early morning training and forgoing normal teenage activities during that time of year. But every time I would start the race I got into "the zone" and nothing mattered but me and my own pace and each breath going in and out my lungs in the same rhythm with my legs moving forward, right then left, right then left, right, left, right left. And once I was in that zone nothing could take me out of it. And you get that "runner's high". And sometimes I wouldn't even want to stop once I crossed the finish line because I had entered such a steady pace. I guess you could say that's how I'm beginning to feel about teaching. I'm in the zone. I can't stop now. I can't give up. And even today I'm putting together a new set of Math Centers and I'm organizing a lesson plan to help my struggling students from last week's topic, and I'm redoing a powerpoint presentation for the fourth time to make it even more engaging and informative.

So it is with teaching, and running, and life in general. Don't EVER give up.

I ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/wilma_rudolph.html#WEqIiBQQkPDs5s5l.99

“I ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened.”     - Wilma Rudolph

I ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/wilma_rudolph.html#WEqIiBQQkPDs5s5l.99

I ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/wilma_rudolph.html#WEqIiBQQkPDs5s5l.99

Lesson #19:

Lesson #19: Exhaustion Doth Not Beget Creativity Nor Productivity

So...I'm returning to teaching. I am excited to be back in the classroom but there is one little thing I forgot about...

The beginning of school is EXHAUSTING!!!

There are a lot of reasons why it is exhausting. I may happen to be a little more exhausted than most this time around.

Here's why...

Setting up a classroom is PHYSICALLY exhausting. There are tables to be moved, cabinets to set up, things to hang from the ceiling, boxes to unload from your car, boxes to reload back to your car. It would be wonderful to have some assistance that first week moving in.

Then there is the mental exhaustion, which I think is draining me more than anything.

I am returning to school after be gone for two years. Not only gone from teaching but gone from this town and state and school. Everyday I've been up at school to do stuff in my classroom, I've found myself seeing someone I haven't seen for two years so I have to play catch up. Then I go back into my classroom and stare at all that has to be done. Then I leave and walk around and talk to some people. Then I come back and fix the border that I had already put up because I didn't like it. Then I leave. Then I stare.

I also have never taught this grade level and I have never been departmentalized (meaning I only teach Math and Science and my classrooms rotate). I don't really know what to set up so my time in the classroom has been slightly unproductive. There are also rules about where things have to go, what things can be seen or not seen, to the left or right of the dry erase board, what tools can be used and which can not (tape is OUT!).

I have so many ideas when I sit at home and think about them but when I get to school I look around and just want to hide all my things in the cabinets and come back another day when I feel more inspired.

EXHAUSTED!

Another reason I am exhausted is my commute.

So, I went back to teach at the school I had been at before because I really loved all the people. They are really friendly and it gives me a sense of camaraderie. Plus I started teaching at this school so it is familiar.

BUT it is a looong way from the neighborhood my husband and I live in. We also like where we live and don't want to move near this school. The commute on a good day is now 45 minutes but in traffic it is close to an hour. And it's not a pretty commute. It is a slam on your breaks, or haul A#$, or close your eyes and cross your fingers you don't die because you have to cross 7 lanes of highway traffic to get to your exit and that's just how it is in Houston, Texas because when the speed limit says 65 it means go 85 and that'll keep you moving with the flow of traffic. Seriously. I got so used to those Pittsburgher drivers who are so slow that now I'm totally out of my element. So by the time I get up to the school I am already frazzled, my nerves are SHOT and I'm ready to go home. So yeah, that part has been exhausting too.

And finally, I am exhausted because I am, by nature, an introvert. That doesn't mean I don't like people, or I am shy, or that I get embarrassed easily (talk to my husband about that...he wishes I got embarrassed more easily). It mostly means that too much social overload can wear me out and I need space and time to rest myself alone to get my energy back. Some people don't understand what being an introvert truly means and I remember growing up falsely claiming that I was NOT one because, for some reason, in our country it is given a bad rap. Like, "Ew, you're an introvert. I'm sorry." It really just gives way to greater introspection and a different way of achieving productivity (I prefer to do work alone then share it with others and collaborate that way rather than all talking and working simultaneously as a group).

But this is a whole other blog topic....the main point here is that I am talking all day long with people and, though I love them all, at the end of the day, with my mind in a million places and physically BEAT from moving and rearranging and decorating and organizing and laminating and copying and writing and hooking up computers and...and...and...well I'm just so tired. And then I have to make my looooong commute back home. Wah wah wah.

(Cue the tiny violin)

All of this is to say that I. AM. TIRED!!!

And all the ideas I have are completely useless when you are so freaking tired.

So what can you do to overcome this???

Today I am taking a day off. I am trying not to plan anything. I'm just resting my mind and hoping that I can really crank it out next week.

Another thing I can do is take one day at a time. Think about getting things ready for Meet the Teacher. Then after that get ready for the First Day. Then start thinking about the following weeks. I know that's not what you want to be doing ideally (ideally you should not be planning day by day and trying to keep your head above water that way...ideally you should be one step ahead, ready and prepared). But that's really just how it's going to be until I get my feet wet again.

One step at a time.

by Iain Macarthur

 "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lesson #18:

Lesson #18:Make Time to Play

 

I was going to make this blog post about my recent professional development coursework which was heavily focused on Smartboard technology, amongst other techie type teacher solutions. 

But then I started thinking (and you know that's never safe...)

So much of our education system is focused on success, success, success at any rate. And I totally agree in working towards success...how would I survive as a teacher if I didn't want that as an end goal? But there is an issue when the drive towards a numeric goal -say, a test score - overrides the importance of developing the person that the student is to become.

I write this now, having been through numerous courses over the past couple of days, that all made me feel a bit nervous about the numbers. Numbers that my students needed to meet,  numbers that the state requires of us, number of hours for this and that, numbers, numbers, numbers! I swear to you, my anxiety as school approaches has skyrocketed! And I'm the teacher! Think about being a student and having those pressures to perform put on you.

Fortunately there have also been many staff development opportunities that have emphasized the importance of a more holistic approach to education. I've really latched on to these training sessions and it has made me feel a bit better. My most important job in these first few weeks of school should be to create an environment that feels safe and nurturing and where the students feel valued and respected.

And where we can play.

I've noticed within myself that I do many things better when there is an element of play involved. Like when I joined a bootcamp over the summer, the days that I found myself working the hardest were days in which the instructor had us play some sort of game (usually tag related). I'm all about playing tag! (And, if you are a teacher or parent or ever have worked with kids, you know as well that tag is the ultimate game at recess. Hands down.)

So it got me thinking about how I can make difficult things (like boring math and science) into games that can be played. Let's play our way through life! Why not!

I'm not the only one focusing a lot on the benefits of play and games. I recently watched a fascinating TED Talks lecture by Jane McGonigal that discussed overcoming a difficult ordeal through the use of gaming.

It seems that creating an element of play can really bring on beneficial changes, some of them we probably never expected.

So, some ways in which I have thought about bringing play into my classroom include:

1. Mystery Hall Walker Reward - As a game- who am I watching the whole time and who gets the prize at the end? Hall walking manners are either a teacher's greatest achievement or worst nightmare. Her class is there on display for everyone to see and her classroom management skills are summed up in the entirety of those 10 minutes it takes to walk her class from the room to the cafeteria. Unfair? Yes. Reason to incentivize? Most definitely.

2. Classroom Bingo -A Bingo Board for the class is created. At the end of each day (or class period) if the class has had no more than 3 verbal warnings for staying on task, keeping voices off, good behavior, etc then they can fill in a Bingo square. As soon as they get Bingo we can have a reward of their choice which has been predetermined - pizza party, extra recess, crazy sock day, WHATEVER those crazy little minds think up.

3. Finishing a task = Dance Party Break - A good student can come up to pick which dance party break we'd like to do for 3-4 minutes if we've made it through a task.

4. Special Chair Incentive - Can be an attendance award, bringing in homework award, bringing in signed permission slip award...may end up changing each week. Basically I will have a cool looking chair- paint, glitter, crazy, tacky stuff- and the person who reaches this goal I set will get to sit in it for a whole day. Kids dig this sort of stuff. Big time. They're so funny.

5. Silent Finger Math - While waiting in the hall I can sign out addition or subtraction problems, they hold up the answers on their fingers. The first one with their fingers up with the right answer (while remaining silent) gets picked to come up and make the next math problem. I haven't actually tried this one, I kind of just thought of it right now. I am always looking for games that have an element of QUIET since there are so many times when the kids have to be quiet and it feels like torture having to tell them over and over again to USE INSIDE VOICES or PUT A BUBBLE IN THEIR MOUTH. If I were a kid I'd be sick of that too.

I'm sure there are many more elements of play that can be added to the school day, or just everyday life!

Care to share? I'm all ears!

Photo By: HeadOvMetal

"It is a happy talent to know how to play". - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lesson #17:

Lesson #17: Gain a New Perspective

Yesterday I got contacts. As I went through the various eye tests at the doctor’s office, it suddenly became shocking to me that I had even been getting around previously without them! The world was suddenly crispy and focused. Clarity...ahhhh! How refreshing.

That was before the breakdown. I didn’t realize taking my contacts out would turn into such an ordeal! After many unsuccessful attempts I told my eye doctor that I was afraid I was going to push my contact around to the backside of my eye ball and get it stuck there. To which she laughed and told me that it was impossible to do that.

Well...I kind of did. Sort of.

While attempting to remove the contact while at the office, I managed to roll it up into a little contacty taco and then slide it up on top of my eye ball back in the eye socket. It hurt really bad! So I inevitably began freaking out. The doctor had to get me some numbing drops and some colored liquid stuff and then, using her microscope, she went in to get that sucker. Crisis averted. Tears...not so much.

I tried again and again and again to put on then take off those freaking contacts. The taking off being the only part that was AWFUL for me (because of the whole irrational fear of it rolling back into my brain via my eye socket).

Finally I kind of caught on and I was invited to wear them home then come back in a week for a check up. So I’ve been putting them on and off (as instructed to do) and experimenting with how it makes me feel. In this discovery process, I’ve noticed that things were so hazy before. When I take my contacts off, things that are far away are just so blurry. Now, with this new, fresh, clear perspective...I almost don’t know what to think. It sounds weird, but, it kind of hurts to have this much clarity. My head is having a hard time adjusting itself to seeing so well.

I can relate to this feeling. Knowing things in all their essence, seeing the truth through the crispness and brightness of utter clarity...that stuff is intense. And sometimes painful.  But it’s important to not be content in the haziness. Life is about seeing clearly, and acting purely, and being in the light.

“Mystification is simple; clarity is the hardest thing of all.” - Julian Barnes, Flaubert's Parrot

Lesson #16:

Lesson # 16: You're a Teacher, So What Do You Make?

Lesson #15:

Lesson #15: Hone Your Craft While Indulging Your Passion

That title was hard to write and perhaps a bit confusing. It's often hard to create a title that encapsulates everything I want to write about in a concise and interest-grabbing way.

What the title could have been is: Things I'm Going to Share With You About Ways to Expand Your Life While Also Doing Something You Love

...that still may sound confusing. Alas, let me just begin. 

Seems I'm on a particular theme here recently, that being TRAVEL. My blog is about much more than just travel, however, I find myself harping on it because it really has helped to form the me that is vibrant, curious, life-loving and a bit more interesting than if I had just stayed at home. And since my blog is about learning lessons and sharing them with the world, why not share some more on my favorite topic! (Travel...if you hadn't already guessed). 

So, you want to finally do it. You've finished school (college or high school) and you are ready to open up your world. You've decided you want to work with kids now you want resources. Here are some tools to help you navigate these opportunities. Other sites I will reference have even more information to help you out. Just do some good research then, BAM, go for it! 

1. BUNAC Work Experience

Bunac is an organization in which I have participated. It grants you a temporary work visa in another country, (those being in the Commonwealth) and guides you in the process of finding a job, housing, and basically setting you up for a 6 month- yearlong work experience in another country. It's FABULOUS but is limited to certain restrictions, depending on the country:

•  Age Restrictions (must be 18+ and often under 30)
• Financial Responsibility (must have secured funds to support yourself for a given amount of time)
• Must be recent college graduate (sorry...you can't go if you've graduated 2-3 years ago)

I'd recommend doing further research on the country you'd like to work in and find out what their requirements are. The advantage to securing this type of working visa is that you have tons of jobs available for you to choose from. They have live job listings available for each country so that you can secure something before leaving.


Check out the current job listings for Australia:

AVAILABLE JOBS

Current Available Jobs = 713

State AllNew South WalesAustralian Capital TerritoryNorthern TeritoryQueenslandSouth AustraliaTasmaniaVictoriaWestern Australia

Generic Jobs 06-06-2013 Housekeeping QLD - Mt Tamborine Required a casual Housekeeper for approximately 24 hours per week. Weekend work is required although no nights/evenings are included. 06-06-2013 Wait staff QLD - Beaumaris Experienced wait person and assistant floor manager for busy Restaurant. Full time and Part time positions. Looking for outgoing and service orientated persons. Must able to work in fast pace environment and have own transport. 06-06-2013 Waitstaff QLD - Cairns Looking for a waiter/waitress Previous experience in a similar role essential. You will be required to; Greet guests Provide full a la carte service Upsell products Offer Food and Wine knowledge Cocktail knowledge Use a POS system Handle cash Work in a team Clean 06-06-2013 Waiting staff QLD - Cairns Seeking waiting staff Experience in contemporary Australian dining and food and wine knowledge essential. Approximately 30 hours a week available for the right candidate with the wage rate $20 - $25 per hour. You will be required to: Greet customers Follow an order of service Share knowledge of Food and Wine Use a POS system Handle money Be a team player Make cocktails 06-06-2013 Short order cook QLD - Sunshine Coast Must be experience cooking fish and chips ,operating 3x deep fryers and grill cooking.Immediate start.

Granted these may not be your dream jobs, but it's just the first few I came across. And, you aren't limited to just the jobs that appear in the job post site. The world is your oyster. 

2.  CCUSA

I have not experienced this organization personally but I have heard about it. If you are interested in working with kids, starting out at summer camps is one of the best routes. You get lots of resume-building kid experience (if that's what you're also looking for) plus it's FUN. This organization seems to have a plethora of camps, located in the USA and abroad. If traveling outside the US is too much at first, why not try a stint in the USA. That way you have it under your belt and maybe the following year, with more experience and know-how, you'll be ready to take that next step. 

3. Go Abroad

This organization links you up to volunteer, teaching or intern experiences. It can also direct you to securing a TEFL teaching certificate in order to teach English in other countries. Seems like a pretty sweet deal to me. 

4.  Great Au Pair or Nannyjob

There are also other resources for Au Pairing, these are just the two that I have used. Please see my post here or here for more information on becoming an Au Pair.  

5. I-to-I

This is another great resource. It has a lot of volunteering options, but can easily connect you to work with kids and can make that part of your travels. If you have money already saved up but would like the experience of working with kids, either for your resume, for your personal well-being, or because you want to give back, this is a great organization. We used them often when I was a travel agent for STA Travel. 

Now that I've given a few resources, here is some personal advice: 

If you feel you don't have any experience working with kids and think you won't be qualified or won't know what to do, try volunteering at a local Boys and Girls Club, school, or church. See if they need help with any of their functions that involve children. Ask a teacher you know if they need help in the classroom or if you can come read to the class one day. Become a mentor. Or a tutor. Of course, be prepared for some no's due to security. Also be prepared to be heavily screened. But that is a necessity and I'd rather go through the annoying screening to know that our kids are being kept safe. Once you feel like you've spent enough time around kids to feel confident (it shouldn't take that long, they're a pretty easy audience) then go out and start applying for some of the jobs listed above. 

What's that? You want to teach kids? As in a profession here in the States? Well...that is a whole 'nother post for a whole 'nother day. But it's a wonderful profession and I'd be happy to share that information in the near future. 

But for now, all you dreamers, wind catchers, wanderlusters, do your research and get out there. The world awaits. 

“Some girls need men to take them places. Others just click their heels, spread their own wings, and fly." - Coco J. Ginger

Lesson #14:

Lesson #14: Think Outside The Box 

Travel is a beautiful thing. I've mentioned it already on this blog, but I wanted to reiterate the importance of this topic because it matters to me and I hope it inspires you. 

I think it is essential for the opening of the heart and the expansion of the mind to get out of your day-to-day routine and narrow perspectives.There are a lot of people out there who assume that my travels in my early to mid 20s was because I had wealthy parents. That is false. My parents paid for two semesters of study abroad and then said "Fin". I studied abroad one more semester (I couldn't help myself) and this time financed it all alone. It wasn't easy - I had to work and save all the money I was earning. I had to apply for grants and scholarships (which I received) and I had to be proactive about budgeting. But it was worth it to me. And I made it happen. 

There are many, many ways you can make your dreams happen. Some people say, "I'll never travel the world, or never get to go to that place I've always wanted to go, because I'll never be rich enough." FALSE! The world is a big and wonderful place full of opportunity and you just have to put yourself out there in it to experience all it has to give to you. Seek out opportunities, and then (like I've said before) JUST DO IT. 

I opted to travel around by myself for a year in 2005. I had to do a variety of jobs, some great, some not. But I managed to support myself the entire year and managed to see amazing places, meet amazing people and have experiences that I will remember for a lifetime. 

One of the ways I managed to travel for so long was by becoming an Au Pair. It was great because I was saving money on living expenses while also earning money to be used later on in my travels. 

I've written about this experience in a guest post for the blog Escape Normal. If you have not already visited this blog, I strongly encourage you to check it out. It has all sorts of ideas for ways to incorporate travel into your life. Ways that perhaps you may not have ever dreamed of...

Did you know you can work on farms during harvest seasons for room and board? 

Did you know you can work at summer camps in other countries? I've even seen a few on the coast of France....hello!

The important thing is that if you dream of doing this, by gosh-golly, go do it. You really do only live once (and I know that's a slogan now, or at least I've seen it on T-shirts and wrist bands...YOLO!) but regardless....it's true. If you don't think you're going to land on that giant pot of gold any time soon, then do it without the gold! 

People are very willing to take your picture when traveling solo. I didn't feel bad asking on several occasions.

An interesting mode of transportation...Santorini, Greece

On the Via dell'Amore, Cinque Terre, Italy

Someone got a kick out of making this statue (Manneken Pis, Brussels)

Rome, Italy

Salamanca, Spain

Beautiful sunsets...this one in Sevilla, Spain was amazing

Costa Brava, Spain

Plenty of time to figure out how to be a true Italian, Rome, Italy

Tours seem cheesy, but you actually do quite a lot and meet great people. Plus...excellent photo ops! Scotland

Wandering streets...Spain

Again...never miss an opportunity to witness a sunset. This one is in Scotland.

 Thanks to Jacqueline over at Escape Normal (www.escapenormal.com) for allowing me to write on my experience as an Au Pair! I hope it inspires anyone out there who is interested in stepping outside that box and experiencing the life they dream of. 

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose." -Steve Jobs

Lesson #13:

Lesson #13: Take Time Out to Help

Photo Credit: Seyed Mostafa Zamani

This lesson came from an incident that happened this morning.

My mom and I were on our way to our Pure Barre class and were about to make a turn out onto the road when I happened to see a large turtle in the middle of the road.

This road is not a high speed road (it's a neighborhood road with a 30 mph speed limit) but in the morning there is quite a bit of car traffic.

We weren't sure what to do...we could've taken a left and gotten out of the car to help the turtle but at the time the traffic wouldn't stop so we had to just watch and brace ourselves. Out of instinct, I rolled down my window and yelled out to the turtle to "Hurry up! Go, turtle, go!". My mom frantically reminded me that the turtle can't understand me.

So, we were forced to watch, in agony, as the cars went by in each lane one by one. I watched different cars do different things. The turtle had pretty much made it to the center stripe and was kind of stuck there. At one point, just as the turtle had inched a little further into the left lane, two cars were approaching in both lanes from opposite directions. I was sweating bullets by this point. Luckily both cars managed to find away around - one pulled over far enough to the right to allow the opposite car to make its way around the turtle. I watched this happen a couple times to a couple of different cars. I was proud of my neighbors for being aware of what's in the road and for finding a compassionate way to deal with it.

HOWEVER, there were also a few people who did not share this compassion. I saw one car zoom within centimeters of hitting the turtle without even slowing down. Perhaps they didn't see (this turtle was extremely large, mind you...) so in that case, I worry about them being allowed to drive in the first place.

Another was on their cell phone and clearly didn't even realize that the car in the opposite lane was stopping so that they could try to make their way around the turtle. She also zoomed past without even bothering to notice that every other car around her was trying to find a careful way to maneuver themselves around the turtle without hitting it.

Finally a lady came to a stop in the middle of the road, got out of her car, picked up the turtle and walked across the oncoming lane to the field down to the pond on the other side where she placed the turtle. I was so grateful to this lady, who took the one extra minute of her time to save the turtle and clear the road for everyone else.

Unfortunately, not everyone shared my gratitude.

An older man drove up behind her car as she was getting the turtle. My mom and I watched as he became irate, pounding on the steering wheel and trying to find a way to go around her car. It literally only took her a minute, maybe even less, to get the turtle out of the road. What is so important that you cannot wait a minute? Then, as she was getting back into her car, he dangerously veered around her vehicle, almost hitting oncoming traffic as he did so, and squealed off down the 30mph neighborhood road. I was appalled. Mostly because that extra minute for the extra good deed meant so much to me with regards to restoring my faith in humanity and my belief in the goodness of the human spirit and soul.

There are many types of people out there. Some would've rather run the turtle over rather than stop their vehicle. Because the turtle, to them, means nothing. It gives them nothing, it does nothing for them so why do they care? It's a shame, really, that people have that mentality. As if their life on this Earth is so much more precious than any other - including that of some other humans. I know it's just a turtle, but to me that kind of compassion speaks of so much more.

Take the time to help one another. Offer to open the door, help carry a grocery bag to someone's car, smile and say hi to someone, let someone in front of you while sitting in traffic. Help a turtle cross a road. These little things all become part of something greater, and that something is the building of a more compassionate, just, and peaceful world.

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” - Charles Dickens

Lesson #12:

Lesson #12: Don't Be Afraid of Not Knowing

I recently found out that I am going back to teaching at my old school (yay!) but I've been told that I will most likely have to teach a different grade and within that different grade I will be teaching Math/Science (I'm kind of, sort of a more language arts/social studies leaning personality).

When I first found out I will probably not be teaching Kindergarten, but instead teaching 2nd grade Bilingual, I was sad. You see, I LOVED teaching Kindergarten! I loved being their first teacher, I loved seeing them grow so much in one year, and I loved that I got them all to myself that year (no switching classes for different subjects). I also have about 10 huge storage boxes full of Kindergarten teaching supplies (property of yours truly) which I will not be able to take with me to my new grade level.

But...that wasn't what was making me the most sad. The thing that was getting to me the most was that I felt a teeny weeny bit of fear creep up over me.

Fear of the unknown.

I have taught Kindergarten and felt like I really learned how to teach for that grade level. I felt confident at that grade level. I had ideas swirling around in my head for things I would do differently this upcoming year, ways I could teach something in a new way, tons of creative projects...all focused on the Kindergarten curriculum. I was actually becoming very excited about it! Now that I will most likely be teaching maths and sciences at the 2nd grade level...GULP...I feel out of my element. And I don't like that feeling.

So...what to do? Take that feeling and use it as a lesson : How to move on when you are fearful. Putting on your big girl pants. Feeling the fear and doing it anyway.

There's a book about that that I should probably pick up right away and read.

by Susan Jeffers

The point is, every path in life is leading to the unknown. In fact, sometimes living life without introducing scenarios that place you in unfamiliar territory leads to boredom and monotony. And if there's anything I hate more than fear, it's boredom. If given the choice between the two, I think I'd have to go with fear. Fear makes you feel alive, it lets you know you're in the game, and it gives you sort of a rush. Sure, it can also lead to stress and fatigue, but that's where you have to remember the mantra of "Just Do It" and another mantra that can be just as useful : "Roll with the Punches".

So, I'm rethinking my lot in this teaching life of mine. I'm going to start digging into my new role and making the best of it. I won't try to be Super Teacher this year, but I will try to be the best teacher I can.  I will work just like I worked my first year of teaching - keeping my head above water and focusing on being present. By the end of next year I might find that I loved this new grade level so much, I won't want to go back. Who knows? Obstacles are placed in our lives to make us better people, with more perspective, more wisdom and more knowledge. Doing the same thing over and over only makes us dull. 

As Ms. Jeffers says, "Feel the fear and Do It Anyway". Message received.

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” - Paolo Coelho, The Alchemist

Lesson #11:

Lesson # 11: Make an Effort to Remember a Face

This lesson is here because I was reminded of its importance today. In a not-so-smooth kinda way. That's me, though, the antithesis of "smooth. Rough, awkward, inappropriate, eclectic...now that sounds more like it. 

Anyhoo...

I was in Whole Foods picking up some Kombucha and a lip gloss (because I am addicted to their all-natural mineral makeups and this specific type of lip gloss, with its tingliness and shininess is my FAVORITE), and whilst checking out I hear, "Andrea!"

It's always weird when you hear your name in a place where you are not expecting to see someone you know. It always throws me off. 

I turn around and see this guy smiling as he walks towards me. He starts asking how I am and some other questions and I just couldn't fake it. I could not tell who that was or how I knew them for the life of me. I didn't try to pretend, either. I just stood there staring, not answering any of his questions, with a confused look on my face. I desperately wanted him to just say who he was. He just kept on, though. It was AWKWARD. 

You see, I used to do the faking it game when this sort of thing happened. I would smile and continue on with the conversation as if I knew perfectly well who they were until I caught some clue that would finally reveal their identity. But now that I'm 31 I'm too tired to do that and I don't care as much about being embarrassed. It's a good thing, too, because I seem to embarrass myself more often as I age. 

Finally, the awkwardness was too much and he said, "It's me. Sam*." I was so relieved but then I also felt more embarrassment because this was an old friend of my husband's whom I had met several times. He had even been at our wedding just last year. I don't know what it was...I just couldn't make the connection with the face and the name and the place and the time and the who and the what...I just didn't know him from Adam. And now he knows that apparently my impression of him is forgettable. 

We continued on with an even more awkward conversation, with me trying to find ways to apologize for not recognizing him, making excuses as to why I couldn't recognize him (you shaved! you're not wearing your glasses! your hair looks different!) and just trying to get through the embarrassment without seeming like a total asshole. 

As I walked away, flustered and kicking myself for not remembering a face, it got me thinking. Why did these types of scenarios occur with me? It didn't happen all the time- I certainly have seen people that I recognized even if it has been a very long time and have been able to carry on with them with no awkwardness whatsoever. This friend of my husband's is also not the forgettable type. He's in a band, he's always been super cool every time we've hung out, I tried to get my friend to date him, and he is just a super funky dude. Why wouldn't I recognize him? Was it the fact that it seemed out of place to me to see him at Whole Foods? I didn't know he worked there so, maybe? 

Or, could it be that I suffer from prosopagnosia, a technical term for face blindness? Apparently Brad Pitt also suffers from this. 

More and more, though, it made me think about my own fault in not taking better care to remember a face. The fact that this has happened before to me makes me think that perhaps this is something I can improve. It seems to me to be disrespectful to keep forgetting people, as if my own life is so much bigger and grander and to operate within it takes up so much of my brain power that I can't squeeze in a little, tiny, extra space to store and recall someone's name and face. Surely that can't be it. 

I did some research on the topic. It seems there are many ways to try and remedy this. One is using mnemonics, associating someone's name with an attribute of their face that is distinct and memorable. 

Here is a You Tube clip that discusses ways to help remember a face using this method:

So, if using this method with my husband's friend Sam, I'd say Smiley Sam because he seems to have a big, wide smile and that's one thing I noticed.

I hope I run into him again and prove that I can remember him and I'm not totally self-centered and egocentric. It's important to remember people because it shows you valued meeting them.

Lesson learned.

“We seem to live in a world where forgetting and oblivion are an industry in themselves and very, very few people are remotely interested or aware of their own recent history, much less their neighbors'. I tend to think we are what we remember, what we know. The less we remember, the less we know about ourselves, the less we are."- Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Lesson #10

Lesson #10: Don't wait for a tragedy to start coming together...

Photo Credit: Associated Press

We all know the devastation and destruction that this week's storm brought. Lives were lost, homes were destroyed and a community was left with scraps of the lives they had formerly lived. And yet there were glimmers of hope to be seen through it all. Many of the stories and interviews from the tragedy have actually warmed my heart.

How could it be that such a horrific event could ever give me the feeling of having a warmed heart? 

I saw people helping each other without giving it a second thought. I heard interviews with people who laid there life down so that another might live. I saw people coming from miles around just to lend a helping hand or be there to do whatever was needed of them. To ease the burden, to carry the load. 

Why is it that in these tragic times we are able to put our differences aside and come together for one another? Why does it take a state of disaster to wash away our internal voices of prejudice, bigotry and selfishness? 

One thing I have observed that seems to be happening more and more these days is people isolating themselves on one "side" or another. They aren't with "those people", they are with "their people" and it becomes a war pitting one "side" against another. 

It doesn't have to be that way. 

I know, I know...it is wishful thinking that we can all come together and love each other right now (thank you Beatles...) but, then again, is it really that far out to want to have an amicable and cooperative community in which we live? 

As a teacher, I spend a lot of time teaching about sharing, cooperating and encouraging one another, despite differences in skill, language, ability, color, nationality, or aptitude. We all have a similar goal which is to become a better person each and every day, to improve, to hone our skills, and to help one another along this road of life. To carry some of the burden when we can so that we all make it to our destination. 

I encourage you to stop and think about divisiveness and the true destruction that it causes. It shouldn't take an act of God to make people come together for one another. 

Enjoy the community you live in. Realize that these people are your neighbors - they live with you. Get to know them. Help them. Understand them. Respect them. 

Live. Love. Serve.

Photo Credit: Paul Hellstern- The Oklahoman/AP Photo

Photo Credit: Joshua LOTT/ AFP/ Getty Images

Photo Credit: Paul Hellstern- The Oklahoman/AP Photo

Photo Credit: Bryan Terry/ The Oklahoman/ AP Photo

“The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: 'If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' But...the good Samaritan reversed the question: 'If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lesson #9

Lesson #9 : Actions Speak Louder Than Words

This one might be a quick blog post, but one I feel like sharing. I was recently with a group who were discussing how hard it is to talk about politics or current events with people of opposing political parties.

I agree.

It's sometimes maddening, and I know for a fact it goes both ways. So what do we do about it? You know you can't change someone's mind by simply repeating over and over what it is you think is wrong about their system or how yours is clearly smarter or better or more just or more fair. It just turns it into an argument and then the defensive walls get put up and productive discussion ends at that point.

My suggestion, speak with your actions not just your words. Sure, words are necessary in debating a point, but actions also go a long way to making yourself feel better about your positions on issues and justifying, ever so quietly, your point. (And I'm hoping your position on issues is one that is towards bettering some aspect of this world...I would hate for this same suggestion to be taken and used to promote disenfranchisement, intolerance, violence or manipulation...just sayin...)

For example, if you feel very strongly about advocating for women's rights and you are tired of politicians and their constituents promoting policy that you feel violates these rights, then take this approach.

First, do your research. Find out exactly what you don't agree with and why. There's nothing worse than claiming you are against something when you don't really have a grasp of the issue in its entirety.

Second, find out if there are organizations out there that support your side of the cause. Join them, donate to them, participate with them, promote them. Make sure you always know the ins and outs of their policies as well and be sure that it aligns with your values.

Third, go out on your own and make a difference towards what you believe in. Promote an advocacy group for women in pursuit of further education, create a group that helps working women out, create an organization that introduces girls to the world of science and math to encourage more females in jobs that require those skill sets, create a meeting that talks about ways to speak up about women's health rights, attend and promote meetings discussing rights to fair pay and equitable wages, start a group that encourages and supports women entrepreneurs, visit women owned business, start a magazine that discusses, promotes and focuses on things women are doing in your community... this list could go on and on, but you get the point.

You'll never be able to change some people's minds, but instead of letting all that frustration sit deeply rooted inside of you, and spending so much energy trying to talk someone over to your side, instead use that energy towards bettering your side of the cause.

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” - Martin Luther King, Jr

Lesson #8

Lesson #8: Travel Doesn't Have to be an Exclusive Luxury

"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." – Miriam Beard

So I have to go on a little rant here that is inspired by a friend I know. We may be opposite in so many ways, but we also have many things in common, hence our ability to sustain a friendship. And I have learned that through our extreme differences, I have been able to grow as a person. If you are in a vacuum of thoughts and beliefs and actions that are similar or the same as your own, you aren’t able to grow, you continue to bolster your own shared opinion without actually having to think about it. Whereas, with someone who is constantly differing in opinions and actions, you are challenged to either defend your beliefs, or change. In doing so you must take a good, introspective look at the ins and outs, and reasons and emotions that shape these thoughts and attitudes you hold so dear.

So what does this have to do with travel??

Well, anyone who knows me also knows that I love to travel. I spent most of my formative years traveling and in fact many of my early twenties were spent bumming around the world, poor but happy , because I was seeing and experiencing so many new things and meeting so many new people. My views and opinions about everything were changing and then changing again and constantly being reshaped by my growing and evolving perspective.  

My friend often views travel differently. Whenever I bring up wanting to take a trip or ideas about travel in general, this friend becomes flustered and bothered. They claim it as a frivolous expense and one that people can do when they are extremely wealthy, or retired, but not right now.  They go on to explain that their family didn’t do a lot of traveling growing up, that’s not how they were raised, and that they didn’t have money for extravagant things like that. However, this friend has no problem spending $600 on a nice pair of shoes (because they are a quality pair of shoes and  will be worn for a long time), or a nice pair of jeans, or going out to nice restaurants or bars on the weekend. I, in turn, balk at these expenses and call them just as frivolous, then my friend looks at me like I’m the crazy one now.

When I tell anyone that I grew to love travel because I was able to travel as a child, I get many responses like, “Oh that must’ve been nice having all that money to travel. Seems nice.” And they quickly dismiss it as something wealthy people do just because they have the money to do it. Well, for most of my childhood we were not wealthy and we still did A LOT of traveling. But, many of our travels were like this:

Let’s load up the Honda with two tents, sleeping bags, a cooler and whatever else can fit and drive to Ohio (from Texas) where we can stay with our uncle. So, along the way we stopped to camp. We stopped at road side stands and stores to get food for picnics. We pulled over for historical markers. We went on back road detours to find quirky museum my dad had read about. We met interesting people that talked funny (they call it “Pop”!) and after 10 days of traveling like this, to and from Ohio, we had ourselves quite an adventure.

I doubt my mom would call it a luxury vacation (I’m sure she missed her blow dryer, coffee pot and hot shower while we camped). But it was important for my dad to take us on trips like this while growing up. In doing so, it has made me into the curious, intellectually stimulated, open-minded, free-thinking, world loving individual that I am today. And it has made me truly appreciative of what travel gives to us.

Now, in saying that, I must also point out that there are differences in types of travel, and this will help to delineate a big difference between me and my friend.  I think all travel, as mentioned before, is good for the soul. 

However, I think some types of travel offer you more internal reward than others. Here is my thought:

So, my friend probably went on a few vacations growing up; they've mentioned a couple resort type vacations. And there is nothing wrong with those- we also went on those types of vacations. But I don’t think you’re going to be opened to learning things, seeing new perspectives, broadening your horizons, given mental clarity, appreciating the beauty and simplicity of nature on a trip to the casinos or an all-inclusive in Cancun. It is fun though, don't get me wrong, and isn't a bad thing to do! Maybe that’s the difference that we’re experiencing. Their idea of a vacation is an excuse to get away from work or school or life and do nothing related to work, school, etc. - just to let out excess stress and decompress. This is needed, I think, to stay sane and continue to be productive in life. Reducing stress is good for overall health and happiness so I’m not saying all travel needs to be for the greater purpose of expanding your horizons and becoming a more well-rounded person. But, I do think this other type of travel, the kind that changes you and gives you reason to think and believe differently, is important for everyone to experience at some point in their lives. That’s why study abroad is so popular at University. I know some think of it as a chance to have an easier course-load and goof off under the guise of “studying” in a foreign country. And, yeah, when I studied abroad my coursework was a lot easier so I spent less time in the library. But the things I learned during those three semesters were far more valuable to me and have enriched my life in ways I can’t enumerate.

Maybe that’s the issue. I have a hard time really explaining how this one type of travel - one that involves cultural immersion and personal expansion, going someplace that challenges you or introduces you to something you’ve never experienced before - benefits you more than just taking off work and paying to go somewhere else to blow off steam by a pool or in a casino. How this type of travel is essential to building your character and giving you a life well lived. Some may disagree and add that we are spoiled in thinking that traveling the world is going to somehow make us better people. I agree with that too – perhaps traveling to the wrong side of the tracks or to some of the ethnic neighborhoods in your city would be just as beneficial to opening one’s eyes as would a round-the-world ticket.  And, if you can manage it, why not a bit of both?

I think seeking knowledge and always yearning for a new perspective is part of growing and fulfilling the destiny of becoming your greatest self.  

So, that being said, let’s plan that next vacation.

Pack up the car! We're going on an adventure!