Healing, Hope, Encouragement, Inspiration, Gratitude, Walking With God
Today marked the last day of teaching in my new school. Two years ago, the school I was at, closed and our preschool classrooms were relocated. Originally, I was overwhelmed at the news, having to pack up everything and move on. I didn’t know how long we would be here before we were told to …
Continue reading “On the Eve of My Last Day at My New School”
Don’t you just love it when God speaks directly to you, saying what you need to hear? I do and I know He is spot on! I wasn’t letting go and letting God handle ALL of my circumstances. He wanted me to just quiet myself, be still, have peace and not worry about anything, but …
What do you do when you are faced with unexpected news? Do you avoid? Do you run away from and hide? Do you escape in hopes that it will go away and pretend it never existed? Are you in denial? Do you face fear head on? Do you open you heart and mind rather than …
Continue reading “Receiving and Working Through Unexpected News”
Last night, on August 15th, we had our back to school, meet the teacher event. Earlier in the day my teaching partner and I had been making calls and connecting with families (both new and returning). To start out this year, I have 4 students returning from last year and 6 new ones to welcome …
What a wonderful day today has been, spending time with my teaching partner and my team, preparing the classroom for our preschool arrival next week. After such big emotions just a day ago, it’s amazing to see the wondrous miracles God has worked in my life today, from turmoil to peace. Prior to today, I …
Today I had my end of year conference with our school principal. I was eager, yet nervous (I really didn’t know why), anticipation and waiting I suppose and the unknown of what I would hear. At the time of my observation, we had just got students started with an end of day snack. One student …
A few nights ago I did some reflecting on my career of nearly 15 years as a preschool special education teacher. At the end of school year, I will be able to count on one hand the years I have left until retirement. Whoa! I need to pause for a moment to take that thought …
‘twas the day No teacher ever Was looking forward to Halloween This year On a Monday night Oh dear! Oh my! What a fright! Anticipation of What may come Tuesday morning All our preschoolers In our morning session Did show No absences No nothing Off to school Their parents did send Another day Here we …
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 ESV) As the mental fog lifts, after settling deep within my brain, I am starting to feel more human, more functional …
Continue reading “Being Out of Focus Helps Us to Refocus & See What is Most Important”
Over the many days of my life, I feel God’s presence washing over and through my life. In my thoughts. In my actions. In my words. Do I perfectly execute everything in my life? Gosh, no! I’ve had years of practice, but I have only recently come to know God more intimately in my life. …
The first full week back at school has been a busy one. Looking back on the days, I wished I had journaled something from each day. That would have made it so much easier for my memory and to reflect on the events and things that were said and done. Monday and Wednesday, were the …
8.9.2022 With adrenaline rushing through my veins, my body and mind were roaring and ready to accomplish great things in the classroom today. My energy level high. I knew once I would pause for a break, getting my momentum may take more mental and physical effort so I had to keep going. I had the …
8.8.2022 The moment arrived! The day I would get to see my new classroom at Aurora arrived! I wanted to take in every moment, savor, enjoy the moment. A fresh start. A new beginning. Letting go of the past. Letting go…Letting go…Letting go…and letting God in. Driving to my new school took 2x as long …
Have you ever had one of those moments (or days) when you didn’t know what you were feeling or really understand until sometime after? I didn’t know it at the time, but I am pretty sure I was getting caught up and emotional about not being enough, and the dreaded comparison trap. Would you like …
Friday, July 29th had been a day I was looking forward to for quite some time. This was the last day I needed to have an alarm set (in the odd chance I would have overslept). I guess you could say I under slept as I awoke and got up much earlier than I needed to …
With August right around the corner, I know summer will soon be making way for fall here in not too long. I really don’t want to think too much about the changing of the seasons yet, but I know the time is coming. After having such a long, cold winter here in Alaska, my body, …
As I look back and reflect on my day, it was one filled with smiles, hugs, laughter and tears. The days leading up to our last day student teaching day, filled my mind, my heart and soul with way more emotions than I anticipated experiencing. On a couple different days, I cried in the shower. …
As I met my students at the bus drop off, I anticipated another typical day. Saying good morning to our students as they got off the bus, as well their bus driver. Ready to walk to the school, I was stopped with what seemed to be a concerning look and tone of voice. I had …
In recent weeks (perhaps for a couple months) I feel as if my writing and motivation have been lacking. Believe me, it’s not that I’ve lost my love for and passion for sitting down writing in my notebook or typing on my laptop. Rather, I would prefer looking at this from the perspective of my …
For a week, my body had been feeling out of balance, something not right with my body. Between my health, hormonal ups/downs, my cycle, seasonal changes, work, and home life, seemed like something needed to give. Kind of seemed like the perfect storm to see how much I could really handle and get through. Throughout …
Continue reading “Ordinary Days, Extraordinary Blessings and Outcomes”
Teenage years High school Pandemic Covid-19 Hit or miss Anyone’s guess What Tomorrow will bring Adjusting Back to school Once distance Now near Face to face Up the ante Hours of homework Loads and loads of it!!! How is there time To possibly do all My dear? How is it One does feel? Nervous Anxious …
Find ways to connect Find ways to disagree Find ways to listen Find ways Get to know Be content with Accept I am Who I am Let it be Misunderstandings Overwhelming Agitated Frustrations Feedback wanted Voices spoke I wonder Were they heard? Concerns Worries Struggles Yes This is life They are real! Be present Do …
Continue reading “Do You See Me? Do You Hear Me? I’m Doing the Best that I Can!”
Since the beginning of the school year, I’ve noticed a pattern in my thinking. This is not generally to person I am, but I do feel confident in the contributing factors to these behaviors is related to Covid-19 and what teaching has become nearly the past two years. This year marks the 14th year working …
Thank a child To brighten Your spirits The day May 11 A child Age 3 Had To use The toilet Potty Poop (See where this is going?) A boy Ran out Of The bathroom Pants Pulled down To His knees A smile A grin So proud He was Thumbs up He spoke Few words With …
Every time I see the selfie of us together I am reminded of the God’s presence, His love in my life. He has perfect timing, gives us exactly what we need. What is meant to be will find a way. May 21st, 2021 marks the official last day of my 13thyear of being a preschool …
Many years I have Been teaching Thirteen To be exact Bonds formed Friendships make Impact Everlasting Lives changed For The better Many They do Appreciate This time Around This year My year Stronger bonds Deeper connections Seeing Each child Individual For who They are Such love A job Working So …
Reminded by A friend How many things That I am How many things I am Going through A teacher So matter Of fact Who loves Her students As if Her own Wear and tear On Physiology Mentally Physically Psychologically Spiritually In tact I Must be A woman Many things Aside From …
My friend You know As well as I Where We started In 2008 To Where we are now 2021 My first 5 years of teaching There You were Me A recent Graduate You Years of experience Tried and true Wisdom Knowledge So much I Had yet to get …
Through The lens Of a teacher A picture IS Worth 1,000 words (and much more!) Expressions of Unconditional love Human compassion Outreach Support Empathy I see you I notice you I care about you You are important to me Take time To notice Take time To care Little things …
March 2020 New challenges New mentality Returned from Spring Break No kids Back at school Teachers In and out Gathering Student belongs Personal items Everything We possibly could In only 2 hours Packaged Prepared Labeled Bags Placed in The Gymnasium room Ready for Pick up Distribution To families …
You said I held your hand I said My hand you held as well You and I Like Two Young School-aged children We became Best Of friends Grateful I am God Crossed our life paths August through December I always will remember The smiles The laughter Encouragement Nicknames Friendship Sisterhood …
Holy crap! You scared me! I didn’t know you were sitting there. Words spoken by my husband as he came upon me while I was seated underneath the window, in darkness, alone, by myself. I needed to get away. I needed to be alone and release my emotions. My family and I, we just finished …
I am A woman A wife A lover A dreamer A mother A sister Gentle-Hearted A believer A teacher A mentor A student A friend A saint A sinner Many things Where Does one Begin A daughter Born into Royalty That of A King My Father In Heaven He Loves …
Today, I received two very important messages. One from a complete stranger, and the other from a family member. As I thought about the messages I received, where one person tagged me in a Facebook post, and the other one was by email, there was no doubt God had the upper hand in bringing these …
To honor and celebrate kindergartners starting school Fall 2020, here is the world through my lens, reflecting on my own life experiences. The picture you see Is that of me A kindergartner Yes Indeed Photo taken In 1978 5 years old A little girl Who Was quite shy My memory Doesn’t seem …
On Thursday, August 13th, 2020 the school year officially began. Me, a teacher, new challenges, many changes, what a way to start. On August 14th, we had a full day of Zoom training. So much to learn, to know, process, take in (I knew I would grow). Overwhelmed, to say the least, was how I …
On 8.7.2020, I went into my classroom for the first time since March. We had just returned from spring break and the day was March 16th. There was no closure, saying goodbye, until next year or see ya later…only a mad rush! My teaching assistant and I only had 2 hours to pack up all …
Hearing the sound of a friend’s voice is much more powerful than one can ever imagine. Yeah, it’s easy these days just to send a quick text message, click on: Like, Love or Care on Facebook, letting someone know you notice them, you care. There is something that changes the physiology within oneself, hearing their …
During this season in our lives, a pandemic as forever changed us. The way we see the world, our responses, our reactions, have changed. There is a lot of stress, worry, fear and anxiety clouding the thinking and judgements of many. The enemy just thrives on these times and messes with our minds, telling us …
Making time for, being present with the Lord, has been challenging in recent days. I acknowledge Him, I give Him thanks and praise, but our time together has been limited with distractions, difficulty focusing, hearing His voice and deep, unconditional love. As I exercised this morning, I thought about listening to a country music playlist, …
My body This day Feels So exhausted Depleted Lay down Into Eternal rest Not really Not quite My body My mind My physiology My spirit My soul Consumed By meetings By deadlines Important things To get done DO! Accomplish Achieve Dot All my “i’s” Cross All my “t’s” …
In just a few weeks Distance Learning Social Distancing Is how The school year Will Come to an end Be complete Hard to believe Imagine The last quarter Of The year Surreal Unimaginable 22 preschoolers Ages that vary From 2 years 11 months To 4-years-old Not having The chance The opportunity To …
Reminded by A friend How many things That I am How many things I am Going through A teacher So matter Of fact Who loves Her students As if Her own Wear and tear On Physiology Mentally Physically Psychologically Spiritually In tact I Must be A woman Many things Aside From …
This evening, my family and I went for a walk just around our neighborhood to some fresh air. Fresh snow had just fallen, and now starting to melt. For most of the day I had been feeling a bit more stressed, just off…God’s unconditional love and peace was what I needed more than anything else …
Continue reading “With the Right Mindset, You Can Turn Any Situation Around”
Today was a busy and productive day. I felt as if I was running off of high-octane fuel. I love it when my energy, enthusiasm and motivation is high. At times, a little overly active, but that helped me to get an incredible amount of tedious work done that doesn’t happen during a regular school …
Last night, I felt so exhausted. The events of my day just led me to fatigue. As much as I wanted to write, I just couldn’t and waited until this morning. There are days, when I am reminded of exactly the reasons why I love doing what I do, being a Preschool Special Education Teacher. …
Today, I was reminded, of the exact reasons why I do what I do for my job. I had been in communication with a parent of one of my students. At the moment, the parent is not able to be with or see their child due to a training out of state. God, He loves …
Continue reading “Thank You For Reminding Me of Why I Became a Teacher”
When your heart speaks, that is God speaking to you. That nudge, a voice, a tugging at your heart, the thought that keeps reoccurring, filled with much love and hope in knowing this is something that must be done. Yesterday, seemingly out of nowhere (but I really do know this spark, this idea came from …
Sometimes, the life of a teacher can sometimes feel like going into the battlefield. Not to wage war or having any enemies, but you never know what to expect and you are sometimes against the elements. Maybe there is a hidden landmine just waiting to get set off. Best way to put this is to …
Continue reading “Sometimes Life Can Feel Like a Battlefield as a Teacher”
Once upon a time, there was a first-year teacher. She was nervous, she was happy, she was eager, she was confused…many things all bottled up inside not knowing what to expect. Feeling overwhelmed, she questioned herself and her abilities in teaching children with special needs. That first-year teacher is me. At one time, I didn’t …
Continue reading “Take Time to Get to Know Me: Working With Children With Special Needs”
When… You learn To speak a child’s language They will be vested in you Forever Here is the inspiration behind what I have said. The above words came to mind as I was thinking about a new student of mine, reflecting on his behaviors and actions. He is a very active and affectionate 3-year-old, …
This is a true story about an event in my life (except I changed my name to Goldilocks to tell the story). My original version was written 8/17/2017, then edited on 1/2/2020. My journey has become more spiritual over the years. By reaching out, learning to quiet myself and hear His voice, speak with Him …
This week, there are many things to reflect upon and be thankful for. First and foremost, the breath of life, each day that God has given me. I see His workings in my life, more throughout each day. Miracles are happening. His blessings are being poured down upon me (even though didn’t seem like a …
This evening, I spent some time sitting in church in the back row, on a pew. A friend suggested this place as a source of inspiration to write and hear God speak His words. Unfortunately, someone just outside the door, was speaking rather loud to someone on their phone. So much for silence and peace …
October 9, 2019 Dear Heavenly Father, I would like to take this moment to write and thank you for all of your love and support throughout my life, especially in these years of adulthood when many changes have been taking place in my life. Mid-life changes, now that’s a big one, as a woman, …
What I have become more aware of throughout the years is how many people are in need of love, support, attention, good vibes and energy, healing, and positivity in their lives. Adult and children alike are in need of empathy. Someone who cares. Someone who reaches out. Someone who understands what it’s like to be …
Continue reading “Don’t Let The Well Run Dry: Empaths Need Empathy and Healing Energy Too”
The life of a teacher, so much to think about, so much to do. Getting organized in thought, with paperwork, with classroom arrangement, seating, materials, meetings and so much more. Doing the job can be overwhelming. Thank God I am not alone in this teaching profession. My team and I, we are in this together, …
I don’t know if you have noticed in my writing or not, but I do reflect a lot. Sometimes I even try to psychoanalyze myself giving things a much deeper thought. I want you to know some more things about me: I am a woman I am a wife I am a mother I am …
Continue reading “Educated and Experienced: Life Teaches Us So Many Things”
Change, it’s like money in the bank. You are securing funds for your future. To be intentional, and follow through, your funds will build equity for many years to come. You will thank yourself, and your friends and family will that you too. Change yourself, change your behavior and the way you view your world …
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