Made it!

I'm proud to say that I have completed, and survived, my first year of teaching  high school!

I know, some of you are thinking, "Big Deal."  But for me it was!  I have been through several transitions in the past 4 years.  

During my last year of teaching middle school language arts, I was thinking about how I felt I was falling into a rut with my teaching, and that I needed to perk things up a bit.  Little did I realize that I would face challenges as a teacher in the years to come.  

Now, 4 years later, after having transition to an elementary teacher then a high school teacher, I can look back and be proud of myself.  

Perhaps I wasn't the best teacher this year, and that there was much more that I could have taught my students, but I did give it my best.  I followed the standards and learning targets that my district chose to follow, I tried to include not only reading material, videos and movies, but also bring people in or Skype with them.  Perhaps I could have added more rigor, but for my first year, I think I did very well.

Part of what I learned consisted of how to relate to my students.  Some were easy to relate to, but teenagers can be are complicated.  Not all teens will respond the same way. Some (okay many) are moody, and many a lot of them have too much drama going on.  Much of what I had to learn was how to reach them all, get them to agree to stay on task (to some extent) for the time they were in my class, and get their work done in a timely manner.  Okay...at all.

The best thing about this year now behind me, is that now I have a whole school year in this content and grade level under my belt.  I know what worked, what did, and what I would like to improve on for next year.  I plan to start the year much differently than last year, too.

Now that our year has ended, and I'm sitting here at 11 at night waiting for Kris' uniforms to be finished in the dryer so he has them for work at 4 AM tomorrow morning, I'm reflecting on the year.   I'm also trying to decide whether to have an ice cream so late in the evening or not.  I don't have any wine in the house, so I'm thinking an ice cream will work just fine.

It's already starting.

Within a year after graduating from high school, nearly 30 years ago, I was married.  Getting married was as liberating for me as for many graduates today.  I would go weeks doing my own thing and not going to visit my parents.  Or calling.  I look back now and regret having done that.  I didn't I intended to cut my parents from my life as much as I had.  But I did.  

Why am I thinking about this now?  Our new graduate is exercising his new wings.  He's spreading them out and making choices, even though they're not choices we want him to make.  Our first reaction is to take it personally.  

Through my conversation with my husband this evening, I remembered how I felt those years ago, and how I just wanted to make my own decisions.  How my choices were affecting my parents or my sister didn't matter to me back then.  I was just thinking about myself and what I wanted to do.  I eventually caught on and and began keeping in touch more with my parents.

I guess as the new adults have to transition to adult life, holding jobs, paying bills, and either going to the military or college, parents do too.  We need to get used to not having them around, not knowing where they're at, where they're going, and what time they'll be home.  It's not always an easy transition.  

As for our youngest?  He'll have to adjust to not having his brother around all the time.  He won't be able to count on him for rides to school in the fall, or to bring him to their mom's if he forgets something there.  I can relate to our oldest, but not to our youngest.  I'll have to pick my sister's brain about how she felt all those years ago when I moved out.

The Big Graduation Day and My Wish

What an emotional rollercoaster ride today was!  Our oldest is now graduated!

Have I said how much I love that kid?  

We live in a small community, so the group of 22 students were more than just classmates, but a family that have been together since Pre-K.  It was obvious to anyone watching that they were close.  

I teared up looking at all of them and thinking about how those cute little boys and girls have grown up into wonderful young men and women.

My Facebook newsfeed has also been filled with photos from the district that I taught middle school in.  It was great to see photos of their graduation too.  

So, being the sentimentally nostalgic person I'm known for, I have one wish for Kris and all the graduating classes of 2015, thanks to Rascal Flats.

End of Year Tired

This picture hold a lot of truth.  At the beginning of the school year, we're all energized and ready to rock and roll.  But by the last days of school it takes everything to make it through the day.  Now I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

I feel like a horrible teacher at this time of the year.  I'm trying to make what we're doing meaningful, but I feel I'm just going through the motions.  Making it day by day.

Teachers aren't the only ones who feel this way.  The kids feel burnt out too.  Sports are wrapping up for the year, finals are going on, and projects are all due.  Everyone is burnt out.

So, what's a tired teacher during the last 8 days of school to do to keep from crashing?  I'll let you know when I figure it out, or if a reader give me any suggestions.  In the meantime, I'll keep my coffee IV going.

Wrapping Up Another School Year

Well, we'll be wrapping up another school year in another 2 weeks.  This marks a milestone not only for me ending my first year teaching high school, but for our oldest, Kris.  He's graduating next Saturday...in 6 days. 

Kris at age 11

Where did our little boy go??

Kris at age 17

This morning we had the senior mass, and it was bittersweet seeing him in his cap and gown.  I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet.

It's exciting to know that he's about to embark on a new life, making decisions that only he can make.  His future is an adventure now.  I wonder what direction his life will take and where he'll end up.

I think back to when I was graduating 28 years ago.  I remember how excited I was to be done high school, and get on with my life.  I didn't know what direction life would take me, but I'm here now.  Every step I took, every direction I went towards, led me to the man I'm married to, the children I'm a stepmom to, and working at the teaching career I now have.  I wouldn't change a thing.

I just hope that Kris can look back on his life in 10, 20, and 30 years from now and be happy with his choices in life and have no regrets.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day has always been a dreaded day of the year for me.  I've never had children of my own.  I did have a miscarriage long ago early in my pregnancy, but being young and naive, I didn't go to the doctor and that probably prevented me from conceiving ever again. That was nearly 30 years ago.

As many of you already know, I'm a stepmom.  I've been one for 9 years now, but have been a full-time part of their lives for the past 13.  I've been through diaper changes, potty training, birthdays, first days of school, boo-boos, cheered at games, even when I knew nothing about the game, and went to all of the school events.  I got up every 20 minutes to put ice on my oldest's cheeks for 15 minutes after he got all four of his wisdom teeth removed.  I had my share of bringing them to doctor appointments, and spent most of our school breaks together.  I gave them love, support, and discipline when necessary.  I helped with homework, and chauffeured them wherever they needed to go.  I NEVER considered the time I spent with them as babysitting.

I never tried to replace their mom, rather I helped pick out cards and gifts for her birthday, Christmas, Valentines Day, and Mother's Day.  I helped them create handmade gifts for her that would be meaningful, and always enforced the fact that I was not trying to replace Mom.

I'm usually a humble person, rarely calling any attention to myself, or asking for anything.   I'm like that for just about anything.  However, my husband has been very good at acknowledging what I do for him and the boys.  He's taken me out for Mother's Day meals, and had the boys give me cards thanking me for what I do.  I feel that the love I have for my stepsons are no different than a mom who adopted her children.  I may not have carried or given birth to them, but I love them as if they were my very own.

But no matter what, it's still a day I dread and wish I could avoid.  I've always tried to push back any jealous feelings that may creep up during these times.  

I always end up with a lump in my throat and an ache in my heart when I know Mother's Day is coming.  But I still have my mom and mother-in-law who I love very much, and want to make sure they are recognized and appreciated.  So for them I stay strong, swallow that lump in my throat, and keep moving forward.

So for all the moms, stepmoms, mother-in-laws, grandmothers, aunts-as-moms, dads-as-moms, mentors, and everyone in between, I hope you all have a special day and are appreciated for what you do for your children.  

Health Scares

Three days before our April break, we had a scare that caused my husband to spend 4 days in the hospital.  At first the doctors thought that perhaps he had a heart attack, but after all is said and done he had A-fib.  He's now on medication to keep his heart rate under control and he feels good.

Two weeks before his scare, I had one myself.  I had a pain in the pit of my stomach that also radiated to my back and between my shoulder blades.  My doctor, wanting to make sure it wasn't my heart, but suspected it was my gallbladder, put me through a series of tests.  I wore a heart monitor for 24 hours, went through a stress test, and had a full abdominal ultrasound done.  During the ultrasound I learned that I had several good-sized gallstones.   There's no infection, but the stones could be causing my symptoms.

Now, in all my 45 1/2 years, I have not spent more than a few hours in the hospital and have never had surgery, other than a breast biopsy last fall.  Now, I may need to have my gallbladder removed.  That seems a bit more invasive than the biopsy I experienced.  Not only that, but I have a cyst at the base of my middle finger, which my surgeon might take care of as well.  I'm worried about complications about that too.


A couple of years ago, a woman I know had her gallbladder removed, but she ended up having complications because the duct was cut too short, or something like that.  And another woman I know had a similar cyst removed and ended up with a trigger finger that never got better.  Like these stories don't freak me out.

Now I'm wondering if anyone out there ever had their gallbladder removed.  What was your experience like?  Were you awake or out like a light?  How was your recovery?  

I guess I just want to ease any fears I have.   I know it could be much worse than just gallstones, but when you've never been through anything like this it can be frightening.

Teaching the Teacher

Today marks 32 more days left of school, or 6 1/2 weeks before we embark on our summer break.  Not that I'm counting or anything.  What a year it has been, and boy have I learned a lot!


This year I went through the transformation of being an English teacher and an elementary teacher to a high school history teacher.  I passed my Praxis II test for history, so now I'm fully certified to teach it.  What a relief that was!  I had to take it twice!  I forgot all about the economics portion of social studies, so I had to pay for the other test.  Like I had the extra $115 just floating around with nothing to do.

Another transformation for me was learning to deal with teenagers in general.  I learned that yes, teenagers may have attitudes, they may be outspoken (a little too much at times), they may not always behave appropriately in class, but some times the problem wasn't them, but me.  I may not be able to change my students' behavior, but I can control my reaction.

I've had a couple of students during the course of the year who I've clashed with.  I tried talking with the principal, the guidance counselor, and my mentor teacher about the situation.  When my mentor teacher came in to observe me, because of my concerns, she was able to see how my reaction towards a student caused that student to behave in a certain way.  That's when I learned that I was a possible factor.  Let's just say that things have gotten a lot better.  I'm not perfect, but I now approach my students differently, and it has made a difference.

Aside from school, other transformations are taking place. My oldest stepson has just turned 18 and will be graduating in 27 days.  Yes, I've got a countdown for the seniors, too.


With graduation comes new changes in our lives.  My youngest stepson will be alone from this point on, at least at our house, so adjusting to not having his brother around will be a huge change for all of us.  Not only that, but my youngest now has a job.  A JOB!  I wish that life could slow down a bit so they won't grow up so fast.

Well, with the coming of summer break will hopefully come with wonderful opportunities of warm weather and lots of special times with my husband and stepsons.  This weekend Hubby and I enjoyed our first major bike ride of the season.  And it was WONDERFUL!  I felt like Rose in the movie Titanic when she spread her arms wide and yelled, "I'm flying!!!"  Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we can take the big trip we're hoping to do this summer.

If I say any more I won't have anything to say in my next post, and I'll probably bore you further.  So, until next time.....

New school update...

I'm on my last week of harvest break.  Yup, our school district, as well as many surrounding schools take a couple of weeks off at the end of September to allow the students to work on the potato harvesters and in the barns brining in the harvest.  It's a tradition that's been going on forever in our region.

So far my new position as a high school social studies teacher has been going well.  I have had challenges, but I'm getting the hang of things.  Most of the adjustment is on me.  Dealing with behaviors is different with high school students than it was with middle school and elementary.

Part of the stress that I was going through was taking the Praxis II test in social studies for my certification.  Well, let's just say that it took a couple of attempts, and lots of focus and studying, but I passed!!  Just waiting now for my score to be available for printing so I can wrap this part up.


That test pretty much consumed my spare time and attention.  It's funny how just getting that behind me has changed my perspective on being a history teacher.  I feel more immersed in history (if that makes any sense), that it's more a part of me than it was before.

I feel that as part of my reinvention, if you will, of being a high school social studies teacher, I'll also be working on keeping another blog called Classroom Teacher Tales.   Please feel free to follow my blog and give feedback or suggestions.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Yet Another New Beginning!

According to my last blog post, I was teaching 4th grade.  So far I've gone from teaching 7th and 8th graders, to teaching 3rd and 4th graders.  Now what is in store for me?  Let's just say I'm moving up to high school.   

The whole move is because of instability in the district I was in.  Just like my first district that cut me 3 years ago, I was facing an uncertain future.  So, not wanting to be taking off guard, I decided to quit while I was ahead and take a leap of faith.

This change is a mixture of pros and cons.  The pros is that I'm MUCH closer to home, 1.9 miles as opposed to 25 miles, one way! :)  As for the work, I'm going from 12 students in all subjects to as many as 15 to 24 students in 6 different classes, all social studies.

Another mixture is that I'll be teaching at my stepsons' school.  The older one is a senior this year and the younger one in the 8th grade.  I'll be teaching the older one this year, and it will be awkward for both of us, because it's never happened before.  But they did encourage me to take the position when it was offered to me.

I've also spend the whole summer preparing for my 5 different courses, only to change my mind this weekend on the approach I want to take.  Argh!   

Let's just say that it's been beautiful all day, and I spent almost all of it inside working, in my pj's.  The pool was almost 80º and it wasn't muggy outside at all.  But on the positive side, I finished what I needed to do.