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Crushing It

Here's to another Thursday Thrive. On the Thursday Thrive, we reflect on the past week and examine how we crushed it. No matter how big or how small, any thrive-we'll take them all. If we don't pat ourselves on the back, how can we expect others to? For this Thursday Thrive entry, I want to talk about an organization that is near and dear to my heart. My sister started Shoot for the Stars nearly three decades ago. The organization provides the opportunity for individuals with special needs to participate in extracurricular activities. You see, my mom used to work as a teacher's assistant for students with special needs. My sister and I grew up around her students. We volunteered in her class. At times, she brought her students home with her, and we babysat them. Her students were her children, not as much as my sister and me but pretty close. In our early twenties, my sister decided to coach a softball team. I helped. The girls ranged in age from 13-17 years o...

Excuse Me, Excuse Me...What's my Motivation?

Motivated Monday provides the opportunity for all of us to pat ourselves on the back for fighting the good fight. Whether your motivation comes from your students, yourself, your family, your friends, or a combination of all, we all need motivation to continue doing what we are doing. Even if that motivation is simply to get out of bed in the morning, that is still a motivation. I would argue an incredibly important one at that. What's my motivation? The question burns my soul with every endeavor I undertake. If I choose to pursue an activity, I want to make certain I do so in earnest. Like most educators, I try to put my heart and soul into everything I do. If I can't do that, then why bother? If my intentions aren't pure, I don't want to put that energy into the universe. That type of dedication though means that somewhere something suffers. My hope is that the suffering does not affect my relationship with my family and friends. For me, these people are...

Third Thursday-What's your Thrive?

Hello All and Welcome to the Thursday Thrive! Let me start by saying that I wish life came with a soundtrack . Or that we could all go around singing like in musicals. How often do you just want to break out into song? Shimmy your shoulders? At the very least, bob that head? Surely that's not just me. Today represents a particularly proud Thursday Thrive for several reasons. One-it actually came out on a Thursday. Two-I submitted my thesis statement to be finished with grad school. Three-Because of the fantabulous spring weather, I have been able to wear a dress almost every day this week. Four-27 days until summer . Please don't get me wrong. I love my students, love my classroom. In all honesty, I will probably spend more time there than I don't this summer. I just like being able to say when I get there and when I leave. Perk to being a teacher. Today bristled with glorious anticipation by all. The sun shone down on our sleepy little town. Over lunch, I walke...

Good Night, Gray (and Jax)

Welcome to the next installment of the Thursday Thrive. Your weekly dose of positive in a sometimes pessimistic world. Remember: no matter how big, no matter how small. Every thrive, we count them all. Again, a little late with the entry, but better late than never. Hopefully, with any luck, next week's Thursday Thrive will be at least I posted the Thursday Thrive on time. Fingers crossed, everybody. How has everyone else's week been? (Please note that even as I ask this question, toothpaste covers the front of my favorite sweater. Apparently I have been walking around like this for three hours. This is why we can't have nice things.) Mine has been a tad chaotic to say the least. It was our first week back from break. Track season started. Baseball season started. Class and club meetings happened. Plus on Thursday, our school held its annual FFA banquet. I won a hat. Thank you very much. Bonus, the Dynamic Duo made bedtime Thursday night quite the treat. Pun inten...

The Thursday Thrive

Omni Grove Park Inn Asheville, North Carolina Wednesday-3/29/2019 I crest over the mountains of Tennessee. My hands start shaking. My mouth becomes dry. The knuckles on my fingers, white from their grip on the steering wheel, beg to be let loose. I can't. At least, not yet. Welcome to the Thursday Thrive. Each week, I invite my readers to share examples of moments in their lives when they feel themselves thriving, not just surviving. As educators, being overwhelmed feels like part of the job description. When one item moves from our to-do list, two more pop up. You can choose your own definition of thrive . You can use examples from your personal life or your professional life. However you want to approach thriving is up to you. The Journey Begins For this first Thriving Thursday post, I wanted to share about my Spring Break triumph to Asheville, North Carolina. As a child, I watched my mother shout her fear of the mountains. Intensely terrified of them, she wou...

About this Blog

What is the purpose of this blog? Excellent question. Let me tell you. I began my career as an educator when I was 19. I taught students in middle school, most of whom were only about 5 years younger than I at the time. I was so shy that I didn't speak in my classroom for over a month. I literally hung back and watched the lead teacher. At times, I sit baffled at the journey that brought me to this destination, specifically this blog. I am a person who needs to move. I teach high school partly because being in one classroom all day would be a nightmare for me. I commute roughly 40 minutes both ways (that would be 80 minutes) because the drive allows me time to decompress. As an undergraduate, I learned that I need a commute. Without the commute, I struggle being pleasant when I arrive home. The only regret I have about the commute-less time with the Dynamic Duo-Jax and Gray. Through the years, I learned what I need to do in order to be able to function in a world th...