I’ve been so busy lately I feel I have neglected to update my blog. While it is a goal of mine to keep up with this blog steadily throughout the year I don’t actually have a set time that I prefer to write for it. I know I should narrow that down a bit, but with so much on my plate this semester I feel it’s best to prioritize and take care of the most important first. Unfortunately, that means this gets pushed to the back burner a little more often.
Currently, I have been focused of course on school and my internship, where I have recently finished my week of lesson plans and can’t wait to report back on how well teaching them goes after the week of October 8th, but I also have had a few amazing opportunities come my way. These opportunities have taken quite a bit of my time, but have been rewarding, fulfilling, and beneficial. I’m so thankful for every one of them.
The first thing that came my way was a job. I needed one to finish out this year because I can’t substitute teach while I student teach and with a family of five, we need two incomes. I got the job and I’m now a student assistant at WSU Haysville which opened up the door to another opportunity.
You’ve got to love how one door opening leads right into another. I was asked to speak and participate at the grand opening of WSU Haysville, and of course, I accepted. I was honored they asked! This last Friday was the grand opening and I have to admit though I was nervous, I’m very pleased with the outcome. I was on cloud nine for a good day and a half. The adrenaline from something like that is pretty awesome and considering that I’m an adult student who has gone through many trials and tribulations to get where I am, I was proud. Hard work definitely pays off.
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| WSU Haysville Staff |
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| Behind the scenes humor: I have braces. Those that have or have had braces understand the struggle of dry mouth but add that this was a very windy day, I'm sure you can imagine; The struggle is real. |
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| More behind the scenes humor: What you don't see in this picture is that I struggled to cut that ribbon. Ha! |
Secondly, today I will engage in a curriculum analysis/review with many other core 3 interns for USD 259. Not only do I love my fellow core 3 classmates and enjoy collaborating with them, but I felt this was an excellent opportunity to grow professionally and an experience I couldn’t turn down. The third thing that came my way was an opportunity to serve on the Kansas Teacher of the Year selection committee. One student was selected at WSU and that student was me! I kept this one quiet for a moment because I wanted to get my ratings completed before saying anything. Not that I’m getting a lot of traffic on my blog currently, but I still felt better about doing it that way first.
In addition to all of this, I am still a mother of three, who are all involved in sports. One in tennis, one in cheer, choir, and band, and one in volleyball. Unfortunately, I do have to miss all concerts this semester because I got this new job, but I keep reassuring my kids; mom has one more school year to complete then I’ll be able to attend more functions. Thank goodness for my husband who really steps up to the plate in my absence.
With all of this, you’re probably wondering when I get time to work on homework. I know that was my worry when everything picked up for me. The answer to that is weekends. This weekend I spent all day Saturday and Sunday doing homework. It was busy and jam-packed, and honestly, my eyes were strained from the screen time, but worth it in the end, because the only place success comes before work is the dictionary. I don’t know who said that quote, but I love it! Furthermore, I feel that this also prepares me for my teaching career. Just because our contract states we are in the building from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm (I’m totally winging that number, by the way, I’ve never seen a contract, but hope to soon) doesn’t mean we only work from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm.
It feels better to have updated my blog in some way. It’s not necessarily a reflection like I prefer, but an update is still a post. I’m excited to look back on these posts a year, two years, or even five years from now. Who knows maybe this post will spur a reflection from me in the future. Hopefully, I’m still blogging then. Wouldn’t that be fun!
I’m so glad you took time to post last month, Candice! Your achievements are impressive, but even more impressive is the energy and determination you exhibit in everything you commit to. Thank you for sharing your positive experiences—with behind the scenes humor—as well as the challenges of balancing the responsibilities of family, work, and academics. You make it look easy—but I know that it takes a lot of hard work. As I’ve mentioned before, it is okay to take time for yourself … and if that means not submitting an assignment that meets your own standards, it’s okay. I will understand. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Dr. Cramer.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually working on a reflection piece right now on a topic similar to this and incorporating self-care to focus on me sometimes.