The first two rules of being an educator.........are??

There's so many analogies that go along with my job and this video clip - it's scary. First rule of Fight Club......You do not talk about fight club. Second rule of Fight Club....You do not talk about fight club. I want this to be one of my approaches to work - what happens at work, stays at work. This clip also discusses the individuals being different at work than they were for other components of their life - to some extent I think that's important. I feel like I need to be tough for 31 Sunday nights in a row, tax season and finals week. Mentally some weeks I've feel like I've been through a fight. 

You see, my job has seasons. A series of Sunday nights occurs the entire month of August. IEP season used to be just like tax season is for accountants however IEP season seems to be the 9 months children are attending school, finals week occurs the last 6 weeks of school.....then there's........SUMMER! Siesta.....party........siesta.......party.....siesta, rinse and repeat!

How lucky are we? Very!! 

For myself every summer I forget what it feels like to live through 31 Sunday nights in a row, tax season and finals week.  For about 5-8 weeks I can focus on anything but my job. Family, friends, travel, home improvement projects, Netflix, bike rides and personal growth. The vast majority of the work force does not have this and I'd probably do anything I could to keep this perk. 

This summer, I'm using Siesta time to it's maximum....I'm required to check my email and I am servicing 1 student once a week. However, I have until mid August to be truly detached emotionally and mentally from the pace, repetition and any negative vibes that may occur. It's my way to recharge and be focused on the things I am grateful for. 

The way I see it my attitude and personal perspective towards my job is going to make it or break it for me.........and this break is meant to be just that, a break.  My time, thoughts. planning, ideas, energy, and emotions are going to go towards anything but my job.  Since my body is attached to energy, mentally and emotionally there's no better gift I can give to myself. 

I've heard back to school commercials are out. I have not seen one however if I do I am logging off TV and social media. It will be a done deal for me. 

So, thank you for another year of an unbalanced calendar.......weeks 1 and 2 have been fabulous! 

Let's commence..........shall we :) 

Travel

For awhile now I have been thinking about everything life has to offer. Really, when people say they are interested in a hobby there are several different ways to enjoy one thing. I started to realize this when I started thinking about what type of traveler I am.

I grew up  taking very standard family vacations on spring and summer breaks. These places were crowded, full if families taking pictures and souvenir/tourist shops. I've continued to have adventures around the country/world in this fashion. I've been on 3+ Duck Tours - I've you are  comfortable being known as a tourist, take a Duck Tour (they're a blast)!  Once you have started traveling like this you become slightly addicted to see and do as much as possible.  You are not alone, it's a huge industry and for many it's the only way to see other areas of the world from where you came from. I absolutely love these types of vacations, they share some of my fondest memories. But I've begun to notice all of the magnets and sweatshirts look the same........soon the tour guides look the same and crack the same jokes. Anywhere I travel even as a "tourist" with a fannie pack I'm always curious and intrigued by the routine and lives of the people who are living in that area.

I've been able to stay with friends around the country and return to the same spots over and over which has given me the chance to learn a few areas behind the scenes. This has given me the chance to get to know certain neighborhoods. How are they the same as the area I live in? How are they different?

Then there are the areas where I return year after year for good relaxation, tradition and memories that are formed. I'm away from home and my routine which is a great time of respite and rejuvenation.

I've learned taking a day trip, going to a new place in my local area or even driving a different way to work is considered to be apart of traveling. It increases my curiosity and the experiences I have. Knowing I can describe a place or situation based on my own experience makes me feel happy!


Even though I think I am more productive and thrive when I have a routine it still feels really good when I am able to break that routine up and increase my perspective on the world.

I have not worn a fannie pack on a trip since 1998, by the way!

How do all of you like to travel?

Continuing down the path

I am writing this post 10 minutes to 9pm, it's 85 degrees, it's still light out and the birds are still chirping. This is absolutely my favorite time of year!

I'm sitting outside on my back porch with my laptop and some quiet time. I have many thoughts and ideas I could write about however it all kind of feels "loose." I'm not really sure where I want this post to go! So, instead I decided to jump on google.

What does it take to become a leader? As I read I thought, rather than becoming a business owner, "What would it be like to be a leader in a general sense? Then...

I typed in.....How to become a writer?

What I've learned is.....I'm on the path to becoming very good at both of these things.

What I need is a plan to execute some of these ideas swarming through my mind.

This summer I am going to work on continuing to share my journey. This will be done by sharing the ideas with other professionals on an individual level and reaching out to professional organizations. I will also be organizing the ideas I do have for writing into a more specific schedule for my blog.

I'm working on becoming myself and not being shy or afraid to hide that which is a pretty awesome journey!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-pirouz/what-it-takes-to-be-a-gre_b_7523662.html

https://thewritelife.com/become-writer-second-career/

Happy Past......Happy Future!

I look back at my past and I am grateful for all of the cool things I have been able to do! Close friendships, an education, traveling, being independent, trying new things and having good acquaintances are all things I treasure. I will be honest, sometimes looking into the past is easier for me than moving forward. I will mourn the way things used to be. Or I will say, "I've been there, done that, I don't want or need to do it again." On a positive note I will think a lot about how much I grown and changed as an individual even though my physical situation hasn't changed much for a few years now. I think looking into the past gives me the opportunity to reflect and be self aware.

I started putting pictures on Facebook for Throwback Thursday. But thoughts crossed my mind.........these memories are truly for me to reminisce about , there's so many little things that have made me happy thus far and instead of rehashing the past I need to continue to move forward and make my future just as amazing! I heard a celebrity being interviewed and she said "I never look back." I chuckled to myself and thought about my views about my past, where I am headed and where I want to go. I remembered even though I've had it pretty good up until now, I must just keep swimming and chugging along...good things are going to continue to happen! And the flood of good memories and life lessons are going to continue to expand!

Visual Description of Siesta Hut

I think I have seen this video in the past but I loved it and wanted to share with everyone today. When I think of The Siesta Hut or the true foundation I want for my life, this description or analogy is what I am aiming for.

As I watched the video I realized there was a lot of reorganization and some thought to fit everything into the jar. So very true! Why we are creatures who are magnetized to negativity, fear, stress or mindless activities is a mystery to me. In life maybe I'll have days where the jar is full of sand or just sand and pebbles with hopefully one rock?!

I'm on a journey to select rocks that are important to me and along the way I keep shaking and rearranging the pebbles and sand.

I would love to hear how all of you are filling your jar!

End of the Year 2017

How do I put into words what May and the first week of June feels like? For those of you that went to college or even took high school finals......May/half of June is finals week, yes for 5 full weeks. Educators experience "the last" every late spring for as long as their an educator. Nerves about final reports, meetings, deadlines, a smooth performance eval (silly but it's on the list of 20-30 other things).  There's junk food in every lounge and chat behind close doors about our students success, priceless things these little people say and the fun summer ahead.  We prepare gifts for those staff who are moving forward to different buildings or a new phase in life. Oh yes, I forgot the last to see improvement in our students which should be first on our list! Don't worry, it's in our DNA to offer compassion and feel pride when an achievement happens but mentally, physically and emotionally everyone is overloaded.  To count 184 days and clock out to start your 9 weeks off with ease is impossible. There's people, life and bureaucracy occurring around you.  Happiness, pride and relief are swarming with stress/anxiety with extra effort to zone in on your concentration levels.

This year I've decided to put my Siesta Hut philosophy to work. This is important to me!

I had deadlines and wrote them in a prioritized list. I gave myself my own individual deadlines. Usually aside from the kids and meetings I had 1-2 hours of paperwork each week day to do. And I really tried super hard to stick to it. Despite the interruptions (there are several..........I promise) this really worked. In April I was bringing lots of work home. But May 6th-June 8th I didn't bring any work home. Which makes me happy! June 6th I was so happy to be 85% done with student's and their paperwork. By June 7th at 2pm, stress and panic set in. I wasn't done dotting i's and crossing t's! I think I felt such a relief midweek....I stopped micromanaging what I had done. So, Monday there will be a few things I need to complete.

This year as been the smoothest end of the year for me because of my approach and thoughts towards what is going on around me. It's taken a conscious effort to be positive, look around me to find ways to make my life easier and stick to the plan. I will admit it's still a work in progress!

Next year is a new year for my philosophy and new ways of approaching my life.

To add to finals week which is 5 weeks, I began vision therapy at the end of April. I'm so fascinated by what I am having to do. Being a patient through mid October will make me a better therapist. However, like any therapy, home exercises and involvement are crucial. So, most nights at 9pm I exercised my eyes. I'm excited to do my exercises in the mid-morning in my PJs!