Casting Crowns - Thrive (Official Lyric Video)

Lessons I'm Learning

Hello Friends....
Though I've only been away from this blog a little more than 2 weeks, it feels like much longer.  I'm finding it difficult to get back into the swing of writing, but during my brief hiatus I've been learning new things about myself and revisiting some other things.  You see, I tend to be a "bit" on the OCD side of life.  Once I get hooked on something or my brain latches on to a thought or idea, it's off to the races.  My daily routine gets disrupted, I have trouble sleeping and other things get pushed aside until my obsession runs it's course.  And for many weeks I was allowing social media and all it's distractions (good and bad) to overwhelm me and my life. I wanted  NEEDED to disconnect!

Twitter was the first thing that had to go for awhile.  I could not pull myself away.  I was obsessed with checking my feed constantly.  I had to be completely up to date, have the latest information.  I also found myself accepting and jumping in to every new challenge that was put before me.  It didn't take long before I was completely overwhelmed by all that I was trying to do, and was not enjoying or learning from very much of it.  All I could think was "must keep up".  Out of necessity ( another life challenge/obsession took over) I had to go cold turkey on Twitter and all it's challenges and "learning opportunities".   It was a struggle for a few days.  I felt as if I was quitting on my PLN and myself.  I missed keeping up with everyone and reading all the amazing blogs that I follow and enjoy.  However, after 3-4 days I found my mind calming.  I was starting to sleep a little better and I wasn't using up all the data on my phone! :)  I was learning, and continue to learn that it's okay to step back, to take on only 1 or 2 challenges, to PUT THE PHONE DOWN and just enjoy life.  I am trying to spend more time with friends.  I'm trying to catch up on the reading I wanted to do this summer.  And I'm trying to find myself again.

Which leads me to 10 other lessons I'm learning.... 

1.  DO NOT feel guilty for taking time for myself
2.  It's okay to disconnect... the world will not fall apart if I do not have the most up to date information
3.  My mind needs to take a break occasionally  
4.  I MUST connect myself spiritually to God and to my faith
5.  It's okay to say "no"
6.  It's okay-even necessary-to ask for help
7.  I have amazing friends, family and co-workers who help keep me grounded and who love me 
8.  BREATHE
9.  Do not borrow trouble, take one minute/situation/day/ at a time
10.  Continue to keep my JOY, regardless of the circumstances

This is not an exhaustive list, and these will continue to be life-long learning opportunities for me, but in a short 2 1/2 weeks, these things have all been an important part of my growth as a person, a woman, a teacher and a friend.

I'm back to Twitter and I'm looking forward to catching up with my PLN and the blogs that I've missed, but I am coming at it with new perspective and insight.  I can and will put my phone down, I will take a close look at what challenges I've been participating in and set my priorities, and I will start focusing on quality instead of quantity.  I'm ready to start learning again... and keep learning!
God Bless,
Michele

Keeping My Joy Today

I am struggling today.  Struggling to make healthy choices, struggling to be cheerful, struggling to be positive and struggling to just keep my head above water.   And the honest truth is, I can't really tell you why.  Today is no different from yesterday or the day before.  The same realities that I faced yesterday I am facing today.  My stress is no greater, my burdens no heavier and my life no more overwhelming.  Yet today feels different.  Today I have less resources to handle the stress, burdens and priorities.  I feel sad, broken, challenged and incompetent.  

But the amazing thing is, I still have JOY.  It would be so easy to go to these dark places and let the emotions take control and win.  But regardless of my inner or outer turmoils, despite the times of feeling helpless and out of control, I have a joy the lives within me.  It is the Holy Spirit and my days would be be dark, indeed, without It.  I can find joy every day, in any circumstance, because of this presence and I am grateful beyond words.   

We all have these days.  Days when we just can't see any light.  Days when the burdens seem too overwhelming to handle.  Days where it's a struggle just to smile.  It's part of being human.  It's a part of our reality and the world we live in.  And today is just one of those days.  But I still have joy.  And I will face what is left of this day with the knowledge that I will wake up tomorrow to face a beautiful new day, full of hope and promise.  

And I will have JOY!

Living a Full Life

 

@muellerholly has invited her Twitter and blog followers to join with her for her Spiritual Journey Thursdays.  I am so excited about this opportunity.  As much as I love blogging about my passion for all things education and technology, I am so glad for a forum to journal about my faith on a regular basis as well.

This week Holly was focusing on the word "capacious" and asked, how has God given you a capacious life?  And, in typical God fashion, I was just thinking about this today.  I was driving to my mom's house for Fourth of July celebrations, and the K-love radio host was reading a list of 5 things you should never say to a person who is single and it made me laugh.  You see, I'm in my 40's and still single.  And culture tells me I should not be happy with that.  I should be out there looking, or praying for a life partner, or asking my
Christian friends to set me up, etc... .  But.... I'm okay.  More than just okay; I'm HAPPY!  And you know why?  God has given me a *capacious* life!  

First and foremost, my faith in Jesus Christ has me waking up each morning full of joy.  He completely fills my life and provides me with all I need.  Crazy, scary, sad and frustrating things may happen in my life, and believe me they do, but I still have joy in the absolute truth that God is with me.  I am part of a church congregation that lifts me up and supports me.  They allow me opportunities to share my faith with in a multitude of ways.  

Family, friends and a wonderful teaching career also provide for a full, happy life.  I have people in my life that love, support, encourage and challenge me.  They understand and enjoy my child like wonder of the world around me; finding greatness and awe in fireworks, thunder storms, oceans, and the magic of the Magic Kingdom :)  I also find completeness in teaching.  My students put a smile on my face every single day, no matter what else may be going on around me.  They are true blessings!  

Though some may feel that my life must be lacking because of my single status, believe me.... God has truly worked many blessings in my life and I find it extremely *capacious*!  

It's Good to Feel Used!

This past Sunday I had the privilege of speaking in church.  The questions were "does God still call us?" and "does God still use us?".  I knew my answer was absolutely "yes", and I went on to give my thoughts on how and why God calls us and uses us.  And as I continue to ponder those questions, I realize that it applies to more than just my spiritual/religious beliefs.  Regardless of your religious beliefs.... these questions still hold true.  Remove the word God and the questions become "are we called?" and "can we be used?"  And my answer is still absolutely YES!

I truly believe teaching is a calling.  Regardless of what our communities, media, politicians and education reformers would have us belief, not just ANYONE can teach.  The old adage "Those who can, do.  Those who can't, teach" was most likely written by someone who never stepped foot inside a classroom as a teacher.  I know we can all probably remember the moment we knew that we were going to be a teacher, that we just knew we were "called" to this profession of little money, fame, fortune or respect, but filled with so much enjoyment, fulfillment, excitement and challenges.  Those who do not feel called to teaching will most likely not last long in the profession.  

Being called is one thing, but is okay to be "used"?  Does anyone ever want to feel like they are being used?  YES!!  Please use me..... use my skills, knowledge, gifts, talents, experience, excitement, vision, curiosity, love of learning.  Nothing makes me happier than being used!  I have a true passion for teaching.  I love my students.  I love watching the grow, learn, develop and being a part of their life journey.  But I also have a passion for sharing with my colleagues and participating in our joint growth as educators.  It is how we all become better at what we do.  It's how we gain more knowledge and experience to ultimately help our students.  I love to present at staff development workshops, I love sharing on Twitter, I love mentoring new teachers/student teachers, I love presenting at professional conferences and I love collaborating with my peers.  I love being used!  

We all have so much to share with each other; so many skills, insights, wisdom, projects, gifts, thoughts and experiences.  So, it's OKAY to feel used!  It's good to be used! I challenge you to go out there and tell your colleagues, administrators, coordinators, LRC directors, IT directors.... anyone who will listen that you want to feel used.  Let people know you want to share with others and learn from others as well.  I bet they will take you up on your offer, and you can enjoy the feeling of "being used"!

Times... They Are Changing! Taking Charge of Our Own Professional Development

Change Ahead.... I think this sums it up nicely.  As educators, we need this big warning sign in front of us to prepare us for the road ahead.  Gone are the days of multi-day conferences paid for by the district.  Gone are the days of release time to visit other teachers, schools, or districts to observe best practices.  And gone are the days of districts reimbursing us for classes and workshops!  We are being asked to do more with less time, training and resources.

How do we implement CCSS, PARCC, new Teacher Evaluations/accountability, PBIS, RtI, iPads, Chromebooks, SMARTboards, mobile technology, etc.... without any training?  It is overwhelming, frustrating and downright impossible.  But we can no longer count on our school districts, professional organizations, or administrators to help us keep up and keep current.  We need to start taking control of our own Professional Development!  I know many out there would say "why should I do this on my time and my dime?".  Well, I will respond by saying because we are teachers!  And as teachers we should be models for our students.  If we are striving to make them life-long learners, then isn't it our responsibility to be life-long learners as well?  To be the best we can be for our students, we MUST keep up... we MUST continue to grow and learn!  Here are some reasons why taking control of our own Professional Development will revolutionize how we teach!

Learning should be and can be fun... if we create our own learning!  If we are in charge of our learning, we can decide how our instruction is delivered, we can decide when we learn, we decide where it takes place,we decide who delivers it and we decide what we learn!  How cool is that?  No more scouring our mail for Workshops being offered in our area at a cost our districts are willing to pay on a day that substitutes are available and presented by speakers that won't put you to sleep!  So go out there and make your learning FUN!!

Another GREAT reason to take control of your own PD is the abundance of tools available to us thanks to the wonderful world of technology!  The way we as professionals learn is forever changed with the internet and mobile technology.  Twitter, Blogs, Facebook, Google +, Wikis, On-Line Learning, iTechnology Apps. Google Apps., Skype... the list is exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting!).  These technology tools have revolutionized Professional Development.  Learning is available to us 24/7 at little or no cost right from our own homes.  No more forms in triplicate, no more checking 5 different school calendars, no more sub. plans!  You can log in to any one of these tools at any time of day or night and let the learning begin.

I think my favorite reason for taking control of our own PD is Collaboration.  Technology has made our world a very small place.  And when it comes to learning and growing, that is a great thing!  It is amazing to me that I can log on to Twitter and members of my PLN are not just local, but global.  I am learning from Educators in England, Canada, Australia many other countries.  How incredible is that?  Regardless of what form of Social Media we choose, there are such amazing things we can learn from each other.  I cannot tell you how fabulous it is to connect with a favorite Children's Book author only to find out they would be more than happy to Skype with your class.  Or validating it is to get feedback on your blog posting from an administrator in another state or country or finding out that other teachers across the country are going to start using something in their classrooms that you suggested.  Learning from each other is the most powerful form of Professional Development I can think of.  We are there, in the classrooms, doing it every day.  We need each other!  We need to support, validate, learn and grow together.

So get out there!  Stop waiting for your school districts to give you "in-service training".  Stop waiting to find the perfect conference or workshop to attend.  And PLEASE change your thinking of "not on my time or my dime".  Take charge of your own Professional Development.  Develop a PLN.  Learn, Grow and and model Life-Long Learning to your students and to your colleagues!!  You won't regret it!

Michele

Happy Blogger!

Well friends..... in my short few weeks of blogging I've already been nominated for an award!  And it's because I've only been blogging for such a short period of time that I'm eligible for this honor.  So, thank you to my friend and co-worker Greg Armamentos for the prestigious Liebster Award for being a NEW BLOGGER!!

Here are the Liebster Award rules:
A. List 11 Facts about yourself.
B. Answer the 11 questions put forward by whoever nominated you.
C. Ask 11 new questions to 5+ bloggers. They must have less than 200 followers on Bloglovin’ (or their preferred blog site). You cannot re-nominate the blog that nominated you.
D. Go to their blogs and inform them that they have been nominated!

About Me:
1.  Have wanted to be a teacher since I was 8 years old
2.  Was inspired to become a Special Ed. Teacher when I was 16 and a family at my church had a baby born with Down's Syndrome.
3.  Got my love of reading from my Mom who is an AVID reader, and even now when her eyesight is getting bad, is still searching for ways to read her beloved books.
4.  Spent 2 weeks in Africa with a team of teachers working in the schools and conducting teacher workshops in literacy.
5.  I have been playing the flute since 5th grade and still play occasionally in church
6.  I love to learn and would spend my whole life in school if I could
7. Have a secret dream to be a dolphin therapy trainer
8.  Feel really connected to the ocean and would love to live on the east coast some day
9.  Crazy in love with my two nephews Payton and Kyle
10.  Still have and read many of my favorite books from childhood.  Can't give them up!
11.  Love my life....the ups, downs, good and bad!

My 11 questions to answer from my nominator:

1. How would you describe your teaching (or leadership) style? - Collaborative.  Because I teach Low Incidence, I have 5 program assistants and many therapists to work with on a daily basis.  If I pretend to know everything, my students will not be getting the best of what we can give them.  We all need to be working as a team to help our students learn and grow. 
2. What is one piece of advice you would give your younger self? - Stop trying to please everyone else.  Trust in yourself and trust in God.
3. What is your favorite quote, and why is it meaningful to you?- "Be the change you want to see in the world"  Mother Theresa.  It's easy for us to sit back and critique, criticize and judge, but if you really want something to change, go out there and change it!
4. Describe one "do-over" you'd like to have?- I wish I could go back and learn more about how to manage my personal finances better.
5. Who is your favorite sports team?- Chicago Bears!!!!
6. Which author would you most like to meet, and what is one question you would ask him/her?- this may seem odd, but Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I would love to know more about that period of time and what is was like teaching in those days.
7. Name a book that you could read again and again and discover something new?- The Bible 
8. What is your guilty pleasure? Why?- Reading romance novels.  They are a quick read and requires absolutely no brain cells :)
9. Which song do you like to crank up really loud and either sing or dance to it?- Paradise by the Dash Board Light by Meatloaf! :)
10. What is one career accomplishment you still have?- Finish my Master's Degree
11. Name one activity/hobby you do today that you have been doing since you were a child (and you can't say reading). What motivates you to continue?- I started playing the flute in 5th grade and played through High School and College.  I still play in church and actually march a couple of parades a year with a "Fossil Band" made up of aging band geeks that just can't give it up!!  I just love to play and march.....also brings makes many great memories of HS and College.

Okay... tag, you're it.... here are my 11 questions for my Liebster Award winners:

1.  What teacher inspired you growing up and why?

2.  Who has been the one person you always turned to for encouragement and strength?

3.  Do you have dreams for after retirement, or is too hard to imagine not teaching?

4.  If you weren't a teacher, what would you be doing?

5.  What is your favorite thing(s) to do in the summer?

6.  What was your favorite book as a child?

7.  Where is the farthest you've ever traveled?

8.  Cold climate or Warm climate and why?

9.  What part of our American history would you like to know more about?

10.  What has been your biggest flop so far as a teacher?

11.  What are you most proud of in your life?

You inspire me @jesslifteach, @bkuhl2you, @rusulalrubail, @jenhoulette, @lauragilchrist, @bethsanderson