Teacher Tuesday: Two Years Down!

It's hard to believe that tomorrow my second year of teaching is over. It feels so much better than the first, I was more confident and a much better teacher. Last year I remember being totally exhausted and worn out and this year I actually still have sone energy! I think some of it might be excitement about it being over, but hey, it's still energy! 

Things that went well...winning Nationals! I still can't believe that was this year, it was a life dream and I accomplished it already. I can't believe it. Next year I look forward to branching out more in FFA and continuing to pursue other competitions and activities. 

I felt like my classroom management improved this year. I did better at drawing the line, saying no, and sticking to it. I'm also not afraid to contact parents to try and get them on my side and get the behavior figured out. 

Things I want to improve on...organizing late work and missing work. I have a folder for students to get papers from but they don't realize that the papers are there most of the time. Even when I direct them there they are like, "where can I find that paper?" #frustrating

I also want to use my classroom website and technology more effectively. I think there are so many cool tools online that I'm not fully taking advantage of. In the same token, I do want to improve on cracking down on cell phones. I just need to say no, and have activities for students when they are finished with work that do not involved being on their phones. 

Teaching is exhausting and stressful, but also so incredibly rewarding. I wouldn't  trade it for anything. 

One more day! This summer is going to be great, probably the best of my life. I'm so ready. 

25.

It's my birthday!!! I turn 25 today and it has me thinking...

Life is pretty crazy and it's interesting to look back and see where you've been. I couldn't have asked for a better college experience, making lifelong friends, and meeting the man of my dreams. I also experienced a tragedy that I never thought I could overcome, but I did.  I lost someone close to be in a terrible way and while I don't go a day without thinking about it, I know that I have become a stronger person because of what I overcame. Life isn't always easy but knowing that I can make it through the hard times gives me a lot of perspective.

Without a doubt what I am most looking forward to this year is getting married. C and I have been together almost 7 years and I could not be happier to marry him. I am also completing my masters which I think is a pretty big accomplishment and I can't wait to have a break from school.

This birthday really only means that I can now rent a car but I think it's the beginning of a lot of great things. It is such a perfect, round, number and I hope that means lots of good things will happen.

My best friend and I are going out for happy hour after school and my mom is taking me to the Melting Pot for dessert. Then this weekend for my birthday/Valentine's day my fiance is taking me to the ocean. It's going to be a great few days of celebrations. :)

Sweat it Out Sunday: 2

I successfully completed my goals for this week! I switched my off days, but I still did worked out 5/6 days. According to the scale I lost about 2 pounds! Here's what my workouts looked like:

Monday - 35 minutes on the elliptical and arm weights

Tuesday - ZUMBA

Wednesday - off day 

Thursday- 20 minutes treadmill, squats/push-ups/abs

Friday - Mixxed Fit (new class at my gym)

Saturday - Ripped (resistance, intervals, power, plyometrics, endurance -- class at my gym) 

I'm feeling so good. It's crazy how even after just a couple of weeks it makes such a big difference. Maybe I'm alone in this one, but I feel like so much of it is mental. I know I'm doing good things for myself and it instantly makes me feel better. Yes, working out is tiring and sometimes after work all I want to do is lay on the couch, but I know how good I will feel. Now let's hope I can keep this up for the next seven months. 

Goals for next week: 

Monday: ZUMBA

Tuesday: ZUMBA

Wednesday: off day 

Thursday: ZUMBA

Friday: at least 30 minutes cardio

Saturday: at least 30 minutes cardio

What are your fitness goals? Anyone else a zumba fan? 

Have a great week! 

I'm backkkk!

I made my blog private for a while last year because I was nervous about having so much out on the internet. I teach high school and I had some really curious kids who were doing everything they could to find anything of mine on the internet. I loved sharing things on this blog but I didn't want to risk them finding it. Even though I don't think I wrote anything that they shouldn't see, it feels like a huge invasion of privacy. I'm feeling a little less worried about them now so I'm back and ready to keep this up again. I loved having fellow bloggers to chat with and enjoyed starting to build those relationships so I'm happy to now have my blog up again.

Anyways, a little about me to refresh your memory.

Name: Jessica

Follower of Christ: I think this defines me in so many ways. My days begin and end with words to the Lord. I know that he controls everything in my life and I am living to serve him. His love is beyond words. I've been through some hard times in my life and I believe those are what truly brought me to him and now that I'm there, I never want to let go.

Status: ENGAGED! :D My boyfriend of 5 years proposed to me last week, we'll be calling him C around here. It was absolutely perfect and I've been waiting so long for it to happen. Let the wedding planning, begin!

Job: I'm a high school science/agriculture teacher going into my second year. I am an FFA advisor so I spend a lot of extra time at school working on projects and competitions. FFA is all about leadership through agriculture, it's the country's largest youth leadership organization.

Living: I'm currently living with my boyfriend in an apartment that we moved into last November. I absolutely love it and it definitely feels like home.

Hobbies: I love to read! My two favorite authors are Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks but I'm the kind of person who just goes to the library and picks a few random books off the shelf (I might judge them by their cover) and takes them home to read. Usually they end up being good so I must have good taste. I love reality tv, maybe a little too much. I enjoy shopping but I'm super cheap so it's hard to me to spend money. For the next few months leading up to my wedding I know I will be spending way too many hours on pintrest. If you want to follow me feel free to comment and I'll send you a link.

Education: I'm working on my masters online right now. It's been going great so far, I'm two classes in and have 16 total. Once school starts I'm nervous about the stress of teaching + grad school + wedding planning, but that's life right.

I think that's enough about me for now. More will come out in upcoming entries but just wanted to give a little background to refresh everyone's memories. Thanks for coming back and reading, I look forward to chatting with you all! <3

2013.

When I was first thinking about recapping this year I felt like there wasn't that much to talk about that was exciting or worth re-living. Then last night I decided that I wanted to make a flipogram for my instagram and when I looked through my pictures I found so many things that were worth mentioning. I am thankful that I did that because now I can really look back and reflect on this year. Here are some highlights of where the year has taken me and what I've done in the past 12 months. 

January

*I started substitute teaching since I had just finished my student teaching. I was no longer a student and was actually a 'real teacher' just without a job.

February

*I turned 23, it was very anti-climate and not the best birthday on the actual day. 

*I went to Pullman (my college town) to celebrate my birthday and had a blast thanks to my amazing friends && boyfriend. 

*I had my first competition as an FFA advisor/coach. My kids were competing in Agricultural Issues and I remember having butterflies in my stomach the entire evening. I think I was more nervous than the kids. 

March

*My mom took my brother and I do DISNEYLAND! It truly is the happiest place on earth and I love going there. It will always be my top choice for a vacation that is going to be 4 days or less. 

April

*Another State FFA competition, my kids got 2nd in State. So close to winning, I was so proud of them. 

*My best friend [since 5th grade!] got engaged and asked me to be the maid of honor in her wedding. 

May

*I watched my best friend graduate from college. 

*Macklemore concert! 

*State FFA Convention, this is why I am an ag teacher. The passion that the students have, how hard they work to achieve their goals, and their smiles when they are successful cannot be matched. It was an amazing 5 days. 

*4 year anniversary with the boyfriend. <3

June

*I GOT MY FIRST TEACHING JOB! I was hired at the school that I student taught at. It was a dream come true. The most amazing kids, teachers, and FFA program. 

*I went on a mini Drum Corps tour with my boyfriend who teaches the Drum Line for a local Corps. It was great to see what his life is like on tour and be a part of it for a few days.

July

*I planned and executed awesome 4th of July Party. 

*My little brother and I went to New Jersey to visit my dad and family there. While we were there we road tripped to Boston because neither of us have been there before. 

August

*Last month of freedom before school, girls nights, weekends with my boyfriend, && relaxing before the craziness begins. 

*Our family's favorite activity was going to the Horse Races. I was pro at losing all of my money, but I love the atmosphere and all the yummy food!

September

*I started my first year of teaching. It was hard, stressful, and tiring, but I loved it. 

*Carrie Underwood concert!

October

*Went back to Pullman for a football game && managed to party until 5am. That's a record for me. It was such a blast.

*I took 11 students over 2,000 miles away to the National FFA Convention in Louisville. I successfully didn't lose any of them in the sea of 67,000 students and came home with 4 National Champions. I was one proud advisor. 

November

*My boyfriend and I got an apartment together and moved in! We had been apart for almost 18 months since we graduated from college so the end of our long distance relationship was a glorious day. 

*My boyfriend, a couple of my friends, and I carpooled to our college for our marching band director's last game at our school. He has been the director there for over 25 years and has change the life of so many students and taken the band from about 30 to 250. It was a really special moment to be there to see him recognized at halftime. 

December

*Celebrated my Grandad's 80th birthday by surprising him for a Brunch with the entire family. 

*My boyfriend spent Christmas with my and my family and it was so special. If there is one holiday I love more than anything else it's Christmas, we have so many traditions which I love and it was great that he got to be a part of it. 

Turns out it was a pretty great year! I will be posting my hopes for 2014 in the next post. Time to go shopping for my New Year's party. I hope you all have a safe && Happy New Year! 

one year ago.

one year ago was my last day of student teaching. look at me now, with my own classroom, surviving, and working with the most amazing kids.

i am blessed.

the fact that i have survived the past 4 months amazes me. i have learned so much about myself and what i am capable of. i love being a teacher. i love greeting my students at the door at the beginning of each class period. i love when their faces light up because they are excited to tell me a story. i love when they finally understand something and it clicks.

it hasn't always been easy, i have the kids who are disrespectful, rude, and disengaged but i don't let them get me down. i kill them with kindness, greet them with a smile every day, and hope that this wil be the day they change their attitude. it's tough, but so worth it.

i am so excited to see what the next 6 months have in store for me.

for now, 2 weeks of relaxation, family time, boyfriend time, and enjoying the season. i am looking forward to this break so much.

Midweek Confessions

I'm linking up with E for some lovely midweek confessions!

• I am really, genuinely, starting to feel overwhelmed with school. I still love my job and it is such a blessing but some days I am just so drained that I want to cry. People weren't lying when they said it was hard. 

• I want new boots, really bad. I find myself wanting to wear them almost daily because they are comfy and I love being able to wear leggings but I only have one pair that I like so I limit myself to once a week. I went shopping this weekend and tried to find some but between my monster calves and my cheap budget it didn't happen. I need to splurge and get nice ones. Any suggestions? 

• I said on Friday that this week I would force myself to go to the gym. Well it's wednesday and all the days I could have gone have passed. Oops. That's what happens when you live at home and your mom tempts you with better things to do after school than go to the gym. 

• I forgot to put mascara on today. I wore a super cute outfit, curled my hair, && as I was driving to school I remembered that I didn't finish my make-up. lovely. 

• I am going back to my college this weekend to go to a football game this weekend and I'm so excited! I don't even care that it's a 5 hour drive after a night of little to no sleep from supervising a lock-in. I get to eat at my favorite places, see some of my best friends, have a fabulous football weekend, and see my boyfriend. <3 Fun weekends are what get me through the week. 

Halfway there! Happy Wednesday Hump Day!

typical, atypical weekend

This was my first traveling weekend since school starting and I am definitely feeling the effects. My boyfriend and I have been in a long distance relationships for almost a year and a half (since we graduated from college and moved back to our respective homes) and the school year makes it really hard to see each other. We have worked hard to make it work but thankfully he will be moving to my town in a few months. Anyways, this weekend I went and visited him and even though it made for a really long friday, it was worth it.

He teaches drumline for a high school marching band so when I got there on Friday I met him at a football game. I love the energy of high school football games and we had a good time. On Saturday the highlights were going to our favorite restaurant and watching our college dominate in their football game. This morning it was bittersweet knowing that I had to leave, but we got to spend a couple of hours relaxing, watching football, and cuddling on the couch.

It hurts my heart to be apart but I know that it is making us stronger and setting us up for an even better relationship when we are finally together again. We spent four years inseparable while in college so I know what it's like and I know how fabulous it will be. I can't wait for when he moves here and we are back to our normal, every day, relationship. It will be glorious.

I hope you all have a good monday! I am sick so I'm a little nervous for how school will go but I just made jeopardy for my 9th graders and have lots of activities for my juniors. Let's hope they cooperate!

Teacher Talk Intro

 I am so excited to be starting this link up, thanks Nicole and Jamie for organizing this!

Alright, lets get down to the nitty gritty. This will be my first year teaching and I will be teaching high school science and agriculture. I majored in Agriculture Education because I was involved with FFA in high school and it totally changed my life. If you know what FFA is, then you probably think of country kids at fairs chasing around their animals. Some of my students are exactly like that but I was in FFA for three years and never raised an animal. I was involved with the leadership aspects and Environmental Sciences/Natural Resources. I could talk about FFA for hours but I'll stop here, moral of the story being that is why I chose Agriculture. In my school that falls into the science department so I'll be teaching 2 periods of 9th grade general science, 1 period of horticulture, 2 period of remedial science for juniors who didn't pass the state standardized test in biology (but passed the bio class). It should be an interesting mix but I'm up for the challenge.

I've known I wanted to be a teacher since about 6th grade. I had a really awesome 6th grade teacher and I really looked up to her. In high school I was in a class called 'Teaching Academy' and it solidified that it was the right profession for me.

I live in Washington State and love it here...despite the rain. haha. I was born and lived in New Jersey for 10 years so I'm an East Coast girl at heart but Washington is now my home.

I was blessed to be hired at the school where I did my student teaching so I am actually not that nervous about the beginning of the school year. The admin team is SO supportive and all of the staff has been so welcoming. I loved my student teaching experience and I am confident that teaching there will be just as wonderful. The school has a culture like you wouldn't believe, everyone is so supportive and kind to one another. It's almost unreal. I couldn't ask for a better place to teach.

I'm most nervous about discipline and planning for my three preps/running a greenhouse/being a club advisor, but i'm up for the challenge!

-J

what's on my camera roll.

I am a picture taking addict && with my iPhone it's just too easy! I was trying to back it up to iCould yesterday and I had 2000+ pictures so it wouldn't work. After going through and deleting some I still have over 1,600...clearly i have a problem. Here are some recent ones to see what's been happening in my life.

Sunset over the lake. I took my FFA Officers on a retreat and the place that we went camping had the most beautiful lake in the middle of the mountains. They wanted to go watch the sunset since we were in the mountains you couldn't see the sunset but the moon started to come out and it was such a pretty sight. I sat and relaxed on the rocks while the kids were doing their own thing, it was such a serene and relaxing place.


My closet! In preparation for the new school year I thought it was imperative that I organized my closet so that I could get rid of non school appropriate clothing and make things more accessible. My best friend helped me and I ended up with this beautiful color coded closet. I'm in loveeee && yet I still feel like I have nothing to wear. Please tell me I'm not the only person with that problem.


I am the maid of honor is my best friend's wedding and we had a little get together for all of the bridesmaids yesterday. We kept it simple and just had a few yummy snacks && some wine but it was such a blast. I hosted it at my house but she did all of the work so I can't take credit for anything. I don't really know two of the other three bridesmaids but we had a blast and all laughed like we have known each other for years. The wedding isn't until next summer but I can't wait for the rest of the fun times that we will have in the months leading up to the wedding. If anyone has any good maid of honor tips feel free to share. This is the first wedding I've ever been in! 

Can't wait for my first Teacher Talk post tomorrow!

bad hair day.

my mom was off today && she decided that she wanted to get her hair done and she asked if i wanted to get mine done too. free haircut and highlights? of course! i was excited and decided that since i always get typical blonde highlights i wanted to mix it up a little and try an auburn color. i have medium brown hair so i thought doing something dark would be pretty and a good fit for fall. well...it didn't quite turn out that well.

we went to the local beauty school which my mom had been to before so she said it was fine. i also have been to similar types of places so i felt fine about it. then when i sat down i found out that girl that was doing my foil had never done it before, so that was nerve wracking. there were two people who were watching her and giving her tips so i felt a little better about it. but still. if you've never been to a beauty school one of the downsides is that it takes FOREVER. it seriously took almost two hours for her to just get the foils in my hair. my mom came over when they were washing it and she was like wow, thats bright! so that made me nervous. when she finally blow dried it i wanted to cry. it looked terribleeeee. it's so bright and looks like it was dyed, not like they were just highlights. i told her the word 'subtle' like ten times and it's anything but that. with school starting in two weeks i feel like my confidence is totally shot. i know it might just take time to get used to but i'm really not feeling to good about it. i got in my car and seriously had to try not to cry.

alright, that's my hair rant for the day. we'll see what happens.

teacher talk.

I am going to join this monthly link up with Nicole and I wanted to share for any other teacher readers. If you haven't read her blog, Bloom, you should definitely check it out. It's one of my favorites.

So speaking of teacher things, it's been a busy week for me! I have been in my classroom preparing for the year and even though it seems like my list is endless, I'm starting to feel as if my room is my own. One of my friends stopped by today and I told her that if school was starting tomorrow I would be okay with my room, and I think that's a good sign. We still have 29 days until the first day of school so I have plenty of time to adjust things and make my final preparations.

I honestly can't believe that I'm a teacher. I have always wanted to be a teacher and the fact that it's happening right now blows my mind. I work at an amazing school with a supportive staff, I am so thankful.

Worth

For a long time I have been wanting to serve in the Nursery at Church and today was my first day! I was a little nervous since I didn't know what to expect but it was a lot of fun. I miss when I used to nanny and take care of little kids so it was a blast to be able to read them stories and play with them. I think it will be a highlight of my week. But before I volunteered, I listened to a sermon that rocked my world, and that's what I want to share.

Today at church we talked about value and how people measure their worth. Our pastor made an analogy about the fact that something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Remember in the 90's when we all bought beanie babies because they are going to be 'worth' so much? Well right now those are all sitting in my garage gathering dust. Anyways the point was that our value is in Jesus. He came to this Earth for us. He was betrayed, abandoned, mocked, beaten, tortured, wrongly sentenced, and eventually killed, for us. Jesus really loves us, all of us.

Jesus died for me. I am a person of great worth.

Jesus died for you. You are a person of great worth.

When you are feeling sad, alone, discouraged, or just having a bad day, try to remember how much you are worth. You are on this earth for a reason, you have a purpose, and you were given this life by our great creator.

FIve on [[a fit]] Friday!

I'm linking up with Darci today for my Five on Friday!

I'm trying to eat healthy and get myself in shape at the gym so today I'm going to talk about my five foods that are my keys to eating well. If I was able to stick to eating these five foods then I probably would have a lot easier time losing weight. It's all those other pesky things that sneak ing (ice cream being the worst) that ruin it for me!

1. Apples! There is nothing like a crisp, juicy, apple. For the past couple of years I have eaten an apple almost every single day and I give that credit for why I don't get sick often *knock on wood* and generally am pretty healthy. You've all heard it, an apple a day keeps the doctor away! My personal favorites are Pink Lady and Golden Delicious.

2. Tillamook Light Yogurt. Very Vanilla! I am a weird person when it comes to yogurt and I only will eat vanilla. I don't like the little pieces of fruit in yogurt and I know that they are TINY but they still gross me out and I can't eat them. So I stick to plain old vanilla and it's delicious. I like Tillamook because it's nice and creamy and I think that they don't use aspertame, so that's always a plus. We know I get enough of that from my diet coke. :P

3. Fiber One 80 Calorie cereal...chocolate! This is a great snack for any time of the day. If I need something to satisfy my desire for chocolate this is a great go-to because I can have a whole handful for only 80 calories! I do sometimes have it with milk and then you end up with yummy chocolate milk. It's not super filling so I usually need something else with it for breakfast but it's still good.

4. Baby Carrots. Let's be honest, I don't actually like carrots. I make myself eat them because I know they have little calories and I feel like they have to be good for me...right? They have the convenience of being small and easy to eat pretty much anywhere. I heard on biggest loser once that if you aren't hungry enough to eat your vegetables then you aren't actually hungry, for me carrots are always the test for that. I save them for after school when I'm starving && then I actually eat them.

5. Luna Bars. These aren't the best and usually if I am counting calories I don't eat them as much just because they have more calories and not a lot of protein. When I'm serious I will stick to 'pure protein' bars but if I want something that tastes a little better then Luna Bars it is! I personally love the Nutz Over Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookie. Chocolate caramel brownie is also a winner.
That's my fun down on my five favorite healthy foods. What are your go to healthy snacks? I'd love to hear some suggestions! -J

What I'll be doing for the next 10 days...

• Walking the boardwalk, eating salt water taffy, new york style pizza, and sno cones. 
• Laying on the beach for hours soaking up the sun and working on my tan! 
• Catching up with my dad who I only get to see once a year since he lives on the other side of the country. 
• Seeing my grandpa, step-sister, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephew who I haven't seen since lasts summer. 

• Eating way too much yummy food that is not nearly as good where I live. I'm already looking forward to bagels, dunkin donuts, sweet corn, chinese food, and frozen yogurt. 
• Road-tripping to Boston with my little Brother 
• Reading a new book
• Relaxing and enjoying some time away.

I'm off to the east coast for the next 10 days! I might have a few updates but I'm not sure. I hope everyone has a fun filled middle of July! 

iTeach.

Sorry for being away! Thanks to Lauren who commented telling me to come back, you are so sweet. :]

The reason for my hiatus is that I was at a teachers conference all week. I am an agriculture teacher and all of the ag teachers from around the state got together for this conference. We spent a week sharing ideas, learning about changes happening in our state, and celebrating our success over the last year. This is the first time I got to interact with a lot of these teachers since I am new this year and just joining the ag teacher family. The knowledge that some of them have is incredible but their willingness to share that knowledge with new teachers is incredible. I left feeling excited for the upcoming school year and confident in my career choice. There are 10 other people who graduated with me this year and every year at conference it's going to be like a class reunion. It was an amazing week and I learned so much. I can't wait for September!

Summer is here!

Today is the last day of school and I'm not subbing so it is officially summer! I can't believe how fast this year has gone and how much has happened! I have totally grown up and it blows my mind. There are so many times that I still feel like a carefree college kid and then realize that no, I'm an actual teacher now. It's terrifying an exciting at the same time. Summers have always been a time of fun and traveling for me so I'm excited that this summer I still have some more adventures to look forward to. Here's a brief rundown of things I'm excited for this summer. 

1. Going to New Jersey to visit my dad! He lives down the shore and my brother and I will get to spend 10 days soaking up the sun, visiting Six Flags, and seeing all our family we don't see for the other 11 months and 3 weeks of the year. 
2. White water rafting! I haven't done this in 8 years or so and I'm so excited! I love the excitement of being on the river and I think it will be a great family bonding activity.
3. Spending time with my boyfriend. We live 250 miles apart and it's hard, but hopefully this summer we will be getting some quality time together. 
4. 6th of July party! I'm having a party after the 4th of July to get some of my friends together from school. I hoping for good weather so that we can sit on the deck, have a fire, and have a good time. 
5. Come August my life will be filled with teacher training's and meetings. I am excited for this because even though it will be a lot of work, it is the beginning of my career and I have to look forward to that! 
6. Decorating my classroom and shopping for school supplies and school clothes! My best friend is also a teacher and we will get to do all of these fun things together. 

There are even more things to look forward to but those are the ones that come to mind right now. I have so much to be thankful for. Thank you Lord for such a beautiful, wonderful, life. 

employed.

It's official, I will be a full time teacher next fall! I interviewed last week and was told that I would be give the job but I've had to keep it hush hush until last night when the school board finalized it at their meeting. I could not be happier. I am at a school that I am familiar with, working with my mentor teacher, and with the best students.

I already am spending my days dreaming about what I want to do. I am slowly making a list of crafty projects that I want to complete, how I want to design my bulletin boards, and my plan for the first day of school. I will probably spend the day at school tomorrow since it's the last day and I can tell the kids i'll be teaching there next year and wishing them a happy summer.

The amount of things that had to happen just right in order for me to be able to get this job makes me thank God every day. I truly feel like he knew this is where I was meant to be and he made it happen. This school has impacted me so much in just a year and I can't wait to see what will happen in the future.

I am blessed.

I am not lucky, I am blessed.

Last night when I was skimming through my Pintrest to find graphics to make a new background on my computer I came across this one, and it really spoke to me. I hear so many people who make comments like, man, you are so lucky! I used to think, sure, i am lucky, but a while ago I started actually thinking about it. When I was thinking about it I realized that no, I'm blessed. God has chosen some great things for me and he is following out His plan for my life. While I am lucky, I also think that I work hard to deserve the things that I earn. I also thank God daily for all of the gifts that he has given me. It is hard for some people to understand this concept but I think that having a strong faith means sometimes that you don't believe in luck, because luck isn't what makes things happen, God is. In the past I haven't been one to completely fall and follow the Lord but that is the person who I am becoming I am loving every minute of the journey.

Reasons I am blessed:

• I have a wonderful family who loves me and supports me. Especially my mom who allowed me to move back home after college and lets me live here for free. She feeds me and we do fun things together and she never complains about me being back at home. 
• I have the best friends. I know who I can call whenever I need someone and even though I am 100-300 miles away from almost all of my close friends, we keep in touch and feel closer than ever. 
• I live in a beautiful house, in a safe neighborhood, in a great town.
• I have a steady income with the ability to not have to worry if I want to go out to dinner with friends or shopping one afternoon. I have freedom to do what I please (within reason) and do not have to worry about my finances. 
• I have traveled to many places all around the world that some people only dream of. I have seen things in real life that some people have only seen in movies. I have a strong desire to travel more but I am blessed to have been to many of the places I have been.
• I have a passion for education which will provide me with a career for the rest of my life. 
• I am healthy and happy. 

There are so many reasons to be blessed, take a couple minutes today and think about your blessings. 

-J

Sweet Baby Angels

Tonight I went to the graduation for the high school that I student taught at. My friend, who also student taught at the same school at the same time, went with me and she affectionately refers to her former students as her sweet baby angels and I think it's the cutest thing. Even though these students are only 5 years younger than us they still seem like babies. It blows my mind that I only worked with them for 4 months and then saw them off and on for another 5 and they have had such an impact on my life. I'm not sure if it is just because they are my first classes but I really enjoyed these students and being a part of their daily life.

One of the things that I know I will love about teaching is the connections that I will form with students and I think this year has shown me a little bit of that. It's all about showing that you care, but still showing that you are the teacher and that they need to respect you. For me, this year, the kids loved that combination and even though some said that i was 'strict' they all told me that they enjoyed my class. I couldn't ask for more than that and I hope that I am blessed with students like this every year. 

Tomorrow I have a job interview for a full time teaching position. I'm super excited and actually not that nervous. I'll be getting to the studying in a bit, gotta brush up on my interview questions.