Conference Recap

I’m a teacher. I’m a teacher and I love it. I love teaching and I love learning. One thing about the education field is that we teachers never stop learning. Last weekend is a great example of how we never stop learning.

North Dakota United is the North Dakota Education and Public Employee union. As teachers it’s a fabulous organization to help us advance in the area of teaching and advocacy.

Last weekend, we were able to go to the NDU Bargaining and Advocacy Conference. And let me tell you, I was not excited to go. I had a very poor attitude about the entire thing.   I’m just so tired and I don’t want to be away from home. Do we really have to go? I know it’s a free conference, but still. I don’t want to be there. Kyyyylllleeeeee. See. I was a gem to be around.

But we went and I’m so glad we did. We were able to visit and connect with some of our colleagues from around the state and dive more in-depth on issues that we're interested in.

Speaking of colleagues...if you’re in District 16 in West Fargo, check out Lisa Dullum’s campaign for the ND House! Go like her Facebook page and help her get elected! Lisa has some great ideas for our state, especially in the area of education.

Alright, now that you’ve checked out Lisa’s page, let’s continue. My full day of sessions started off with a Viral Marketing and Communications session led by Kelly Hagen from NDU. We learned that in order to reach our target audience, we need to be connected to social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Let's see how well we can do with our association.

I followed that up with a session on Rights and Ethics within the education profession, led by lawyer Mike Geierman. He discussed the differences between ethics and law. He proceeded to use local (our state) examples that we can all relate to.

And we finished up with Grievance Procedures in education. It was great to hear about how to go about trying to be heard if you're not sure that "right" is being done by you. And I know, our day sounds awfully dull. But it really wasn’t. Honest. I really love to learn and when it’s information centering around my passion it’s that much more exciting.

If you’ve survived this post, you’re now fully realizing how much of a nerd I am and how much I loved these sessions. If you’re interested in what we discussed in each of these sessions, I’d be happy to talk to you about them! Shoot me an email or leave me a comment below.

As always, Happy Thursday!

And stay tuned, a special Valentine’s Day post is coming your way this weekend.

Tis the Season!

You know what time it is, right? The time for joy. The time for laughter. The time for song. The time for Elementary Christmas Programs??

Can I hear a whoop whoop??

No?

Hmm. Okay. Well, tonight is the night, folks. Kyle's second 2nd Grade Christmas Program. I'm not entirely sure what the show is, but I do know there are jungle animals that will be appearing. Monkeys, cheetahs, giraffes, etc. They'll all make an appearance and I'm sure it's going to be adorable.

They'll sing and dance and generally be so cute.

Kyle's been stressed. It's not been a pretty sight at our house. He has programs every year and somehow, I manage to be surprised that he's stressed. Seriously. What's the matter? Duh, Kelly. Your husband has a program to put on and you're just worrying about yourself. Oi. Insensitive much?

But, seriously. My commendations to all elementary music teachers. You've got a tough job and working with children isn't easy. Plus if you've got an insensitive clueless forgetful spouse at home, your work is cut out for you. Thank you for all that you do.

This season, whether you have kids at home or your friends have kids, make sure to say thank you to an elementary music teacher. They are busy (and stressed) with getting their Christmas programs going. They probably don't sleep much the week leading up to the program and odds are, their spouse/SO is frustrated because they don't know how to help.

Not only are they getting their students ready for programs, they're probably rehearsing for their own performances. Here's the music teacher in my life, singing in the annual Sing Along Messiah.

 

 

As much as this is about Elementary Christmas Programs, it's also about being appreciative of those around you. I need to remember that in this season, it's not all about me. It's not all about what I want and how I think things should look.

And now that you're significantly bored and ready for this post to be done. I bid you adieu!

Happy Friday Eve!

 

4 | My passions.

Today's prompt is to explain what I'm passionate about. And I don't know about you, but that's really tough for me. My passions are extremely varied and sometimes I have a difficult time deciphering between things I love to do and others that I would call a passion.

How do I decide where my passions lie and what I simply love?

To me, passion and love vary. They vary in that if I'm passionate about something, I do love it. I long to make time for this passion each and every day.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines passion (v.):

         a. To excite or imbue with passion; to excite

What truly excites me?

 I am truly excited to spend time with my husband. I'm excited about spending time with my family. I long to show them how much I love them.  

 But what really is my passion?

 I think it's investing in others. What do I do when we've had multiple nights at home, just the two of us? I ask Kyle if we can invite someone over for supper. 

 I love to cook, but I don't invite people over because I think I'm a wonderful cook and that they'll love my food. I invite people over because I long to know them and their hearts. I long to invest in their lives. If I can put a meal in their belly and hopefully warm their hearts, I feel like I'm doing my job. If others can know that I care about them, I've fulfilled my calling.

 I believe that my calling is to invest in others. God knows what He's doing and He put that desire in my heart for a reason. 

 I also believe that He called me into teaching to invest in the lives of my students. I work at an alternative school where many students long to have someone invest in them. If I can show them that I care about them instead of only my curriculum, I've done my job. I don't desire to just teach English. I desire to teach students. 

 Who knows, my passions might change and God's calling on my life might change. But until that happens, I'll live in peace knowing that I'm called to invest in those around me.

 

Check out Brave Love Blog for more updates on the 2nd Annual Blog-tember Challenge.  

 

 

Blogtember Challenge 2015. Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. 

Wicked Wednesday

I'm not sure what my deal has been this week.

Exhaustion. 
Lack of motivation. 
Lack of concentration.

The whole she-bang.

The highlight of my day was starting a discussion on Thanatopsis with one of my sophomores.
Nature. 
Death. 
Shrouds. 
Sepulchers. 
Quiet beauty. 
Planets. 
Nature.
Death.
What's not to like?

After that upbeat poem--the day got worse even better. sarcasm much, kelly? i know, i know.

What's ever good about a Wednesday afternoon? I'll tell you. Not much.

If it being a Wednesday isn't grand enough...it currently feels like 20- below zero. And this morning when I got to school...-35 with wind chill.

What the?!

Students were complaining and kept asking, "Why do we even live here?!"
My thoughts exactly, kids. My thoughts exactly.

Just in case you didn't believe me.

Think about it...

As I was reading in my Teaching Secondary English book by Daniel Sheridan, I came across this section:
      "[E]njoyment, I think, is what we're after, at least at the secondary school level, where our students are going to grow up to be pediatricians and politicians, carpenters and car mechanics, bookkeepers and beekeepers, but only very rarely English majors who need [...] early lit[erary] crit[icism] training. What we want is to excite them about reading while they are in school, help them share our love of it, so that they will remain readers when they are adults [...]. And they will be readers to their children, too, so that the cycle of enjoyment of print will continue" (112).

Wow.

What can I say about that? Isn't that what every English teacher desires? I know I do. I want my students to love reading. Not reading for the sake of dissecting every little thing about the current novel they're into. I want them to love reading because it's fun and they can get lost in another world. I want the next generation to love reading. 

How do we get that mentality shift for everyone? How do we come to the realization that it's okay to simply read a novel to appreciate the world that it draws you into?

If you've got any solutions, please let me know. Until then, Daniel Sheridan and I have a standing date to figure it out.

Year Goals {By the Numbers}

I don't usually do resolutions for each new year. I've seen monthly goals and I've seen year long goals. I've been thinking about what my goal(s) should be for this year.

Do I want to lose weight?
Do I want to read (school books, self-help, my Bible, etc) more?
Do I want to foster better relationships?
Do I want to pay off lots of my loans?
Do I want to grow more as a teacher?

There are so many things that I want to achieve. But I've decided that I want to have just one goal.

Be the best that I can be.

That's my one goal for 2015. I want to be the best:

*wife, teacher, writer, friend, daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, person*

that I can be.

The hardest part about this goal is trying to find ways to achieve it. So what's happening this year, is I'm setting small goals to help me achieve my ultimate goal.

One day a week, I'm going to send a message to a friend or family member letting them know how much they mean to me.
Two days a week, I'm going to sit down and have some me time. No distractions. For 30 minutes.
Three days a week, I'm going to the gym. It can be for 20 min or 120 minutes (hah!).
Four days a week, I'm going to bring my own coffee to work. No more buying coffees regularly.
Five days a week, I'm going to cook homemade suppers (seven if we're really ambitious).
Five days a week, we're going to bed earlier for school.
Six days a week, I'm going to read out of an actual book before I go to bed.
Seven days a week, I'm going to show my husband how much I love him (I'm sure there'll be a series of posts of how that's going...)

I know there are more things I'm going to do...if I want to be a better writer and teacher, maybe I'll commit to reading 4 teaching books this year and writing in this space a few times a week. If I don't write here, I'll have to write somewhere else too.

Stay tuned. 

I'm sure I'll have more updating to do on this goal. 

Can you smell it?

I can smell it. Change is coming.

Fall Break.

Dun dun dun.

Mere hours separate us from Fall Break. Here we go, By the Numbers.

1 more sleep.
2 classes I will have.
3 times I'll eat.
4 times I'll recheck my suitcase.
5 times I'll check my school mail.
6 students to see.
8 times I'll go to the bathroom
10 times I'll check my email.
12 times I'll push "Snooze".
15 times I wish I were sleeping.
18 assignments to grade.
19 hours until we are (hopefully) on the road.

I can't wait.

What Kids Say: Ms. McNary

 I love teaching. I always have. And one thing I love as much as teaching...is sharing my passion with others. One of my greatest friends is also an English teacher. If you've never been to her blog...you're in for a treat. Because! Today happens to be

Grab a guest post! Swap blogs with someone, and share about anything. :)

over at Brave Love.


So, without further adieu, I'll turn it over to Aubrey.

Hello to Kelly’s readers! I am very excited to be sharing with you today. Both Kelly and I are English teachers, both of us work with high schoolers, and both of us have heard quite the funnies from our students.

As grown up as high school students try to be, they are still such kids at heart and leave Kelly and I in stitches at the end of the day. They also leave us in tears, both literal and hypothetical, at points as well, but the memories of the laughter are what bring us back after the particularly rough days.

I am in my fourth year of teaching so I, by no means, have everything figured out, but I do have a solid list of funny things my students have said “over the years.” (Have I even earned the right to say that?) I have also included some funny moments with the elementary kids I coached because they were just too good to keep to myself. Clearly, nothing is off limits with kids. They tell it like they see it, which is both entertaining and frustrating.

Without further adieu, I share with you ten of the funniest moments in my teaching (and coaching) career.

10. Junior boy: Hey Miss McNary, when is the State B Boys' Basketball Tournament?

    Me: Like March third through the fifth?

    Boy: (To his study hall) Hey guys! It's March 34th and 35th!

9. A Very Shocked Freshman girl: (Reading her teacher-revised essay) Seriously? You're

   telling me that a fetus and a feces aren't the same thing?!

8. Fifth grade girl: Ms. McNary... My sister (who I taught in English 10) and I googled you

           last night.

   Me: Oh? What did you find?

   Student: You are on Pinterest.

   Me: Yes, that is true. Anything else?

   Student: No... You're really as boring as you say you are. But Google has pictures that

           really are you!

7. A Very Enthusiastic Third Grader: Miss McNary... I really like your outfit today! It's

   better than some other days. Did your mom pick it out? My mom always picks out my

   best outfits!

If you’d like to see the rest of my crazes, please come visit! Things only get better from here.

That's aubrey in the scarf...not in the vb uniform.

**Kelly again...** Go say hello to Aubrey and finish reading her "student-isms". They really are hilarious.

And as always...what makes you laugh?

Advice: What Should I Say?

 If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be?

Here's today's prompt for the #blogtemberchallenge. I had to think about this one for a while. I did post this a few months ago after I spoke at the Junior/Senior Prom Banquet. And while I do still stand by those words I spoke, there may be a few more I'd like to relay.

One of the best decisions I've ever made was to choose a profession I'd love and one that was rewarding. So...I chose to become a teacher.

Teaching isn't the highest paying profession. Shocker, I know! Teaching also isn't the most popular profession. Right now many schools in my area are in dire need of teachers.

But here's the thing. I have always wanted to be a part of a profession where I could make an impact on people. I've always wanted to be a part of a profession where I could support others the way I was supported all my life.

About a year ago, I had a very good discussion with my dad in regards to teaching. He asked how my job was going and if it was getting at all easier. Usually I don't have too think to long or hard about my response to such a question. But, I really had to think that night.

"Was work getting easier? I don't know. Have I been called fewer names than last year? I guess so."

"Was I happy? I don't know. Do I love waking up in the morning to go to school? Mornings, come again."

So I really had to think about it. Ultimately I responded with..."It's getting easier, yes. However, some days are just really tough. What do I do when I have a sophomore boy sleeping during classroom activities?? It's not like he has to sit and listen to a lecture all hour...good grief. What do I do when I have 300 assignments to correct before the end of the eligibility period in two days?!" Yes...there were times when I did have 300 assignments to grade. What?? When I see 120+ students every day and if they turn in 1-3 assignments in a 2-5 day time span...yeah, I got backed up!

And as I thought about it...as stressed as I was and as exhausted as I was...I was happy. I got to be in front of a group of students who would roll their eyes at me when I made funny faces, talked in funny voices, or just did something ridiculous. I was fortunate enough to influence the lives of students who may or may not have had a good reason to go home. This all may be wishful thinking, but I told my dad this, "If I have made a difference in one student's life in the time I've been at this school, all of the work, stress, tears, long hours, and headaches will have been worth it."

And that's when I realized it. I wasn't supposed to be in any profession other than teaching. Sure, being a teacher is about delivering content and all that jazz. But it's also so much more than that. Teaching is about being consistent when your students might not have consistency anywhere else. Teaching is about setting expectations for your students because he/she might not have anyone else to help them succeed. Teaching is about helping students be successful citizens after they leave the education system (and yes...even before that).

And I know it's been said before and I won't be the last to say it, but teaching really is all for the students.

So when I think about the advice I'd give to a large group of people, it would have to be this...

It doesn't matter if you're 18 or 81. If you are unhappy with where you're at in life, take a look at what you are passionate about. If you can identify what you desire and what your passion in life is, chase it down. It's never too late to find a passion.

Sure, I certainly do not like mornings. But once I get to school and start having conversations with my students, I realize it's worth it. When I see a student's eyes light up when they finally understand what we're working through, I realize it's worth it.

The reality is this. I might not be making a lot of money and I might not be so glamorous, but I get to go to my job and do something I'm really passionate about.

How many of you can say that?
Find your passion.