57 Small Changes

I think that I've talked about the site The Muse before. It's a great website for inspiration, advice, and general life things. I received this link in my email recently, and I decided to use it as a sort of New Year's resolution, fun, time-killer. I'll mark the ones that I already do in my every day life with a check mark. The ones that I think are beneficial goals, I'll leave, and the ones that I don't think apply to me will be crossed out. I'll make some comments on them as I go. These are more goal focused, so I'll do a post about New Year's Resolutions later. So here they are, 57 small changes you can easily make to improve your life, courtesy of The Muse:

1. Assume People Have Good Intentions √

Life policy. Period. 

2. Avoid Using Negative Words √

3. Avoid Spending Time with Stressed-Out People √

4. Begin Each Day with Expectation

I expect to hear some funny stories from kids, and maybe flop a lesson today. 

5. Breathe More Deeply

Adding to this, do more yoga. 

6. Celebrate More Frequently

I did this during the summer. I wanted to buy myself a Kate Spade bag when I graduated with my Masters, but I decided that it was pertinent that I buy one for getting a 4.0 for my first semester instead. 

7. Daydream More Frequently √

Sometimes I daydream that I win Teacher of the Year. I never thought it was an aspiration of mine, but I guess deep down it really is. 

8. Decide That You Must Achieve Your Goals √

9. Define “Failure” as “Failing to Take Action” √

10. Deflect Partisan Conversations

I don't know if it's because I went to Wooster, or because of who my friends are, but I love a good educated debate. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind, because I know I can't, but I like to hear the other side. I (usually) tend not to take part in partisan conversations online because there are too many people, and things get taken the wrong way, and it's just bad news. I'll stick to face-to-face partisan conversations.

11. Don’t Waste Energy on Hate √

Something happens, and I'm over it. I'm too positive for this shit. 

12. Don’t Take Calls from Strangers

I'm a curious person and I want to know who is calling! Come on. 

13. Don’t Take Yourself Seriously √

I swing dance in public, I think I'm ok. 

14. Don’t Try to Win Every Argument √

Refer to number 10. 

15. Don’t Succumb To Malice or Gossip

I'm so curious about everything, that I want to hear gossip. I don't like to share it, and I hope I don't, I just like to hear it. If it's gossip that's being malicious, though, count me out. I'll try to be less interested in gossip altogether, though. 

16. Don’t Worry What Others Think About You √

17. Drink More Water

I tell myself to do this every day and I'm starting to make better choices. For example, I'm at the airport right now and instead of Starbucks, I bought water. I don't drink much of anything in general, so upping my intake is proving to be difficult.  

18. Eat a Big Breakfast √

19. End Each Day With Gratitude

I'm grateful for you. 

20. Exercise Your Eyes

The original post said this in terms of staring at a screen all day. I think I do this when I'm thinking, I stare off at something else. I'll try to do it more, though. 

21. Find the Right Job for You √

22. If It’s Scary, Do it Now

But I'm such a homebody. Ugh, fine. 

23. Know and Keep Your Personal Limits √

24. Let Go of Your Results √

I'm over my terrible GRE scores, but I'm going to hold on to my OAE results. No shame. 

25. Listen to Something Inspiring √

26. Make a Public Commitment

I publicly commit to nap daily. 

27. Make Peace With Your Past

I don't care that I didn't get into grad school for speech. I swear. I just have a slight bit of contempt for anyone who is an SLP or in school to be one.....I've found a new field that I love and am good at. I seriously need to get over it. 

28. Make Your Goals Pervasive √

Everything in my life should rotate around my goals. Done. 

29. Monitor Your Progress

Isn't this basically number 36? I suppose I'll measure things. 

30. Never Argue With Strangers √

31. Never Attend Agenda-less Meetings √

Better yet, I don't really attend any meetings. 

32. Realize That You Are Responsible for Your Emotions √

This is why I leave the news on and haven't deleted my Facebook. Other people's crap doesn't affect me. At least, not my self-esteem or how I'm feeling. I might feel bad for that person or that situation, but not myself. I really like that part of me, that I don't absorb negativity. 

33. Remember That Everything Will Change √

34. Remember That Rejection Is an Illusion

Not when it comes to graduate school applications. But I'm over it, I swear. 

35. Set Achievable Yet Inspirational Goals √

I'm not trying to be teacher of the year (yet), but hey, it could happen, right?

36. Set Measurable Milestones

If I've learned anything from lesson planning, everything has to be observable and measurable. This should be easy, though I don't really know what I'm measuring. 

37. Smile and Laugh More Frequently √

38. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others √

39. Stop Complaining About Not Having Enough Time 

The only thing I complain about not having enough time for is going to the gym. Whether or not there is truth behind it, I can't quite decide. 

40. Stop Listening to and Leaving Voicemails

Why? They're not hours long. No one really leaves them anyway. 

41. Stretch Regularly

My. Hamstrings. Are. So. Short. 

42. Take a Walk After Lunch

I learned to do this from my mom. I used to do it at work, but I've started taking shorter breaks (I have to stop that). 

43. Take Action Immediately After Setting a Goal

You mean baby steps, right? 

44. Take Power Naps √√√√√√√

Done, done, and done. They're more like 2 hour naps, though. 

45. Take the Stairs √

I try to do this whenever possible, as long as it's not more than 5 flights haha. 

46. Take Time to Plan and Prioritize √

47. Think of Rejections as Stepping Stones √

48. Throw Out Things That Aren’t Useful or Beautiful

I'm definitely going to do this when I move out. I'm sure I'll be able to purge relatively easily by then. 

49. Treat Setbacks as Success Signals √

They don't usually feel like success signals, but I suppose I usually look at them as "Well, it didn't work out this way, let's try another." I'd say it's the same thing. 

50. Turn Off Background TV

The original post said something about the main goal of TV being to sell you things. Ironically, I think that's probably the main goal of blogs. The shows I watch aren't trying to sell me things, and the noise helps me work. TV forever. 

51. Turn Off Depressing News

The news doesn't depress me. Yeah, a lot of the things going on in the world suck, but it's the life we live. You can't just pretend it's not happening. I like to be up-to-date on all things news, so I'm gonna keep it on. 

52. Turn Off Your Computer Alerts √

53. Use More Positive Words

I not only need to do this for myself, but for my students. I always use the word "awesome," and I really don't want to. I need to get more variation in my vocabulary when it comes to positive praise words. 

54. Use Technology to Stay Focused

Nah. Technology makes me lose my focus, even if it's meant to help. 

55. Work 40 Hours a Week (or Less) √

56. Write Your Goals Down on Paper

I frequently make To-Do Lists, so does that count? I guess I can write down my life goals, but I'm actively working at them, so I don't feel like I really need to write them down to remind myself to work at them. 

57. Write Your Goals Out Every Day

See above. 

These have been my reactions to 57 Small Changes You Can Easily Make to Improve Your Life. Do you agree with them all? Any that you have problems with? Let me know in the comments!

P.S. Sorry about the weird formatting. I'll try to fix it later, but right now, I gotta fly! Get it? 

And now I'm off to Silver Spring!

My Life of Eating, Sleeping, and Breathing School

Hello! If you were wondering, I am indeed alive and well. Classes and student teaching have taken over my life. I'm so engulfed in school that I even had a dream that one of my students was driving me around in a minivan as I was racing to get somewhere (where, I do not remember). My blogging skills have deteriorated, but I am updating you on things that have gone on since October, so bear with me as my mind flits around from topic to topic.

Student Teaching
My first semester of student teaching has gone incredibly well. Of course, there have been times when my lesson plans didn't quite go as planned, or the students were off the chain, but overall, I couldn't be happier at my placement. I truly enjoy each and every one of my students, all 33 of them! The ones whom I thought would be the most trouble have turned out to be some of my favorites, and I can tell that as much as I'm having an effect on them, they're also affecting me in so many positive ways. They are all a challenge in their own way, and to me, it's enticing to try to motivate every single student while meeting his or her needs. It is definitely the hardest thing I've ever done, though! My mentor teacher really helps me out and sets me up for success. It is difficult to teach in your own way in someone else's classroom, when you want to try to switch things up, but you don't want to cross boundaries or stray from what the children know. Finding a happy medium is an art in student teaching. Hopefully I'll get there soon. Starting in January, I'll slowly start taking over each subject, then in April I'll have full command of the classroom for the whole month. I'm nervous, but also excited! Also, since I'm in a Catholic school, we go to church every Friday. I have to say, it's quite nice. I think I've gone to church more this semester than I have in the past six years combined.

I've noticed that a lot of people I talk to don't know what student teaching is. Basically, it's an unpaid internship. I'm there 4 full days a week, and I am teaching, grading, and planning, all while attending grad school, and working on the side. It's a lot of work, but I don't even notice that I don't get paid (until it's time to spend money), so I really must be enjoying it.

Grad School
All I can really say about grad school is that this month long break could not have come soon enough. I think I've managed to hold on to my 4.0 GPA (woo!), but my motivation for grad school classes and their subsequent work went right out the window around October. I just want to teach and have that be the only work I need to do! But hey, I'm half way through my grad program, and to me, that is a success in itself.

Life
While I've been in school, I have kept my job at Seidman, only working weekends and some evenings. Right now, our floor is at half capacity, so I actually have a lot of time to get my schoolwork done, for which I am incredibly thankful.

Alyse moved to Florida in August (boo) to be with her boyfriend. She's always wanted to move somewhere warm, and she finally had a reason to actually do it. I now have a second closet, and a second room to store things. Thanks, Alyse! She's coming home in a couple of days, and I'm excited to see her and do all of the things we used to do together (aka eat Dunkin' Donuts and Taco Bell). We're going to go visit her in February as well. I hope I see an alligator!

About a month ago, I sat in on a webinar with the DC Public Schools about why I should go work for them. I was already interested in working there, but this webinar helped to make their goals as a district more clear. They have gone through a complete revamping of their school district and are looking for innovative and motivated teachers (I like to think I fit the bill). They also pay their teachers pretty darn well, not that that's why we go into teaching. Their hiring process for the 2016-2017 school year starts January 6th, so I'll be applying for jobs quite soon! I'm also going to look at surrounding districts and private schools because, of course, Adam lives there and has a full-time job now! So, as it seems, I should be moving to the DC area in the summer of 2016!

I really don't have too much more to talk about. I'm going to sign up to volunteer for the Republican National Convention, which, if you haven't heard, is coming to Cleveland this summer. If you know me, you know that I am one of the proudest Clevelanders around, so even though I'm a Democrat,  I want to volunteer with the RNC so I can show everyone else what's up! If I'm not in DC by then, my mom and I will be showing off the city together.

Christmas is three days away and I still have most of my gifts to wrap, so this is it for me. Hopefully I'll have more things to write about (and more time to write), in the following weeks. I foresee a dry spell again, but hey, I'm working here.

If you have things you want to hear about, leave them in the comments. Have a Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!

My First Five Days of School!

I have returned to second grade! I've learned a lot about my class and school in general in the first five days, so I'll give you a bullet point list because I just don't feel like writing in complete paragraphs at this point. Enjoy!

• You may have to take three whole days of school, or longer, to set expectations and rules for 7 year olds. Especially 34 of them. 
• Learn to tell the difference between the sound of a fire drill and a tornado drill. It's kind of important. 
• In Catholic school, you might devote your prayers to a guinea pig and a dead dog. 
• The Common Core math curriculum seems very frivolous. Learn to get over it. 
• It is DARN HOT during the first few weeks of school. Invest in many dresses, skirts, and sleeveless blouses. 
• Students may be absolutely horrified that you don't have any children, and are nonetheless unmarried, you old spinster, you. 
• Giving reading assessments is fun. Some students might think the word "foreign" is read as "Virginia."
• You might have to try to explain what a hashtag is to students who have no idea what Twitter is. 
• You can't buy school lunch in the cafeteria, even when they're serving your favorite meal from your own school days (fiestadas!!). 
• Reward based behavior is the way to go. Kids will do anything to get marbles in the marble jar.
• When one kid has to go to the bathroom, five others have to. This goes for all things, like asking questions, needing bandaids, and telling you random information. Cut if off at the source!

I thought that I had more to write about, but I guess for now, it's just this short list. I feel like I'm lucky with my placement because I have such a large spread of abilities with these children. Some students are way behind, some are way ahead, and the rest are right in the middle. I've got a student who is fluent in French and doing times tables, and I've got another who seems like she's floating in space, unable to understand directions. It's so hard to plan around all of them, and I can already tell that some are bored because they grasp it so quickly, while others are frustrated and just don't get it. This will definitely be a challenging year full of learning how to reach all students at once, that's for sure. 

Our reality on 85 degree days.

I've had a hard time making myself go to the gym. I end up coming home, eating a snack, watching Mad Men, then napping. Hopefully once it's cooler out I'll have the motivation. Let me know if you have any questions about my school year! I start my own classes at Ursuline tomorrow afternoon, so I'm going to have a very full day. Soon, I'll write some student teacher style posts! Until next time! 

Transformation into a Teacher

Hello! I'm sorry that it has been so long since I've written. I've just been so wrapped up in my schoolwork. Alas, it has paid off: I got a 4.0 GPA for my first five week semester! I have my final class of my second five week semester today, and I expect pretty much the same outcome for my GPA. I am so proud of myself!

This past session I only had three classes and they were Diversity, Technology, and Reading Foundations. Not too shabby. As I said in my last post, my cohort has become super close, and we have done two end of session celebrations so far! I really like that tradition. Not everyone was present at both, but a good number of us attended!

"Chipotle is my liiiiiiiiife."

On Tuesday, I went to my classroom to help set up for the school year. My first day of school is August 26th, and I have three days of meetings the week before that. My classroom is very hot for about the first month, so I have to dress smartly. I did buy some new clothes for school (hooray back to school shopping!), and I might buy some more tomorrow during "Tax Free Ohio Day."

As a part of my transformation into a teacher, I decided it was time to make all of my social media accounts private. Sorry guys, no more retweeting my hilarious tweets. I'm as bummed as you are. It was definitely a step in the right direction, and I'm excited for what's to come.

On a personal life note, my sister is moving to Florida! I'm sad, but she's a free spirit and wants to move somewhere warm for a while. She'll be a great men's hairstylist and it gives me an excuse to go on vacation! On the plus side, I get a second closet for my quickly growing wardrobe! I've also been super blob-like over these past ten weeks of class, so my clothes are fitting a bit tighter. I either have to work out, or just buy new clothes. We'll see which happens first.

Adam is job searching, and it seems to be a bit more fruitful in DC than in Cleveland. I'm a homebody, but I like DC, so I'm not opposed to moving there after I graduate. Especially if he finds a job by then. All in all, I'm super excited for my future as a teacher, but some part of me is still aching to be a speech pathologist. Maybe one day!

I promise to post again soon, I'm sure I'll have plenty to talk about, as well as some "Teacher Style" posts! Until next time!

P.S. I was just going through my old posts, because it's fun, and dang did my hair look great in this post! 

Masters of All!!

A couple of weekends ago, Adam graduated with his Masters Degree in Asian Studies! His stressful days are finally over, besides job hunting, and he can take some time for himself to relax. He's staying in DC through the summer, perhaps November, depending on where and when he finds a job. If anyone knows of any research or international relations/Asian relations type jobs, in DC, Cleveland, or anywhere, hit us up!

So masterful.

On the other hand, I started my own masters program this past Tuesday! Here's a general rundown of the program in my last post. I think there are about 30(ish) people in my 'cohort,' and there are about 14 of us in each class. This semester consists of 4 classes (Foundations of Education, Human Development, Curriculum and Methods, and Phonics), each lasting two hours and fifteen minutes. I can't recall ever repositioning myself in my seat so much! I have never felt more like running after sitting all day, and I do twelve hour work days! Though, once I get through almost an hour of stop-and-go traffic both ways, I just want to lay in bed and eat Ben and Jerry's. I've gotten back into listening to podcasts, though! Each summer semester is 5 weeks long, with a one-week break in between. I don't mind starting class at 8 am, since I'm a morning person, but 5:30 without a nap is when I start to ride the struggle bus. Thankfully, Phonics is my last class of the day, and it's the one in which I'm most interested, so it keeps my attention. Classes are Monday through Thursday, with a "free day" on Friday to do all of the work that has piled up. I must say, I've been very productive on my first work day. I only have a couple more things to do, which I should be able to knock those out this weekend.

This will not be me this year!

Another thing I did on this free day of mine was meet my mentor teacher, the one with whom I'll be student teaching this coming school year. I also met with the principal of the school. I'm not technically allowed to name the school where I'll be teaching, so I'll say it's a parochial school very close to home. Hooray for a five minute commute! I'll be working with a class of 33 second graders, so I'll have my hands full! I felt so welcomed when I went to visit, and I know that I'll fit in very well.
 
I'm really excited and motivated to do well in this program. If this first week has been any clue to how the rest of the year will go, I think I'll have a good handle on all of my schoolwork. I'm putting in 100% effort for this program, since I haven't got anything else to occupy my time. I also want to prove myself. The professors keep saying that this cohort will become best friends with each other, and I can attest that strong, supportive relationships have been building. We're already going to each other for help, and we know so much about each other from sharing about ourselves so many classes in a row. It's a really good environment, and Ursuline is nice and small, just how I like it.

Also, I'm just plain happy, and in my element :) If you have any questions about my program, or anything else, feel free to ask! My brain has been very busy this week, quite a change from the past three years, so I may have forgotten details in which you might be interested. I'll try to keep you updated about the rest of the semester. Enjoy your summer, and go Cavs!!

As an aside, I attended Wooster's graduation weekend this year, and I got to see some of my best friends and it was the best <3

Aaron, Adam, Joe, Amanda, and Katie: The 5 coolest people you'll ever meet, as a group. And only as a group.

Every Single Update You Have Ever Wanted from Me

I have been in such a blogging slump. I haven't felt like writing one thing, and believe me, a lot has happened since December! So instead of writing four different posts, I'm just going to skim over each event that has gone on in my life, in sequential order, not necessarily order of greatness. Here we go!

1. I GOT IN TO FREAKING GRAD SCHOOL! Ok, so I haven't updated in a long time about what I was applying to grad school for. Last time I mentioned it, it was Child Life. After taking a class in child life, I felt that it wasn't for me. For the better part of two and a half years, I have been moaning, groaning, and lamenting over not getting in to grad school for speech pathology. The American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) has a journal called The ASHA Leader, which I get every month. They had an issue dedicated to the troubles of low admittance to grad programs; it explained that there aren't enough Ph.D level professors in the field to teach classes, as well as a lack of clinical placements for every student. The profession is growing at a crazy rate, and there are too many undergrad students to admit to programs that don't have enough higher level people running them. In that case, mediocre grades do not cut it, and only the top whatever percent can be lucky enough to go into a field that they love.

After this realization (more like acceptance), I decided to apply to an accelerated Early Childhood Education program at Ursuline College. It's called the Masters Apprenticeship Program and it takes place over one year, starting at the end of May. I'll take core classes during the summer, and starting in the fall I'll begin observing in the classroom, and about halfway through I'll start student teaching. It's incredibly intensive, but I'm ready to get going on my life. I was absolutely elated that I got in. I had a feeling that I would, but after so much rejection from speech graduate programs, I was almost jaded. Finally, I realized that it wasn't me, but it was just the system. I hope to become a reading teacher, or a reading specialist. Each time I think about that, I get a little sad that I'm not becoming an SLP, but maybe one day I can go back to school, once there is enough staff, and once I've proved that I can obtain a masters degree. Literacy is my second passion after all, so I know I'll be happy. I will definitely write updates about my graduate program and my progress, that's for sure!

2. I went out of the country for the first time in my life! The week before Christmas, I embarked on a Central American cruise with Adam and his parents. We were on a Royal Caribbean ship, The Navigator of the Seas, and we made port in Honduras, Belize, and Mexico! I went snorkeling, climbed Mayan ruins, and rode an ATV for the first time in my life! The trip was so fun, and I can't wait to go on my next cruise in March! I have more pictures, if you'd like me to post them, let me know!

Leaving Honduras!

Altun Ha Mayan Ruins!

3. I've started going to rowing classes at Ride and Workout in Lakewood! I'm not sure how many of you watch House of Cards (if you don't, you absolutely should), but Frank, the main character, works out not only by running, but he uses a rowing machine. The cool thing about the machine he uses is that there's actually water in it! I came upon Ride and Workout after a friend kept posting about how awesome the rowing classes were. I decided to buy a January Jump Start package, and upon my arrival my first day, I was elated to find that the rowers were exactly like the one in House of Cards! I've never used a regular rower, and I don't think I ever will. The whooshing of the water with each row makes the experience that much more enjoyable. There is teamwork in the classes, as if you're all actually rowing a boat together, and the workout makes you feel incredibly powerful. Now I know why Kate Middleton does it! I'm going to keep going, paying class by class, and hopefully I can make it a routine to at least go once a week. I also signed up for a spin class this week, so we'll see how it goes!

This is the rower we use. It's got 18 gallons of water in it!

4. I bought a new car! Well, I leased a new car. Tommy (my 2003 Mazda Protege), was rusting out pretty badly on the bottom, so my car guy told me it was time to start shopping. Thanks to my grandpa's employee discount at Chevy, I got a great deal on a 2015 Chevy Cruze! It's dark blue (blue ray metallic), it doesn't shake when I drive over 60 mph, and I'm so much more confident in it! I just want to drive it around everywhere. I've driven it for almost two weeks, and I only had to put gas in it just yesterday! I decided to name him Johnny (please separate him from Manziel), because I liked having a car whose name ended in the "e" sound. I'm a happy gal!

I'll take better pictures once the snow is gone and the salt is all washed off. This one showcases Tommy and Johnny.

Based on everything that has gone on in the past couple of months, 2015 is going to be a great year for me. If you're friends with me on Facebooks, you've probably already seen all of this; sorry not sorry! I plan to keep the updates coming and welcome any suggestions for future posts! Until next time!

My Life is Not That Pinteresting

A little while ago, I finally joined the social network of crafters, dreamers, and wedding planners: Pinterest. I have to say, I'm not as addicted to it as I thought I would be, but when I get on a roll, pinning to my favorite board "My Style and Clothes I NEEEEEED," I really can't stop. Then I sit and look at it and decide that my closet needs an entire revamping. Then I get sad about how much money I don't have, and how much moolah I would need to get my style to resemble even an inkling of how I have it on a silly internet corkboard.

They say that social media makes us feel bad about ourselves; other people post perfectly laid out and filtered photos from their "idyllic" lives and that makes us feel sub par. In reality, that's all it is, layout and filter. I follow a few fashion blogs/Instagram accounts, and one of them wrote an entire post about how her home and life looks nothing like the photos she posts. Her pictures are flawless, sunny, clean and crisp. In reality, her clothes are strewn everywhere, her desk is a mess, and her hair is in a messy bun half of the time. Pinterest gives me a tiny bit of this feeling of inadequacy, even though I know I can strive for it someday, I just want it now.

Besides inadequacy, Pinterest gives me another "I" word; inspiration! Inspiration to invest in the expensive things that will never go out of style (like this coat), and to strive toward a great, versatile  wardrobe that defines me! I've got other boards, ones that I don't really use too much, but this style board has actually made my life a little bit easier, even though I'm complaining (but just a little). I'm now able to post things to the board which I normally would have emailed to myself with the subject line "Buy This." Pinterest makes it easier on my inbox, and keeps me more organized. You know what would be more organized? If I made an entire "Coats" board, as well as a "Swimsuits" board. But hey, that's just more work for me, and definitely more time spent on Pinterest than I should be spending. Especially with grad school just around the corner ;) Knowing me, I'll do it eventually!

Here are some of my favorite pins, and feel free to check out the board and tell me what you think! It's still relatively small, but I'm sure it will double in size within a week. I can see myself in every outfit on that board, and that tells me I'm going in the right direction with this whole Pinterest thing.