Winter Break

As always...long over due. And like last time, I'm exhausted and the easiest way to update is through pictures. So here goes...

Winter Break started with a road trip home. I split the 9 hour trip into two days, staying over night about halfway in Bristol. While I'm usually a fan of driving straight through without stopping (except to fill up for gas), I really enjoyed the luxury of staying in a hotel, as well as waking up and only having half the trip left.

The night I got home was also the 11th annual Christmas party with the girls. We continued the tradition with a sleepover, only this time there was an adorable baby to cuddle with when we woke up in the morning. Hard to believe it's been 11 years, 3 weddings (another coming up), 1 baby, 5 cities and 2 continents. I wouldn't have missed our party for the world.

After a few quiet days at home with my parents, the house filled up with my grandparents, Amanda, and her boyfriend. Christmas came and went fast this year, and as always, Mom outdid herself. See proof below.

We spent Christmas night at our neighbors' house in our pajamas, my favorite way to end the holiday. Before heading back to Nashville, the whole family swung down to North Carolina to spend time with more family, where one of my favorite pictures from the week was taken:

I loved being home for the holidays, and as always it was tough to leave. But knowing that I still had a week of vacation ahead of me in Nashville made it a little easier.

For the next week, my friends and I tried new restaurants, went to see a movie (American Hustle), stayed out late, watched various sports events (on TV and live!) and went shopping for our respective homes. I felt more relaxed than I could ever remember on a break, and I know it's because I had time to simply be in my own space and enjoy life in Nashville. I felt like a real person! I loved getting to do "normal" things like go to a coffee shop in the morning or the gym in the early afternoon (although I'd imagine that isn't actually normal for most people).

This was also the first New Years that I've ever actually been "out". AR, AB and I bought tickets to see the same 90's cover band we saw on Halloween, after exchanging Christmas gifts and feasting on delicious Thai food. I definitely had to drink some coffee before we went out to ensure that I wouldn't lose any steam before midnight, and it worked like a charm. We had a blast at the concert, and topped off the celebration with a sleepover and brunch at a cool Midtown restaurant the next day.

The rest of break was split between lesson planning, organizing and cleaning my condo, trying new recipes, and running errands, reading books, and enjoying the time off.

The icing on the cake was an extra work day for teachers when the "polar vortex" made its home in Nashville. Because of the "dangerously low" temperatures and our building's lack of a heating system, school was canceled for kids the Tuesday they were supposed to come back, so it was a short week and a great way to ease ourselves back into a routine. This also meant I was able to get all my work done before the weekend and enjoy one last stress-free weekend before it got real again.

This week has been a bit of an adjustment, and I'm incredibly exhausted, but I'm also happy. Coming up: a post about my New Year's resolutions, a work update, and eventually, a recap of a road trip to Atlanta (happening this weekend!). Stay tuned.

Back From Hiatus

It's been so long since I've posted that the web address for my blog didn't even autofill in the browser bar. Yikes.

As is always true when I sit down to blog, there is so much going through my head that I don't know where to begin. So I'll start with some photo recaps of the past few months.

In October, I decided to drive home with one of my good friends from home, Meaghan, to see the girls and baby Nora. Baby girl is the most adorable baby I have ever laid eyes on, and she is surrounded by so many people that adore her. Try to tell me you've seen a cuter baby. I won't believe you.

November flew by, thanks to a friend's wedding, a visit from mom and dad, Friendsgiving and a five-day weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving in Salem.

A friend from TFA got married near Cincinnati, OH, and I had a great time catching up with friends to celebrate her big day. The following weekend, mom and dad visited for the taping of the Country Music Christmas special, and we had a great time. It was a shorter trip than usual, but it helped make November feel full and exciting. We even found Deacon's house from the show Nashville - it's less than a mile from my place! Dad also finally tried a hot dog from the wiener truck, I Dream Of Weenie. I think it got his approval.

We definitely outdid ourselves with our second annual Friendsgiving celebration. I can't even remember what we did for food last year - it obviously wasn't good enough to be memorable. This year, though, we decided to bring our a-game, and everyone made at least one Thanksgiving dish for a potluck at my place. I am my mother's daughter - I couldn't miss an opportunity to set the table a little fancier than usual, complete with chargers, cloth napkins, and place cards. It almost felt like we were real adults (almost!). Instead of going around the table and saying what we were thankful for, we wrote things down (both funny and serious) on slips of paper, put them in a jar, and read them out loud as we ate. It was both hilarious and humbling. I have so much to be thankful for, including an amazing family of friends in Nashville.

Thanksgiving break brought with it 3 week days plus a whole weekend of vacation, and I headed to Salem Wednesday morning. It's the first time we've been to Salem as a family in years, and it was an absolute blast. It was great to see both sides of the family, although it never feels like quite enough time. One of the highlights of the weekend was hanging out with 3 of my cousins at a bar where my uncle was playing. Crazy that we are (almost) all old enough to be at a bar together - how time flies!

There's been plenty of Christmas cheer around here since Thanksgiving. I decorated my tree almost immediately upon returning to Nashville, and have been listening to Christmas music for weeks now. Although my condo doesn't even come close to being as festive as mom and dad's I've got a few decorations scattered around that will for now. Last week we watched the governor light the Christmas tree in front of the capitol building while Lee Brice sang "Silent Night" - gotta love Nashville.

This past weekend was full of festivities. Saturday morning Ashley and I participated in the Ugly Sweater Run. It was a 5K non-race with hot chocolate stations along the way and two beers waiting at the finish line. Although it was freezing cold and snowing the whole time, we had a blast people-watching and got a great workout in the process.

Saturday night was our staff holiday party, and Sunday evening a few of us went to the Matt Wertz Christmas concert, where Dave Barnes made a special appearance (and I almost fainted). Up next: Dave Barnes Christmas concert this weekend, followed by our friends Christmas party. And only 8 more days of school before a luxurious two weeks off to re-cooperate.

Work updates to come soon. I'm feeling pretty uninspired to write after an 11-hour work day.

Happy Monday!

A Teacher's Workday

This about sums up why I haven't posted in two months.

A Teacher's Workday

September Sundays

September is proving to be one heck of a month, in the best way possible.

Big moments always make me think back to where I was at the same time last year. So it’s natural that my 25th birthday brought back some tough memories of last year. I had been in Nashville for a little over 2 months, and while I loved the city and my new place, I was having a hard time adjusting to my new pace of life. My coworkers were great, but we were still in that awkward we-are-friends-because-we-have-no-other-choice phase. Confession: I woke up the morning of my birthday and cried my eyes out because I was alone, no one who really knows me there to celebrate. I spent that evening with two sweet friends – an old college roommate and a new co-worker – and I remember feeling a bit defeated that these were the only two people who cared enough about me to be there (in reality, it was a holiday weekend and everyone else had plans, like normal people. Drama queen.) Now, I realize how lucky I am to have an old friend nearby and a new friend who embraced me so quickly.

This year was quite the opposite. The happy hour crew generously proclaimed it my birthday weekend – dinner on Friday night at our favorite Thai restaurant plus drinks and cupcakes at a local taproom, a girls’ night out on Saturday, and a Sunday dinner and game night on my actual birthday, complete with appetizers, adult beverages, and a custom made “whooping stick”.

It was the kind of weekend that is so great that it makes the Sunday night blues (or Monday night blues on that particular holiday weekend) even more poignant. Although I’m in a much better place this year than I have ever been since my teaching career began, I felt much like I did on Sunday nights in Eastern North Carolina, with a sense of panic and fear gripping my mind and my heart. Only this time it wasn’t fear of children declaring mutiny or fists flying in class. It was a fear of losing this feeling of happiness buoyed by a lightness of heart and a freedom from responsibility.

I was able to stave off the blues last weekend, with the help of a visit from one of my best friends and "the girls", Jenna. An impromptu trip to Nashville (via plane, plane, cab, and bus - she's a champ!) made me one happy girl, because there's just nothing like friends from home. One of our favorite artists, Matt Wertz, was playing at a Nashville staple, the Exit/In, and Jenna joined me and two of my Nashville friends for an incredible show.

Jen stayed til Wednesday morning, which made my week so much easier to bear - knowing I'd have company two nights after work, and knowing I'd only have to bear a few days until the weekend when the sad day came for her to leave. It was a busy week at work, and the bar had been set high for weekends this month.

And don’t you know – this beautiful September weekend brought me that same peace, that same soul-refreshing happiness of the past two weekends, only without the dread that accompanied it two weeks ago.

Remember that lovely new friend who so kindly joined me for my birthday celebration last year, when I was still feeling vulnerable and lonely? She is now one of my closest friends in Nashville, and Friday night we celebrated the purchase of her brand new townhome in the suburbs with pizza, ice cream, wine, and cable TV (a luxury for me these days). And while Saturday required several hours of work, it was quite possibly one of the most beautiful days since I’ve been in Nashville, and I couldn’t help but take advantage of the weather. I broke up lessons plans with a visit to the farmer’s market, where Annie and I rented b-cycles and took an adventurous and hilarious ride to the downtown library.

Don’t be fooled by the tranquility of this picture. It was one heck of a bike ride, including uphill battles, roads under construction, and left turns on downtown streets. (Don’t worry dad, there were no cars on the road and we used hand signals.)

Before this weekend, I didn’t think I was ready for fall. Saturday’s clear blue sky and crisp air started to chip away at my summer reserve. An evening on the gorgeous patio of an East Nashville wine bar, with a nip in the air that required a fall wardrobe, got me that much closer. Three things this Sunday pushed me over the edge, into full bring-it-on-fall mode: my Creamy Pumpkin candle filling my condo with the scent of Thanksgiving, a chilly sunset on the roof, and dark red nail polish.

It’s the little things in life.

I can’t explain why I’m immune to the Sunday night blues this week. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that there’s a lot to look forward to in the next few days – jeans day, Taylor Swift in concert, the Color Run, and a surprise schedule change that lightens my coverage load during my planning periods. Maybe it’s knowing that the end of this weekend is also bringing the beginning of a new season, and endless possibilities for fall activities. Or maybe it’s as superficial as the flickering Creamy Pumpkin candle in the background while I reminisce about my perfect weekend and look forward to picking up my new book when I get in bed tonight. Whatever it is, it is a welcome feeling.

Happy fall, y’all!

The First Month

A month to the day since I've last posted.

Grampy, I'm sorry. Forgive me. (You're probably the only one who's noticed.)

I'm sure it's obvious, but it's been crazy busy here since day 1, and I'm still not quite caught up on life yet. But I'll do my best to summarize what's been happening since I last wrote.

This year has brought some changes that have been both exciting and exhausting. I've moved into the role of "Lead Teacher", which sounds fancier than it actually is. It basically means that I'm doing much of the same thing I did last year, only this time I'm helping to develop another teacher in the process. My current teacher partner is a second year teacher who taught social studies last year. Needless to say, we have some work to do. While we are technically a team, there's a lot more responsibility on my end, and I spend a lot of time observing him in his classroom and live coaching.

The biggest change from last year was our decision to split kids instead of curriculum. Last year, my partner teacher (who moved up to 7th grade this year) taught half of the curriculum (focused more on algebra) and I taught the other half (focused more on geometry and ratios). We both taught all 100 kids, four different periods a day. This year, we've decided the best route is to split the kids instead of the curriculum, since every topic in math relates to each other in some way. This means that I only teach about 60 kids, but I teach almost twice the amount of lessons. Last year, I was planning 4 lessons a week - now, I'm up to 7. I have absolutely loved being able to focus on my 60 kids and get to know them really well, but the planning cycle is exhausting. My schedule is pretty crazy, too. To compensate for the increase in workload, we've been given more planning periods, but it also means every day looks different for me. It's been tough trying to keep up with when I teach, when I'm off, and when I have hall coverage periods, but it is definitely nice to know that I have more time to get work done a few days a week.

Our school leaders have also decided to do away with the typical "social studies" class and instead replace it with Global Literacy. While it's an exciting new addition to our curriculum, it also means we have to fit in "test prep" social studies skills somewhere, and that somewhere is every morning during our advisory/homeroom period. Which means on top of teaching math, leading a book club, and keeping up with the demands of our crazy schedule, I'm also a part time social studies teacher :). It's been an adjustment for sure, and while it's not ideal, I trust that our administrators made a decision based on what was best for our kids. I do often ask myself, though, at what point will it be enough?

There's so much more I could say, but like always, I've waited to long to say it, so I don't even know where to begin. I'll try to be better...but no promises.

My Summer In Photos

Our first official week, "Week Zero", is over. Kids and teachers alike survived Liberty's version of "boot camp", and I know I'm excited to get back to real school next week, with math lessons and book club and time to get to know my new babies. But I'm also very grateful for a weekend, even if it will involve quite a bit of work (still a lot to prepare for our first set of math lessons). And by the look on the kids' tired faces as they lined up for the buses yesterday, they need it, too.

My energy is drained, so instead of trying to recap the past week or my entire summer, I'll just add some of my favorite pictures. Enjoy!

Possibly the most spontaneous thing I've ever done in my life happened this summer: I booked a ticket just hours before boarding a plane! I decided to surprise my parents and crash their Chicago trip to see my sister for the 4th of July. I also got to see my cousin, who recently moved to the city to begin her residency, and old roommate/good friend from Teach for America. It was a great weekend, and I enjoyed spending extra time with family and friends that I don't see very often.

I've mentioned "the girls" many, many times, and this summer we experienced two life-changing events within a week of each other. We celebrated the birth of our first "girls baby" when Brittany and her husband welcomed sweet baby girl Nora into the world on June 26. On July 3, Jenna's beautiful mother, Jill, passed away after fighting pancreatic cancer for over five years. I could never even begin to capture the spirit of Momma Ward in words, but she is one of the most optimistic, generous, unassuming and strongest women I have ever met. A few weekends later, all nine girls were reunited for a bittersweet celebration of two very important lives - it was the first time many of us got to meet baby Nora, just hours before attending Momma Ward's memorial service. Many tears were shed that weekend, and I often had a hard time distinguishing between the happy and the sad ones. My heart aches to find the write words to explain the significance of that weekend, but my mind still can't quite fathom it. Instead, one of my favorite pictures from my short time home (the new momma is top right):

The new school year technically began on July 8, with four weeks of professional development, curriculum writing, and transitioning into the new building. As much as I would have loved a few more weeks of summer, it was great to have my friends back - since my network of friends still hasn't expanded outside of work. We added almost 15 new staff members this year as we expanded to include seventh grade, and I love every single one of them. A quick picture from a happy hour outing a few weekends ago, with new and old friends:

And a picture of the "new" old building that is our new home:

This summer I also experimented with my old sewing machine, making a few random projects, all of which are less than perfect. But there's something to be said for the feeling of creating, of holding something up knowing that you put it together from scratch, that you made something useful from a few yards of fabric. Probably my most successful project was an apron, and it still looks pretty good even though my impatience led me to scrap the pattern and start sewing pieces together where it "looked right". Don't look too closely - rough edges and imperfections are everywhere - but it's practical!

The rest of my summer was spent enjoying Nashville, with outdoor concerts and movies, new restaurants, and good friends. I am in love with this city, and even though my summer is officially over, the season and its festivities continue to live on, and I'll continue to enjoy it all as long as possible. Next up on the agenda: 3 of my favorite musical artists in concert, a 5K Color Run, and the famous East Nashville Tomato Festival (today!).

Next week we are in full swing, and my color-coded schedule says it all:

CRAZINESS. And that's only Monday (and doesn't include our 7am start time)...

Something only your parents care about...

The school year starts Tuesday. TUESDAY. There are many things I am doing to prepare myself, not just for the work itself, but also for the impending crazy schedule that will overtake my life: scheduling a last minute haircut, deep cleaning my condo, stocking up on groceries, and doing every last bit of laundry I can.

Another thing we've been instructed to do before school starts back up is to Google ourselves to make sure nothing pops up that we wouldn't want students to see. So far, the only thing I've found that I wish students couldn't see is my graduation year from college. I like telling them I'm in my forties, and hearing things like, "That's older than my momma!" That's right, I could basically be your momma, so sit yo' tail down and get back to work. (Okay, so maybe that's more applicable to my two years at Enfield, but it still comes out sometimes.)

I did happen to stumble upon a link to a short article that I knew my parents/grandparents would want to see, so here it is, for you all. I didn't know this, but apparently the Tennessee Charter School Association posted Facebook and Twitter updates when they announced the finalists for teacher of the year, and I got my very own posts, with a link to a bio that is a hybrid of their words and mine.

More of my words to come. I'm struggling to synthesize the past 2 months concisely, but I'll do my best.

Happy Sunday!