Fall 2012!!!

I had my advising appointment for school today. It went really well and it was great motivation to finish out the semester.







A few exciting things happened during the session:



1. I have been approved to get an official graduation check


2. I am set to graduate next fall semester!!!!


3. I am in the top 15% of my class in academics


4. I received an award for academic honors








It feels like it has taken me forever but I feel like I'm finally reaching my goals!!

Worth the Climb

I felt extremely accomplished and proud this past weekend. I did my first climb. The climb wasn't exactly planned because we didn't know where we were going, but we ended up near Mt. Evans. Our plan was to go see the aspen leaves....my favorite, and we ended up climbing.

The hike started pretty simple and I knew once we passed a sign that said if we continued we would need to sign a permit, which we didn't...I knew I was probably in for a bit more than a hike.

Once we really got going I will be honest, the altitude started kicking my butt. I took a few breaks here and there to catch my breath and pace myself, but with my own determination and my husband encouraging me, I made it to the top, and it was so worth it.

The view was amazing and all the things that have been on my mind and causing stress just seemed to vanish. It was a wonderful moment of clarity and I am so glad I did it.

I have always been hesitant to climb because I know how I get in high altitudes and I didn't know if I could hack it. Now I know I can and I'm willing to do more. I'm hooked!

I Have a Yogurt in My Backpack

I am officially a teacher candidate! And it feels fantastic!

I started my literacy hour today. This means that I am put into a group of three teachers and four students at a local elementary school and we read to the students using the Text Talk method.

For my assignment I am at Maple wood Elementary School every Thursday for an hour working with second graders. Even though it was my first day, it was quite an experience and an eye opener.

After briefly meeting the kids I noticed their conversation quickly turned to food. This was then followed by each of them pulling out some sort of food from their backpack and revealing that they had all kept these food items to eat when they got home. Now I remember being in school and being hungry by the time the bell rang, but never once did I think to hoard food in my backpack.
Now we had been prepped on how poor this school was. The usual high percentage of free or reduced lunch, a high number of ESL students, and simply that these kids are from broken homes and live below the poverty level.

However, even with that in the back of my head, I was not prepared to see first hand the basic survival skills going into play with second graders.

The second big experience for me was their excitement. This program is not a tutoring program, it is a voluntary literacy hour. Anyone in first or second grade can sign up for it. We had been told that the program was popular with the kids, but I had no idea how much these kids wanted to be there.

I just had a real moment of clarity today. These children were so happy to be there and found so much to be excited about in the simplest of tasks, despite the harsh card life had dealt them. I realized that this is why I'm doing this. These genuine moments right here.

Obligation! Obligation!

Obligations!

They are everywhere.

I'm sitting here at work at 5:30 in the morning because I have an obligation to work the selected shift that was scheduled for me. However, I meet this obligation because it is what I need to do to gain the necessary paycheck and do my part in the financial support of my family. So, in a way this obligation is really a choice. I have a choice to not show up, to call in sick, or quit. But the fact is, I want that pay stub at the end of the month, so I'm here.

School...that's another awkward obligation. So many times I've said myself, "I don't want to go to class." Which is typically followed by someone saying, "Then don't," and is then counteracted by me, "I have to."
Who says? I do!
Classes are a hassle and another notch added to the stress belt, but overall it is an obligation that I am happy to fulfill.
College is not for everyone. In fact, if there is a job that you are qualified for or want to do that doesn't require a degree, then don't waste the money and time getting some useless document that says you did it.
Me on the other hand, what I want to do requires that piece of paper. So to get what I want, I must meet the obligations that required of me.

This brings me to obligated relationships. I don't mean having a polite relationship with bosses or professors, I mean those people in your life that somehow become obligations.
You stop seeing them because you WANT to, and rather start making appearances because you HAVE to.
Why do we do that?
Aren't they better off without a person who feels obligated to be their friend?
Or how about people that lack in support but feel that you need to meet their needs, but probably couldn't tell you your middle name.
Forget it! Done with that.
I am not a person who makes friends easily. I'm that girl who makes a friendship for semester but rarely stays in contact after that. I do have some old friends, but I respect that they are living their own lives, as I am, and I don't need them to be here every second to know they will be if I needed them. I do have a few people I can count on and that I interact with on a daily basis. Most of these people I work with, but they have shown over and over again how our relationship goes beyond the office. Which is something I appreciate greatly and was pretty surprised by.
Other than that, I have my best friend and my two cats (yes we are those people) at home, and that's good enough for me.
The same goes for family. I have my family that I could not function without. My parents specifically, have always been my very best friends and support systems, and they have constantly proven that they will always be there for me.

So back to those obligations. When it comes to people, count me out. I'm am finished feeling as if I HAVE to please a person to keep the waters steady.

I have no obligations to those people who in the end would never truly be there for me.

Writers Workshop

This semester I have a Teaching Through Writing class. Part of the class requires at least fifteen minutes of writing everyday. To meet this assignment I figured I would use my blog to keep me into the writing process. So, I guess we will see how well I keep up with it.