Things I Have Learned in 2013

Another year smarter.

Things I have learned:
1. Texts are legal documentation.

They are anything BUT personal. Your private texts are actually public domain. After an incident  where a text I sent to a parent was pointed out that without proper context, could be misconstrued; I decided to ban texting and facebook-ing from my professional career. Personal calls, personal chats, personal texts are all ways for people to feel way too familiar and open up beyond professional limits. I worked too darn hard to get here in the last few years and I'll not let a moment of personal texting be my downfall!

2. Do not underestimate a child because they have a communication disability.

One of my students has been reading this year, but had never before been given the tools to demonstrate that she could because she had difficulty both in saying and writing words. Now that she has the opportunity to show us, we can see her progress and rejoice in her triumphs. What other secrets could people with disabilities be hiding?? As I grow as a teacher, I will continue to find ways to let my students show what they know; to demonstrate all that they can do.

3. Ten-year-olds are all the same!  :)  I took my 10 year old to a group designed just for 10-11 year olds, and every other kid there was trying to use big words in hilarious ways, said embarrassing things that made their parents roll their eyes, and they rolled them right back at the adults! All the parents were exasperated in exactly the same way, and all the kids, even with their unique personalities and backgrounds, had something bubbling inside them that was decidedly 10 years old. This is also the year where the Christmas gifts get super expensive as they do not want as many toys but want every kind of electronic device. They have figured out the birds and bees for the most part, too. They know how the world works just enough to start asking the 'really big' questions.We decided to give the boy his own room. It is time.

4. I really miss creative writing.

With my college classes this year, 2 in the beginning, 1 in summer, and 1 this fall, my writing has all been academic. I have 2 friends who have asked me to edit/beta-read their super long manuscripts. It makes me want to write my own. I have had to shelve all my endeavors and theirs in lieu of classes, though. I wrote the occasional ficly, but had I not had many websites related to writing bookmarked, I'd have forgotten many of them by now.

5. Hummus is good.

Roasted Red Pepper hummus on pita chips is my new snack love! It is much healthier than say, a chocolate covered granola bar. It is low in calories and filling. I also have learned to enjoy soup more; the light kind. I have been learning how to eat healthier. I don't think you ever stop learning how to be healthier. There is always new information.

6. I'm a giver.

I think about giving all the time. I wrote a lot about being a giver here on this blog over the years. I feel really crummy when I can't give. I desire to give and give, be busy and active, and that often means giving to others, even if it is just my time. I need to be selfish sometimes, too.  I had some really bad times from 2008 to 2010, and was in a really dark place when I was unemployed. There was loss, struggle, depression, anguish, days where I never knew where help would come from or how we would make it through. But we did.  I learned about myself. I am a mother first, a writer, and lastly a teacher. Teaching is a way of giving, too. That place I dreamed of back in 2009, I am here, now. This is the happiest and most stressful I've ever been. With great power comes great responsibility, right? Well, with great happiness comes great stress. You have to overcome to appreciate what you just did. Now that I have it, I need to remember what I was going to do with it.

7. Editing is good. Editing blog posts is good. Editing your life, trimming the excess fat so to speak, is good. Taking a step back to re-evaluate your life and make sure that it is really what is best for you is good. Editing includes organizing. When life feels cluttered, you need to stop and take time to de-clutter. Whether it be your closets, your career, your garden, or your email inbox, pruning the excess will help you breathe easier.



On that note, I will stop here and bring you my year in pictures in a future post. :)

UPDATE:
I learned two new words! Hirsute, and comorbidity. Look them up!

Nutrition and Fitness Notes: Get Started DOING

I started a Pinterest board for things I find that are related to Nutrition and Fitness. Now that I am older, I realize that this is a pivotal time in my life where I can let myself go, wallow in self-pity and laziness, or I can work hard now and live a long and healthy life full of doing things.

I'd rather do things.

Taking care of my family, my dreams, all the things I care about, begins with taking care of me.

Now, I have to admit two things. One: I have been spending a lot of time sitting on my butt watching other people get healthy and fit, researching, and watching various videos. This is not the way to take care of myself.
Two: I was getting out this summer and biking, walking the dog, and trying small workouts at home. And I felt better, much better, than I do right now.

I have worked on my diet, trying some new healthy foods, being aware of ingredients, calories, fats, sugars, and monitoring my body and its reaction to the changes.

It is time to make a plan. It is time to set goals. The new year is coming. I have the tools. I am always learning. I can do this.

My Fatal Flaw

UPDATE

Hi all. I think it's time for an update. You know if I haven't been blogging, it's because I am so busy.
I am teaching full time, flying by the seat of my pants.
I am parenting with my husband two boys who seem to have forgotten how to behave this month.
I am tutoring 2 hours a week a young man with autism in working independently on tasks and reading comprehension, simple grammar, and math.
I am attending a college class online, reading texts and articles and writing papers and forum posts for class.
And the rest of the time is spent trying to debrief and regain my sanity. I facebook stalk. I watch shows on hulu or netflix. I plan.

This post is about working through something I read in my college class. It was an article about stereotypes, labeling, and harm framed through the lens of story telling. Stories are something I know. Story telling is one of my strengths. I was intrigued and interested.

The premise is that when we tell a story about someone who is unable to tell it themselves, we stick to the truth and find the good inside. When we listen to stories repeated by others about others we listen to the underlying truths and find the good inside. If we propagate rumors and embellish stories until all know them as legends, we spread hurtful lies.

The example is a story where an old woman was said to sleep on a mattress stuffed with money. The simple lie was spread around until one night a band of thieves stole into her house and killed her to rip her mattress open and find nothing but feathers.

Similarly, when we tell stories about the 'dumb', 'gay', 'black', 'white', 'fat', 'redneck' people we know, the simple embellishments and rumors we start become huge stereotypes that separate and define people in other's minds. The author especially wants to focus on the made up diagnosis of mental retardation. "Made up?" you ask. But when arbitrary scales of of IQ numbers were set to justify putting individuals in settings for care whom did not receive care, but abuse, the possibility that they could succeed at any level in society was thrown out the window. Now we view them as outcasts. We put them in special classes in school. We don't hire them. We think they need separate treatment. This is also abuse.

Look at Carly Fleischmann, all those with Downs who get married or run businesses, or workers in your community that seem different somehow but they have a job so they must be able enough. You know what I mean. You do it, too. What's their story?

My assignment was to be creative and write a poem or draw something this article inspired. I was not in a poetry mood. I still am not in a poetry mood. But I was in a painting mood. So I designed this:

This is a partial quote from the article. I like it. You will see that I used it above when describing the article.

I want to do this. I DO do this as much as possible. My fatal flaw is being an optimist. Now you know how to defeat me. :)

Note: Wrote a poem anyway

Stories

We seek the truth

Beyond the lies

See the sparkle 

In someone's eyes

As a new skill is learned

A new task completed

Story finished

Enemy defeated