The End of Year One

I can't believe it - I have survived my first year of teaching!


It has been an ambivalent year. I, myself, have grown and been stretched farther than I have thought possible. I have learned patience in a multitude of scenarios and also the meaning of grace. I have learned how mental health is just as important as your physical health. (More on that in a later post.) I have learned that the students I have been around impact how I think and act as much as I do to them. I have learned that the secret to getting things done comes with allowing yourself small victories and just taking one bite of the elephant at a time.


My heart sits heavy in my chest, knowing that I am leaving Weatherford behind. A new chapter of my life is beginning in July and with it, a change in where I will be teaching. ( I know - I'm coming back for more! How crazy am I?) And, while, yes, I will miss these students and work friends/peers that I have gotten to grow within the last year, I know that God has a plan for the future.


There are other people that I am to meet - other people who are going to help mold me into a better human. There are other people that hopefully, I'll influence as well.


At this time, I am unsure of where that place is. I'm waiting to hear back from some different school districts (that's the worst part of job hunting - waiting), but I know that wherever I end up is where I will need to be.


This year was hard (I would be lying to say otherwise) and we, as a team, had a lot of weird and chaotic things thrown our way. There were definitely some mishaps and growing pains experienced, but I do feel that we are all walking away from each other on a positive note.


Going into this school year, I was terrified of making it out. Everything seemed so far away and there were times I swear that one school day dragged out the length of the week. As we crept closer to May, I found myself wanting to slow everything down! My time here was quickly coming to a close and I didn't want to let go of everything just yet.


Turns out that God always knows what He's doing - even if I can't see that far into the future.


Basically, this post is to say, thank you Weatherford High School, for teaching me so much about myself, my teaching style, and how to be a better human. You have given me more tools in my toolbox to carry with me to whatever school follows. Thank you for preparing me for what lies ahead.


Onto the next great adventure!


-Kaity

Welcome 2017!

     Ah, a new year. A new opportunity to make goals to improve my life in some way or another.

     That sounds sarcastic. Let me try again.

     For years I tend to use January 1st as a day to look over my previous resolutions, wallow about how many I didn't accomplish, then start setting "new" resolutions that look amazingly similar to the previous year's set and hope that this year I'm going to be more successful. This has been an ongoing cycle for many a year and it's time to stop.

     2016, for many, seemed to be an incredibly rough year - at least based on what was posted on social media. For me, the year was much like learning to ride a bike without training wheels; I feel a lot and got a bit banged up. The problem is that if I focused on all the memories of falling and getting hurt, I would never again ride the bike.

     Sure this year has been nothing by a giant, painful learning curve - but a learning curve means I am growing and improving. 2016 was also filled with a lot of positive things, too. I graduated with a MASTER'S DEGREE and got ENGAGED on the same day!! There are two positives right there!

   --> I got my first teaching job!
   --> I had knee surgery that will allow me to run marathons when I am healed.
   -->I'm making progress on paying off my student loans.
   -->I've actually started to write a FREAKING NOVEL!
   -->I started a booktube and bookstagram account, met some really cool people world wide, and started an online book club with them.

     2016 had a lot more positives that I gave it credit for during the actual year. (I do think that part of my negative mindset comes from how often I'm on social media. Time to limit that...)

     So, what are my resolutions for 2017 then? Are there things I want to change about myself? Always. Things I want to accomplish? Of course! However, one thing that I have noticed every year with my resolutions is that, for me, there is something about saying "I have to do this... " that turns things I am more than excited to do into a chore, and I lose momentum. This year, I'm going to try something different.

2017 Resolutions

3. Read 30 books. 

(A minimum of 12 of these books must be written by an author that is diverse in some way. )

2. Become more consistent.

(I love to plan - I hate to do.)

1. Be happy.

(Reflect on the positives. Do what I want to do because I have the privilege and drive to, not because I have to. Spend more time offline than online. Enjoy people and places I find myself with and in. Be willing to say "no" to things I don't want and "yes" to new, exciting things. )

     I want 2017 to be GREAT! (I mean #thebighittwedding is happening, so obviously it will be!) But for it to be great, I must start with a great mindset. It's not going to be easy, especially with being a naturally pessimistic person, but I have to. I have to for me. 

     In the words of Switchfoot, "Why would I wait to die to come alive?"

          Happy 2017, readers!

          Until next time,

               Kaity