Out with the old, in with the new.

2011 has held quite a few life changing events.

*my classroom before I got to decorate*

In January, I started my very first "real" job out of college. I began the task of teaching anywhere between 25-28 5th graders (mid-year!). I can honestly say these "tweeners" have changed my outlook on life and have helped to mold my personality into what it is today.

I spent the next 6 months preparing for one of the largest events of my life: marrying my best friend.

*snapshot from our beautiful day* (Marah Grant Photography)

July 16, 2011 was the best day of my life, and the last 5 1/2 months have been more and more wonderful as each day passes.

August brought the new school year. New strategies for teaching, new friends, and new determination. I feel that I have grown so much as an educator this year. I am so much more confident in myself!

September has made me almost a quarter of a century old. 24. When did this all happen!?


November and December brought me and my husband to our first year of celebrating the holidays together. It was wonderful to be with each of our families and get to spend that time together as a family of 2.

Family...whether you want them or not!

Family.

That has always been a word that has meant a lot to me. I grew up in a town where I was surrounded by my ENTIRE family. Literally. I never missed a birthday of a parent, sibling, cousin, aunt, uncle or grandparent. I never missed that impromptu trip to Fort Wayne for a shopping spree. I was always there when grandma just "popped in" to say hello. 


Until I left for college.


Then, slowly but surely, things began to change. I began missing on things due to the fact I was now 2 hours away from home or because I was busy doing schoolwork. 
Eventually, I got married and began my own family. Even though I am only 3 hours away - which is completely do-able for a weekend visit - it's just long enough to make the drive a hassle. It's funny how your family can get on your nerves and you want to be far, far away....until they are no longer at a fingertips' length. 


In a nutshell....I miss them. While I love my husband and the little life we have made, I miss my other family as well.  One thing I can be completely grateful for is the fact that I have married into a wonderful family that I not only consider my "in-laws" but also my FAMILY. 


As I was pondering this post, I was thinking what the word "family" actually means. I came to the conclusion that just because someone isn't related to you biologically or by marriage it doesn't mean they aren't FAMILY.  My teacher friends at school are my family (most of the time I see them more than my own husband!). My college friends are my family.  Family members are the people you love, respect, and can't wait to spend time with - no matter the result of any DNA test you would take.


In conclusion, to all of my family out there - THANK YOU. I love you and the support you continually give to me.

Fall Break...

Fall break is something that I am fortunate enough to have last two entire blissful weeks! Just enough time to relax, drive myself nuts from the quietness of my house, read for enjoyment, read professional books and STILL have time to spend time with family and friends!

Here are a few of the things I've been enjoying this week...

How nice to actually have time to read things to improve my classroom and then have the time AND energy to apply them!!

Oh the times, they are a changin'...

Wow. So much has happened in the 5 months I have fully neglected this blog.


First of all - marriage. We got MARRIED!! It's been fabulous and he is more understanding, helpful and caring than I ever deserve. 


Here's just a snapshot from our beautiful day:

Secondly, I am beginning what I will call my second year of teaching. I am absolutely in love with my class this year.  They are the perfect blend of innocent while still questioning the things around them.  I have loved getting to know them over the past nine weeks and getting to interact and laugh with them. I can't tell you how many times I've had to stop in the middle of sentences just to break down in laughter. It sure makes the days easier when you know that's what you're walking into each morning. I also love the challenges they present me with.  I have been able to stretch myself already so much as an educator and feel like I am (hopefully) making that difference that I strive to make. 


I love the people I work with and the bonds and relationships we have formed. I'm not quite sure how I could make it through the long weeks without them there to laugh and cry with!


Finally, after next week I am starting my long awaited 2 week fall break.  This week has been absolutely crazy busy and I only anticipate it to get crazier with a whirlwind trip to Cleveland to attend my brother-in-law's wedding. I'm eager to find time to rest, get caught up for the next 9 weeks and just spend some time with the husband! :)

Tomorrow...

funny how tomorrow always comes.

Whether we are not wanting today to end, or the day couldn't have ended fast enough. Tomorrow is always a new day and will always be there.  This is something I remind myself of constantly - even when the tomorrows don't seem as though they are going to be great.

This school year has been rough. Really rough. All of the "tomorrows" of this past semester have been rough. Going to bed each night just to peel myself out of bed has at times seemed utterly impossible. However, I have done it. And, I think it's been worth it.

The other day, one of my students asked me, "Miss Stayer, why do you wake up every morning and come to school if you know we are just going to be terrible acting again??" (Quite ironic the student who chose to ask me this...)  I had to take this as one of those famous "teachable moments". I replied to this rather attention-needy student, "I tell you every day _______ to never give up and to always focus and do your best. Would I be teaching you anything with my actions if I didn't practice what I preach?" With that he replied, "You're right, Miss Stayer, but we're so stubborn and won't listen!" (**As this conversation is going on, students are running around the classroom rather loudly**) I then replied, "Yes, but what you don't know is that we (the class and I) are perfect for each other because I am MUCH more stubborn than you and that means I will always win!!!"

This conversation reminded me that even though it's hard for me to find the good things in each day, there are students who notice even if they don't say something each day.  I started giving my class a compliment at the end of each subject with something they did well together. Most of the time the class doesn't listen/even know I am giving a compliment, but I knew it had made a difference to one student when she asked me about it today. She said, "Miss Stayer, you have been forgetting to give us our compliments!" She didn't say it in a mean, conceited way. Rather, I just believe she is one who thrives on positive feedback and wants to know that her and her classmates good work is not going unnoticed.

Just like my teaching through my actions is not going unnoticed to everyone.


Tomorrow is a new day and quickly on its way!

Well Hello, Long Lost Friend.

It's been a while. I realize it. 

As I've searched my brain weekly for something blog-worthy to share, nothing has really popped up.  The most exciting thing I've been doing these past few weeks (besides my well deserved, restful spring break) is soaking in the hoops known as March Madness.  I've never been so enthralled with this tournament like I was this year, and I'm pretty sure it's because I actually filled out a bracket.

And WON! (even though it was torn to shreds in the Elite Eight)

Other than that...my spring break has been filled with planning in the classroom in order to finish out these next 9 weeks of school as well as doing some much needed wedding planning. Things are falling into place; flowers, invitations, decorations. You name it, it's at least made it onto my "to do" list.  :)

WEDDING!

I've discovered that I have really strayed from the original purpose of this blog:

THE WEDDING!

Last week, I was the grateful recipient of four "ice days". Basically they were an excuse for me to sit around, bake cookies, and watch Keeping up with the Kardashians. Quality television. Oh yea, I also got a chance to do some of the wedding things I had been putting off until I "had time".

I've started thinking of flowers. I really like the idea of hydrangeas. They are really full, and can be dyed to be orange...like this:

This one has a white rose in the middle, so ignore that and you have what would be the bridesmaid's bouquets. Add a few more white roses and you have what I am thinking of for mine. Opinions?
We also looked at cake designs and talked with only the BEST cake baker in Warsaw...."The Cake Lady" Delicious.  We looked at designs and liked this one with the thicker stripe being blue and the thinner begin orange:

oh, and take away the flowers, Justin's not such a big fan. :)

Last, but not least: we decided on a honeymoon location!!! We are going to road trip it out to Niagara Falls. We are going to make a mini-vacation out of it and stop in Cleveland for a night on the way there and come back through Canada. I'm really excited about seeing all of these new places and doing all of these new things! So, even though this last week has been very relaxing, I have also been productive (between watching Kim design a new perfume and Khloe and Kourtney get upset about it...).  Today was rough getting back into the swing of things, but I think this break was much necessary and also much welcomed!

Anything can happen!

On a snow day!

The Stayer's have declared this day: "Snow Day #2. No Rules Apply"

While I am absolutely thrilled to have had the past 2 days off of school, I am beginning to become a little stir crazy...along with my entire household.  After baking 2 batches of cookies, watching countless hours of Netflix (thank goodness the power didn't go out), and spending numerous hours on facebook I am finally running out of things to do.

Who knows what this day will bring....    :)

Who's the student?

I sometimes wonder.

As the teacher, I feel that my students look to me to have answers to their every question (some of them are quite ridiculous).  However, I find myself leaving each day of school exhausted physically and emotionally. I'm finding that they are teaching me so much more about myself than I ever dreamed. I guess I expected to go into that classroom and change them.  I'm finding that I am the one who is needing changed as well. As I have stated earlier, patience is not my strong point (just ask anyone who knows me...). In this position, I have had to develop more patience than I ever dreamed. I am still working on this, and find times in my day where I need to remind myself that they are only 5th graders. I have felt more foreheads, solved more fights, and counted down from 5 more times than I ever dreamed humanly possible.  I feel like a mom to these 25 little "cherubs".  It's funny how I can't even tell when a forehead has a fever or not...guess someone hasn't developed their "mom feeling" on that one! :)

I really think this position is giving me a chance to grow foremost as a person and secondly as a teacher. I have constant encouragement from my colleagues, which makes it easier for me to get out of bed after a rough day. I am so grateful for all of the people I have met in Indy who have helped to make my transition here a lot easier. It's so much better when you have people to vent to and laugh with!

As I close, I am sitting here in Starbucks thinking of all the people who have told me they read my blog. It's funny that here I am sitting in Anderson, drinking my caramel machiatto, and just finished grading a stack of writing assessments and there you are, the reader, sitting reading my thoughts and feelings on something so personal.

Exhausted.

That's currently the only word to describe how I feel.
I'm exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally.

Overall, my first week as a "real" teacher went well.  I've already had an eye opening experience as to how different these students are even from the ones I worked with at my first school.  The needs are completely different. This being said, after one week I have grown to love these loud, obnoxious, over-talkative 5th graders.  I didn't realize the bond I had with them until I had to leave the class for 1/2 day today to do some testing. I came back in and saw how crazy the class was without me. It was then that I realized that they need me (not because I'm some sort of miracle worker, but because I believe I can be that one constant in their life; the one person who has high expectations for them and isn't afraid to hold them to it).  Even though it kills me to be the "tough, strict" teacher (TOTALLY not my personality) I think they are growing to respect me for it. We are FAR from perfect, but with a little encouragement and constant reminders of respect, I really think we are going to go far this year. I constantly tell them that they are better than the way they are acting, and I know it. I'm not going to let them fail. I refuse.

Today, we had our first really great discussion in class. We were discussing Ruby Bridges, and for the first time in my life, I realized that I was the minority race in the classroom. I decided to take this time as a learning moment and run with it. The experiences the students shared from their own lives were amazing.

I think this was a great way to start of our semester together and really getting to know each other through our discussions. Needless to say, I'm in desperate need of this weekend to rest, recoop, and oh! pick my dress up that came in 4 months early! I'm so excited to see it/get to be one step closer to making July 16 a reality!