XO

At the end of one of the most challenging years, Beyoncé dropped an album that I absolutely cannot stop listening to. If you are reading this post and don't like Beyoncé or having something negative to say about the album then you can click here. I don't ever do album reviews...I actually don't even know if you could call this post an album review--I honestly want to just write about my experience with this album--audio and visual.

Beyonce's new album should be listened to not song by song and in between trips to the grocery store. The set of songs and the way that she created her masterpiece is a story and should be sat down with and listened to like you read a book--giving it thought and time. The self-titled album pulls on your heart strings, makes you want to dance, love your people for who they are, and just down right cry--it's what my professor George would like to call a catharsis. That is exactly what happened to me while listening to this album--I had a catharsis, an emotional outpouring.

She goes from singing about her love with Jay-Z, to crashing down the anti-feminist barrier, to losing a child, and then her love for Blue--and so much more. My favorite song on the album is constantly changing and at the moment, the song I am in love with is "Superpower." I love this song so much more because of the video. Beyonce didn't leave fans trying to visualize what each song meant--she just created a video for each song, and "Superpower", like all of the other videos, is just flat out brilliance. Beyonce brings in all of her people to the video--her people people. I have such a thing for being around your people. I love my people and they are my rock. When I watch this video, all I can think about is my people.

Honestly, I have so much to say about this album but I'm not entirely sure I have processed enough of it into words. I don't remember ever being obsessed with an album like this before--song, yes, maybe...but album...no, never. Beyonce has redefined how my heart responds to music--mainly because she shattered it into a million pieces with "Heaven" and then picked it right back up and put it together with "Blue".


Christmas came early this year. Love you like XO.

Baby It's Cold Outside

I have started a Christmas countdown board in my classroom. I know that creating a bulletin board is a small thing (really it's kind of tedious and helps me understand why it is considered a "first year teacher thing") but I love countdowns. I really appreciate this countdown because there are many things that I am looking forward to that will happen around day one--I will be with my family, my first semester of teaching will be complete, my project PaCE observations will be done (they are looming over my head), etc. I am looking forward to day one but I'm not wishing my days away either.

This week was freezing--I am not ready for Texas Panhandle weather. Cold weather is one of my least favorite parts about winter--that and the days getting darker sooner. I expected it to get somewhat cold in the Valley, but I'm tired of thirty degree weather. I don't do well with the cold and never have. There is just something about warm weather and the sun that makes me smile. 

On Friday, I decided to have my kids write a letter to Santa as a journal assignment. In 11th grade, students are working on persuasive writing. I know it might seem rather silly, but I had them write a letter persuading Santa to take them off of the naughty list. The letters that I received have kept me laughing and my kids really seemed to enjoy the assignment. Obviously a letter to Santa isn't the most rigorous writing I could assign, but my students wrote and were persuasive--celebrate the small things. 

12 days until break--17 until Christmas.

I can wait until then

To start this post I would first like to say thank you to all those who have sent my kids letters. We read them in class all of the time and many of them are posted on my walls (I will post a picture soon). The response that I have received from all of my readers exceeded my expectations and I couldn't be more grateful.

Yesterday I finished teaching my first six weeks of high school English. I laugh to myself when I reflect on the trials and successes that have happened in my classroom in this short span of time.

As I continue this post, I write today knowing that tomorrow will be the beginning of the third six weeks (it's amazing how time can fly when trying to draft a blog post). What a year it has been. I have learned so much about life, love, and what it means to really be committed to someone and something.

Accepting my spot in the corps and coming to the Valley was never a question in my mind. I knew what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. I think the only way to really explain it is just to say...I just knew.

Teaching 11th graders has been such a rewarding experience. Everyday is a new adventure. There is always something to laugh at and something new to learn. Honestly, I could talk about my kids all day long. They are the most incredible people in the entire world. When I crafted my vision for my classroom at the beginning of the year, I had no idea how much it would actually manifest in my classroom. If you need to know the definition of a dreamer, just come and talk to any one of my 120 juniors--believe me, they know.

Whoever the "they" is, they say that your first year of teaching is sometimes just a matter of surviving. Maybe I just lucked out...but they are wrong. My first year of teaching is more about living than surviving. It has been a journey that is far from the road of "I think I want to quit my job every time I drive to work." Don't get me wrong, teaching is hard and emotional--and there are those days where I just want to scream...so I do, but I love it. Before I started in August, I was also hired to coach. Coaching has been such an amazing opportunity where I am able to get to know my kids on a different level. I am always busy (which is nice) and I am able to work with my kids outside of the classroom. I coach the 7th grade B team for basketball and going from the high school to the middle school everyday is eventful to say the least. Middle school girls have such a different perspective on life...(yes, let's just put it that way). I love my kids across the board--and maybe coaching your first year isn't for everyone, but it definitely is for me.

I remember moving to Austin and only knowing a handful of people in the city (and no one at school). Moving to a place where I know no one is a pretty reoccurring event in my life. Starting my life in the Valley and finding my people has definitely been the biggest challenge I have faced. When life changes, it is so important to know who the people are that are always on your team. The people that have always and will always be on my team are fourteen hours away. Fostering relationships is always a new experience and having people on my team is always a very crucial part of my well-being (isn't it for everyone though?). It has definitely taken me a bit to find my people, but the most loving and caring people have come into my life. Each day I am thankful for these relationships and how much love each person brings to the table.

Now, will I teach for the rest of my life? Will I stay in the Valley after my time in the corps has ended? These are both big questions that I work on answering everyday. Honestly though, I am in no rush and I kind of just want to let life happen. I don't have any desire to stop teaching or leave Raymondville. For right now, I am living not surviving--I am breathing not gasping for air--and as always...I am dreaming.