FRIDAY!!!

Is it just me, or did this week crawwwwwwwwl by? Yea, it crawled for me, probably because I wasn't feeling 100% all week. But I can still find five things that made my week:

1. Did I mention that J and I bought a house? Oh yea, we did. We haven't closed yet, but we did hear back that the seller will fix some issues AND that the house is now in a safer zone which means lower insurance. Woot!

2. I killed it on my formal observation. Nice when your hard work is noticed!

3. Did I mention that my student loans are paid off??? THEY ARE! Back in November, I received the good news that 5,000 dollars of my loan was forgiven. Which left me with 700 dollars to pay. J and I paid mine off and it feels SO good to say that!

4.

Yea, it's NO secret that I love football. I really like the Seahawks(mostly because the Jags current coach, Gus, came from there and because I can't stand Peyton) but I also really like Richard Sherman's story. I hated it when all the world went off on him for his rant. His story is one that I would hope for all my at-risk kids. 

We are hosting my family that day and I can't wait to watch a heck of game and eat lots of yummy food!

5. Finally, I'm having a girls' date with two of my closest friends at Chipotle tonight. A carnitas bowl is calling my name!!!

Have a fabulous week!

Do you watch the Super Bowl?

What's your favorite restaurant?

Linking up with Lauren!

What I've learned about teaching...

I haven't blogged in forever. But reading Bonnie's post today inspired me.

I'm a teacher. Everyone knows it. It's a huge part of my life. But being married this year has taught me that it's just a job.

That I can be a good teacher and not spend ten hours at work. I can have amazing conversations with my kiddos (like the one I had today with one of my boys about skeletons and just listening to all of his amazing questions) and not spend my entire life at work.

People may find this bad to say, but I've learned that I can't save EVERY kid that walks through my door. That I have to do my best and work with what I have, but  I have to realize that it may not be enough. That I'll drive myself crazy if I stress out about the fact that little Johnny still cannot tell me that RAT and CAT rhyme. That I need to spend just as much times on those kids that could grow if I spent 10 extra minutes with them and that I need to spend time with my ones who just GET it.

Now that's not to say I'm going to brush little Johnny to the side. I still talk to our ESE specialists about strategies and I meet with Mom and Dad to see what we can do to help (that is, if mom and dad care.) But it means I'll stress about things worth stressing about.

I had my formal observation today and I wasn't nervous. I didn't freak out when one of my kids confused erosion and weathering (even though we've talked about it for days). I know that I'm good and I know that my class is learning. I see it when they run up to show me a table of contents they found or they shout out that they know 100+100 is a doubles fact. I see it when I see former students wave hello or let me know about their day.

And that is all that matters. Because at the end of the day, my very important job, is just that.... A JOB.

Thanks for reading this. :)

Trust

I've been loving this idea of having a word for 2014. I very rarely make resolutions (mostly because I don't see my life in calendar years, but in school years) but the idea of having a word to live my life around really speaks to me.

2013 was a year that taught me a lot about LOVE. I've always known J loves me (duh, why would I have married him! :)) but it's been wonderful to realize how he chooses to show it. My ENTIRE family came from Puerto Rico to be at my wedding. I don't get to see them as often as I like (if anyone figures out a cheap way to get to San Juan, let me know!) but seeing their happy faces in my wedding photos just shows me how much they care. Same for J's family. It's been nice to have this whole other family where I know that I am cared about. My own family taught me about love as well. So I suppose my word for 2013 probably should have been LOVE.

For 2014, I am going to with the word TRUST. If you;ve read me awhile, you've probably figured out that I overanalyze EVERYTHING. I think about things over and over and over and over. It's hard to just let things be.

So that's where TRUST comes in.

I need to not only trust in the Lord more, but I need to trust myself. I know what I am good at and I know that I am a good person. I need to believe and trust in that during those overanalytical times. 

There are many things that I am hoping for this year, but many of those things I cannot control. So I need to trust that things will happen when they happen. 

Source

And I need to trust that overall good things do happen a lot of the time. Goes back to that overthinking bit. 

So here's to TRUST in 2014. :)

What's your word for 2014? Do you make and stick to your resolutions?