Finding Krissi

Student teaching, student teaching, student teaching, my whole life is wrapped around student teaching. All I can say is it has been awesome!  Yesterday on my way home I was thinking about how worried I was about student teaching. The list of concerns was long and at the very top of the list was the question, "what if I hate teaching?". Since then I have come to realize that I love teaching. I have also learned that when you are doing what you love you are filled to the brim with happiness. Follow your passion use to seem like cheesy statement. Now I know that when you find that thing that matches up with who you are life is full of potential. This journey has been amazing and I couldn't have done it without Brent. I have come to realize that he is essential to my life. He is literally my other half. He completes my life. Over the past six weeks he has taken on the roll of mom like a trooper. The house is clean, dinners made, and kids are taken care of. It ...

I am currently ignoring a very long to do list. A list, that no matter how many things I am able to check off as done, continues to grow. It is exciting and exhausting all at once. Today, I was asked by the Young Men's President how I was adjusting to my calling. I stopped for a second, thought, and started to laughing. I told him I have so much going on I haven't really thought about how I felt. Everyday is just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other and getting done everything that needs to be done. Not to say I haven't learned anything from my calling. I am learning lots and lots. In fact, here is a short list of some of the things I have learned. #1 People think that when you are the head of the organization you are at the top. I have learned that in truth you are at the bottom. The bad thing about being on bottom is all the crud runs down to you. All the negative feelings, complaints, injustices, and not fairs land on top of your head. Sometimes it ...

Do you ever have moments where you slap your forehead and think, "DUH!"? Those moments when you think, "I have been here, I have done this, and I know this does not turn out good." Followed by the thought, "WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING?" I have those moments frequently. In fact the frequency of them is a little scary. I often wonder if at some point in my life I'm going to finally understand how to avoid those moments. Recently, I have become a little obsessed with the TV show, "The Big Bang Theory." Have you seen it? I think it is slightly awesome and have a secret desire to be Sheldon. One of my favorite phrases used in the show is, "The human experience." Sheldon is often confused by the human experience. I laugh at how he doesn't get it and how he struggles. Poor Sheldon. However, I often have my own forehead slapping duh moments and I can totally relate to Sheldon. Life is full of lessons. We as humans are never don...

Yesterday I met with the person taking over my old job. I think he is going to do an awesome job. He seems like a very nice person and more than qualified for the job. My kids, (his kids :( ) are in excellent hands. That all being said I am trying to understand why I am so sad. I am thriving in my student teaching experience. Everything is going great. I am happy to be making this forward step. It is all very good! Yet, I feel sad. I'm not quite sure where to put my emotions. I'm thinking they need to be filed under, "pointless to feel this way."  Maybe, it is just normal to feel sad walking away from what you know. It is a little like how I felt when I realized I no longer had little people in my house. For a long time my heart felt sad and I just wanted my life with little people back. It was a little insulting that they all dared to grow up and become big. This post is kind of turning into a pour me post. I guess every now and then we have picked on mo...

After every Christmas I make myself a promise. I promise that next year will be different. Next year I will have a plan. Next year I won't try to do everything in December. Next year I will be prepared. Like I said every year I make this promise. Which means I have not followed through, yet. As I look forward to next Christmas I realize that, fingers crossed, I will be working full time as a teacher. I will have a daughter turning 16. I will have a son turning 14 and one turning 10. On top of Christmas!  Next Christmas season is going to be an event! Additionally, this year we worked hard to get presents mailed on time, sent them priority, and they still weren't delivered until after!!! Christmas. To say I was frustrated, stressed, and upset would be an understatement! Which brings me back to the promise I make every year! Next (this) year I will have a plan. Step one of, "Let's Fa La La without Stress." Make a plan. Step two, follow the p...

After a long day at "work," I'm still in what we will call the processing stage. Meaning, I don't really have an opinion about how all of this is working stuff is going. There was a lot of good points about today that I will be writing about soon. That is as soon as I am done processing the million things running through my head. A million little thoughts zinging around inside my brain, and I would be lying if I didn't admit to a doubt or two. Doubts are just kind of status quo for me. This is usually when I give myself the it is all going to be great lecture. I think I will get to that later. What I would like to talk about is the home and family. Returning to work has not been without its challenges. On one hand I have to be thankful that my husbands job slows down in January. WAY DOWN! I can't believe I am actually thankful for his lack of hours. However, it is helping as we make this transition. He has been super helpful, but no matter wh...

My youngest son is in our school district’s full time gifted and talented program. I should be honest and let you know that he is not gifted. He is however talented. I have been asked many times what the difference is between gifted and talented students. Gifted and talented are often thought of as the same thing, but they are not the same thing. A gifted student is gifted. They have strengths above average in one or more academic areas. Often gifted students don’t quite know how to be children. Their brains are on the go, they are thinking twice as fast as you and I, and they probably know twice as much as you and I. Probably even more. A gifted student will correct you when you’re wrong. A gifted student will struggle with what is considered normal behavior. Talented students like my little guy are usually bright. School is fun for them because it isn’t hard. When learning a new concept they will usually catch on pretty quick. Talented students get how to do school. They know h...