Creating a Classroom They Never Want To Leave: Chapter 2 Taking Ownership

2

Taking ownership

When we give children the opportunity to take ownership they not only take care of the environment, but they take care of one another too. This is so very true and  yes that concept deserved its own chapter in this book.

I will tell you that I really like to be in an environment that is not chaos because chaos breeds agitation. Agitation brings confusion and complacency and we already know how I feel about that. BUT… if you are trying to control the environment your way the entire time, you are setting yourself up for a school year of discontentment and discord. Now before I go any further please understand that I truly believe the tone you set is like setting a temperature gage. Once the environment reaches that temperature expectation all should be fine and everyone should be comfortable and stable. But what happens if I come into work for the day and my own temperature gauge is out of whack and I am all over the place and unpredictable? I can tell you what happens. Things go nuts! Kids go haywire and you leave feeling like your completely frazzle and have participated in some circus act that left you walking the tightrope in a bikini. I know I am not the only one to have one of those kind of days! J

So from the very beginning, set that temperature gauge to where you desire it to be throughout the entire day. If you come in with a plan and are prepared things will run much smoother and everyone will be comfortable. We all know how important planning is, and the freedom that we need to also allow for changes that arise unknowingly. I live in Texas and one thing we have always said is that if you don’t like the weather, just give it a few minutes and it will change. I think that every place in the world says this as well. (To let you in on a secret we Texans do not say that in July and August because it’s just hot and mostly dry.) Those unplanned changes are what I would call a sudden “cold front” there to disturb your groove and everything that you have geared up and planned your day around. Having a plan is important and crucial to a well-oiled machine. Your classroom. That is you taking ownership of the environment in your classroom. That honestly is just one third of the equation!

Another third of that equation is allowing the students to have some form of ownership in your classroom within the day’s planning. Once you allow them to have a set time to make plans of their own, they are more willing to flow within your plan. Not only that when you give them a measure of time that is theirs, they will fight for you to be able to have yours. When we had a puppy we would often feed it first, then he left the kids alone at dinner time. It’s that whole feed the lion first, then the lamb. Many teachers are afraid to do this with the fear that the kids will think they rule the classroom but it truly is amazing the effect this has on your overall day. Now mind you, I am with my students for a good chunk of the day so it is easy for me to do this on a daily basis. You can too, but your time may have to be adjusted. I can easily give them thirty minutes where you might have to scale yours down to ten. Give them a choice of activities to do in this time, or even better yet at the beginning of the year ask for some suggestions! Even as small as two and three they can tell you what they would like to do if given the chance. Giving them the chance to “be the boss” and to make choices for their time helps them to focus and be more assertive when you need them to be. Do not let this be something that has to be a reward, but instead maybe add to the time as a reward. This should be something that is a given every single day.

The third part of that equation is allowing the students in the class to have ownership over some space in your classroom. You want them to respect the things you have, you need to give them their very own. In my classroom because I teach preschool I have several parts that are theirs. They all have a space for their own belongings. They have a “tool” box that has their name on it, and it is theirs for the whole year. Each student also has a private journal. When we switch centers, they take ownership of that center by having their name posted, and the responsibility of cleaning it up when they are done. Can I tell you that by doing so, the entire class helps to take care of the classroom. It has become theirs, their space, and they are pretty protective over it. When a sub comes in, they walk them through it. When a new student comes in, they seem to come out in protective mode, but also help the new student to be a part of the room as well.

It doesn’t matter who you are, how old you are, everyone wants to feel like they are a part of something. Some of the teachers that really impacted me throughout school were the ones who made me feel included and a part of the process. Think back. If you are a teacher now it is most likely that a teacher made either an impression on you in their classroom or they invested someway in you. You felt a part of the process.

Honestly as teachers, we still want to be part of the process or we wouldn’t put so much effort into what we do. The hours at home working unpaid, the early mornings, late nights, and extra coffee. If you are anything like me, I love the planning process because it gets my whole brain working. I love getting with my fellow co-teachers and planning in as a whole group. It is exciting when everyone is engaging and sharing ideas.

Make it a point to offer these “planning” sessions with your students. Every single time I do this, the kids teach me so much!

It’s not what you do  for your children,  but what  you have taught  them  to do for themselves, that will make them successful  human beings.  ~ Ann Landers

Creating a Classroom They Never Want To Leave: Chapter 1 "Who Are You?"

Creating A Classroom They Never Want To Leave
Chapter 1
"Who Are You?"

I started with this particular topic because it is the MOST important of all when it comes to your classroom and you as a teacher. If you have no clue how to answer the question “Who Are You?”, you are going to spend a lot of time battling yourself, the students in your care as well as their parents, and the staff in which you work with. Your school year will become more stressful than it needs to be and sadly you will begin to feel the excitement for the new year dissipate  as well as your energy.

It took me a few years in the classroom day in and day out before I realized that if I didn’t know who I was inside and outside of the classroom then I was just playing school like I did when I was a child. If you enter the classroom without knowing your beliefs as a teacher, than you are short changing yourself as well as those under your care.

I highly recommend you take some time and write out a Teacher’s Creed for yourself. There are many online that you can view if you just type in the words “teacher’s creed” in a google search. Basically a creed is a set of fundamental beliefs. So a teacher’s creed is mainly a list of your beliefs of personal responsibility as a teacher and how you want your classroom to run from that list. I will share a bit of mine as an example but please know that this has to be done on a personal level. None of us will have the same exact beliefs and we all teach different.

Mrs. Sheila’s Teacher’s Creed for 2015-2016

1.      Every day is a new gift that I will embrace as such as soon as my eyes open in the morning. Just as I open a gift, I will gently open the day without expectation and will be appreciative for whatever may be inside.

2.       Each child deserves a fresh start, every single day. What was done the day before, no longer matters today and was just a stepping stone for what’s to come.

3.      When I walk into the building, any of my worries of the tiny world I live in will be left at my Savior’s feet. No child deserves to carry the weight of any of my concerns, and as God’s child neither do I.

4.      I am not my student’s friend, but their teacher. In that we have the promise of friendship the following year when they are no longer under my care.

5.      I will assist my coworkers anyway I can to ensure unity in our program and encouragement along the way. Division is not an option. Complacency should not be encouraged but rather inspiration to take it to the next level should be the normal.

That is just an example of what my creed would look like as I know where my weaknesses are, as well as my strengths. I know that outside of that school building I have a busy life that involves four people that I am somehow responsible for one way or another. Being a wife and a mother is a high priority to me, but once I walk inside that building if I am going to be the best teacher I can be, I need to be completely present. I cannot be present if I am too worried about situations that I really cannot do anything about until after work anyhow. I have to leave those thing at the door. I almost envision an imaginary wall that I walk through as I walk through the doors of the school. As soon as I walk through, I become a different person. I am not mom, though many students accidentally call me mom from time to time. J I am Mrs. Sheila and with that title comes a HUGE responsibility. See, I don’t see myself as just a preschool teacher. I am helping to lay the foundation for these kids for their whole educational career. It’s a heavy responsibility and it is often achieved in those moments that many brush off as mundane or every day moments. The nothing special to the naked eye, unless you are in my classroom every single day, day in and day out to see the progress that was made.

Progress cannot be noted if you do not learn who those kids are! If you don’t know their ins and their outs, you will never know what you’re working with unless they happen to be one of the few that remain pretty steady throughout the year. Remember I teach preschoolers so they change so much day to day, let alone hour by hour! They can be moody but if I get to know them I can usually spot those things ahead of time helping me to detour around or gear them up for some personal conflict resolution. If I know that when Jenny’s grandma brings her, Jenny is likely to be clingy and tired I can come up with ways to buffer the goodbye and throw in a few relaxation activities early on. If I just assumed that Jenny was having a bad day however, and instead of adjusting the environment to meet her needs but instead make Jenny rise up to meet my needs we are going to have conflict all day and sadly find ourselves taking steps back in any progress we might have made.

At the beginning of the school year, and often with little reminders throughout the entire year, I make it know that I cannot be my students’ best friend. They try, the desire it, almost beg me to be their friend until I let them know that I can’t be their friend and their teacher at the same time. I always tell them that next year when they are not in my class anymore I will come see them in their new class and I can be their friend then. Most times this puts a smile on their face and we have a mutual respect. It doesn’t mean they can’t trust me, that I don’t care, or that I don’t like them. It simply means that I have a job to do, and sometimes friends do not always hold one another up to the same standard as one would in a professional relationship. Don’t believe me? Take a look around your staff at your school. It is inevitable that we are going to find friends, but in that, we lower our standards for one another if we are not careful. We give a pat on the back and a “that’s okay” when we should be giving a pep talk and some professional encouragement to take it up a notch.

One of the best ways I can share to get to know your students is to simply spend time with them observing what is happening when they are in free play and given activities with directions. When I say observe them, I mean really watch them. To someone who may see you from a doorway they may think you are just sitting there, but if you are taking in every conversation happening around you in the way the children interact with one another it may just amaze you! It is so easy at the beginning of the year to set hefty goals and find our way trying to meet those goals in the time frame in which we allotted. But if we do not know the children in your care (whether you have them every single day or just an hour), you honestly have no clue what goals are even achievable! I used to get a lot of flak from other teachers because I never use the same exact lesson plan year after year. Being in the same age group for eleven years, I can tell you I have never had one class that was exactly the same and could achieve the same goals. To be honest, I would never give each class the same goals to reach anyway. Just as no child is the same, no teacher is the same and no class is the same.

I have learned that each child in my care, deserves the best the teacher I can be and getting to know them inside and out is the best way to do that. If I know what sparks a light in their eyes, brings them comfort, and encourages them to be who they were created to be I have done my job as a teacher. If not, I am wasting my time, the children’s time, and the parents money (as I work for a private tuition based preschool).

Make this year be the year you get to know each and every child for who they are and find out what makes them tick. By doing so, they will value your relationship with them and in turn, will be free to be who they are instead of what others expect them to be.

“Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.” ~ Josh Shipp

New Blogging Service!

Many people I talk to, once they find out I am a blogger ask one of two questions.

1. When do you find the time?
2. How could I do that?

Here is my standard answer. "I have just as much time as you do in a day, I just make the time to do it." and of course "It's easy. Just do it!" Not to mention I was born to write! I LOVE expressing myself in the written word. I often can express myself better in writing then verbally, though I am a pretty good speaker too!

The thing is we are all "experts" in something. But not everyone wants to put the time into blogging or do they have the ability to wrap the words around the thought they want to share about what they are experts in.

I have desired to do some ghost writing even though I am writing my own books but on the way home from the grocery store this morning I had this great idea. What if .. I could do some "ghost blogging"!?

Being a ghost writer simply is you writing something but someone else getting the credit (for a fee of course). Many authors who get out many books in a year indeed have a ghost writer. The writer gives them bits and pieces or a topic and then the ghost writer puts in the details, doing a lot of the ground work.

So why couldn't I do that same thing for blogging? Even if it is just doing the background work doing the little things getting the blog up and running for a small monthly fee and then eventually "selling" it over to the original owner for them to take over as their own.

If this concept interests you in anyway do not hesitate to contact me for a consultation. In this consultation we will work out the details that works for us both. If you have ever wanted to have a blog and just wasn't even sure of how to blog, I can also be a blogging consultant for you to lead you into a successful blogging future. Do not hesitate to email me at sckakame@aol.com for more information!

Motivation for your Monday: Are you READY to be a VIP?

I am amazed at the change in my thinking in over the last year. Even the last month! I have found this place where I find joy, peace, and contentment all while excitement, purpose, and a sense of evolving meet in the beautiful middle. Balance.

I also have been listening to my intuition ~ that small quiet voice inside that often is referred to as a whisper from God. It's there and it is there for a reason! Learning to trust it, and act upon it appropriately has been one of the most exciting things I have conquered.

Recently you may have noticed that the blog posts have been sporadic. They have been. I have been working on a few things in the background ~ like writing books, and preparing for a BIG announcement which I am going to announce in this post!

Here are two quotes that I truly adore from Terri Savelle Foy that have impacted me in the last year.

"When opportunity comes, it's too late to prepare." and her own whisper from God "When I know your ready ~ Get READY". Well the time is definitely here to finish getting ready because He has already told me .. it's almost time! 

So I ask. Are YOU ready to be a VIP?! What is that you ask? Let me break it down!

A VIP will get access to content that is not made public on this blog! It will be sent to their email box and include things that I usually do not put on blog posts. VIP's will get access to a newsletter, a video podcast, & contact with me via email exclusively. Do not be confused, I will be still blogging here on a more regular basis but if you have been a fan of One Pretty Little Box for any length of time, this is the "next" step. Here are the various levels and perks: 

Bronze Cost $5.00 monthly
1. Monthly newsletter ~ Including a sneak peek at a recipe that will be upcoming on a blog post!
2. 1 video podcast

3. Access to my private email and other messaging sources. 

Silver: Cost $10 monthly

1. Bi-monthly newsletters~ Including a sneak peek at a recipe that will be upcoming on a blog post! 

2. 2 video podcasts

3. Access to my private email and other messaging sources

Gold: Cost $15 monthly 

1. Weekly newsletters ~Including a sneak peek at a recipe that will be upcoming on a blog post! 

2. 3 video podcasts

3. Access to my private email and other messaging sources

CHAMPIONSHIP: Cost $150 a year

**BEST VALUE**

1. Weekly Newsletters ~ Including a sneak peek at a recipe that will be upcoming on a blog post!
2. Bi weekly Weekend extras

3. Weekly video podcasts

4. Access to my private email and other messaging sources

5. A copy of the two books I have already published. You Are More and Pieces of My Heart.

If you look above this post you will see the "VIP" subscribe button!

 

Motivation for your Monday: Stop Procrastinating!

I am guessing that by today (January 5) you are either just starting to work towards your goals that you set for this year OR.. you have already given up. Which is it?

One thing I can tell you ~ the longer you put it off, the less likely you are going to do actually even attempt to try. Trying isn't succeeding but it is like putting your shoes on to go for a walk. It's a step. You either put on your shoes or you sit your rear back down on the couch. STOP IT!

I spend time on the weekends lining out my week. I start on one day and sometimes will work up until Sunday evening to get it all figured out. I am one of those that get excited from having a list to strike through! I love marking things off knowing that I did exactly what I set out to do that day and I didn't put it off.

The problem is we tend to put things off because either we think that we are going to miss out on something by doing it OR... we never really wanted to do it to begin with. Guess what. Sometimes in life you have to do things you don't want to do. EVEN as an adult! Often ESPECIALLY because you are an adult. With that said ~ get off your duff and get to making some goals for this week. Mini goals to get you headed towards your bigger goals.

Here is my weekly plan (so far)! I will surely be adding to this and you must know it doesn't include things like laundry/cleaning because those things are now ingrained in  me that I just naturally do them and do not have spend wasted planner space writing them down.

On the left hand side:
Goals & Notes
I have listed a place to note my dietary and fitness goals for the week. Again, these are here not to tell me what I need to do but so that I can mark them off as DONE! This is one of those areas where I am being more disciplined in  my life and I want to take note of them.  If anyone looked at it they would really have no idea what they were looking at. LOL.

At the bottom of each page, I note what is for dinner that night so that I can take note of what I need to do that morning before work to prep for dinner. (This could mean defrosting, prepping, etc)

Green dots: Book Writing (I am currently writing a book called Time to Thrive)
Orange dots: The book I am personally currently reading.
Pink dots: Blog posts to be done (for this blog), scheduled, etc.
Yellow dots: Youtube plans

I like to decorate lightly because .. this is the kind of planner I would like to pass down to my daughter, and future daughter in laws. While it doesn't look too much like it ~ it is my paper brain. This is where I will note not only my schedule : work, writing, etc, but also practices when they arise. We just happen to be in a slower schedule at the moment.  As Spring arrives it will be a big busier.

The spaces where you see empty squares ~ that leaves me places to add an organization project I would like to work on that week. I often wait until Wednesday or Thursday to  plan those and I try to tackle them on Friday or Saturday.

Planning ahead for me keeps me from procrastinating! How do YOU keep from putting things off?


**I will be reviewing this planner on Thursday. If you would like to purchase your own ~ feel free to use my referral link to get you $10 off your first order! CLICK HERE

An Early Christmas Gift!

Do you like receiving gifts?! I do. I don't always like opening gifts in front of people which is silly I know and kind of robs those who give the gift ~ but I do like to receive them. Yesterday I received a gift, and once again I was so glad that I was able to open it alone. Yes my family was around me ~ the hubster was in his chair, the kids were eating dinner, and here I was opening a gift and it went unnoticed. The tears of revelation went unnoticed, yet I wasn't alone. That I am thankful for because this particular gift ~ left me speechless, yet inside I was shouting!

As many of you know I wrote a book this summer. It was a dream of mine from when I was in Junior High School. In fact I had said over the years of our marriage to my husband how much I wanted to write a book. He often reminded me ... and yet it took this long to get going. We will celebrate our 20th Year Anniversary in May... so that dream has been "out there" for a long time.

Sadly, I felt like a failure. Not immediately after, but in the response. When you write, and self publish you must also self promote. I have no idea how to do that.... so I simply have used social media and my blog to share the news. I don't know why I expected a better turn out but my expectations way outweighed the result. Needless to say, I felt like a failure. It is so hard for me to admit that and to be this vulnerable with you about this part of my life, but I have to be real about this area of my life just like I am anything else.

I put my writing stuff away and decided now must not be the time. In other words, I gave up. I decided what I dreamed I wanted to do wasn't what I must not have been created to do ~ and as heartbroken as I was, I let that dream fizzle down a bit.

UNTIL this past weekend. Now, I didn't start writing yet, but a flame was reignited. Then I was searching something, and I ran across a post that gave me hope again ~ because it said EVERYTHING that I was feeling... yet couldn't understand or even realized until I read the exact words that had been in my heart and head. I truly believe God gives us JUST what we need... when we need it. This today was just what I needed and I am ever thankful! If you ever felt like you have failed at something, please take the time to read this. If you have never failed at at anything, take the time to read it so that you too may can encourage someone else.

If you have ever felt like you failed at something, and need a bit of hope to continue..... READ THIS!

It was definitely a gift that after I opened it, was so thankful I could experience it alone in my thoughts, and emotions. No questions, no expectations. Just enjoyment of realizing that I am not a failure because my first book was not a best seller! I am not a failure because someone doesn't see eye to eye with me. I am not a failure and I have no right to feel that way.

You are More : Character Development

One thing as a writer, is you get to actually carve out the characters in your story but let me let you in on a little secret. They start to take off and become their own little people with personalities of their own and soon you are writing a story around who they have become!

It is almost like parenting. As your wee ones are first brought into this world you begin to help mold them and before you know it, they are molding themselves and BAM... all of a sudden you are looking at someone thinking "WOW they are amazing!".

You Are More revolves around the lives of four women but you also get to know those close to them. Spouses, children, relatives. Some of them you will fall in love with instantly. Others may leave you in doubt for a while. And believe it or not there may be one or two that you will never like.... or will you?!

Writing for me is just as much a creative process as a blank canvas for a painter ~ with a world of ideas swirling at one time. I have to really reign myself in and focus, concentrate and above all ~ never get too far ahead of myself. The interesting thing is .... I have no clue how this book is going to end, but I do know it will leaving you on the edge of your seat for the next one with at least ONE of the characters ~ maybe more.

Starting this week I will give you little sneak peeks over on the Facebook page that is set up specifically for You Are More. Perhaps.... you will decide before you even read the story which one it is that will be your favorite, and your not so favorite. Maybe just maybe, you will find a little bit of yourself in one (or maybe all) of the characters!

By Summer's End I hope to have more information as to a "release date" and again covet your prayers for this entire process!



More Information on You Are More can be found  HERE

You Are More!

Monday for me was an "Off" day. No, I had to work but it was just one of those days that my brain wasn't working like it should have. It happens. I was sick over the weekend so I guess my brain just didn't want to come back to work to function full force. Then to top it off I had to leave an hour in to come home (which is no longer just around the corner) to get something for our girl and take it to her at school. All in the midst of that I also forgot to add funds to her lunch account and even when I went to the school I forgot to just do it there. Needless to say ~ I was having an off day. BUT.... she got what she needed, funds got into her account before she ate, and dinner was on the table! In other words I recovered enough brain power to finish the day off with everyone fed, alive, and happy.

Somewhere in the day, God  prompted me to turn off the CD I was listening to, and put it on our local Christian music station. Living outside Houston, we have one of the top rated Contemporary Christian Music Stations around. We are truly blessed. KSBJ rocks! Anyway, it was in line for a Diet Cherry Limeade from Sonic that God said "WOAH! YOU need this message now! For you personally, and for you to share with others." No it's not new. Yes, many of you may have already heard it. But .... just hold on there before you decide to NOT read any further. You are More ~ by 10th Avenue north may have just been one of many answers to prayer! Personally in my own life journey! Professionally as a writer!

This is not about what you've done ~ but what's been done for you.
This is not about where you've been ~ but where your brokeness brings you to.
This is not about what you build ~ but what he built to forgive you.
And what He built to make you know....
You are more than the choices that you made,  you are more than the sum of your past mistakes, you are more than the problems you create ~ YOU have been remade!
Lyrics from 10th Avenue North "You Are More" NO copyright infringement intended

YOU are more! You are more than a clean house, a pristine yard, perfect looking children. You are more than a messy house, an unkempt yard, disheveled children. You are so much more than what shows externally ~ because really it's not all real. More often than not it's a judgement either of yourself by you, or a judgement of yourself by others on what you have allowed them to see (or not see) about your life. Your life is more than even just you living it.

"You Are More" is a novel that I am currently writing about four women from four different walks of life yet God intertwines their lives together in various ways that is used to bring redemption, sisterhood, hope, and an increase in faith and fellowship. God is breathing this novel in desperately after a few month hiatus, so bare with me as the days go between the blogs with what seems like nothing is being written. And, I covet your prayers! I need them as trying to balance a full time job, a family, keeping the house clean and dinners cooked, as well as squeezing in writing time when the juices flow is not an easy task!

This is a lesson that we all need to learn, but I am super sensitive to the fact that women really struggle with knowing this truth! YOU ARE MORE than you ever realize you are ~ both yesterday, today and tomorrow. You are more than that negative voice in your head. You are more than the comments you stored from Jr. High. You are more!

Sunday's Special October 16, 2011

It's an Autumn weekend and while a normal Saturday would bring a busy morning as of late, there was not a volleyball game yesterday. (Only two more Saturdays until VB season for us is complete.) But it's not an ordinary weekend pre-volleyball season either. This particular weekend, hold some importance.

Photo Courtesy of my friend KW.

I am once again taking care of my Mother in Love for the weekend, so my husband's sister and her husband can spend time celebrating their anniversary. The same feelings arose within me, as when I shared about it before here on the blog. (That really is a good read....hint hint)

What an honor, and a joy to know that I am so privileged to be trusted with someone so special. I have to say that this particular visit has been the BEST of them all. I think with each visit, I see the changes in her - sometimes good, some disturbing, and simply begin to appreciate life for what it is. A gift.

And as I sit here preparing to go home, it is so easy to get caught up in our every day moments that we forget special ones just like this. Perhaps that is why I enjoy blogging so much. It seems to capture the moments of NOW in a way that I can remember it long afterwards.

This Sunday is no ordinary Sunday, and it makes me realize EVERY Sunday is a gift. I live in a country where I can openly worship God not only on Sundays but every single moment of my day. Sunday's bring a time of family wellness in our home, a time where we can simply just be. Sunday's bring a time of renewal to our bodies, our Spirits, our entire beings. Sundays are worth more than we treat them as.  This Sunday however, I did miss worship, as I am still here ~ taking care of my mother in love. In my own way.... I am still worshiping, and seeking the face of God in these treasured NOW moments. Even as I plan our menu, go to the grocery store, I will embrace this gift. As the chili simmers on the stove, and the crescent dogs bake in the oven for dinner, I WILL embrace the moment of now!

A blogger that I have read for a while now does a "Sensational Sunday" where she documents how she makes Sunday's sensational ~ even these moments of life some call humdrum but we are learning to experience them as gifts. Our Sunday's would never match because my children and I go to church pretty much every Sunday, where her family starts Sunday with laundry sorting/folding/etc. I would love to do this as well, and possibly include a few "regular" posts that you can all expect from me on a weekly basis. It's been a while, but I am ready to stop separating my life as it was, and enjoy it as it is. Ha! That sentence probably made no sense to anyone but me.

Here is the schedule I am thinking:

1. Monday ~ Menu plan Monday Link Up
2. Tuesday ~ Girl Talk Tuesday
3. Wednesday ~ In HIS Word Wednesday
4. Thursday ~ Thankful Thursdays
5. Friday ~ Five Minute Friday Link Up
6. Saturday ~ The Secrets of Home Saturday
7. Sunday ~ Sunday's Special
While this is something I have been longing to do for a while, and it will take some commitment on my part, please pray that God will bless me with the right words and time for sharing His goodness each of my days on the blog here!

A new writing opportunity for weightloss bloggers

A new writing opportunity is being opened up for weightloss bloggers. This is a free lance project, and it is done on a volunteer type basis, but will require a minimum of a six month committment on your part.

If you would like to apply, and fall into one of the categories described below, then email me your request, and the process will begin from there.

*Just starting on your weightloss journey (within the last three months)

*Has over 100 pounds to lose

* In the 1/2 way point of your weightloss journey (losing 40+ pounds)

*5 to 10 pounds away from your goal (and have lost 60+ pounds) ~ This position is filled

*Is actively maintaining a weightloss of over 60+ pounds and have decided to remain in maintenace rather then continue.

Please do NOT inquire if you have had any type of weightloss surgery or your weightloss has been aided by prescription medication. There will only be 5 to 7 positions to fill in this project and if there are several people applying for the same category, there will be an additional interview process. If you fall some where between these catagories and still feel the desire to apply, then by all means contact me as soon as possible.

What Inspires me

As I sat and pondered today what I wanted to share on the blog, a thought came to mind. (Does that suprise you? Ha!) The thought that has been swimming in my head all morning is a simple yet very profound question, and can be answered in so many different ways. The thought is this.. "What inspires you to do what you do?". Because I am not just about weightloss I don't necessarily mean in just the realm of losing weight, but every aspect of your life.

In my weight loss:
The Gag challenge was inpsired because in an online group that I was a part of I was not allowed to participate in a weightloss challenge that was presented because I had less then 20 pounds to lose. In all honesty, it made me very sad and I felt so unworthy. I know the person who presented the challenge did not see it that way, and it wasn't done to make me feel that way, but that is how I felt. I can't help that. I felt like just because I had worked so hard on my own to lose weight that I was basically being told "Tough, finish it on your own." This happened at at time when my real life support began dwindling. As I said the other day, many people in my real life want to me to be "done" losing weight though I am not honestly ready. So the inspiration behind GAG was to find the support I needed, as well as maybe give some of that support back to those who longed for it. Who needed it. It was created out of love and out of need. My inspiration is to be a support for those who just can't to seem to find it in their real lives, because well, I know how it is. It is my deepest desire to see GAG become so popular that by the end of the challenge everyone is excited about starting a new challenge in January, and the number of our challengers increase. I would love to see this become a revolution for those all around because well, it is so important to realize that we are worth taking care of. I was not taught that I was worth the effort, and so that is BIG to me. Big enough to work hard at sharing this truth with strangers, friends, and even my own husband and children. The truth that I honestly believe will help millions of people redeem their health, their relationships, their lives.

It is my goal to hit my goal weight and stay there for the rest of my life. Come what may. Not just for me, but to show others it can be done, and it is worth being done. Some days are hard, but as I continue to reflect on my jurney I am just in awe. Not of what I could do, but God has done through me. What he continues to do, the lives that are being changed, just by sharing my story and my journey. Sure, I could keep all that to myself, but .... what kind of inspiration is that? Who can be inspired by a story never told?

Parenting
I am inspired to be the type of parent that is up to date, yet holds on to yesterday's values. I can listen to the Black Eyed Peas, and still watch Leave it to Beaver all in one day. As a mom I am vivacious, and the inspiration to continue working on that, is indeed my children. They bring out the best in me. At times, some situations they have brought on have brought out the worst in me as well, but with an eye always open to see how I can improve. It is important for me to bring our children up in a Godly home. Not just for "looks" but so that they can see how to truly live a Christian lifestyle that speaks volumes without words. We go to church on a regular basis, we dont' "play" church. Our Bibles are used throughout the week, some weeks more then others.Prayer is constant, and not just when in need. It is important for me to do these things in consistency because as I was raised they just weren't. Sure we went to church, but not always on a regular basis.Sure I heard mom pray, but only at times when there was a need, never once did I hear her pray to praise God unless you count the times she found a decent parking spot. Prayer at meal times were non existent except for hoidays or if we had guests. Around our table, we pray before ever meal, and often before snacks too. It is habit, but yet we are so greatful.

Homekeeping
I could go back to when I was a kid, and say that I just didn't have those skills taught to me, but I won't. I did have some things taught,at least the cleaning and cooking part. Keeping a home is so much more then that. Making our home a haven is what inspires me when I am cleaning, cooking, decorating, and moving things around. I always want our home to represent the ones that live there, as well as be a place where when you walk in the door a large sigh of contentment can be heard for miles! One of my favorite bloggers has taught me so much about making my home a "safe haven" and not just a place to hang your hat. And another has taught me that little details to things mattter! I often find inspiration for new dinners through Taste of Home, and from reading the posts on Menu Plan Monday. I would have loved to lived in the 50's and in my own little way, I try to bring some of those traditions back into the home. Family comes first. Beyond school work, church, everything ~ family is first. (God is the head of our lives , while my husband is the head of our home, I the heart. Very traditional roles that we take very seriously. Call me old fashioned, I like it!)

In my classroom
Seeing kids learn and retain what they learn, inspires me in the classroom. As they come in the next day, and parents are telling me what they shared about the day before, I just get so excited! For three year olds to remember what they did in enough detail to share with mom and dad, that is a BIG deal! And the more I hear of it, the more it inspires me to continue and work harder at presenting new and exciting information to them in ways that can change a life. I love what I do, and because of that I am daily inpsired to do it that much harder, that much more. On days that I don't feel so inspired, seeing their little faces, and innoscent eyes, inspires me!
I am inspired to write to share my heart, because I have been inspired in the same way years ago. God has placed this desire within me, to share my life story, and all that it is involved in that for His glory, not my own.

So, how are YOU inspired?

A breakthrough like no other

Though I cant' share all the details of my breakthrough as I would like to at this point, but I would like for you to reference a date. July 21, 22, and 23. I have gotten used to blogging daily, and some of you have said you have gotten used to that as well. Those three days I will be out of town enjoying some amazing fellowship with my co teachers at a yearly teaching convention we attend out of the area. I will NOT have access to blogger, face book, or much else unless I use my phone. I don't like blogging from my phone, so I have planned to share my latest challenge with you that I am currently dealing in. So on those days note that there will be some blog posts ( all written ahead of time) that will explain part of my breakthrough.

BUT... it is only part. I am now in a clear mind of thinking that I literally haven't had for months on end. Like since the end of December 2008. Yep six months of cloudy thinking, moody emotions, and so much more I would not like to even disclose! But today ~ BREAKTHROUGH!! I am so excited and literally walking on a cloud, beyond the number 9!

I have realized how BLESSED my dh and I are. We have three amazing kids that have hearts that are HUNGRY for God! I couldn't want anything else for them. I don't care about their grades, though they do matter. I don't care about their friends, but they do matter. What I care most about, is their heart. A heart geared towards God above all else, is something that not only will get them to live their life full of passion and purpose, but blessings will be poured out onto them forever! I realized how honored I am to be a wife to such an amazingly hard working man who only wants to love and take care of his family. THAT is truly his only motive! God has given me so many abilities to share his goodness, his love, his mercy, and his favor onto people who may never even think of giving God a second glance.

Breakthrough in relationships! I have let a few go, and by doing so, I am amazed at the friendships that He has given birth to once again! People in my life who LOVE me for all my quirks not just what they can benefit from! Friends who have been with me in High school ~ during that awkward and tough time. Friends who have I have known as long as my husband, who have watched me grow from a very selfish and flippant young lady to the woman God has created me to be today. :) I am still working on a few family relationships that really need tons of nurturing in ways that only God can do. I can't, they can't. Only Him.

Breakthrough in my health! I have had a Major breakthrough on my mental state. For six months, as I spoke of I basically walked in a tunnel, barely treading above water just to stay alive. Not one but many helped to pull me down until the suction from that painful negativity so much so I just about lost all I was, all I had worked for, all that God has given me. Why? Because of trying to please everyone and being afraid to stand up for what is right. No longer can I do that. No longer will I.

Breakthrough in my dreams and goals. I am excited. I am definitely putting it out there and telling all who are reading this, I WILL have my first manuscript for a novel written BEFORE December 31st of this year. IF you think of me during your day, please pray for clear direction, and creative genius to get across all that God wants me to! I have so many story lines I really need clarity right now. Also, please, ask me! Ask how it is going! I need someone to hold me accountable!

I am blessed, and tonight, when bedtime comes, and after I said my prayers, I will lay my head on the pillow and be forever grateful for my life.