22 Things I’m Thankful For

It’s November, and the big event in everyone’s mind is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving isn’t as huge a thing at my house as it is in other places, but I wanted to take some time to focus on what Thanksgiving should really be about: being thankful. In honor of that I’ve decided to share 22 things I am thankful for this year.

1. My awesome family. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my family. They are awesome and amazing and supportive and fun and goofy and just the best.
2. My fantastic friends. I have a group of friends I’ve known since high school, and I am still good friends with them. Plus there are friends from other parts of my life – elementary school and college and grad school – that I hold near and dear and love very very much.
3. My career path. I am done with grad school officially on Tuesday. I’ve been done with my masters degree since August. I’ve interned and student taught. I love teaching, and I can’t wait to secure my first teaching job.
4. My health. I’m in good health, and I’m grateful for that every day.
5. My home. Yes, I still live at home with my parents. And yes, I’m a little bit ready for a place of my own. But, I am so grateful to have a roof over my head. Especially now that the weather is getting progressively colder and wetter, I am grateful that I have a place to call home.
6. Food! Anyone who knows me knows that I love food. A lot. And I’m grateful that I don’t have to worry about where my next meal is coming from.
7. Writing. I love writing. I’ve always loved writing. And I’m grateful that after all this time I’m still writing, that I still love it, and that I’m still pursuing it.
8. Passions. I am grateful that there are things in my life that I love and that I’m pursuing. There are things in the world that interest me. There are things in the world that I want to do.
9. Opportunities. I am grateful that there are opportunities in my life, not just in regards to teaching, but in general. There are opportunities for me to meet people, go places, and do the things I am interested in doing. And that’s pretty awesome.
10. Family Vacations. I love my family, and I love doing things with them. I love when we go on family vacations. I’m grateful that we are able to go on such adventures and that we get along well enough to have a good time when we go on those adventures.
11. Transportation. I am grateful that I have a car that works and that I am able to drive. I don’t have to worry how I’ll get from place to place. I’m really grateful for that.
12. Coloring. I have the maturity level of a small child sometimes, and that’s OK. I love unwinding at the end of a long day by coloring. I’m grateful that that’s something I’m able to do.
13. Reading. Before I have real memories, I know I loved reading. It’s something my mom introduced into my life somewhere around Day 1. Just like I love writing and I love coloring, I love reading. I’m grateful it’s something I’m able to do on a regular basis.
14. My coworkers. Between my internship last year and my student teaching this year, I’ve met and been able to work with some wonderful amazing people. I am so grateful that they have been willing to help me, guide me, support me, and befriend me.
15. Technology. Technology is a huge part of life in today’s world, and I’m grateful that I have ready access to it. I’m grateful that I can use it. It’s a huge advantage in my profession, and I’m grateful I’m able to use and utilize it.
16. Snail Mail. I love snail mail. I’ve always love snail mail. I am a firm believer in snail mail. I’m grateful that it still exists and that I’m able to utilize it on a regular basis.
17. My faith. I am grateful that I believe there are bigger forces at work in the world than simply me. I am grateful that there is a greater force I can voice my concerns to. I’m grateful that I have something to believe in.
18. My students. I am grateful for my students who have taught me so much already, and who I am confident will teach me so much in the future. As much as I teach my students, they teach me, and I am so grateful for that.
19. My education. I am grateful that I’ve received a great education from all the institutions I’ve attended, and I’m grateful for that. Education is important, and I’ve received a solid foundation to work with.
20. Seasonal Weather. I love that I live in New England and that we have seasonal weather. I love that the leaves change colors in the fall, that it snows in the winter, that it gets warm in the summer. I am so grateful that I’ve been able to experience all of that.
21. Quality family time. I love my family, and I love that even when we’re not on vacation we spend quality time together. I think family is so important, and I love spending time with mine.
22. You, my readers. Finally, I am so grateful for you, my readers. The ones who have stuck by this blog when there weren’t a lot of posts, and the ones who pop in and out. This blog wouldn’t exist after all this time if it weren’t for you, so thank you.

BrittanyM

Fun Grad School Things

I’m a couple of weeks into grad school now, and in the midst of one of my favorite classes yet – my ed tech class. This is literally a class that’s all about learning how to do fun things with technology to bring into the classroom. I was excited about it from the start, and now that I’ve actually started the class (it’s only 3 weekends long) I’m completely head over heels about it. I spent my morning making a Prezi about To Kill a Mockingbird. Yup. That’s what I did this morning and had such a god time doing it.

I really like the idea of technology, but it sometimes intimidates me. I don’t always know where to start, and everything always just seems so big and scary. But you know what? It’s not. I thought Prezi would be big and hard, and it isn’t. It’s actually one of the easiest things ever. The templates are premade and fun and you just plug in your text and images. It really couldn’t have been easier.

I can’t wait to keep exploring the world of technology and figuring out how I want to bring it into my classroom. I know that it’s going to be great and so much fun.

BrittanyM

Technology

Today I left my cell phone at home when I went to my internship. This isn’t something that should have been a big deal. I can go all afternoon at home without looking at my phone. I can go almost entire days (over the weekend) without looking at my phone. But I do have to say that since getting an iPhone this has changed, especially since my email is attached to my phone.

Anyways, back to today. I left my phone at home. Again, this shouldn’t have been a big deal because I was at work. I had other things to work on. But people I work with call and text my cell phone to keep in touch with me. Sometimes they email me. Sometimes I check things for my classes on my phone. The fact that I had forgotten it made me a little twitchy.

Needless to say, I resolved to make it through my work day without my phone. I figured if I was feeling so attached to it that the separation would do me good. And everyone who might need to get in touch with me via my phone knew I didn’t have it, so that was a problem solved.

And here’s the thing. I made it through the work day without my phone and without any problems. No one needed me and was unable to get in touch with me. The world did not end because I didn’t check me email. I was more focused on what I was doing. And since I’ve been home (about 2 hours now) my phone has been in my room on my bed. I checked it once when I first got home and haven’t felt the need to check it since.

I’m not planning on leaving my phone at home again, but I think a little separation from technology would do me good. It’s something I’m going to work on when I’m at home.

BrittanyM