The End of Year 5

Well friends, it's here. The last day of school. I am a runner, so finding parallels with running and life is in my heart (see above picture).
Through the years I've experienced the full spectrum of various emotions, sadness, excited, eager, and then this year: meh...
I know, I know, I'm weird and off, and I should feel SOMETHING--but the overriding truth of my heart/mind is "let's just be done with this year." I'm not regretful of the past year by any means, there were some excellent strides made in my classroom by me and my students. We all learned, we all grew, we were challenged, we had hiccups along the way, we bumped into each other, some of us fell down and stayed down for a while. But generally, we moved forward. I look at the Fall semester and am proud of what I accomplished in my Master's class work. I wrote the longest, probably best, paper of my life (30 pgs, 15+ references, BAM!) and really was intellectually stimulated. This spring, I mentored and experienced some significant growing pains with 2 student teachers and students in my classroom. It was challenging, and maybe the compilation of all events has lead me to be feeling a bit...tired.

You know when you were a kid and you had played really hard all day outside and you came in for dinner and you felt tired and should have stayed inside, taken a bath, and gone to bed--but you looked out your window and saw the neighborhood kids just starting a roller-hockey game on your street, and you looked on longing to be a part of the game, and convinced your parents that you weren't tired, and then bolted to play when you should have rested? (How's that run-on sentence my English-teaching friends?!) Yeah, that's kinda how I feel after the roller-hockey game...overly tired. Like, when you know that a mere nap simply won't suffice, your fatigue reaches deep and pulls at your neurons and dendrites and challenges your synaptic connections in your brain, sentences don't come out right...can't think clearly...desperately in need of rest.

That's me. AND, I believe it's the student's this time of year, and every other teacher crossing the finish line right about now. So, this week, I'm going to begin to attempt to unwind and try to figure out how to do that. Maybe raise my glass and sip a cold one...that'll be a good start.

If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears;) Happy Finishing!

Shelb

Face Lift

I've changed things up on my blog. Colors, design, etc, what do you think?

These "end of school days" as I'm referring to them are interesting. I find myself in limbo, having things to do...but can't do them at school, or students have work to complete, so I'm waiting to grade, essentially just hanging out.

This might sound weird, but I have mixed emotions about school being out. The normal feeling of elation escapes me slightly, instead it's a feeling of wondering. What's the next season have in store? What will the summer look like? How will I define rest this summer? What will occupy my time/energy/resources? Maybe I'm late on the uptake and these questions should have been thought-through or defined earlier, but it takes me longer at some things. So, that's where my mind has currently been as the school year wraps up.

Shelby

Going Once, Going Twice...SOLD!

Calling all Auction-lovers!

I know for you local-folks, there are lots of festivities around the Little Apple, all having to do with Food, BUT this festivity takes you out of Manhattan and to a different, smaller metropolis.


Check out that loot!!
Some sweet stuff--come out and support Riley County FCCLA
@Nelson's Landing in Leonardville from 5-7PM, then back at RCHS from 7-Spring Concert Intermission

Top Bids announced at Intermission! Chair will not make an appearance @Nelson's, but will be at RCHS!

See you tonight! ;)

to Meme

Didn't this used to be called a "chain letter?" oh, well Maris liked it, and did it, sent it to me, so here's my shot:

meme/mēm/Noun

1. An element of a culture or behavior that may be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, esp. imitation.

2. An image, video, etc. that is passed from one Internet user to another.

If you can go back and relive one moment, what would it be?

I would re-live several little scenes and moments. For example, when I worked at Kanakuk Kamps in college, and I was petrified to jump from the faith pole, I’d go back and leap with abandon!

Or, I’d go back to Hawaii with my family and savor all of the small moments again.

Last one, I’d go back to the stage of the Last Laugh Comedy Contest in 2008 and revamp some material and hold back less jokes and just let ‘er rip. It was pretty cool as it were though.

If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?

I guess I sort of answered this prematurely in my previous explanation, but more specifically, I’d go back in time and take theatre classes in college. I wish I would have done more improv training and I wish my hair was longer as a little girl. If I had let my hair grow, and not insisted with such determination to get it out of my face/eyes so I could go back to playing outside and wearing baseball hats, I would have learned how to braid and do other fun things with the long hair that I have now.

What movie or TV character do you most resemble in personality?

Face/Hair: Jennifer Aniston (wannabe)

Body: Cameron Diaz (can’t you see it?)

Personality: Tina Fey Amy Poehler mash-up

What TV/movie character would you most like to be?

Maris’: Jodi Foster as Dr. Ellie Arroway in Contact. (Throwback!) Brilliant connection—I see it; fantastic movie!

Future film: Hunger Games; character: Katniss Everdeen. Let me say this too—Katniss Everdeen from the book. You know what I admire about her? Her ability to walk through and embrace significant pain both physically and emotionally. Katniss committed herself to leading people (the resistance) and sacrificed her talent/time/energy toward maintaining and fulfilling the ultimate commitment of preserving life.

Name one habit you would like to change about yourself.

Hmm, just one? Let’s see, I bite my nails when stressed/feel nervous. Oh, also, I feel the need to eat dessert after EVERY dinner. In fact, something sweet, usually small after lunch and dinner. HABIT.

Describe yourself in one word.
Evolving.

Describe the person who named you in this meme in one word.

Compassionate.

Why do you blog (answer in one sentence)?

I blog to offer world/daily encounters through my eyes with a sardonic tone and witty undercurrent that hopefully makes me smile, laugh and think.

Name at least 3 people to send this meme to, and then inform them.
@jennabrack
@maristhree
@cordycrawford3