The School Year Begins...

Okay, so this has been a tremendously busy week! Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I had district meetings and training. It was tons of information, I required lots of caffeine and sugar to power through but I met tons of super awesome people! Monday was a whole district day, which meant that we had all the teachers for the entire district in training together for the day. I loved this! Being a middle school teacher, it is always fun to learn about what the elementary and high school teachers are doing in their classrooms and with their curriculum. 
Tuesday was meetings and working with just the other teachers in my building. I also spent some time working with the other eighth grade teachers (from now on, I will refer to these people as my team). I have to say, I am working on the best team in the world! They are fantastic people! Wednesday, I worked with my team, met with my sped co-teacher (I teach three sections of Language Arts, one of them is co-taught with a Sped teacher) and finished things up in my room.
Thursday was the big day!!! I was at school by 6:30 a.m. getting things in order. To make the day a little less scary for the new sixth graders, eighth graders did not come to school until 11 a.m. The whole day was a whirlwind! Classes for me (I run on a block schedule, my classes usual run 90 minutes) were 45 minutes long, and I spent that time running my students through my expectations, cell phone/iPod/kindle/iPad policy, materials needed in class, some of the things we will be studying, etc. I liked them all a lot and I think they are a pretty good bunch for the most part. 
Today, was the first day of full classes. I was so worried I wouldn't have enough planned to do, but I actually had too much! Last night, one of my coworkers and I used Google presentation to lesson plan for today from home. I had never used it before and it was really cool to be able to create it together even though we weren't in the same location. Technology is really amazing, don't you think? My classes ran pretty smoothly today and I hope they continue to. I am feeling exhausted tonight, but I am also so happy to have found a home in this school and with the incredible people I get to work with each day. I am so abundantly blessed.

To celebrate my first day of school my Mama, Daddy, sister Emily and brother Joe sent me flowers on Thursday. They are lovely! Sunflowers, roses and daisies are my favorite flowers and I adore the Fall colors!

For the last few months, I have subscribed to Love God Greatly (formerly, Good Morning Girls) for their uplifting, faith affirming blog posts, prayers and Bible studies. I love their Bible studies because they are well organized, user friendly, and FREE! The next Bible Study begins September 1st and is focused on the book of Esther.

Esther was a Jewish orphan who became the wife of a King after he banished his first wife. She (Esther) was hand chosen by the King for her beauty and intelligence Queen Esther hid her Jewish faith. Time passes and one of Esther's relatives refuses to pay homage to the King's high official, Haman. Haman gets angry and plots murder for all the Jews in his anger. Esther learns of the plot and the Lord moves her to do something. Long story short, Esther saves the Jewish people by outwitting the high official, Haman, by going to her husband to petition and plead for the safety of her people from the wicked Haman. Angry with Haman, the King has Haman hanged in the gallows he (the King) constructed to destroy all the Jews. It is Esther's faith and courage that save her people. 

I admire Esther. She has a strength, perseverance and steadfast faith that I aspire to emulate. She is unshakable.   

This Bible study is going to be so cool! I am looking forward to growing in my faith, learning more about my Lord, and deepening my understanding and hunger for His word. If you are interested in doing this study you can sign up for it here! All you have to do is sign up with your email and then you will receive emails with the Bible study for each day in your email. You can print them off and study away!

This week, as I read Scripture this week the story of Peter walking on water and then getting scared and beginning to sink really spoke to me. So often, I fall victim to my own doubts and fears; I forget to keep my eyes on Jesus and trust that He will keep me walking. I have been working diligently on not succumbing to my own self doubt and fear. Even when things become overwhelming I take a deep breath, remember Peter and fix my eyes on Jesus. I can do this, He tells me so! He knows His plan for me and all I must do is trust in Him and work each day for His glory and my betterment. Great things are in the works, and I cannot wait to see where this path is taking me!

“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow my foot to slip; He who keeps my will not slumber.” ~Psalm 121:1-3

I am praying for each and every one of you! I pray that you feel the love of Jesus and that He blesses you richly!

Love in Christ,

Teresa

Perfection, Teaching, Anxieties and Pictures!

It has been quite the week; I have been in training most of the time and my head is just spinning! It took a lot of determination, hard work, balancing on chairs and the help of some family and friends but my classroom is ready! I am very proud of it and I think my students will really like it! I love all things Snoopy, so I have some Snoopy and Peanuts Gang things in my classroom. Now, that everything is put together and decorated I finally feel really excited for school to start. I am still plenty nervous and feel a little unprepared at times, but I am trusting in the Lord and know that He will see me through the nerves. Today, I had to go in after training and finish a few things up. I got an email saying that due to fire code, all appliances must be plugged directly into the wall (meaning, no use of power strips). Well, that meant I needed to find a new place to plug in my microwave and mini fridge. For some reason, this made my anxiety level shoot through the roof. Thankfully, my mama called to see if I was done with work yet. I asked her to come and look the room over and she did. With her help, I got the mini fridge and the microwave happily place in their new spot and finished up the last few things. Ready or not, the students’ first day is the 21^st.

 Today, I was at school until past 5pm. It was a long, overwhelming, anxiety filled day, but I think I will let all of it sink in over the weekend and see how I feel on Monday. I am struggling a lot right now with the feeling that I need to be perfect. I am very nervous about making mistakes in my new job. I know that this is silly, almost backwards thinking. Of course I am not going to be perfect, I will make mistakes (most likely) many of them. Still, the thought of it makes my anxiety go through the roof. I just want to do the best job I can. You are probably thinking, “Good heavens, girl! You are trained to do this! Just relax and do what you know how to do!” On one hand, you are correct; I am trained for this. On the other, having my own classroom is entirely different than any of my student teaching or subbing experience. These kids are my kids, I am responsible for their learning, and their assessment scores reflect my teaching. This is an absolutely terrifying, nerve wracking, sobering realization.

To be honest, student teaching (while wonderful training) is a pretty scripted experience. What I mean is, there are built in buffers, perimeters, if you will, that really make it impossible for a new teacher to experience the real pressures of teaching. Teaching is so much more than getting up in front of kids and telling them things. I spend so much time assessing, gauging, reassessing, re-teaching, reviewing, and assessing again that it would make your head spin. My job isn’t just 8am to 3pm. Most days, I will be at school by 6:15am and not leave until 4:30 or 5pm. I do not just leave school on Friday and forget about school until Monday when I get to school. I will spend weekends grading, looking at data, entering data, sifting through emails and lesson planning. All of this can be daunting at times. I know it can be done, I have amazing colleagues that do all of it every day. Hopefully, with time and lots of help and support, I can become as successful as they are.

With all of this anxiety, worry, and stress I have to work really hard to quiet my mind and heart to focus on Jesus. This whole week I have kept coming back to two verses from Psalm 94. First, verse 19, “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.” Second, verse 22, “the LORD has been my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.” These two verses have calmed my heart so much this last week and I hope that they will be an encouragement to you and help you in your journey to know Jesus better and be close with Him.

 I am excited to share pictures of my week and several of my classroom with you! I have worked really hard on it and I am very proud of it. I still have a few more things to put up and a long way to go before it is my “perfect” classroom, but I am learning that teaching, like my faith, is about the journey, not perfection. 

I pray that you all feel my love, prayers, and good thoughts with you!!! Remember "Pray without ceasing."

With the Joy of Jesus,

Teresa

A Busy, Busy Week and Photos!!

Hello Everyone!

It has been quite the week! To begin the week on Sunday, I went to Mass with my family. I always love the peace, joy, and centering that comes from being present in the Mass. It is one of my happiest places. Also, this Sunday was extra joyous because our music ministers resumed playing for Mass; each year they take the whole month of July to rest and enjoy Summer. It is always wonderful to have them back as their ministry adds such breathtaking, exuberant, happy touches to Mass. I am very thankful for their talents. On Sunday afternoon, I attended a picnic given by the School Sisters of St. Francis; my time with them is always fun filled and cheerful! I am a lay associate for the SSSF which means that I am third order religious life (that means that I am allowed to get married and have children and that I am in no way financially supported by the order) I love my role in the order and am thankful for each time that I get to spend time with and learn from the Sisters and other associates. I got to spend time with my lovely friend, (she is really like a second Mama), Pam. She is such a blessing and inspiration. Pam taught for many years and so she has been very supportive of me and has given me so much advice and help in getting my classroom ready, she is such a wonder and I am thankful for her each day.

 Monday began my "new teacher" training. Talk about overwhelming! So much information, so many things to remember! I got a crash course in Google docs, the different testing procedures, the phonics program I will be teaching, and the mentoring program that I will be taking part in over the next two years (in Iowa, as a new teacher, I must be mentored for two years by a veteran teacher in my building and complete a program called Journey to Excellence to receive my Standard License). When I wasn't in training, I was at home with my family's puppy, Bosco (see the pictures below) or in my classroom getting things ready. It has been a super busy week! I will be going to my classroom tomorrow (yes, I know it will be Saturday) to set up my microwave, mini fridge, and a few more organizational things for the students and myself. I will post pictures of my classroom sometime this weekend, I promise. 

I feel the need to introduce the people who will be "appearing" in my posts quite often. The following is my "Cast of Characters". I hope you enjoy!

 My parents, Chuck and Melissa, are simply the most marvelous people. They are shining, beautiful examples of Christ's love and compassion. They have taught my siblings and I, by example, the importance of serving others and loving those around us. My Daddy is a Lieutenant on the police department and my Mama is an administrative assistant at an elementary school (she says that title is too fancy, and that she is a school secretary). Daddy and Mama have taught me so much and have been the most supportive, loving, kind parents imaginable. This last year has been a really rough one for me and they have loved and counseled me through it all. Simply put, they are awesome. Here they are (I think they are pretty darn cute!):

Bosco is our nine month old Hungarian Viszla. We call him "Little Red" or "Baby" or "Little Dog". He is bred for pheasant hunting and is already showing talent in flushing and retrieving. We love him to pieces!! Bosco has A LOT of energy and can be very hyperactive. Overall, he is very sweet, loving and happy. He fits right in with our loud, crazy, fun bunch! I will post lots of pictures of him as time goes on. He is also, pretty darn cute!

Emily is my younger (albeit taller) sister. She is amazing. A former college soccer player, she has a love of almost all sports. She is an athletic trainer at a local college and is working on her Master's degree in Sports Psychology. Emily is adventurous, quick witted, a little sarcastic, hilarious, and loving. She has short, sassy hair and she is just gorgeous! "Big Dog" as we call her, seems tough but she is really a softie and we love her humor and wit! Note: We call her "Big Dog" because when Bosco was first in our family she would rough house on the floor with him and he seemed to think she was a dog too. Emily calls Bosco "her baby", so naturally her picture includes him.

Joey is my younger brother. He just graduated high school and has plans to be a History teacher. Joey is a hard working, funny, awesome kid and I love him to pieces! Joey is the best brother ever! Here is a photo of the three of us last Thanksgiving.

Ashley is my best friend. She is the sweetest, kindest, most helpful person ever. Ashley has seen me through some pretty dark moments. As I was coming to terms with a bad situation last winter it was Ashley I turned to; she helped me find my courage and keep my faith. Ashley has done more for me than I can ever express and through it all she has been hopeful, positive, kind, cheerful and loving. She truly is my sister from another mother. I love her dearly. In this photo, she was carrying her precious little boy. He is fast approaching his first birthday!! So crazy!

Aly is my cousin and other best friend. We were in the same grade in school and she grew up right up the street from me. She lives in Idaho now and I miss her so much! She just came home for a visit and these two pictures are from last night (Aly is on the right, with the bun and then on the right being squished in a group hug). She flew back to Idaho this morning and I started counting the days till she comes home for Christmas!

                                 

Pam (mentioned earlier in this post), really is like my second Mama. She worked as the librarian in my high school and I became and have stayed really good friends with her. It is because of her that I became an associate for the School Sisters of St. Francis. She is a source of constant love, encouragement and happiness. I love her very much!! The picture below is from a trip in 2008 Pam and I took to Red Cloud, Nebraska to see Willa Cather's home town. 

I will close with a verse, that resonated in my heart this week. It comes from 1 Peter, Chapter three, verses three and four: "Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;  but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." To me, this is a reminder to me that above all things I need to be gentle; I must speak, act, and think gently. Sometimes this is hard. I am human, there are times when I am tempted to be quick with a harsh word, a critical response or reaction. That is not the way that the Lord desires for me to be. I have worked hard this week to really focus on being gentle in all things. Some people would say that in this verse God is saying that we don't need to pay attention to our outward appearance and that it is that message I should be taking from this verse. In 1 Timothy, Chapter two, verses nine and ten the Lord does address clothing:  " Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness." The Lord wants us to dress appropriately and modestly, but not vainly. This is touched on in the verse from 1 Peter, but it is not the sole focus. The focal point of the verse for me is "...but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." It is in this portion that I really felt Jesus speaking to my heart and telling me of how He desires me to behave. While it is sometimes hard to do, I really am working to keep my gentle, quiet spirit in the forefront of my mind and heart. 

I hope that this post has been an encouragement to you and that the Lord will bless you in all you do! I will post again this weekend with photos of my classroom as it is coming together. 

With Jesus' Love,

Teresa

I May Bobble and Wobble but I am STANDING!

Hello. My name is Teresa Gorman. I am 26 years old, I teach English in a middle school. I am the oldest of three children. I am Catholic. Over the years, I have written a couple of different blogs and obviously they have all trailed off for one reason or another. Yet, here I am starting a new one. Why? That is an excellent question. I guess I feel called to chronicle my journey. Not only my journey through this first year of teaching, but through life, it's ups and downs, the sunshiney bits, the cloudy moments. Most importantly, I feel as though I need to document my journey to know Christ better. I am a cradle Catholic. I went to Catholic school for middle and high school. I am a third order lay associate with the School Sisters of St. Francis (they rock). I even considered a vocation to religious life (only to learn to embrace my call to marriage and motherhood) for a few years. I pray daily (hourly some days). I know my Lord and Savior. I love Him dearly even though I fail Him daily. I am constantly seeking ways to better my focus on Jesus and draw myself closer to Him.

I am a Beloved daughter of the King of Kings and I am not ashamed to admit it. I try each and every day to honor and trust my Lord, I want to do all things for His glory, though I strive to do this, I feel as if I bobble and wobble a lot more than I walk tall and confident. I am learning that even though I may not always do or say the perfect thing, I try and I work hard to do so. I may not walk by faith constantly without fail, but I do stand in faith every day. That is important to Jesus. He sees my struggles and my shortcomings and he gives me the strength and tools to work on them. He magnifies my strengths and my efforts. He knows I bobble and wobble and He reaches out a hand to steady me. I am LEARNING to walk by faith and I am blessed enough to have the King of Kings as my companion, friend, guide and teacher. I have to remember every day that this is a journey, none of us come into the world knowing how to walk. We all learn to crawl then stand, walk then run. Faith is an ever growing, ever changing process and the Lord asks us each to walk the journey of Faith with Him. It is not a race, I must remember this.

I hope that my posts will inspire you to live for the Lord. I will share pictures, stories and anecdotes about my first year of teaching (I am sure it is going to be an adventure!), my faith, my family and my friends. I am excited about everything the Lord is doing in my life and I look forward to sharing the journey with you.

2 Corinthians 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight.

With the Joy of Jesus' Love,
Teresa