Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 4:6-7
As I think about my prayers lately, I am brought to this verse, and realize that God has had a brilliant plan for me all along. With continued prayer, with continued faith and with (a little) patience, I am completely satisfied with where I see the Lord taking me.
I have had a year full of obstacles and struggles as a first-year teacher, but have learned more than I could have imagined. After much prayer, I have been given the opportunity to grow even more as a teacher and use all the knowledge I have learned in the past year. I get to apply my master's degree directly in the next year while getting to teach students of all levels. I have a passion for helping students with learning disabilities and am beyond excited to get to apply what I know to help these students succeed. I never could have guessed that God would respond to me in such a way or that I would be blessed with such a wonderful opportunity. I know this next year as a teacher will prove even better than the year before. I am excited for the opportunity to create new and exciting lessons, teach more than one level and explore new strategies. I came into teaching for these reasons and am excited to be immersed in them.
Once again, I am reminded that I can do nothing without God and that if I will just trust in Him, I will be satisfied while serving His purposes.
-Tracey
Monday, May 30, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Thank you, God for the slap back to reality...
Summer...I have been dreaming about you for many months. I have longed for summer to be here. Now, this is ironic, especially when you take into account that I don't particularly like summer at all. Sure, it's nice, but it's hot! (and that is one thing I dislike more than most things). I have been dreaming of summer so that the most challenging year of my life, my first year teaching, would be over. Fast. Well, as always, when I am in doubt, losing hope and feeling despair, my knight-in-shining-armor-God sweeps in and saves me. Just at the right moment.
I have never felt so defeated. I have never cried more in my life. I have never gone through such big ups and downs. And, at the very end of the day (the end of the school-year), I have not felt so much joy, pride and love...as I have felt in my first year of teaching.
Anyone who has even spoken to me since August knows that this year has been an uphill battle. Many nights of lost sleep, more hours than I would have liked stressing, lots of tears, etc, etc...I thought I had failed my kids. I thought I was a sub-par teacher. I thought over and over "I'm not sure I can do this". Being the driven, strong-willed person I am, I couldn't believe my dream of being a teacher was something I wasn't cut out to do. The only thing I felt I could do to survive was to pray for God to give me strength and wisdom.
Well, He did better. On Monday, He gave us the dreaded TAKS scores...Let's just say, I was terrified to look at my kids' results. I didn't want to see them. I considered hiding so no one could find me or making myself so busy, I wouldn't have time to deal with it. Instead, I sucked it up, braced myself for the worst and looked at the scores anyway. Then, I breathed a sigh of relief. Then, I was overjoyed. Then, I was shocked. I told my kids the GOOD news. They had done it. They had succeeded. Turns out, I hadn't failed them at all...I had actually helped them succeed and through the "blood, sweat and tears" done something right. I was so excited to tell them how well they had done on their Writing and Reading TAKS. They were equally excited. Students I didn't get to see came up to me after school and gave me high fives and hugs. They just wanted me to know how well they did. (I tried to act surprised, like I didn't already know their good news.) Finally, when I got home that night, I cried again, but this time with tears of joy instead of despair. :)
As the year is coming to a close, I am realizing how much my little thug, gansta, gang-bangers mean to me. They have become a very important part of my life. While they make me madder than I can describe, they have surprised me beyond measure with what they are capable of achieving. If I could adopt every one of them and take them home with me, I just might. :)
So, thank you, God for my blunt slap back to reality and back to the realization that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. You were right all along and as always, I was not. Finally, I can see the plans you had for me...plans to prosper me and my kids. Jeremiah 29:11
-Tracey
I have never felt so defeated. I have never cried more in my life. I have never gone through such big ups and downs. And, at the very end of the day (the end of the school-year), I have not felt so much joy, pride and love...as I have felt in my first year of teaching.
Anyone who has even spoken to me since August knows that this year has been an uphill battle. Many nights of lost sleep, more hours than I would have liked stressing, lots of tears, etc, etc...I thought I had failed my kids. I thought I was a sub-par teacher. I thought over and over "I'm not sure I can do this". Being the driven, strong-willed person I am, I couldn't believe my dream of being a teacher was something I wasn't cut out to do. The only thing I felt I could do to survive was to pray for God to give me strength and wisdom.
Well, He did better. On Monday, He gave us the dreaded TAKS scores...Let's just say, I was terrified to look at my kids' results. I didn't want to see them. I considered hiding so no one could find me or making myself so busy, I wouldn't have time to deal with it. Instead, I sucked it up, braced myself for the worst and looked at the scores anyway. Then, I breathed a sigh of relief. Then, I was overjoyed. Then, I was shocked. I told my kids the GOOD news. They had done it. They had succeeded. Turns out, I hadn't failed them at all...I had actually helped them succeed and through the "blood, sweat and tears" done something right. I was so excited to tell them how well they had done on their Writing and Reading TAKS. They were equally excited. Students I didn't get to see came up to me after school and gave me high fives and hugs. They just wanted me to know how well they did. (I tried to act surprised, like I didn't already know their good news.) Finally, when I got home that night, I cried again, but this time with tears of joy instead of despair. :)
As the year is coming to a close, I am realizing how much my little thug, gansta, gang-bangers mean to me. They have become a very important part of my life. While they make me madder than I can describe, they have surprised me beyond measure with what they are capable of achieving. If I could adopt every one of them and take them home with me, I just might. :)
So, thank you, God for my blunt slap back to reality and back to the realization that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. You were right all along and as always, I was not. Finally, I can see the plans you had for me...plans to prosper me and my kids. Jeremiah 29:11
-Tracey
Monday, May 9, 2011
Reflections of Years Gone By...
Wow! That is all I can really say about the past 5 years of my life and the upcoming 5. I feel so blessed, it is unimaginable. Five years ago this month, I was but a headstrong, determined 18-year-old who was graduating from high school. A year and a five months ago, I was a headstrong, determined 22-year-old who was graduating from college. In just 5 days, I will be a headstrong, determined 23-year-old who will be graduating with her master's degree. Finally, in three months, I will be a headstrong, determined 24-year-old beginning a PhD. Wow! I cannot believe how my education has progressed and at such a rapid pace. Yes, I had something to do with that, but today, I am thankful that I was given that opportunity. I thank God that I was given the gifts necessary to achieve my goals and that I was given every resource imaginable to make me successful. I could not have done it without Him, the help of supportive family, friends and mentors and the God-given determination and headstrong-ness I mentioned above.
Now, onto the next five years. I always knew I wanted to get a PhD (yes, as a child, I wanted to go to school forever...I obviously was not normal). When I got to college, I realized that education was, in fact, my true passion despite my abilities to fight it during high school. I quickly discovered that I would be getting my PhD in education someday so that I could become a researcher, professor, advocate and politician. However, I had never truly thought BEYOND getting my PhD...what exactly would I do? Lately, I have really been thinking about this, and I have some answers. I want to do research in education pertaining to writing at the secondary level, integration of technology and spelling/phonics instruction at the secondary level. Additionally, I want to research dyslexia and autism in regards to reading education. Those are my research interests and what I hope to be able to teach in my classes. Someday in the extremely distant future, I want to be a politician so that I can TRULY reform education for the better. Before I get there though, I also want to work as a methodologist. Yes, I want to spend my days analyzing data and conveying it's meaning to others. Most of my PhD will consist of statistics courses and methods classes, so I feel I will be well-prepared for that.
I am so completely excited for what the past five years have taught me and what the next five years will bring into my life. August will be an epic month as I begin the newest and most exciting journey of my young life. :)
Join me for this crazy ride!
-Tracey
Now, onto the next five years. I always knew I wanted to get a PhD (yes, as a child, I wanted to go to school forever...I obviously was not normal). When I got to college, I realized that education was, in fact, my true passion despite my abilities to fight it during high school. I quickly discovered that I would be getting my PhD in education someday so that I could become a researcher, professor, advocate and politician. However, I had never truly thought BEYOND getting my PhD...what exactly would I do? Lately, I have really been thinking about this, and I have some answers. I want to do research in education pertaining to writing at the secondary level, integration of technology and spelling/phonics instruction at the secondary level. Additionally, I want to research dyslexia and autism in regards to reading education. Those are my research interests and what I hope to be able to teach in my classes. Someday in the extremely distant future, I want to be a politician so that I can TRULY reform education for the better. Before I get there though, I also want to work as a methodologist. Yes, I want to spend my days analyzing data and conveying it's meaning to others. Most of my PhD will consist of statistics courses and methods classes, so I feel I will be well-prepared for that.
I am so completely excited for what the past five years have taught me and what the next five years will bring into my life. August will be an epic month as I begin the newest and most exciting journey of my young life. :)
Join me for this crazy ride!
-Tracey
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