New Year, New Post (Finally)

Well, I haven't been the best blogger so far. BUT, New Years is the perfect time to change that. In the spirit of resolutions, I have decided to make some (not huge, but still important) life changes. Vanderbilt (my alma mater) stressed SMART goals, so in that vein, I will attempt to make these goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. (Thank you, Google, for reminding me what each letter in SMART actually represents...) I have decided on 3 life/personal goals and 3 teaching goals.

Personal Life Goals:
1. I will make it to the gym at least 4 days/week: I really need to stop spending money on a gym membership that I'm not using. Plus, I feel so much better/happier/more energetic when I work out.
2. I will make an effort to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables everyday. I am not the worst eater in the world (well, not usually - thanks, holiday season), but I could certainly improve my eating habits. Going along with this, I will make dinner at home 4 nights/week and try my best to cut out processed foods. Like gym trips, I need to remember that I feel so much better when I eat real food.
3. Try new things! Go on adventures! I want to spend money on adventures, not things. I want to take opportunities for travel and try new things in my city. I grew up here, so I can get stuck going to the same places over and over with the same people. But I want to meet new people and try new places/food/adventures. Therefore, I will join at least one group to meet new people and take advantage of Groupons/Living Social deals as they come along.

Teaching Goals:
1. Interact with other teacher bloggers for new ideas and actually implement the new ideas. I want to make online teacher friends, who I can go to for support, lesson plans, behavior management, etc. I also want to become a better blogger myself, so I will make a deal to write at least 1 time per week. Hopefully, I can do more, but we'll try that at first!
2. Learn about Responsive Classroom - read books, find blogs/websites, and see if I can begin to implement in my classroom this year. If not, I plan to use it next year, so I want to become acquainted with the program anyway.
3. Seek out and find new teaching opportunities for next year. My current job (and school) is great, but as my principal referred to the position, "It's the minor leagues of teaching." (And he made sure to add that I need to "move up to the majors" - love the baseball analogy! Ha it was when the Reds were in the midst of their, ultimately failed, playoff run...so baseball was on the minds of all Cincinnatians.) I have a few leads on new positions, all of which intrigue me and are at schools where I would love to teach. I want to actively seek out the principals and learn about the schools and the positions. Then, when I am offered a position, I plan to study specifics of that grade/subjects I will be teaching. I will use the summer to actually plan for the upcoming school year!

So, I'm hoping that writing these goals out will hold me accountable for accomplishing them. I plan to refer back to them at different points throughout the year. Maybe a monthly update on how I'm doing?

In any case, Happy 2013! Let's make it a great year!

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary School

Praying for all of the children, teachers, staff, families, and friends affected by this tragedy. There are no words.