Today I became a graduate of Athens State University with a B.S. in Social Science with a minor in Secondary Education. Spent the day celebrating with some family and friends. They say behind every good man is a good woman. Well, I don't know if am considered a "good" man, but I know I have a great wife that has stood behind me all the way. I don't know what the Lord has in store for me as I pursue a career related to my degree, but I know he is in charge, so all I have to do is make sure I am listening.
Today was also bittersweet. As I celebrated this accomplishment in my life, I wish Mom could be there to share it with me. Ten days from now will mark five years that we lost her. It just does not seem like that long, but then again it seems like an eternity sometimes. Speaking of eternity, I know she was watching from Heaven as she held that little one that Monica and I never got to know due to her ectopic pregnancy and said "That's your daddy!"
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Student teaching...and coaching
I am about 6 weeks into my secondary education internship and having fun. I am lucky to have been assigned to the school I went to and graduated from 22 years ago, Danville High School. On top of that, I am blessed to have been attached to Coach Paul Wilson as my teaching mentor. I have started teaching all classes, thus in full control of what those adolescent minds soak in when it comes to American Government and Modern U.S. History. My first observation by my Athens State supervisor will be this Monday, so I am a bit nervous about that, but confident all will go well.
One thing I was told by my secondary education advisor and supervisor was to make myself available to coach if I was capable as that would help pad my resume when I go apply for teaching jobs. So, I did as they suggested and let the principal, who my JV football and baseball coach when I went to school at Danville, know I was willing to help coach anything if anybody needed it. The baseball coach asked me if I was willing to help, and of course I gave him an affirmative.
Most of you know of the physical issues I have went through the past few years and still have today. So, student teaching was going to be a good test of where I stood with these issues and if I was actually going to be able to handle teaching. Yet, adding coaching duties to that was going to be a challenge. I am determined to get back to work full time, regardless of what the doctors have told me, and since I seemed to be able to handle the standing that teaching was throwing at me, I figured I could handle the coaching on top of it. Though I do have some stiffness and soreness after practices and games, so far it has not been anything that I can't handle. I just have to make sure I don't overdo anything and ignore any warning signs like I did before.
I can tell you that I am getting a real good idea of how efficient a teacher who also coaches has to be at both jobs. Time management is very important. Once the games started and I found myself not getting home until after 8 pm, I discovered how important my planning period was, as very little time was left for me to prepare for teaching, and grade papers, at home. Monica is also having some princess moments and not like the fact that there is not much "us" time right now. I remind her that she is seeing how I felt when she doing all those clinicals at night and on the weekends while working full time, but just like her, I am doing what it takes to make my eventual job search easier.
One thing I was told by my secondary education advisor and supervisor was to make myself available to coach if I was capable as that would help pad my resume when I go apply for teaching jobs. So, I did as they suggested and let the principal, who my JV football and baseball coach when I went to school at Danville, know I was willing to help coach anything if anybody needed it. The baseball coach asked me if I was willing to help, and of course I gave him an affirmative.
Most of you know of the physical issues I have went through the past few years and still have today. So, student teaching was going to be a good test of where I stood with these issues and if I was actually going to be able to handle teaching. Yet, adding coaching duties to that was going to be a challenge. I am determined to get back to work full time, regardless of what the doctors have told me, and since I seemed to be able to handle the standing that teaching was throwing at me, I figured I could handle the coaching on top of it. Though I do have some stiffness and soreness after practices and games, so far it has not been anything that I can't handle. I just have to make sure I don't overdo anything and ignore any warning signs like I did before.
I can tell you that I am getting a real good idea of how efficient a teacher who also coaches has to be at both jobs. Time management is very important. Once the games started and I found myself not getting home until after 8 pm, I discovered how important my planning period was, as very little time was left for me to prepare for teaching, and grade papers, at home. Monica is also having some princess moments and not like the fact that there is not much "us" time right now. I remind her that she is seeing how I felt when she doing all those clinicals at night and on the weekends while working full time, but just like her, I am doing what it takes to make my eventual job search easier.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Graduation and Surgery
If you know me at all, you know that I like to do things on my schedule. So I did indeed graduate from nursing school on December 18. I am so glad to be finished, but my eye is still on the prize. I need to take Chemistry & Statistics so that I can finish my Bachelor of Science in Nursing online at either UAH or UAB, which I hope to be enrolled in by the end of the year. I was signed up to take classes this semester at Calhoun, but for planning purposes, I had to hold off. Some people seem to think I need to take a break.
Surgery was supposed to happen before the end of the year, but one of the surgeons had a cruise booked, which obviously he didn't ask me first, so I had to go with the flow and book it after the first of the year even though I has already met my deductible in 2012. Boo. But we got it worked out and it wouldn't interfere with Craig's last semester at Athens. The surgery was successful, which was a wonderful blessing. It definitely made the pain just a tad bit more bearable. This was the 3rd laproscopic surgery for the purpose of treating my endometriosis, but the 4th of it's type when you add in my ectopic. The fact that they had to convert to surgery to a more invasive, open procedure upped the ante a bit, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Today is 2 weeks post op and it's been a slow recovery. I'm not a spring chicken anymore and thank God for pain meds. I've also had my mom here to take care of me during the day and Craig gives me my princess attention best he can at night.
I test next Friday at 8am for my national RN license and I'm currently looking for a nursing job. Keep me in your prayers that the right job comes along.
Surgery was supposed to happen before the end of the year, but one of the surgeons had a cruise booked, which obviously he didn't ask me first, so I had to go with the flow and book it after the first of the year even though I has already met my deductible in 2012. Boo. But we got it worked out and it wouldn't interfere with Craig's last semester at Athens. The surgery was successful, which was a wonderful blessing. It definitely made the pain just a tad bit more bearable. This was the 3rd laproscopic surgery for the purpose of treating my endometriosis, but the 4th of it's type when you add in my ectopic. The fact that they had to convert to surgery to a more invasive, open procedure upped the ante a bit, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Today is 2 weeks post op and it's been a slow recovery. I'm not a spring chicken anymore and thank God for pain meds. I've also had my mom here to take care of me during the day and Craig gives me my princess attention best he can at night.
I test next Friday at 8am for my national RN license and I'm currently looking for a nursing job. Keep me in your prayers that the right job comes along.
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