Finally, I can take a breath and really start this thing. I can really introduce myself and give you a look into my life. The idea of starting this blog was with the intention of it being a sort of catharsis for my first years teaching… hiccups. When I finally decided to do this, I knew I couldn’t allow myself to put that kind of negativity into the world so often.
Don’t worry, I will vent a bunch!!! Maybe even some hilarious stories or fun things. Get ready for the real and raw experiences from a new teacher. My goal is to help others who were in my place. In my first year teaching, 4 first-year teachers were hired. The other 3 quit by the end of November. I think back and though I definitely did NOT know what I was doing, I wish I could have done something to support them.
That’s what I want to do now. I want to help people. I want to spread positive vibes and creative ideas. I am putting intention into my life right now to make my bubble around me positive instead of the gloomy place it is. I will explain this (including my mental health issues) later.
But, yeah… This is me. Honestly, this whole thing about blogging is so new and foreign to me. I’m sure I’ll learn and grow so I get better at it, but for now I’ll just continue being awkward and rambling. Gotta keep that growth mindset going but also not beating myself up for not being at the goal yet. At least I’m trying right?
So, this is me. My name is Courtney. I currently live in Hawaii since my husband is stationed here, but I am from Missouri (and miss it a lot!). I teach Kindergarten/1st Grade Special Education Resource at an elementary school on base. Since the whole state of Hawaii is technically one district, it makes it easier for my school to be a public school. If you ever get confused with the way for applying to teach in Hawaii, I only sorta understand the HIDOE’s system… but have gone through it so I have a little experience? Anyway, hit me up.
My dream job has always been elementary art education. Maybe when I move back to the Mainland in a few years I’ll have a shot at it, but for now, I am absolutely LOVING my job. Actually, I shouldn’t say that. Quite frankly I’m pretty miserable at my job, but only because of the situational and administrative side of things. I love what I do, and I love my kids. When I think about leaving this job, as I have many times over the past 2 years, that’s what always brings me back.
I intend to keep up with this blog, post weekly or biweekly, and update my shop with resources I have created. My blog will be a mix of what I’ll call either “talk” or “demo.” Talk is just what it sounds like… talking story. Demo will be explanations or tutorials of my resources or general resources that I did not create, or even ideas for content. Though I intend on posting frequently, I will allow myself some grace and understanding. That is something I want to pass on to you–I don’t want you to feel any shame for not doing something you planned on or not doing something as well as you hoped. You show compassion to your kids, now it’s time to practice what you teach.
If you read this far, WOW! I’m really impressed, haha. Some day I’ll get into all of the ups and downs I’ve had both personally and professionally. I’m going to be as open as I can be. I’m gonna be honest about something right now, though. I am LONELY. I don’t have many friends. I’m not the greatest friend, I don’t always reply quickly or at all, time differences can make things hard, and if I’m drained emotionally, I may not even really check my phone for a week.
If you need a friend, or someone to talk to about something, a person to vent to that no one else knows, anything like that. You can email me and I intend to be the best friend that I can be. Maybe we can even make a group chat on WhatsApp! (Now I am just day dreaming and getting my expectations too high. I’ve decided not to delete this part of my post to be transparent about my highs and lows so that I can truly be open about my mental health. If they are not inappropriate, I will also leave my intrusive thoughts in the future.)
Sending you good vibes,
Courtney