25 till 25.

Photo credit: Instagram 

My countdown app on my phone reminded me today that it's 25 days till 25. Ugh. 

My birthday hasn't traditionally been a big deal. My birthday falls near the end of the month in the summer, and growing up, with one parent as a teacher, we just didn't have a lot of money, so sometimes, it was overlooked. 

As I got older, I tried to emphasize my birthday for myself, and it has haphazardly worked. I'm lucky that I have been surrounded by a good group of friends that have sent me flowers, texts, and Instagram shoutouts to remind me how much they love me. 

This year, though, I am setting my birthday hopes high. I turn 25, which for me, equates to a quarter life crisis. A quarter of my life - 1/4, .25, 25% - is over. For me, this is a powerful moment. 

The images I had in my head of 25 don't match what I am experiencing right now, and I am having a hard time letting go of the ideal that I grew up working to obtain. Does that mean that those things aren't ever going to happen for me? Of course not, I know that logically - I know that there is so much time to have a family and get married and be responsible for the rest of my life, but I am still very much struggling with it. 

So, in order to bring in 25 the right way, I am taking the month of August - creating a birthday month dedicated to my birth and me conquering 25. Every week and weekend will come with a fun activity or time spent doing something that I want. I deserve for 25 to be wonderful and happy and filled with love. August, get ready - you have so much in store! 

Here's to 25 in 25...

Weekly Wrap Up + Preview of Strategy Saturday!

It has been a whirlwind week and what a better way to reflect than Thoughts for Thursday. This week, I have been writing integrated literacy lessons for my district, which is one of my favorite things to do! It's very nerdy, but I love writing lesson plans - I love providing assistance to teachers who need more confidence in the classroom or to teacher who just want more - I love it. 

We were writing in a new lesson template, UBD - Universal by Design, which in layman's terms, is backwards design. By outlining transfer goals (what do you want them to do at 40 years old), understandings, knowledge (what do you want them to know), and skills (what do you want them to do) - you can better prepare for misconceptions or challenges your students may have. It also makes you plan the assessment first, which is just good teaching practice, but most people forget that essential step. If you know what the assessment will look like, you can better prepare your lessons, because you know the expectation. Planning your assessment first is for your benefit! If you don't have a clear picture or a clear set of expectations for your students to meet at the end, then your lessons will be poorly planned and executed. 

Okay - that's my soapbox for the day. (: 

This week, aside from being extremely busy in my professional life, I have had some not-so-busy moments in my personal life. It's been a slow summer for me - I haven't done a whole lot, I haven't hung out with a lot of people and it hit me this week. I've just been feeling very lonely and unfulfilled and while it's no one's job, but my own to make sure I am happy and fulfilled - we all have these moments. We all have moments where we wish our friends lived closer and reached out more. We all have moments where we wish we had all the money to travel all over. We all have those moments.  I had mine this week. 

Yes, I'm a positive Patty, but this week, I struggled to maintain it, but I am thankful for an amazing friend who reached out to me and got me to go to an amazing church service, where my heart was filled with Jesus and friend love. 

Little moments like that remind me to not be so hard on myself and the others around me - we are all going through silent struggles, and even if you're best friends, there might be things they aren't telling you, so it's your job (my job) to give people a little bit of grace and understanding throughout our journey through this life. 

So, as we put on our party hats and thank God and Ice Cube for Friday, remember to treat others with the same grace and understanding you give yourself. It goes a long way. 

ALSO: Strategy Saturday is tomorrow and the post will be focused on close reading in the content areas! Swoon - who doesn't love multiple reads and graphic organizers! 

Enjoy Friday, loves - until tomorrow, 
xo - Lucy 

Motivation Monday! [:

Photo credit: Pinterest

and we're back to our regularly scheduled program...

No, I don't mean we are back to shaping young minds - my summer can't be that short. (: I do mean we are back to encouraging and making sure that Monday doesn't get a bad rap or gets sold short. 

Everyone waits for the New Year, January 1st, for a second chance - a fresh start, but we get a second chance every week - every Monday is another opportunity to make what you want happen and to make yourself into the person you want to be. Monday gets the most awful rap for being the first day of the work week, when it should be viewed as another chance to have the best week ever! 

Some of you reading this could be thinking that I am too enthusiastic or naive to real world happenings, but friend, let me tell you - I used to be you. I used to hate Mondays - another week of my boring life, at my less than perfect job, with a less than perfect body, with they choose when they want to be my friend friends. 

But, I had to stop that negativity - cut it off like a dead flower and tell myself there's more to life than trudging through the mud and hoping something different happens. You have to make that change. One positive thought in the morning is life-changing. I promise. Do it. 

Monday should be a goal-setting, powerful day for everyone - a moment where you say 'This is what I am accomplishing this week, no matter the cost.' Our goals will be different, we are all in different places, and that's okay - the point is we set the week on fire and make it happen! 

I believe in accountability, even when it's difficult or hurts, so let someone know your goals - let someone be your cheerleader. Who doesn't love cheerleaders? Everyone knows in college, I loved them more than I did the athletes - why? Because they cheer for others' success, they cheer for others to win. Be a cheerleader and let others cheer for you. There are so many quotes about not letting others know your goals and dreams, because they will shoot them down. If that's your reality, you need to surround yourself with new people, boo. A true friend, a true cheerleader won't shoot anything down, but negative speech and actions. 

So, here's to Monday, here's to setting the week on fire and not letting flame go out, here's to carrying those imaginary pom-poms and waving them every chance you get - for others and for yourself. Here's to Monday, cupcakes - another chance to make all your dreams come true! 

Photo Credit: Myself 

Motivation Monday! (:

photo credit: Pinterest

While Monday is almost over, the need for motivation never is! 

It's been a while since I have blogged, especially about my search for a new home and a new job, and it's because my present has been so busy that I haven't had time to think about my future, which may be a good thing! 

Over spring break, instead of seriously job and soul searching, I relaxed. I took a breath that I hadn't realized I had been holding, and it was marvelous. I spent time with my best friend and my family and it was exactly what I needed. I actually read a book for fun - not to tell my kids about, not to learn more best practices - just for fun, and it was so necessary for myself. I participated in a creative writing group that I worked to get accepted into, but have neglected due to work and school, and that was so nice to have people recognize me apart from my job or profession. I realized, over spring break, that a large part of my self-identity is wrapped up in my job. I'll leave that for another blog post. (: 

We are in the midst of EOG review, which is a work-out for me and my kids. Critically thinking for 90% of your day is exhausting for everyone, even the grown-up in the room, so it's been a challenge to help my kids adjust, when I can't even get myself together half the time. I can't complain though - my students are such hard workers; their work ethic will put anyone's to shame. My part time job has finally wrapped, and I am so grateful for that opportunity. The world knows I already didn't make enough money, so having a second job has more than helped out with expenses, but it will be nice to have the time back to focus on school and the potential of another job. 

I have an interview for the job in California on Wednesday via Skype, which is very exciting, but at the same time, I am almost numb to the experience. I think my mind has put itself on auto-pilot while job searching, because it's so overwhelming. I get so anxious that I won't be good enough or I won't make the right decision or I won't like the outcome - I worry more about the outcome than I do about the journey, and it shouldn't be that at all. I need to enjoy the journey and be prepared for an outcome either way. Some people would give up a lot for this opportunity, and I have to take advantage of it. So here's to California and good news! 

With Monday winding to a close and Tuesday getting dressed and packing its lunch to report for duty, take a moment to breathe and remember that this is your life. No one else owns it. No one else is owed an explanation or an answer or a justification. It's your's. You do what you want with it - however little or big it is, you do it. If all else fails, just remember Jay-Z and Beyonce are going on tour together this summer and all will be right in the world again. 

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this, why do you worry about the rest?" Luke 12:25-26

Photo credit: Pinterest

Photo credit: Pinterest

Working Woman Wednesday.

A little inspiration to get you going on this #workingwomanwednesday...

GIF credit: http://julielovenbury.com/category/bf/

"For me, an area of moral clarity is: you're in front of someone who's suffering and you have the tools at your disposal to alleviate that suffering or even eradicate it, and you act." - Paul Farmer 

credit: Brainy Quotes