As I begin this, I believe I have at least four other essays that I have attempted to start waiting in my folder on Drive. Maybe they are good ideas, maybe they’re not. Maybe I did not give them the proper attention when the topic initially crossed my mind. I have not been able to write as much as I had hoped lately, and I hope that my ability to develop a thought into words on a page is not going away. I hope this is just rustiness that needs to be removed by increasing the use of my brain and my fingers to pour my thoughts into my keyboard and onto this page.
I also wonder what my plans are with my writing? I didn’t begin this with any plan, course of action, or intended outcome. I just felt that I needed to start writing. I felt that with what I have done, what I do, and what I will do that writing would be an amazing experience for me. I may not be writing poetry, although I have tried, but I do feel that writing puts me in touch with humanity. It gives me insight into my own perception of the world while I verbalize the experiences I have with people throughout each day. I have had quite a bit on my mind lately and I desperately need to write.
A prominent thing on my mind has been the Twitter chat I created and curate, #txhsfbchat. It has grown more and reached farther than I could have imagined when I first had this idea. It has opened up relationships with people across the nation and provided an opportunity for me to grow professionally that I honestly haven’t put much effort into previously. I have always enjoyed learning, but I have never invested as much time into learning more about what I do than I have now. It is exciting and I wish I would have done this years ago. I can easily say it has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in my career and I can’t wait to see the impact of it on the field and in my classroom each day.
I have also been flooded with thoughts of my future and how my son’s college choice may impact it. Depending on where he ends up (in three years) could impact where I’m living, what I’m doing, and a whole host of other things that I haven’t considered. I would love for him to attend a university somewhere West, preferably in or very near the mountains. This would force our hand into moving to where my wife and I have set as our goal of moving to for our eventual retirement. I would love for this to happen, as it would fulfill my heart’s desire of being in a place that is absolutely beautiful to me. The mountains have been calling me for years, and I have not given them the full answer I feel they deserve.
Did I mention that I teach seniors? Working with them as they approach their impending graduation requires a special level of commitment and understanding. With over a month remaining in their high school lives, there is so much I still have left to teach them with so little time. Less than half of what I want them to learn from me involves the inhabitants of our oceans. I want them to learn to finish what they started, and to finish strong. That even if you don’t like what you are asked to do, that it is still worth giving your best effort when the task is a requirement. And even if you think you’re done, and you feel you’ve taken everything you can take from this school and the teachers you’ve had, that there is a reason I choose to teach seniors and I have more to offer you even after you leave.
With all of this on my mind, I still manage to find the time to be with my family and give them the love and support they deserve. I also manage to find time to fulfill my Netflix and Game of Thrones addiction. It is important to have your daily escapes. Whether you enjoy this or not, read this or not, I have fulfilled part of my need to write some words and express some thoughts. Now I must figure out what to write next…..
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