Hey Internetlandia,
I haven’t done a new post in a while, and that’s because – school started!
Many of you probably know that I’m a teacher. I teach Junior level high school English. I’m also teaching creative writing for the first time this year. A lot goes into teaching other than what happens in the classroom. I’ve been spending time planning lessons, setting up my classroom space, reading what I’m going to teach, and the list goes on.
Even though I get home every day totally exhausted – I’ve been up since 5 AM! – my students also motivate me and lift me up. Last year they motivated to finish my novel. This year, you should see my creative writing kids. I get up in front of the class to lecture, and they all look up at me like I know what I’m talking about. I do. Nothing fights imposter syndrome like having 30 people rapt in what you’re saying.
They’re inspiring me to find time to be creative again this year. So I’m going to try to get back into the swing of blogging. I’m getting more into freelancing, and I’m writing short stories, too! I’m even going to do NaNoWriMo with them.
Other things that have changed:
- I’m the advisor for creative writing club. I don’t know what I’m doing. lol
- I’m the founder of a new literary journal for my MFA. You should submit to it! https://obraartifact.wordpress.com/
- I’m writing short stories, but I’m finding out that I may li
ke novels better. Or rather, I may not like short stories that weren’t written by Flannery O’Connor. (If you have a favorite, please share it with me!) - I am WAY better at PokemonGo than my students. Level 21 ftw. I’m a nerd, and I’m okay with that.
- I got bangs! I also got a lot of compliments! I posted the picture on facebook, saying that I did it because I’d been feeling down. I wasn’t sure what people would say. I’m wary of talking about mental health online, or in person, and I know “feeling down” isn’t incredibly specific, but I was overwhelmed with the positive feedback I got. Some of my friends even checked on me to make sure I was okay. I like to think we’re all good animals mostly.
- My best friend is getting married! I’m alone! I’m happy for her, but…sometimes I’m not a good animal.
- I made a new friend who is divorced and doesn’t want kids. This is SO REFRESHING, because 90% of the adults I’m around every day are married with children, and an equal percentage of my students believes that being married with children is the highest goal in their lives. 🙁 I want a relationship, but I know being single doesn’t make me less of a person.
- (On that note, I’m pretty sure I’m not terrible looking, so the problem must be my personality!)
- Thursday afternoon in seventh period, the lightbulb in my classroom’s projector EXPLODED! Tech requests must go through a Gogolian bureaucracy that makes the Ministry of Magic look very tech-savvy. But right before first period Friday, a lady from tech services arrived AND MADE IT SO I COULD ACTUALLY TEACH. Yay!
- This coming week, I’m going to try to write more and actually get some exercise.
Is it winter vacation yet? I’m tired.
How’s life for you?
FYI, if you’re curious about what my creative writing students are studying, take a look at rennernsb.wordpress.com. 🙂
3 Responses
Your writing moves me as the moon moves the tides and your wondrous words beam boundless beauty into the multiverse.
You look like starlight, so perhaps you have not yet found someone worthy of your sparkling spirit, heavenly heart, and piercing perspicacity.
Wow..our lives mirror and are polar opposites. I’m also an English teacher. I teach International Baccalaureate (IB) English Years 1 & 2 (Jrs. & Srs.), IB Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and regular English IV. I recently started a poetry club at school called Poetry Gumbo (no idea what I’m doing either).
On the flip side, I prefer short stories to novels and write literary nonfiction. I’m also a freelance journalist, yogi and twice daily meditator. I’ve even incorporated yoga and meditating as part of my bell ringers for my IB classes! I stay at school each night until about 11 p.m. and am too, up for 5 a.m. Teaching is my “day” job. Preparing my lessons is my “night” job. It’s when the real work begins. I create my lessons like musicians compose symphonies.
I love your work! You’re beautiful because your spirit soars through my high-speed Internet, and as a married woman who has enjoyed being married, I would enjoy being single while I work on my MFA in creative nonfiction writing and lesson plans. #nopressure
I’m looking forward to reading more and you’ve inspired me to share my work on my Web site!
Until next time…
#bebalanced
“Is it winter vacation yet? I’m tired.” I got tired reading about your normal day. I’m so tired I can’t even think of a witty way to conclude this comment.