One topic I’ve never really discussed on this blog is my life as an English teacher. Mostly because I’m afraid to say much  because teachers have to make sure to keep private & personal lives separate. However, I’ve gotten a few questions about what it’s like to be a teacher, so I thought I’d touch on it a little bit. After all, it is a huge part of my life & who I have become over the past two & a half years.

I teach high school English to 10th, 11th, & 12th graders at a local charter school. Teaching is both an exhausting & exhilarating career choice. Those of you teachers out there know exactly what I’m talking about. Every day is different than the one before which I LOVE.  However, it’s not glamorous nor is it easy. Yes, we get summers off but we fully make up for that with the amount of “over time” we put in planning, grading, & simply worrying about our students after school hours & over the weekend. I love my life & my students, but there are many days where I just want throw my hands up in the air & give up. As a young teacher, I especially feel that teaching must be a passion of yours. There’s some insane statistic that shows the percentage of new teachers that quit within the first five years is staggering. I don’t find that difficult to believe. It’s an emotional roller coaster that has caused me to put my head on my desk crying on multiple occasions. The truth of the matter: it’s really freaking hard being a teacher.

I come from a family of teachers. My mother was actually my elementary school principal growing up (you guessed it– I never got sent to the principal’s office). My sister is a second grade teacher. As a teenager & up until graduation, I wanted nothing to do with teaching. However, after dabbling with a more creative major (photography), I realized it was no use fighting what fate had clearly already set before me. Now, I can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s one of the most fulfilling professions.

The students are the best part. They are the reason teachers stay. I’m not going to lie, I’ve come close to quitting before. However, I didn’t because of my students. It’s quite phenomenal how attached you can get to them. I work at a small charter school & am lucky enough to have a tight-knit group of kids that I get to really connect with. They are so freaking cool. I am continuously blown away by just how amazing they are. They’ve taught me so many things!

I know I’m leaving out so many things I want to say on this topic, but I will step off my proverbial soapbox & hope that I haven’t scared too many of you away!  Don’t worry. I don’t plan on making this a teacher blog or anything from now on. I just wanted to share a  slice of my life that I’ve been keeping to myself for a while now on this blog. Also, please let me know if any of you have any other questions about teacher. I’d love to talk with you about this topic!

I’ve come to a (not-so-shocking) realization. I’ve realized that I don’t update my blog because I’m lazy nor is it because of a lack of things to share. I don’t blog because I have one of the shortest attention spans of anyone that I know. If you could just listen to my inner monologue for a few minutes, you’d quickly realize what I’m talking about. Here’s a sample for you:

“I can’t wait for the Hunger Games movie tonight! I hope it’s as good as the books. I need to read more books. I need to use the Nook that Kevin got me for Christmas. I hope he doesn’t think I don’t like it. I hope we can get good seats at the theater. I wonder if I should wear shorts or pants. I need more shorts for summer. I can’t wait for summer. I want to go on a cruise or something!”

That it is all to say, I finally GET why I’m not an A+ blogger! And, you know what? That’s okay! I’m going to do the best I can & if people what to listen to me, let them. If not, that’s alright too! So, this past week was my Spring Break! Another time I remember one of the awesome perks of being a teacher (apart from the whole preparing the nation for its future leaders — blah blah blah). I have been very productive over my break. I did ALL my laundry which is pretty much something that should go into the history books. I’ve done a lot of spring cleaning, patio gardening planning, & also just straight up chilling. Here are some pictures to prove I’m alive & well!

I bought a new dress! Please excuse the blurriness. My boyfriend has shaky camera hands.

I’m taking a pottery class at a local art center with some teacher friends.
This is my first batch of completely finished & glazed pots. I’m (more than a little) proud of myself.

We got a new patio set for the balcony. It’s so stinkin’ cute. I also have plans to make a pallet garden. I’ve already “rescued” a pallet from the back parking lot of my local grocery store.

Stumbling upon murals & small parks such as this one around my city is the exact reason why I love where I love so much! People may talk crap about Cincinnati, but there are so many hidden gems if you are willing to do a little exploring!

To those of you readers who can stomach my spastic blogging, you get mad props from me! Enjoy your Saturday!

Ah, yes! It’s the beginning of a new year which means everyone is feeling all shiny & happy & we all have the highest of hopes for the months to come. And, what’s wrong with that!? As cheesy & over-used as it may seem, it’s so wonderful to be able to metaphorically start fresh every year. Kevin & I went to the grocery story & stocked up on healthy snacks for me (that being part of one of my “resolutions”). Our cart was filled mostly with fresh fruits & veggies. It was intriguing to see how low in stock the store was on fresh produce. I’d be interested to find out if that has any correlation to all the people & their New Year resolutions. I would put money on the answer being yes!

That being said, I’m keeping my resolutions small & simple this year. I know I’m a couple days late, but here are my resolutions for 2012 (in no order):

1. Drink more water. I’ve already begun this one, but I want to keep it going. I like to freeze lemon slices & plop them into ice water. There’s really few things that are more refreshing! We all know how important our water intake is, so this resolution needs little explanation.
2. Cook more! I’ve actually already started this one as well (I’m on a roll!). I made a delicious homemade soup a few days before Christmas. It was GOOD if I say so myself. And, even better the second day! I’m so spoiled because my boyfriend is such an amazing cook. But, I feel like 2012 is the year for me to step my game up. My sister also got me an adorable apron for Christmas that needs some serious breaking in! Oh, and I want to not only cook more, but cook healthier as well.
3. Be kinder to myself. I seriously, seriously, seriously need to cut myself a break! I am determined to stop being so hard on myself & do little things to pamper myself. More massages . More manicures. More bubble baths. More time to unwind & not feel guilty about it. Less worrying about what others think of me. Less being my own worse critic. It’s time for me to learn how to really love myself.
4. Shower those that I love with appreciation & adoration. This one is self-explanatory as well. I have some really amazing friends & family in my life. I am determined to be more selfless & show them how much they truly mean to me.
5. Work out or shut up! I am constantly whining about my weight & how out of shape I am…as I shove chips into my face & watch my third episode of Real Housewives of New Jersey. So, I either need to get off the couch or stop bitching about my physical appearance to everyone. It’s annoying me, so I can only imagine how annoying it is to others! I plan on really working out this year! I’m still researching gym memberships, but I’m also considering actually purchasing a tread mill. That way, I’ll have no excuses!

Well, there you have it! Here’s to an amazing New Year with endless possibilities!

(Clockwise from top-left: 1|2|3|4)

I love, love, love it when people get creative with their holiday decorating. I especially love when they veer away from the “classic” bright red/green combo & put their own creative twist on it.

(Clockwise from top-left: 1|2|3|4)

Twinkle lights never, ever fail to put me in the holiday spirit! My apartment is currently decked out with enough twinkle lights to make it feel like daytime in the middle of the night. And, that’s just the way I like it!

(Clockwise from top-left: 1|2|3|4)

Not only is there no snow in my neck of the woods, it’s unseasonable warm (60 degrees on December 21st!?). So, at the moment, I’m forced to look wistfully at these beautiful winter wonderland photographs & hope for my own taste of it before the end of winter.

What gets you into the holiday spirit?

 For those of you following me on Google or any other type of reader, I wanted to share my new blog layout. I’m pretty proud of myself because I’m not exactly a pro when it comes to web design, so it took me a lot of time to get it to look the way I wanted it to look. I was going for a fresh, light, & airy feel. I used a lot of freebies from the amazing Pugly Pixel. If you haven’t checked that website out, you really must. So many great resources!

So, what do you think of the new layout? Do you like it? Any suggestions on how to improve it?

I am breaking my blog silence to share with you some photographs of my sweet nephew Eli’s nursery. My sister did such a great job making it an inviting space! I especially love the shelf display with the “A” to “Z” bookends! So inspiring & whimsical.

(Photo credits go to my talented father.)

]]> http://www.emilyabigail.com/?feed=rss2&p=1279 0 http://www.emilyabigail.com/?p=1263 http://www.emilyabigail.com/?p=1263#comments Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:27:11 +0000 Emily Abigail http://www.emilyabigail.com/?p=1263

{1. Owl Pumpkin;  2. Scalloped Pointelle Loop Scarf in Orange;  3. Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate;
4. Cute pumpkin cupcake;  5. Oval shaped Flowers Print / Orange / Yellow;  6. Erika Persimmon Duvet Cover }

Fun fact: I’m obsessed with everything pumpkin! Seriously, you guys. October is one of my favorite months (in part) because I can unabashedly express my adoration for the color, flavor, scent and any/everything related to pumpkins! With that being said, I’ve decided to hand-picked a few of my favorite pumpkin-related items to share with you. I am especially fond of the owl pumpkin. He/she may be making an appearance in my home sometime soon.

Do you have any obsessions that come along with a particular month or season? Are you as obsessed with pumpkin as I am?