This summer, a focal point in my life has been time – not knowing how to fill time while simultaneously having too much to accomplish and not enough seconds at the ready … a bit of a conundrum, right? I looked at my calendar just the other day, and I was shocked to see that my teaching career officially begins in exactly a month. However, I leave my hometown to start meetings and training for my big girl job in about two and a half weeks. Reality is most certainly settling in, and my biggest doubt is whether or not I’m ready for it.

I know in my soul that I am fully capable of immersing myself in the glorious life of a high school English teacher. I’ve already started planning and choosing activities and units to attempt with what will be my students. However, I’m fearful of standing at the podium completely by myself, of having complete control over the course of my classroom management, curriculum, and environment.

An important factor in the way that I approach teaching is being as uniquely myself as possible. I’m young and weird and I have a multitude of interests that I think are important to showcase in my classroom. I like funky décor and bright colors and meaningful quotations from obscure novels and films, etc. I have so many interesting statement pieces purchased specifically for my classroom, and I am so excited about placing these items in the room to make it feel like a fun and quirky place to be.

If I’m being honest, and in my own experience, English is often viewed as a stuffy and pretentious subject with complex language and little hope for understanding. My English classes will take those stereotypes and show young students how to make academic learning interactive and interesting while staying true to the roots of traditional concepts regarding academic learning.

I will always do my best to encourage students to take charge of their own learning and to challenge analyses and ask questions, to have their own unique opinions while being mindful and respectful of others and their difference of opinions.

As I was figuring out how to approach planning curriculum for the first time by myself, I really took the time to make meaning out of my year. During a homily about a month ago, Father said something that struck a chord in me, and it just so happened to be a question: What makes you tick, or what motivates you?

This question reminded me of my student teaching days, about how when I would frequently ask my students what motivated them, they didn’t have an answer. I got the sense that these particular students had no sense of purpose, or they had no one to help guide them through life. Therefore, this question seemed like the perfect co-question to the theme in my classroom this year.

The theme in my classroom revolves around journeying through literature, not in just a physical sense from setting to setting, but also the personal journey we all take through literature. I use annotating works as an example of this personal journey. When I read, I have a conversation with the text … every text I read.

When I sit down with a good book, I always have a pen in hand ready to etch phrases and questions and musings in the margins. I converse with the characters like I’m actually there. Reading is a journey, why not show students how to relate to the journey that is literature? That is the key for me – pairing classics with modern works to showcase the relatability across generations. I’m so excited to make learning in my classroom as fun as possible over the course of this next year.

Now, while my job has been weighing heavily on my mind and my heart lately, I have also made it a point to enjoy what little time I have left of my summer. Let us go back a few weeks to my island vacation …

Right after the cake was served, and I danced with some old friends, I took off the bridesmaid dress, hopped into my already packed car, and began the five-hour drive home. The reason for my early departure was that we just so happened to be leaving early the next morning for Sanibel Island, Florida for a ten-day vacation.

I was relieved to have this week with my family to relax and read and just enjoy some sun and sand. However, I was irritable. A severe lack of coffee, exhaustion, and the fact that I had to drive in the dark were the detrimental compilation of triggers that made me just a tad snippy that night on the phone.

You see ladies and gents, I snapped. I was snippy with both my mother and Mr. Know-it-All, and I hated the way that I was taking my anger and irritation out on third-party individuals with no actual bearing on my mood. I ended up apologizing to my mom right away and leaving a teary and emotional voicemail for Mr. Know-it-All because I thought that he had gone to bed mad and without saying goodnight. I was all in my feelings, but because he is the person that he is, he called me back and stayed on the phone until almost 1 a.m. to make sure I made it home safely. A keeper, right?

That next day, we began the 2-day trip to Florida, which I slept through entirely. I swear, I ended up sleeping for 3 days straight, which was my body telling me that I need to get more sleep each night so that I don’t have to disappear for 3 days to reboot.

We had finally arrived … but the forecast was predicting rain and storms almost every day; however, we did manage to have fairly nice weather, and I had the sunburn to prove it. I actually thoroughly enjoyed this peaceful and serene vacation. I even managed to see Mr. Know-it-All because his family just so happens to vacation that same week in that same location every year.

My first night on the island, we took a sunset walk to the lighthouse which was so beautiful. We then took a dip in the pool and the hot tub under the stars and ended the night with some chocolate ice cream. After a week or so without seeing him, it was the perfect start to a week of bliss.

While on the island, my family and I spent time picking shells, eating ice cream, playing shuffleboard – which I now know I’m a boss at because I’m old at heart – and shopping. We perused local artwork, a tremendous number of mugs, and antiques. There was this little antique shop nestled amongst the palm trees, and it was my favorite shop. Once I found the walls of books, I spent a decent amount of time looking through the titles. I stumbled upon a copy of The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow from 1898. I was so excited … but my family was a little irritated that it took so long for me to find something. But that’s what I love about antique shops or thrift stores; it truly takes time to stumble upon a good find. I will now showcase that epic in my classroom, or maybe I’ll place it next to my grandmother’s typewriter. Who knows?

All in all, the beach was and always will be my happy place. Good times and good memories always follow us home and documenting our experiences through writing always allows for a little extra reminiscing.

Now, I’m back to reality. I’m finishing out my last few weeks of work in retail and getting ready to see my sister in a week! I’m so excited to catch up even if it is only for one day; however, I know that in time, once all my siblings are settled, we will see each other more often. For now, facetime, phone calls, and letters are what matter most.

I’m also spending time with Mr. Know-it-All because in a few weeks I’ll be 300 miles away. We’ve had so much fun finding our competitive spirits when it comes to bowling and basketball. For the record, I slay at bowling while he takes the cake when it comes to basketball … for now. We have planned some further competitions, which I will of course update all you avid readers about because I think I might just be the underdog here, and sometimes the underdog wins.

We even played a game of Cards Against Humanity with my parents, which was so much fun. After seeing Spiderman: Far from Home, we grabbed the cards and had a laugh. I learned a lot about my parents, which made us laugh until we were red in the face.

As you can see, my days have been filled with love and laughter from all of the people in my life. I also had a much-needed lunch date with my best friends. We needed to catch up on our relationships and just life in general over pizza, of course. What we learned is that we are all so happy in life right now, and I cannot wait to see what is to come with our lives in the next few years.

But for now, I’ll call it a wrap before I word vomit for at least another page. Coffee has and always will be my tried and true remedy to keep the irritability at bay and happy on my face all day. Well, Mr. Know-it-All helps as well. Until next time …