I Quit My Job and Went to Work!

At 40 years old, I feel as if I have finally found my calling! BUT it has been a fight to reach this point in my life. It has been the fight of my life! As aforementioned in many of my previous blog posts, I have worked in the education industry for a total of 16 years. I have known and felt that I would work with children at an early age. It has been a journey. I have been offered many positions in education that were not teaching and have thrived in those areas as well. I have not been 100% happy with my teaching journey in a very long time! In fact I have been miserable. Not because of my students or workload, but miserable because I have not been in touch with who I am until now. In touch with who I really am to the core. In touch with the woman that Christ created me to be. Holding on to past hurts and carrying around a lot of baggage. In addition to that, there was no support from my leadership team nor other co-workers. I resigned from my ESL teaching position in June of 2016. It was time to go because I was finding out that if I couldn't be true to myself, how could  I teach young children how to. At that time, I had been in the classroom on and off a total of about 10 years. I have also received education experience as an Assistant Director for a preschool for a year in Pembroke Pines, FL and worked at The University of Virginia at The Curry School of Education. After working there a few years, God led me right back into the classroom. 

After I quit my teaching position in 2016,  I went to work, on MYSELF! It all started with journaling. I started attending church on a regular basis and I would take notes during every service. I started implementing what I heard into my everyday life. I started seeing a therapist on a regular basis. I started reaching out to family more and addressing my issues more and more. I began to EXERCISE on a regular basis. I would bring workout clothes and shoes to work with me. I was consistent with this routine for about 2 or 3 years. My mental health improved but I still had a lot of work to do.

One thing I learned how to do was to REST! Society tends to make us think that working like a maniac equals success. So far from the truth. We need REST! Rest is the precursor to any kind of elevation in life. I doesn't come from working all the time. It's fine to have an outlet like work in our daily lives but if you notice, success doesn't come when we are stressed. It comes when we are at rest. True rest comes when our spirit rests in our Savior. I love that part of being a child of God. My pursuit in obtaining the things that God wants me to be, do and have will continue as long as I am living. I quit my job and went to work AND that's the best decision I've ever made!

How Teaching Prepared Me For Success! Part 2!

Teaching young kids gives me a feeling that I just cannot describe. It feels like I’m right in the middle of God’s calling for my life. It has not always been this way. There was a time where teaching gave me stress like nothing else in the world. I’ve wanted to teach since I was in college. After declaring my major as English, I decided to give teaching a go. I took a public speaking course in college and hated it. I was so intimidated by getting up in front of class and speaking in front of people I barely knew. Fast forward 20 years later and my passion has led me to a 16 year education career. I’m teaching to touch lives! It’s part of the calling that I have walked into. Once you find your calling, everything in life comes together like the missing pieces of a puzzle!

I started my teaching journey in Mexico City, MX in 2003. I moved there with my best friend and roommate a few months after graduating from college. I stayed there about 6 months. When returning to the states, I taught on and off for about 9 years before I returned to a licensed teaching environment. During that time, I was an Assistant Director of a preschool in Pembroke Pines, FL and a Research Specialist at UVA. I took on the role of lead ESL teacher in 2013. 2013 was a special year. It was also the year that I created my blog, ‘The Word Nerd!’ In my off time, I discovered my passion for writing. I wrote in gratitude journals, my Bible, and wrote papers for courses I needed to take for professional development. After teaching in Eastern North Carolina for 2 years, I decided to go back to school and obtain a Masters in Teaching. That decision led me to where I am now! Teaching and Writing go hand in hand. I would have never had discovered these passions if not for putting myself in position to be disciplined enough to follow God’s plan for my life. I am so happy with my current skills. I love teaching and writing and I hope to do both for a very long time!

I Am My Favorite Salt!

I used to love any sort of Lays potato chips. The plain lightly salted ones were always my favorite. But since I recently started watching what I eat, I only eat chips in moderation. Because of my limited access to chips, I have begun to take a likeking to the Salt and Vinegar ones. They go great with a tall glass of apple juice. Must be the sweet and salty combo! I used to think that they were my favorite salt. I have never been a fan of salt. Salt is absolutely never added to my food. I actually hate the way it makes my food taste. I can stomach it on a bag of chips though. It is the strangest thing. Even though I prefer salt and vinegar chips, there is a salt that I love even more!

Matthew 5:13 says, ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt looses its saltiness, how can it be salty again. It’s no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled over!’ God has called his children to be the salt of the earth. Broken down even further, he’s called his children to be truthful and sincere about sharing the gospel and our faith journey. ‘We are the way, the truth and the life,’ John 14:6.

So, every time I go to pick up a bag of salt and vinegar chips, I think of my Heavenly Father and what he has called me to do for him here on earth. I have been called and chosen to worship in spirit and in truth. It is my duty to share the good news. By doing so, my salty chips taste so much sweeter!

How Teaching Prepared Me For Success! Three Part Series! Part One.

For as long as I can remember, I have had the deep desire to be an educator. I vividly remember my first job babysitting my neighbors kids. When my siblings and I were kids, we would pretend to play 'school.' I was always the teacher. As I got older, the beginning of each school year was a favorite of mine. My parents took me to get school supplies and I quickly found out that it was the most fun. I loved getting prepared for school each year. I have been blessed to know that I wanted to be a teacher since declaring my major in college. My first teaching experience was abroad in Mexico City, MX. In this blog post, we are discussing how my teaching experience prepared me for success!

In 2003, I flew to Mexico City from Los Angeles, CA. After a 4 hour flight, I went through customs and began exploring my new home for the next 6 months. I landed a position as a teacher at The Wall Street Institute. I would be working 5 days a week. My hostel (hotel) was about 15 minutes from work. I travelled to and from work by foot everyday. Although my commute was short, I was very nervous about walking to work. I was one of the only African American people that I saw on a daily basis. Right off the bat, my commute taught me independence and responsibility. I had to be very vigilant everyday that I travelled to work. That is not something I was used to in my previous living situations. I was living and working in a third world country so everything about being there was out of my comfort zone. Having to adjust my daily routine to get to work safely taught me lots of discipline. I had the same weekly schedule while living abroad. Although my boss was American, my students were both Asian and Mexican. At the time, I spoke little to no Spanish. After a few months of teaching, I picked up some Spanish along the way. I learned enough to be able to communicate with my students, hail a cab and order my food from the restaurants my roommate and I went to. I learned something new everyday from my students.

Teaching allowed me to merge preparation with organization. Effective teaching doesn't happen without a combination of these two skills. I was also able to get over my fear of public speaking. I had to prepare for each lesson in order to be able to teach effectively. I had a combination of adult learners and teenagers. I had small group classes, as well as individual classes. I would constantly get feedback from my boss. When I stayed on task and hit deadlines, I was most effective with my students.

The Basics Of Bossing Up!

Bossing Up is very humbling. Humbling because we have to take full responsibility for our actions. In ‘The Basics of Bossing Up,’ I will be putting you on to some tips and tricks that I have been practicing since last year in order to take my life to the next level. That is the definition of bossing up. These habits have allowed me to see and experience a tremendous change in my life for the better. Singer and songwriter, Ciara would be proud because I have definitely leveled up a lot. Bossing Up is a mentality. It’s not something that you can study. You acquire these life skills over time and they often come as a result of lots of life experience. Sometimes painful. Bossing Up requires ACTION!

‘Remain positive throughout life’s curve balls.’ Positivity is key to experiencing any sort of elevation in life. Remaining positive allows us to act day after day, trial after trial and victory after victory. Excellence is a habit. After a period of time, if you continue putting excellence first, Bossing Up is inevitable. It will become habitual in your everyday life, walk and talk. Your journey will also start to affect other people around you for the greater good!

‘Be the change that you want to see in the world.’ Being true to yourself and your journey are vitally important to becoming a great leader. ‘The past is heavy, put it down.’ Letting go of the past is also very important. Letting go of the past is not always the easiest thing to do in life. You have to allow yourself grace and must be patient with yourself. Forgive yourself and others. When I was trying to let go of past hurts, I prayed without ceasing for God to remove the weight of grief. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says, ‘…there is a time for everything, even grief.’ Humans are meant to evolve. We aren’t meant to stay in the same phases of life forever. We have to grow and change, through the good and the not so good!

Take care of of your body and mental health. Taking care of your body is biblical. ‘Our bodies are temples.’ 1 Corinthians 6:19. Becoming a great leader will require you to show up whether you are feeling like it or not. It’s imperative that in order to perform in any leadership role, one must be mentally available for a lot of other people. Bossing Up always requires the leader to put others first. 

I work out for my mental health first. It keeps my mind sharp, all while taking care of my physical wants, needs and goals!

Last but certainly not least in my tips on Bossing Up in life is learning how to speak up and ask for what you want. It’s important to get into the habit of being honest with yourself and it’s especially important in any leadership role. Bossing Up requires you to be bold. Speak what you want into existence. Closed mouths do not get fed!

Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself! (In my Jay Z voice)

I’ve actually never done a social media intro! I don’t know why it took so long. To my new friends..

I’m Knetris (pronounced Kuh-Née-Tris, like Tetris) My close friends call me K. and I call myself a child of God🧸 I was born in rural Virginia and was raised there too. (VA stand uuuppp) My first ever job was babysitting my neighbors kids so teaching is definetly part of my calling. I attended UVA (GO HOOS) and studied English Language and Literature. I have always been a big writer and a sports fanatic. After interviewing at ESPN a day after graduating from college and not getting the job, I began a career in education. On and off, it has lasted over 16 years!

Over the past two years, I have started investing in my overall health more. Health is Wealth is my LIFELONG mantra. It’s SO important to take care of yourself. I started running again. Instead of craving dark chocolate with almonds, I find myself reaching for a hearty bag of trail mix and guys, that is huge for me. I’ve lost about 60 pounds since 2016. There is no time limit to taking care of yourself. It is in fact a lifelong lifestyle change. I love being fit.

I just want you to know that I’m that woman, friend, sister, daughter, girlfriend who WILL check in all the time! We could’ve just spoken on the phone and I’ll call back 10 minutes later asking if you are good. It’s just how God designed me. I’m truly in love with life! In love with improving, getting better, being a good steward over all that God has blessed me with. Totally elated to have real PEACE in my life! When you visit my page, I want you to leave better, stronger, more loving. KIND! Ready for the world! It’s nice to meet you! Let’s GO!

No. 27 ‘Prepared!’

Walking Into 2022 more prepared than EVER!

26 is the number of times I have spilled my heart out to you guys about my setbacks, struggles, and victories for 2021. Today makes number 27. It’s my 27th blog entry! It is inevitable that after setbacks and struggles come victory and triumph. God set it up this way for a reason. Ironically enough, today will be my 27th and final blog post for the year. And I am walking into 2022 more prepared than EVER!

Going forward, every new year I will pick a word that sums up my goals and intentions for the year. I’m getting started a few weeks before we move into 2022 with the word ‘Prepared!! Instead of setting a bunch of resolutions that I know I cannot keep, I listen for God to speak into my life. I choose ‘Prepared’ because there were many life changing lessons in 2021. Changes that brought an opportunity to be fearful but I chose to be faithful through it all. There is always a CHOICE. Always. Everyone of us has a choice. Most of the time, getting prepared means making a difficult choice. Difficult in the sense of going down the road less travelled. For me, prepared means surviving circumstances that were completely in my control. Surviving the waiting seasons in 2021 and there were many. What I am trying to get across to you is that I’m prepared because I chose to let go and let God trial after trial in this year. I’m still learning to let go daily.  My perseverance has been tested on levels I never dreamed I would go. 

I opened my blog, ‘Knetris The Word Nerd’ up in 2021. I survived COVID 19. I turned 40 years old. I was hired to write for a major women’s lifestyle magazine. I will probably resurrect my teaching career and get back into the classroom in 2022. God prepared me in ways I never thought possible in 2021. God is also for YOU! Absolutely. 100% He loves us in such a way that the human mind cannot even comprehend. Everything he does is out of love. It’s always for a greater and better you. All the things I went through in 2021 will be used as fuel to ignite the fire for ushering in this brand new season. Those hurdles created a more compassionate, more joyful, more graceful Knetris. Now, I can truly decipher what is really important. You are not regressing. You are growing and getting prepared. God is taking you higher. Just trust him❤️

I hope you have a Beautiful week leading up to Christmas and a very safe AND happy New Year! I love you and there is nothing you can do about it!