FUNEmployment! How I Spent My Time Looking For Employment!

FUN Fact: In the United States, under the Biden Administration; 337,000 jobs have been added to the economy and the unemployment rate is at a low of 3.6% in June 2022 despite fears of a recession.

FUNEmployment: pronounced  [fun•em•ploi•ment]

I am pretty sure that if you asked anyone that's been in the market for a job, they would say that looking was NOT a fun experience. Going from job to job is extremely stressful. I have had to find jobs multiple times throughout my education career. I took a sabbatical from teaching from 2016-2021. I had several different jobs during that time period. I did not plan on going back into the classroom. Then an awesome opportunity presented itself and  I am back in the classroom again. In order to find a job teaching writing to 5th graders, it took a lot of perseverance and patience. One of my good friend's said, '...looking for a job is a full time job.' The way I have looked for employment and the approach I took with me day after day became very significant to my current success! Here are some tips and tricks I will share with you on how unemployment became, 'FUNEmployment!'

*Look at your time looking for work as an opportunity to grow. During my times away from work, I went to the library everyday to read and better my computer skills. I purchased an Audible subscription and really took advantage of that time while waiting for another job opportunity to open up for me. 

*Look at your sabbatical as an opportunity to get better at your craft. Study, Write and Read everything you can get your hands on to better prepare you for what's coming down the pipeline. You will need it for your next assignment!

*Look at your time looking for work as a period to get focused.

*Look at your time off to get better in other areas of your life; i.e. self care, health, working out, and mental health.

*Look at your time away from work as an opportunity to expand your contact list for jobs.

*Realize that your time waiting for a job will not last forever. This is just a learning experience and it does have an expiration date. Take advantage of the time off because it may not come again!

How I Dealt With Grief In My 20’s🙏🏾

The subject of grief is something that is very near and dear to my heart! It is a subject that immediately gets my attention. I pay attention when people around me say that they lost a loved one. I have been there! I have lost people very close to me, more than once. But my first time losing a loved one was extremely hard and I would like to share with all of you the beautiful blessings that have come out of that experience! I would like to share with you ALL the beautiful things you have to live for despite your loss! It is my pleasure to share with you that God has a time, season and a purpose for your pain! Grief is not a place where we are to reside forever! It’s temporary! ‘Ecclesiastes 3:1-8’ If you would allow me, I would like to share a little about my journey to healing. Let’s Go🙏🏾

My first experience with death started at just 21 years old. I lost a dear friend to diabetes. He had been sick for so long but his death was a total shock to me. We were extremely close. After the initial news that he was in a better place, I became very angry. A few years of moving around and trying to rebuild my life, I started reaching out to get help with my grief. I found myself needing a lot of space because I was isolating myself on a regular basis. That was not working well for me. I noticed a big change in my life when I started going to church. I was so overwhelmed with so much anger and bitterness. I blamed myself for his death. I comforted myself with food. I was going on shopping sprees with money I didn’t have. I was just in a really bad space. I did not start going to therapy until around year 9 or 10 after Jason’s death. Therapy was like milk to a baby for me! I was able to open up to someone who could understand my struggles and not judge me! Although my family loved me and hated to see me in that state of mind, there was only so much they could do for my mental health! That was just something that I would have to take control of on my own.

The combination of church and therapy was JUST what I needed. I have been going to therapy for a total of 12 years now! My relationship with God is something I just cannot put into words. God is absolutely everything in my life! During my long days and nights battling grief, I discovered my love for writing. It’s something I do daily. Writing is WHO I am! I was born to do it. My writing journey began in college and has continued as a form of healing over the years. My memoir, ‘Love Me Back To Life,’ is on the way! This project has come strictly from my grief. I have all the compassion and patience in the world for people who are hurting. My family was very patient with me when I was struggling. My parents and sisters would often attend therapy sessions with me. I’m am SO blessed! I realized that my family and friends needed me and that grief couldn’t occupy anymore space in my life.

In hindsight, I believe that getting the strength and courage to say that grief had no more space in my life was the beginning of my healing. AND only God is responsible for making that kind of decision. Although death rocks our world, life has to and does exist outside of it. My mental health is so important to me. That comes first in my life. If you are struggling with grief, please understand that trouble don’t last always and there will come a time where the depression will lift! God has so much for you to do. WE need you! YOU are loved and one day you will be helping people overcome their grief just like I’m helping you with YOURS! 

What is a Brag Folder and Why Everyone Should Have One!

Some people say that people don’t read blogs anymore. They say they are outdated! That couldn’t be further from the truth. Wanna know why? YOU. ARE. READING. A. BLOG. RIGHT. NOW!

My blog saved my LIFE! I hope you have had a productive second day to the beginning of a new week! A little late but I showed up for YOU nonetheless! I have made it my business to spread as much positivity and motivation to you guys since late last year.  Motivational Monday is the name of the game. Sometimes, I show up late but you can ALWAYS count on me to show up for you. Mental Health Awareness Month is still rolling on. I consider myself a mental health advocate! I have so much to say about it. I actually created this blog during a very difficult time in my life! Now, I consider it one of my greatest accomplishments! You see, going through hard times allows us to discover our most intimate feelings that allow us to be vulnerable enough to struggle, grow and triumph. During Mental Health Awareness Month, I take time out to educate myself on fun things I can do for self care and excellent mental health! For example, have you ever heard of a 'brag folder?' I first heard of this term last year while working on better money management. You are supposed to keep a file of all of your receipts, money saved on a monthly basis along with paid bills. A brag folder is also a folder where one can keep all of your accomplishments in your career. Keeping track of your accomplishments in a brag folder is good for everyone!

I have decided to use it as a tool to gage my mental health! Here is what I plan to do with my Brag Folder in order to improve my mental health. 

1. I’m a 5th grade Writing Teacher and my students are given writing prompts daily. Topics vary from Opinion writing to Sequence of Events. I keep all of their work in individual binders and at the end of the week, they submit their work to me for a grade. I found it so effective that I decided to create a brag folder for myself. 

2. I will create writing prompts for myself that act as a journal filled with my thoughts about how I’m feeling that particular day. 

3. I will fill my brag folder with my hopes, fears and dreams. In no particular order, I write them down. 

4. I will fill my brag folder with some of my favorite scriptures.

5. I’m trying to build a better body and have been working on it for a while now. I will fill my brag folder with healthy recipes and also keep track of steps I’ve walked day to day, calories burned and my weight on a monthly basis.

Although I don’t go out and literally ‘Brag’ about my accomplishments, it’s more for a private confidence booster for me! I love this idea and want to know if you create one of your own!

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.