Meet the Teacher Monday

Hey ya'll! Welcome to my first installment of MEET THE TEACHER MONDAY, a weekly linky celebration dedicated to making and culminating friendships among our tribe of fellow teachers. Here are the rules:

• On your blog, please respond to this week's questions or prompt that I have provided.
• Link up your post.
• Visit two or three bloggers ahead of you in the linky, and leave a comment in response to their Meet the Teacher Monday post.
• Visit one or two bloggers after you in the linky line-up and leave a comment as well.
• And because it's so hard to find time to blog, feel free to post any day of the week, not just Monday.

Well, let's get to it!

 Vision Boards 2014

Very rarely do I allow my personal life to interfere with my professional world, but...as of late, I find the two colliding like a tidal wave crashing to shore. 

When I step foot on campus, I prefer to leave my issues outside the door. But, on occasion...those concerns creep into my thought distracting me from performing at my personal best.

So, after deep contemplation and two watermelon margaritas, I came to the following conclusion. In order for me to be successful at work and stay focused (focus<---my one little word), I need to get certain aspects of my life in some semblance of order; so, I decided to create a vision board. 

My vision board depicts the goals I will FOCUS(<---There's my word again.)on this year. 

Before I created my vision board I asked myself the following questions posed by author and radio host, Ken Coleman:

1. Where did I win in 2013?

I consider myself a realist. Translation, I tend to process life with a glass half empty mentality. So as a result of my negative realist mentality, I struggled with the first question. Right I away, I knew my first goal needed to focus on keeping and maintaining a positive attitude. For me, the best way to improve my attitude...seek spiritual guidance. I have found some solace from Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church. Through his sermons I realized, a better attitude will help me deal effectively with my problems. (Note: I tend to stay away from certain taboo topics, like religion.)

2. Where did I lose in 2013?

Definitely, finances. My first order of business, submitting my forgiveness loan documentation. Since I work at a Title I school in a critical shortage area (Special Education), I am hoping for the maximum forgiveness amount. College is supposed to be part of the American Dream. The American dream ain't all it's cracked up to be. Another area I failed in...healthy living. Of the 57 lbs. I lost over the last few years, 19 of those lbs. found their way back. You can read about my weight loss trials and tribulations HERE. 

3. What did I learn?

I do not play well with others. I learned this lesson while on a group vacation with my son's dance team in San Diego. The book Traveling to Tondo pretty much sums up my attitude on group anything: group vacations, group projects, group planning, etc. 

The moral of the story is...when dealing with groups, if there is too much consenting, you waste a lot of time waiting on people. I wish I would have read that book before I went to San Diego. Things got a little ugly.

4. Where do I want to be this time next year? 

By this time next year I expect that I will have made a "divine connection" with someone special. I expect that I will have overcome my financial difficulties, (specifically my student loans), and I expect those 19 lbs. I gained, will be lost once again.

Of course I know I will not get around to every goal this year, but I must start somewhere. Since my vision board serves as a visual reminder of my goals, I set my vision board as my iPhone wallpaper. 

Now its your turn.

• First answer questions 1-4.
• Create your own vision board.
• Link up your post. 
• See rules previously stated.
• Post your vision board on Instagram with the hashtag #IGteachersvisionboard2014

Thanks for participating. I can't wait to see what you create!