Serendipitous Edification

Well, first off… I’m going to try and keep blogging.  I like blogging, and hopefully my entries will not just be pedantic ramblings like they were with my long-lived blog (which I will not link to, it’s enough it’s still there for those of you who know how to find it) from high school and college.  These will be the ramblings of a young woman who is a professional educator and still trying to figure out this mysterious thing called life.  That’s why this is both a personal and professional site… I’m trying to make my two lives converge into one.  I’ll occasionally post about my life, as well as education-things I find in the news and experiences I have working towards the pinnacle of me.

I have felt different lately.  I wonder if it’s my own mortality that’s hit me, but I really have been health conscious as of late.  I want to exercise, I want to eat right, I want to be healthy… and I’m actually making these changes.  The weird thing is, I’m not doing these as a “To-Do” list, I’m not doing these things begrudgingly… it feels natural.  I’m enjoying Tai Chi with Geoff in the evenings, I’m exercising with the Wii Fit, almost all the food I buy is natural and organic from the Co-Op, and I’m drinking water more than soda.  It’s an interesting change.  Another change I’m wrestling with is how to update my look.  I’m not just talking about a wardrobe change (which is part of it) but also my hair, makeup, and how I present myself to the world.  I am ready, and I feel like an actual professional now, and I want my outside to reflect the inside.  I’ve been paying attention to hairstyles and makeup and clothes.  I’ve been experimenting with things on my own.  I’m thinking of a haircut and a coloring, but I’m not sure… I’ll have to let that idea germinate.

I also have a clearer idea of what I want my future to be, which is nice.  I have been struggling to come up with an idea of my life for a while now… I can’t stand sitting idly by and letting life pass me… I want to be an active participant.  So, I’ve decided, as you have read, to volunteer for the museum.  The hope is that by doing that and a few other volunteering gigs that I gain confidence and experience as a storyteller.  Then, I’ll work on creating my own storytelling style and curriculum to take to schools and other children’s organizations (museums, Girl Scouts, etc) to be a storyteller.  This is a great combination of many things that I love… allowing me to take an active part in informal education (which is really where my heart is), letting me be as creative and flexible as I can handle, and hopefully allowing me to travel.  This plan does NOT rule out schooling, on the contrary, there are professional organizations and communities of storytellers, even a Masters program in storytelling that Geoff and I may do together.  I feel that this would be a wonderful chance to keep expanding my knowledge bases and to grow as a person.  Who knows, I may even do foreign language storytelling… I really want to get my German up to snuff, and then work on French, Japanese, and Icelandic.  For some reason, Icelandic really appeals to me!

I also plan on subscribing to a few Educational journals, so I can keep up on the latest theories and research in my field.  Something else in the future may be an eCDA program, to gain accreditation for early childhood learning.  Having more endorsements and licenses would be beneficial to staying relevant in the education field.

So, those are the aforementioned life changes… and now my awesome day!  I was invited to one of my student’s birthday parties, she recently turned 3, and, well, had her party today.  Many local Icelandic families were invited, as well as a few doctors from the UIHC community and a few other students from my class.  I have been to one other birthday party for one of my kids, but I felt awkward and spent most of my time with the other teachers from my room and the kids.  This party, however, I spent time conversing with the doctors and the kids… it was a great shift.  I felt like I contributed to the conversations in a meaningful and fun way… it was nice actually fitting in with such obviously well-educated and intellectual people.  I got to speak to a few parents of my kids in a way to learn about them, and they, me.  It was nice getting to know them as people, instead of just parents to kids I teach.

Also, I tried smoked salmon and liked it.  That was a major personal accomplishment, because I hate fish and never choose to eat any.  Today, I did (yes, they served smoked salmon at a three year old’s birthday party), and actually liked it.  I really enjoyed this Icelandic birthday party!  Geoff was invited as well, but couldn’t make it due to work he needed to do, so I went alone.  I showed up a little late (10 minutes) and was the first guest!  I guess Icelandic/European people tend to be late to things… which I should have thought of, but that’s okay.  I helped Thor and Eyglo get Steinunn ready and hung out looking at their awesome house and library.  Slowly, people started trickling in at about 3:30, and I got to talk with Claire and her family, as well as Andre (another child from my class), it was nice because the party, while for Steinunn, was fun for the adults as well.  There was much conversation between the doctors and myself, as well as playing with the kids (everyone, not just me!).  Then, the cake and refreshments came out– and yes, there was smoked salmon, homemade bread, eggs, tomatoes, Gouda cheese, jams, and chicken salad.  That’s what the kids ate– after they were done and playing in Steinunn’s room or watching a movie, the adults got to have *their* cake and meal, which was all the aforementioned foods as well as beer, tea, and coffee.  Eyglo really outdid herself (Thor too ), it was all absolutely delicious.  Eventually, the kids were getting really tired, and everyone trickled out.  I was the last one to get out, and got to have a nice chat with Eyglo and Thor.  They really are cool, sweet people, and I am enjoying getting to know them outside of school.

I really enjoyed myself, and hope I get invited next year, even though I won’t be Steinunn’s teacher anymore! 

I want more afternoons like this– having fun, intellectually stimulating conversation with adults… not over-grown adolescents.

Take THAT, blog!