great.

I love teaching for numerous reason. Definitely one of the benefits of teaching are all the breaks. I have enjoyed my summer break, but am excited about starting a new school year.

Having taught at many preschools and in Metro for one year I have seen some good schools, but many bad schools. I am extremely lucky to be teaching at a school that I enjoy working at, but more importantly one that a truly great school. Even though we lost everything in every classroom due to the flood, we have persevered. Our staff has worked hard over the summer to get everything in working order so we can start back strong in August. This will be my third year teaching at St. George’s. The first year I was an educational assistant to a special needs child. The following year, I transfered with him to MNPS to help him adjust to kindergarten. After working in Metro for a year, I decided to go back to St. George’s. I did not do this because working in a private school is better or more comfortable. Because you can have a private school be neither one of those things without  all the pieces that make a school a great school.

I have been in the education field for about 9 years. Some of that was training in school, working in a church nursery or daycares. The thing that can make or break a great school (or business for that matter) is good leadership. Good leadership is essential to a successful school. And in a case of a school system you cannot just strictly have a good principal. You need good leadership from the board. A good principal can only lead as good as they are being led. I saw this in Metro. Despite having a school in a rich and “comfortable” area, the school still suffered because of the leadership within MNPS and not necessarily because of the administrative staff at the school. The school still had teachers that just showed up to get a pay check and students that did not care about learning. Children that often fell between the cracks because no one was there to motivate them. If you do not have good leadership everything below will suffer.

At my school we have great leadership. We have a group of individuals that strive for excellence and put in everything they have to make our school great. They empower their employees. The teachers feel like they are an integral part of the school. The leaders acknowledge the fact if they didn’t have the great teachers, they wouldn’t have the great school. The teachers feel like they are more than just a test score number they are trying to achieve. They know without them a piece of the puzzle would be missing.

When you have employees that are empowered, you have people that are also striving for excellence for the greater good of the school. They show up to work enthusiastic about making a difference. They are committed. Some schools may have great teachers, but without the proper leadership these people will begin to feel discouraged. They won’t feel like they are making a difference. And a lot of them will stop trying so hard. When you have great leadership paired with great teachers, you are always going to be benefiting the very thing that they are all there to do: the students.

The students will get an exceptional academic experience. They will be thriving in their school environment. The good thing about private schools versus public schools is a smaller classroom size. Instead of having 22+ students you will only have around 15. That way the teachers can give each child the individual attention that they need. Do I think that a classroom has to have only 15 students in order for the children to receive individual attention? Definitely not. But it helps. When you have students that are thriving, the parents will notice. When the parents feel good about their child’s education, they will want to be involved as well.

The parents are every bit of this education community as the children and the staff are. They want what is best for their child. And when they see the child is getting the best, they want to be a part of it. They will be more involved at home as well as at the school.

You can take this equation and strip away one thing and it won’t work. All of these parts are an important part of the school being successful. And great leadership is vital. It is the backbone. The teachers are the heart and the children and parents are the life blood that runs through it. Every part matters.

I am extremely blessed to work in that kind of environment. Not because it is a private school in the wealthy Belle Meade area. But because it is a great school. We were stripped of all of our possessions. The flood left us raw and exposed. But what happened from that was a very beautiful thing… and it was because it is a great school. Because we have great leaders. We have teachers that care. We have a strong community of students and parents. It works whether we have a lot of have little. It works in Belle Mead and out of it. It truly is a great school.

anybody. everybody.

right now you could drive down to your local best buy and buy the latest and greatest digital SLR camera. heck, you could probably even go down to the target or walmart. the new technology for cameras is literally right at our fingertips… and if you have a $1,00+ dollars this latest and greatest technology can be yours. and by golly, you can even call yourself a photographer now with your fancy digital SLR camera.

while that’s great and all, it is killing and completely over saturating the photography business.

now anybody can call themselves a photographer. you have a fancy digital SLR, you must be a photographer. even that soccer mom over there can be a photographer. because all photography must be is pointing a camera at something… snapping a picture and maybe popping it into an online editing site and voila– your a photographer! and if someone notices your ok maybe you can charge someone to do a portrait session. make $50.00. then they tell their friends and you can make some more money. then you have mediocre pictures saturating the market and good photographers that charge a little more are no longer getting any work because their prices are “too high” even if their work is ten times better than the soccer mom’s.

so, what if you are a good photographer not getting any work because your prices are “too high”? your work is good. you have experience. you take the time to make everything look the best it can. but, jane over there runs her pictures through a batch process with some downloaded process of the internet and charges $400 for an entire wedding day. what do you do then, good photographer? do you compromise your work and your ethics to meet the demands of the people? do you lower your standards just to make a quick buck?

honestly, i don’t have the answers for that.

because here is what i know. i have worked hard in my photography business. i strive for excellence in my work. i edit every single photo by hand. without the handy use of a batch process or some downloaded process. everything you see on my photos is my own work… not a copy of someone else’s. i want my pictures to look great. and i am far from the best, but i am good. and i don’t normally say that because i don’t like to sound braggy and have never felt comfortable saying i am good at something. but my work and time is worth something. it is worth more than $400.00. but what am i to do when people see pictures that are mediocre and expect the same low prices for work that is beyond exceptional?

it is a hard place to be in… even major photographers far better than myself are dealing with this.

today Jeremy Cowart tweeted:

“Just talked to a client who I hadn’t heard from in a while. They said it’s due to the fact that “everyone now has a 5D and can play around”.

“That’s the sad state where photography is coming to. Everyone is now a photographer. I’m now officially hearing it from my own clients.”

“HUGE response to my tweets regarding my client. Obviously it’s a tough time for everyone. Vision is more important than ever.”

our market is over saturated. and it kinda sucks. anybody and everybody is a “photographer” now. and how do you stand out and still make money with out compromising in that?

*sigh*

vacation, not so much.

Last week we had our annual family vacation. This year we were forced to vacation in a different location due to the oil spill. We normally stay in Fort Morgan, Alabama at the beach house we have stayed in for the past 3 years. I was slightly disappointed about the change, but thought it may be fun to visit the east coast. It was decided to go to Hilton Head, South Carolina. We stayed in the Sea Pines resort. The beach house we normally stay in is right on the beach. It is a super convenient walk to the beach whenever you want. It is also not crowded at all. Pretty much the perfect relaxing vacation.

Hilton Head was anything but relaxing. The beach was about a 2 mile drive away at a uber crowded beach club. I hate crowded beaches. The house we stayed in was nice, however.

This trip was stressful for a few reasons. Minor stresses include the island being way busy and crowded. With that much going on all the time, I don’t know how people can relax! Trying to park at the beach club and find a space at the beach was stressful and not worth the effort of going to the beach. Which meant I only went to the beach 3 times during our 7 day stay. We also discovered two nails lodged in our tire. Which meant we needed to get it repaired (while on a day trip to Savannah). This turned into, the tire is too worn to repair… you need a new tire… might as well get 4 new tires. All that equals a lot of money. And a lot of stress. On our way back we stayed the night in Atlanta at the Double Tree. We had to wait a hour for a room to be ready and then it wasn’t even the room we booked. On top of that it was like Madea’s family reunion there. They were loud and super obnoxious.

But, the major stresses were things that I could not control. The night before we left for Hilton Head, I found out my dad was in the hospital. Over the course of our vacation, he became more ill. He had a blood infection, pneumonia, and it was discovered that due to a hernia enlarging, his stomach had become displaced… and found a new home by his heart. He had to have major surgery to replace his stomach back where it belonged. He is also not in Nashville, because he is visiting people in Texas. Which made this event even more stressful, because he is not at a hospital I can easily visit. He is away from his doctors. And a good hospital, like Vanderbilt. It was difficult all week not knowing what was going on with him and if he was going to be ok.

So basically, I needed a vacation from that vacation. It just was not great, due to no fault of anyone… just some crazy circumstances and a new place. Hopefully, the oil will be gone next year and the vacation will be better.

On the bright side, I got to see several alligators near the lagoons. I always enjoy seeing interesting animals in the wild [or in their natural habitats].

dentist, i abhor thee.

i seriously dislike the dentist. like most people, my idea of fun does not involve sitting in the dentist chair while someone pokes around in my mouth.

i also try super hard to take good care of my teeth. but it seems no matter what i do there is always something that needs to be fixed. always. i even had those sealant things put on my teeth when i was a teenager, and they did NOT work. i think i grind my teeth, so they may have worn off, but goodness! never fails, i always have something.

before last year, it had been about 6 years since i had been to the dentist. dental work is expensive and my parents didn’t have dental insurance. so, i didn’t go. last year, i was provided with dental insurance through my job and finally went. as you may have guessed, i had a lot of work to get done. did i mention i hate going to the dentist?

last year i had some stuff done and am finishing it up this summer. generally if you have insurance, they bill you for the amount you owe. they did last year, so when i went today, i was expecting the same thing. they proceeded to tell my they are trying to get away from billing and that i was required to pay the balance then. um, come again? i am glad these people think i have a few hundred laying around to pay for their services. [thankfully, i do, but still.] what if someone didn’t? because we don’t use any credit cards, if i didn’t have the money then, what would they do? if you are expected to pay in full at the time of services, they should inform their patients. most people cannot afford to drop several hundred on dental work at one time. it is customary if you have insurance to be billed for the balance. and you can either pay a little at a time, or in full when you receive your bill.

they also overprice EVERYTHING! a little tiny filling generally cost about $60… not there! it is around $100+. i hate it for the people who really need a lot of care and no insurance. how can they even pay for all that? it is just not fair to penalize everyone for a few people that may not pay their bills. i pay mine. and i pay it on time.

i also, may or may not be passive aggressive.

but! my birthday is tomorrow and i am going to eat at pie in the sky with the fam! i LOVE the buffalo chicken pizza from there. best. thing. ever. [salivating just thinking about it... or maybe it's cause my mouth is numb?]

and next tuesday at midnight, i will be in line with a ton of crazy girls going to see ECLIPSE at MIDNIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! yay!

burn, baby, burn.

If you have ever been driving on Interstate 74 through Ohio, there’s a slight chance you would have seen this:

[you really can't miss a huge Jesus statue on the side of the interstate]

I thought it was ridiculous the first time I saw it. I laughed for a good 10 minutes of the sight of this statue of Jesus. Not that I think Jesus is ridiculous, but spending $250,000+ on a statue in His likeness? That I think is ridiculous.

And in a bit of irony Monday night, lightning stuck the statue. And the statue burned leaving only an ashy frame.

[above photos AP]

Now, I certainly hate that the church had to deal with a fire… and the damage it caused. but, let’s be honest. This is funny.

and adding to the ironically funny situation is this 911 call:

Caller: Reports a “bolt of lightning” has hit the statue.

Dispatcher: “Jesus is on fire”

Caller: “I swear to God, this not a prank … I am serious. I just saw it get struck by lightning.”

Dispatcher: “I believe you.”

Caller: “I know it’s not funny, but literally his one hand is on fire.”

Another Caller: “Lightning hit the touchdown Jesus monument, it’s flaming.”

[You can even watch the "Touchdown Jesus" burn to cheesy music]

Nashville Flood 2010

Towards the end of the school year I begin counting down the the last days of school. I am just as ready for summer break as the children are. We were preparing for the end of the year play, Noah’s Ark, and the picnic. We only had 3 weeks left. Unfortunately, with the flooding in Nashville this past weekend, that came to a very sudden end. My school will not be reopening this school year and it truly breaks my heart. We count down the days and take the final days with the students for granted. And then, without warning, that school year is over.

I teach at a private school in Belle Meade. It is a part of a Episcopal church there. It sits on the corner of Belle Meade Boulevard and Harding with Richland Creek flowing next to it. We have experience minor flooding before… but like many other places here in Nashville, this was completely different. The rain would not cease. And the water rose. It came too fast for the sandbags. It rushed into the school, rising up to the windows, destroying everything in its path. The school suffered tremendous damage as well as the Church. Yesterday we were given permission to go salvage what we could. I expected it to be bad, but it was overwhelming. Every classroom was ruined. Toys and art work were scattered about. It was absolutely heart breaking. The entire school will have to be gutted and rebuilt. We will have to start over from nothing.

So many people experienced so much loss. Loss of possessions, houses, cars and life.

lately…

as spring arrives and summer draws near, my job gets extra crazy. when the weather gets warmer most kids seem to get… crazier. chaos in the classroom is something to expect this time of year. add on top of that an end of the year play and transitioning to a new playground (the BIG kid playground) and you have full blown insanity. though, i do love this time of year because summer break is just around the corner.

i have some added responsibilities at my job now. i am the director of the 4’s play and the hard job of being the door coordinator two days a week in the afternoons. i have to listen for the kids’ names and get them lined up to leave in the right order. it is absolutely crazy. i don’t know half of the kids names… and then sometimes they all rush up at the same time… the teachers are talking… the kids aren’t paying attention… you have the slow pokes who take like 10 minutes to get up to the line…. and then sometimes everything can be right and there’s a last minute name added and it messes everything up. i don’t know how the previous person did it all without writing down the names. i would get lost after the second child was called. i am just thankful that most of the time i get it 90% right.  and understanding co-workers if i mess it up. and i am ever so thankful that i have a job that i enjoy. even with the added stresses this semester

and on the home front we have been working hard to get our basement finished after all the flood damage. the media room is painted and carpeted. we now have to re-tile the bathroom, paint it and maybe replace the vanity. i will be thankful when it is complete and we can have people over again. i miss our entertaining space. since nathan and i got married, i have had 3 vehicles. the toyota was a great car, but we upgraded to the audi. turned out to be a piece of work. we had so many problems with it. it is currently sitting in our garage waiting to be fixed up to be sold. and now i have the x-terra. it has been pretty good, with a few minor issues… well, “minor” turns into big issues in a 10 year old vehicle. we took it in to get the AC fixed and turns out to be a bigger problem… my engine is about to go. so… now it is time to purchase vehicle number 4. haha… what can you do? it’s a hit or miss kinda thing when you buy used cars. hopefully our next purchase will be better. *hopefully*

nathan and i have been doing research on our family history. nathan has found out some really cool stuff on his side. unfortunately, we have not been able to trace back far on my side due to lack of information and my family only being here in the country for just the past century or so. the most interesting thing and heart breaking thing we discovered was that many of my great-great aunts and uncles were killed in the holocaust. we were able to find which camp they were sent to and what area of Germany they lived in. luckily, my great grandfather was able to get out of Germany pretty early. i can’t imagine growing up in that time as a jewish person. it must have been terrifying.

and LOST. the past several episodes have been great. i especially LOVED richard’s episode. so great to finally see a back story on him. and DESMOND is back!!! i am so sad to see the show end soon, but i am so so excited to find out what is going on. it has been an exciting and mysterious journey. i don’t even know what i am going to do with myself once it is over.

so… that’s me lately. a lot of boring stuff

how have YOU been lately?

here’s the thing…

earthquakes and tsunamis happen. disasters happen. and even if they happen close to each other does not mean the end times are coming, people. biblical proportions? i call it nature.

and it is devastating. but the end of the world? i think not.

stop being dramatic and DO something. donate. volunteer. pray.

Protected: …

always thinking.

sometimes i am really on top of things… like today for instance when i locked my keys in my car. always thinking.

today was the first day i was able to leave my house since thursday. i had to take my car in to the shop on thursday, was unable to pick it up on friday due to the snow… six inches of snow and ice later, nathan was also unable to get his car out of our steep driveway. despite the warmer temps today, our driveway is STILL covered and our roads are still icy and snowy in parts… and all that slush will re-freeze tonight. nathan spent about an hour or so trying to clear a path to get out of our driveway. with a little bit of work (fish tailing and all) we were able to get it out. FINALLY! out of the house! we got my car and i had to park on the street to avoid the crazy snowy driveway… i got out of my car to check around to make sure i’d have enough traction in the morning… and then, i locked and closed my door. DOH. the key was definitely still in the ignition. nice. way to use my brain, right?!

i was looking up locksmith prices while nathan looked up videos to break into the car with a coat hanger and discovered this helpful article. i decided to call the nissan dealership and they were able to make me a door key. it only cost $7.00. that’s right. $7. WAAYYY cheaper than getting a locksmith to come out. i still feel stupid, but not nearly as stupid as i would of felt out on our street with a locksmith. and now, i share this story with you incase you ever lock yourself out of your car and have no spare key. first, get a spare key. if you don’t have one, call the dealership. if you have your title and identification you can mostly likely get a key made. nissan was very helpful and it was definitely a cheaper alternative to a locksmith.

and… unfortunately my snow days come to an end tomorrow. school is going to resume. i am a little anxious with the freezing temperatures again tonight and all the snow and ice still left on our streets… here’s to hoping i am successful in making it to work in the morning!

and of course….

TOMORROW! TOMORROW! TOMORROW!

LOST! LOST! LOST!