chaotic – Jenna Jamieson, Author

Reach out and touch a heart!

By Jenna Jamieson | February 28, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

A day is often filled with lots of stressors, usually things that make life a bit chaotic, but there are so many little moments in-between that make life amazing and worth all those exhausting and stressful moments. As a teacher, I love the little things that make my students smile, laugh, and allow me to see a different side of them or witness them in a different light, even for just a minute or two.

I am like any tired teacher, CEO, janitor, parent, customer service representative, lawyer, doctor, etc because I am often overwhelmed by my post-it note reminders and to-do lists. I have had some tough days lately filled with anxiety, tears, and even questioning what I am doing as a teacher. I had a few patches with several complex situations (actually, three specific stressors) that made my life feel like it was spinning in circles.

During those spinning circles, there were two students that made an impact on my life. One student who had been struggling recently came to me and asked if I could help her with finding a job. As a Business Teacher, I was thrilled to be able to offer her assistance and that she showed such motivation by coming in after school to get help. I answered her questions and assisted with a resume. She was thrilled by the small amount of help that I had offered. The next day she came in very excited to tell me that she had an interview coming up. It was actually one of the first times I had seen her smile and saw such emotion in her personality. I was very excited for her. I congratulated her and told her I wanted updates on the job (basically so that I could cheer her on along the way as she started this new adventure).

This next young lady asked the most simple question, but it left a smile upon my face. She is a quiet student and I really haven’t gotten to know her that well since it’s a new semester. She’s always been very respectful and honest, but I could never tell whether she likes my class, hates my class, or just tolerates it since it’s her consumer education credit. She came up to me at the end of class and in the most innocent and sweet voice she said, “I applied for a job, Mrs. Jamieson.” I said, “That’s great, I hope you get it!” She followed that with, “I did the online application, but I have this feeling that I should call or do something else, but I don’t even know what I would even say.” I was impressed with her admission and how candid she was with me. After all, I didn’t realize she trusted me or felt comfortable in my class yet (mostly because she’s quiet). I said, “I would actually go to the place you applied and tell them you submitted an online application. Explain to them that you wanted to confirm that they received it and hope they contact you soon to discuss the position.” I explained to her that this gives the employer a chance to see her and it may set her apart from other applicants that don’t follow through after they submit the application. She told me she felt relieved about what would come next. She smiled and as she left, I said, “You know this means you have to keep me posted on your job prospects and how it goes!”

What’s the point of these two stories? It’s quite simple. Reach out and help others, touch their heart and in turn it will touch yours. These young ladies did just as much, if not more, for me as I did for them.

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

What is SUCCESS?

By Jenna Jamieson | August 12, 2017 | Comments 0 Comment

I had to laugh at myself when I typed success because I started teaching in the middle of the year (January) so I shuffled to get my classroom, lessons, and several activities ready over the two week Christmas break. It was a lot of work to clean out someone’s classroom (who had left a lot behind) and find a way to decorate and organize it so I was ready to teach. I wanted it to be a very inviting and comfortable atmosphere for my students. As I completed my bulletin board one evening over break, I got the entire thing laminated, cut out, and put up when I realized I had forgotten a ‘c’ in success. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was overwhelmed with annoyance at how I had misspelled ‘success’ after being in a hurry.

Fast forward a few months and I was talking to my husband who had the question, “What is success?” asked during an interview. I thought about it for a few moments before saying, “Making other people see the value of making the world a kinder and happier place for all.” A bit vague, yes, and probably not what most think of when they define success, but it could mean volunteering during the busy times before schools and universities begin or giving directions and a friendly smile to someone new on campus or at school. After all, there are a lot of new people in unfamiliar places that may need help, have questions, ask you for directions, and feel nervous and stressed about the new chapter they are beginning.

With the beginning of many new chapters for those around us, it is a great thing to consider success in this way of light. We have lots of first-time college students, middle school/junior high students headed to high schools, young children starting school, and lots of people who are embarking on new adventures and journeys whether it be new jobs, traveling to new places, or struggling with a new diagnosis or unforeseen challenge (for some of us, it may be the unknown of a little thing called the Solar Eclipse 😉 ). If when we see new faces at school, at work, in passing, or in our community, people took the opportunity to be welcoming and helpful it would help my ‘definition of success’ expand as more people would be helping each other. Give directions to a stranger, smile and say hi to put a person at ease, provide exceptional service, let someone know you are happy to help if they need it, etc. This time of year is often very stressful for many of us and we can become extremely focused on our own hectic and chaotic schedules that we may forget to help those around us. I challenge you to help others this month as they embark on new adventures (and new challenges) so that together we create a kinder and happier world for all.

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

Will I sink or will I swim as I teach?

By Jenna Jamieson | January 13, 2017 | Comments 0 Comment

It feels very appropriate to be writing a new blog entry now that I have officially survived my first week in a new chapter of life. My new chapter was opened last week when I started my position as a Business Teacher at my old high school (Go Terriers!). It’s also my first ‘snow day’ due to freezing rain, which I am thankful for because it gives this new teacher a chance to play catch up!

I have found myself sitting at my desk each day during my plan period trying to keep up with the endless grading. Not only during my plan period, but at every spare moment – morning, afternoon, and evening – I find myself grading, planning lessons, or doing something that revolves around teaching and inspiring my students. I leave school and find myself working at home planning lessons, and trying to keep my head above the water that seems to be inching ever closer. After just a week, I have found that I love working with my students, I am getting used to my schedule, and I am starting to find a rhythm that I hope works for me. That doesn’t change that I am still at the very beginning of this chapter, and I still feel as though I am swimming, paddling, and kicking my legs in the water to keep my head above it. I know other beginning teachers, seasoned teachers, and even retired teachers can relate to how I am feeling.

As I was grading, and grading, and grading some more I was beginning to become overwhelmed and exhausted by it. I was also getting a little sick of it because the piles seemed like they were never ending. My ‘To be graded’ and ‘To be entered’ folders always seem full and I’m not giving an overabundance of homework or class assignments (nothing more than other teachers in my department or in the building, in general).

Then I realized something as I was sitting at my desk grading papers. This wasn’t just endless grading. It was meaningful information. In fact, it was great information because my students were teaching me. Students included things I didn’t expect in their assignments, made inferences I was amazed by, and allowed me to learn something new. I have come to recognize that I not only love my students, but I also love what grading has given to me. They are actually teaching me a lot when I grade their assignments, things about the world, sports, and life. For example, I was reading one student’s research on computer programming jobs and he had said that the computer programming field is actually declining. He said that the job outlook is not good and I was surprised by this. I actually thought computer programming would be a rising field since so many things revolve around technology and computers. On another occasion, a student taught me that wrestling is a year round sport. I haven’t watched a lot of wrestling and it was surprising to me. I learned something new from him! That was pretty cool, and it was something I wouldn’t have known if my student hadn’t shared that with me.

I am sharing this because if we think outside of the box and color outside of the lines we may be surprised by what we see or learn. It allows us to see things from another person’s perspective, appreciate life more fully, and understand why we do what we do. Why we do something (such as grade papers) may seem obvious, but if we think of it in a different context we are able to see that it can be more than just grading. It can be a learning experience. We often go through life doing our job tasks mindlessly because they have become mundane and repetitive. I hope this helps you put things in perspective and find new ways to bring meaning to your own life whether you’re a teacher, social worker, electrician, construction worker, or film director. We can all find ways that our job provides meaning. This is precisely what my #ProjectKindnessBook is about.

Oh, and by the way, I will most definitely be swimming during this chapter, not sinking, even if I have to kick and paddle the entire way!

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness