Tag: mentor

Do you like to laugh?

Do you like to laugh?

I can say with excitement that my book is NOW available…please shop local, eat local, and buy local when you can.  Support local people [artists, authors, programmers, etc], local places/businesses [computer repair shops, banks, clothing boutiques, etc], and local food options [grocery stores, restaurants, farmers markets, etc].  Having said that, I truly hope you will consider buying and reading my book.  I hope you find the lessons I share to be fun, funny, and most of all inspire you to volunteer (when you can) and give back to your community and the people in it, in little ways or big ways.  While my name is on the cover of the book, the life lessons (that I have learned and shared) are thanks to the many people who have taught me something along the way.  And, here’s one of the lessons I shared in the book which I just happened to experience again this week!

This entire book process has been a new learning experience for me.  Sometimes stressful, sometimes challenging, but mostly fun because it’s a completely new realm and new learning curve and that’s pretty cool.  As a new experience, I had to learn how to go about putting together a book cover, how to buy ISBNs, where to find an editor, how to sell on a website, and now how to ship books.  I was lucky enough to have an amazing mentor who helped answer many of these questions, and for that I am truly grateful that Craig Lindvahl helped me along the way.  I had to consider:  Should I ship using the United States Postal Service?  Should I use a more specialty service such as FedEx, DHL, or UPS?  What will be most efficient for my customers?  Which would they prefer?  Or should I just buy a personal drone and ‘hand deliver’ books to my customers?  Yea right, I’m just kidding about that last one!

As I was figuring out the complexity of shipping and how to determine prices for shipping, I contacted several shipping providers to help me (or at least to request information), one being the United States Postal Service (USPS).  After all, I am a small business so I have to be realistic and efficient on my costs as well.  I called and spoke to a young man from USPS one afternoon and left a message and then for the next three weeks we played phone tag, leaving messages for each other until finally last week I got through and reached him!  What I didn’t realize is that our conversation would turn into one of the very stories that I included in the book, and it was a funny one at that!

He started talking to me about shipping with USPS, costs of shipping, how flat-rate shipping works (because shipping isn’t as easy as it may seem).  Different costs to different locations, different options, different lengths, and trying to decide what flat-rate to charge can be confusing.  The flat-rate boxes and envelopes are around $7.15 which seemed too high for customers and the lowest was around $2.75 – $3.75 for many places (which covered shipping, but not the packaging, labels, invoices, etc).  Enough about that jargon.  It was decided it would be best for me to purchase supplies and then ship from a physical USPS location.  As he was typing up info to send to me via email he asked if I had time for him to tell me a quick story.  I said sure, I had a moment to listen.  What proceeded was hilarious!

He said, “When we get customers that ask for assistance with shipping and other services through USPS, either myself or someone else that I work with in the office usually tries to get general info on what their business needs are before we call them back.”  One day, my assistant/co-worker called to give me your information and I asked have you looked her up yet and gotten general details on what she might need.  She told me she hadn’t had a chance and I said don’t worry about it, I can look her up and get what I need before I call her back.  So, I went and looked you up online and typed in ‘Jenna Jamieson’ and yea, something different came up.  I went back to your name to make sure I spelled it correctly.  Yep, I had spelled it correctly and there is a letter difference.  I said, “Yea, you got the porn star, right?  The famous porn star from the ’90s.”  I went on to say, “When I was in school, she was famous and depending on your age, you probably can recall her.”  He said, “Yea, the one letter difference still brought her up and I knew who she was.  Maybe that will actually help with your book sales.”  That’s when the laughing commenced.  I said, “Maybe you can remember me by the whiskey instead.”  You can read more about my name and it’s meaning in my book, Giving Back: Lessons from an adopted immigrant on why a happy life is about helping others.

Hope you got a few laughs out of that story!  Find more laughs and other raw emotions when you read my book!

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

Finding meaning among structured chaos!

Finding meaning among structured chaos!

This new adventure at my old high school has proven to be a very fun one.  I love getting involved and supporting the students.  The atmosphere is awesome and that’s probably what I love most about being there.  There are great ways to give back and that’s what I find really cool about it.  I have the opportunity to impact the lives of young high school students and that’s pretty remarkable.  I have the chance to inspire, motivate, and encourage them to follow their dreams and find something they are extremely passionate about.

Since joining the CCHS team, I have helped at a robotics competition (which I knew very little about), volunteered to judge our school’s talent show, and on a more personal level I have begun working on a project to collect backpacks for Carbondale students who cannot afford them.

I have learned that some things work really well in the classroom and some ideas don’t come to fruition the way I anticipate them to.  I have taken notes and written pointers, hoping to improve projects and activities for next year.  I have gotten to know my students much more, and that’s something I really enjoy.  Beyond the quizzes, handouts, projects, presentations, and work that I do with my class, I hope I leave a small imprint upon their life that inspires them to go out into the world and do something for others – to give back, be kind, and be willing to offer a helping hand to someone else.  I hope I inspire my students in ways that help build their self-esteem and confidence.  More than anything, I want my students to know they can come to me when they need a listening ear.  After all, teachers are not only there to teach their students, but to motivate them, mentor them, and offer positive reinforcement along the way.

I challenge teachers who feel stressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted (which I do!) to remember to channel the reason why you entered the profession to begin with.  You have the power to do so much in your classroom.  While there are benchmarks to make, topics that have to be covered, and work that has to be completed, remember that your students need you.  They need your support, kindness, and help because while you’re pushing papers around and doing work, you are also shaping a person.  We, as educators, have the ability to change a student’s life!

As this second semester wraps up, be sure to consider your role in your students’ lives and in the community.  As a new high school teacher, I feel a bit overwhelmed, at times lost, and sometimes surrounded by structured chaos.  Sometimes adding more stress, more projects, more chaos, or more anything seems impossible, but it is actually always possible. With a wedding in less than a month (that has turned into something far bigger than I wanted or anticipated), the publication of my #ProjectKindnessBook, and planning meaningful lessons, I feel like my life is zigzagging in lots of directions.  Some days I feel defeated, but I keep swimming.

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

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