class – Jenna Jamieson, Author

Giving love and support to those that need it most!

By Jenna Jamieson | April 30, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

I have had an extremely tough semester for a multitude of reasons, but mostly because I have students that truly and desperately need support and guidance. The mixture of high school students I have has made teaching exceptionally difficult and left me grasping for ways to efficiently teach consumer education to a range of students whose learning levels range from elementary to college. The learning differentiation isn’t my only obstacle, though! The students I am teaching have a large range of lifestyles and home environments that impact how they view education, their ability to work outside of school, and how much support they receive at home. This is the reality for so many teachers and I know I am not the exception.

Combine my class concerns with some of the school dynamics I have faced including not having a classroom – wheeling around a cart to four different rooms throughout the day to teach has been a chaotic, mountain-climbing adventure. To add to the mountain, I had some students going through some major life struggles which included me assisting with several emotionally and mentally draining situations that has left me feeling unsettled on more than one occasion. Additionally, I teach in some classrooms with computers and in other classrooms with no computers which creates another level of structured chaos when it comes to planning lessons, adding another piece to my puzzle that I have to carefully put together.

BUT, there is a silver lining and there actually always is one no matter what the situation is! My students may show a long list of emotions in the classroom because of their diverse backgrounds that range from anger, happiness, sadness, frustration, bitterness, humor, fun, and every emotion in between. Each with a unique personality and style, but many of them with their own baggage, their own insecurities, their own challenges and successes, and most of all their own story. A story that is sometimes broken, sometimes not broken, and sometimes underdeveloped. I sometimes feel an overwhelming amount of chaos when there is a group of such a variety in my hands because it makes for a very stressful semester, but these are the students that need love, guidance, and support the most. I became their teacher for a reason and that’s just the reason. To provide that support, guidance, and nurturing that they so desperately need. While it hasn’t been easy and I won’t even pretend that it has, it has been meaningful to be able to recognize and understand that my role is to nurture, comfort, and give to these students the support, guidance, and appreciation that they so need at such a crucial time in their lives. And, no matter what there is definitely some learning happening…some learning from me, some learning from each other, sometimes the students teaching me, but more than anything some much needed nurturing, guidance, and support.

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

Is it possible to add more to your plate?

By Jenna Jamieson | May 31, 2017 | Comments 2 comments

There’s so much to be said about making it to the other end of the tunnel at the end of the year, at least most teachers can relate to this! I loved every minute of being back at my old high school as a teacher. It was a new challenge, a new learning experience, and more than that a new way to give back to my community and the people in it. I must say not only did I survive happily through the exhaustion, chaos, and craziness of the school year, but I managed to do a few side projects as well. After all, life is supposed to by crazy busy, right?!

I finished my #ProjectKindnessBook which is titled Giving Back: Lessons from an adopted immigrant on why a happy life is about helping others, eloped to Ireland, and coordinated a backpack drive in my local community to help students in need. I was so excited to have lots of my own projects to do this summer including sort pictures, which has been on my ‘to do’ list for ages. And, then I was asked to serve as the community member for the SIU Carbondale Homecoming Committee which is where I do a lot of my volunteer work aside from other misc. volunteer projects I get myself roped up in! I pondered it for the night, curiously cautious about whether I wanted to give more free time. A lot of it over summer. I thought to myself how the heck can I be signing up to give my time to another project? It’s summer and I need to catch up on MY life. And then, I realized just how extremely selfish that is and was to think. I have so much more than the average person and the ability and control to always add more too my plate if I prioritize my projects correctly and use my time wisely. And, you have that same exact power! You can add more to your plate than you probably ever thought or realized. You can seek projects to get involved, find ways to give back by fulfilling disparities within your community, and realizing that life is bigger than you and your life, but about what you can do for others. At the moment, I felt like I needed some rest and relaxation after being a full-time beginning teacher, being newly married, writing a book, and then I remembered that my rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation in life comes from giving back and doing things for others in my ‘spare’ time. I use spare time loosely because I don’t seem to allow too much of that in my life. (Though, don’t let me deceive you, I plan on having a few fun days this summer with family and friends, enjoying the local wineries, and spending time with my husband – who usually helps along with the crazy projects I commit to and doesn’t get annoyed by all the extra time I spend doing things for others.)

The moral of the story isn’t that I make myself do good things or make myself give back or make myself have a passion for my community. It isn’t that I am this phenomenal person who is selfless. It’s just that giving back has become second nature to me in life. I have gotten so used to it being part of my life and who I am. It’s become my passion. I challenge you to join me with your pictures of giving back. Use these when you tag your pictures: #BeKind, #GiveBack, #HelpOthers, and #ProjectKindnessBook.

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness