mountain – 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

Ice cream before dinner…why, yes!

By Jenna Jamieson | June 21, 2017 | Comments 0 Comment

I found out at the beginning of June that I wouldn’t be teaching at CCHS next year because I don’t hold an endorsement that allows me to teach Webpage Design and Programming classes and those are two classes that will be offered next year. I’m not going to pretend that I wasn’t disappointed. I was disappointed. And, a lot. I live right by my high school and I drive past it almost every single day. To be honest, it just sucks (and sometimes you face these types of challenges on the way up the mountain of life). I loved my job, and more than anything I loved inspiring my students. I’m going to let my guard down a little bit more than normal in this post, and it will probably humanize me more to others and show you that life really is like climbing a mountain. Just when you think your hard work, dedication, and passion will pay off that may not actually be the case (at least, not at the time when you think it should be.) I poured my heart and soul into this last semester at CCHS (not to impress anyone), but because it’s part of my spirit. I love giving back and that’s just what I chose to do at the high school by volunteering at the robotics competition, judging the high school talent show, passing out pizza to the freshman class, chaperoning prom, coordinating a backpack drive, and attending the Multicultural Festival as well as participating in it by going to each table to learn more about other countries. It was certainly a fully-filled adventure that I had (and a learning experience, too)!

I am strong though, so I knew I could and would move on (and that’s just what I did.) I decided the evening I found out and the next to begin the process of cleaning out my classroom. I didn’t want to waste any time getting it done. After all, I had so much in my classroom from team building games I created, a Food Truck auctioning project we did, risk management games we played, and the like. But, one thing about cleaning my classroom was that it actually was a bit therapeutic. I decided to clean out my classroom and then as an adult I chose to drown myself in some delicious ice cream before dinner. Yes, you read that correctly. I wanted (and probably needed) something to make myself feel better about what would come next. That would be the ever so dreaded task of job searching. One of the things I think I might hate most in life. After all, I have 221 cover letters in my ‘Cover Letter’ folder on my jump drive and that isn’t even all of them. I have been searching for jobs in my life more than I would like to even think about. After all, my professional career is something I have dreamed about ever since I was a little adopted Indian girl. It is something I have always taken great pride in. And so, while my professional life certainly has been more like climbing a mountain, it has always taught me a lesson. That lesson is that somehow everything seems to work out and that’s something I can rest assured about even if it does mean moving on to something new and different. Remember, life isn’t easy, but it does provide lessons that we can learn from and carry with us through life.

Now that I have eaten my ice cream and packed up my classroom, it’s time to move on to what’s next. And, there is always going to be something next (when and where is TBD). So, now you can translate this into your own life’s adventures, the ups and the downs, and remember that moving on after disappointment is key to picking yourself back up and being better than you were before.

The cherry on top of my ice cream is that on my very last day one of my students from spring semester came up to talk to me. I told him that I wasn’t rehired and that I wouldn’t be back at CCHS next year. He said, “I’m going to miss seeing you next year.” He is one of those students that always said, “Hi, Mrs. Jamieson” in the hallways and always interacted with his teachers. As he walked away after I told him good luck at his SkillsUSA competition that was coming up he said, “I liked having you as a teacher, Mrs. Jamieson.”

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

Stay-cation or vacation, just make it an active one!

By Jenna Jamieson | January 7, 2015 | Comments 0 Comment

Sorry for the almost-a-month long hiatus. I took a short break to spend time with family over the holidays, enjoy some relaxation, and go on vacation with my boyfriend to Europe. Our time in Europe was quite lovely and what I liked most about it was that it was an active vacation! After walking mile after magnificent mile going from place to place in Europe I realized how much I absolutely love it there. I have always dreamed of having a job where I can either walk, bike, or bike/walk to work. That is something that was a majority in Europe (biking and walking everywhere and by everywhere I literally do mean everywhere, everywhere, everywhere 😉 ) and is probably one reason why you don’t see many, if any, obese people there. I would say Americans could learn a thing or two from them! I found it to be refreshing and fun, and a little exhausting, too! My point is that whether you go on a vacation like me or enjoy a stay-cation at home remember that you can always make it an active vacation, which is my favorite kind! You can go to Europe where staying active will not only be easy, but also unavoidable 😉 You can go on a beach vacation and take walks or jogs along the beach or you can go on a mountain vacation and go skiing. Just remember that when you go on vacation, don’t just throw your workout out the window. Consider small workouts, walks, and exercise routines that will keep you moving. If you’re enjoying a stay-cation, consider hikes, organizing and cleaning to keep you busy, or other small routines that keep you active.

Once I got home and gave myself a few days to recover from the vacation and get back into the correct time zone after the jet lag, I got myself right back into my workout routine. The week I would be starting back my workouts just happened to be Christmas week, but after taking 9 days off it was important to get myself back into the groove of life. I got up Christmas morning and decided to hit the workout room before any Christmas festivities got under way. Plus, all my Christmas fun is typically on Christmas Eve. Anyway, back to this Christmas workout when my mom decides to semi-jokingly and semi-sarcastically say, “You just have to workout, don’t you?” As if somewhat sickened, yet proud that I hold the will and motivation to workout on Christmas Day when many people do not hold the same discipline or expectations. I know she knew in her mind that either way no matter what that I was going to workout because we had no plans or restrictions that would prevent me from fitting in a quick 30 to 40 minute workout. Not to mention, for me, it is important to stay true to myself and my health, meaning I make it a priority even during the holiday season. As I expressed to my mom, it’s the time of year when we all tend to eat a little more, eat a little less healthy, and eat until we feel like we might pop because we are so full.

My point? Remember that you should try to keep the promises you make to yourself and goals you have for yourself, even during the holiday season. That means sticking to your workouts, taking walks, and doing short exercise routines in-between holiday parties, festivities, etc so your friends and family understand that health is very important to you. This keeps you in your normal routine and rhythm so that come January you are already in your same workout routine and schedule rather than taking a long hiatus from Thanksgiving through the New Year when you eat more calories and can easily slip into the winter slumber of not working out. If you take a hiatus be prepared for a difficult time when you start back up again. It makes it that much harder to get back into the swing of things, get your body and routine back in sync, and fulfill new resolutions that you should have never given up or done away with for a month to begin with. Don’t feel guilty if this is what you did, but consider making changes next year to keep your healthy lifestyle routine all year round!

So whether you are going on vacation, enjoying a stay-cation, or intertwining the two as I did during my holiday season, make it an active one that keeps you moving, gets you going, and helps you maintain a healthy lifestyle in the process!

Happy New Year, may 2015 be the year for exercising, good eating, and healthy lifestyle choices for you and yours!

~jj