In the Midst of It All
Things have been bananas lately what with the end of the semester just one week away. I’ve missed pouring into this creative project; though thankfully it hasn’t been too long in actuality, even if it feels like it’s been months since I last wrote.
Luckily I’ve been finding ways to be creative in other ways within my myriad of projects that have been asked of me in the past few weeks: Canva is becoming a closer, and dearer friend of mine as the days go by, providing me with oodles of beautiful templates for newsletters, unit plans, and self-assessments; this week I’m embarking on a good old fashion poster project to present some of my work surrounding how I can make my language arts — and teaching — practice authentically Indigenous-focused; and I just finished preparing for a podcast episode that I’m recording tomorrow with a colleague of mine about Fast Fashion in relation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #12.
I also got some incredibly exciting news this week: I was chosen as 1 of 3 accepted applicants to have my first teaching practicum abroad in Japan in Spring 2024!!! I’ve been anxiously waiting to hear for months on end whether or not I was chosen, and I genuinely did not know what to do with myself when I received the email this week right as my partner pulled his suitcase out of the trunk to hop on a plane. He’ll be joining me for the seven week adventure along with a friend from my cohort + another teacher candidate from the elementary program who seems very sweet! I did however instantly contact all of my parents to tell them the news and to hint at the fact that if they were planning to do any Christmas shopping for me (which they obviously never have to) that they instead allocate that money to my Japan fund.
This week, too, I volunteered to participate in two webinar recruitment sessions for the teacher education program at my university. I wasn’t originally planning to volunteer, but the manager of the education department contacted me directly saying that she thinks I would be a great fit for the task. I was nervous, at first, considering my original mixed feelings about the program, but to my surprise the glowing review I gave the experience so far was one-thousand percent genuine and from the heart — I’m so grateful for all of the deep learning I’ve done, and the wonderful humans I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with. Truly.
The past several weeks I have been working on five group projects more or less simultaneously, and I cannot express how mind-blowing it is to me that I have been able to rely on — and actually enjoy working with — the people in these groups. I’m surrounded by some amazingly creative, innovative, and supportive individuals, something that I honestly did not see coming. If you know me in real life you know there are few people in my life that I will say yes to spending time with, simply because my capacity for social interaction is more or less abysmal.
Throughout this first semester of the program I can feel my capacity expanding, simply because I’ve had no choice but to spend four days a week (all day every day) surrounded by —and constantly engaging with — people. A few weeks ago I got invited to go for a drink after class (on a Friday) with a few people from my cohort and I actually said yes!!! This weekend a gal from my cohort is turning thirty and invited everyone to celebrate and I’m totally planning on stopping by! That said, I will still be home at a very reasonable hour after a long-ass week, but still!! Another colleague of mine invited everyone to her work for an end of semester / Christmas soirée the day after our classes finish and I’m genuinely looking forward to it!
Whether or not we’ll continue to bond as the months go by is completely unknown. Whether or not I’ll stay in touch with any of these lovely folks after the program finishes next December is even more up in the air; but for now, I’m grateful.
I’m grateful for the capacity to feel so much gratitude in the midst of being up to my nose hairs in projects and barely able to keep my eyes open as I type this.
I’m grateful for the incredible support team that is my life partner who I miss very much in this moment while he’s away visiting family and friends.
I’m grateful for the balance I’ve somehow maintained this semester of self care, quality time with loved ones, a sufficient amount of effort on assignments, and the gigantic but slowly vanishing list of to-dos.
I’m looking forward to having dinner with my grandparents tomorrow.
I’m looking forward to completing my poster project this weekend and hopefully starting (if not finishing) some grant applications for Japan.
I’m looking forward to a break from the mountain of work to hopefully squeeze in a walk and a visit to a few local spots with my darling friend this weekend, too.
