The Black Man's Guide to Graduate School

As I devote more time to my blog, I want to branch out and discuss inspirational stories that I find and connect it back to my teaching career, if those connections can be made. As an Educator I believe in being a lifelong learner and being passionate about it. One of the major concerns that I have as a teacher is being able to connect with and teach all of my students. Classrooms today are very diverse; represent a variety of children,learning styles, abilities, talents, struggles,Etc. 

The recent verdict of the Trayvon Martin case has shed light for many on the struggles that face African American men in the US, on a daily basis. This burden may be a crutch for many but it is our duty to not let this be so. There are many ways that we can help,encourage and support minority men by taking steps to "whack" away at the "stigma" that has been placed upon them. Today, I present to you, The Black Man's Guide to Graduate School.

"Six Black men frustrated with the stereotypes associated with being a Black male and the perpetual "only" syndrome they experienced in their graduate programs have come together to provide a much needed voice to encourage more Black men to go to graduate school. In this effort, these men created "The Black Man's Guide to Graduate School." This text covers all the information that a Black male would need to successfully navigate the graduate school experience. From selecting and applying to a graduate program to dealing with stereotype threats and the importance of mentorship, this book provides a comprehensive guide to successfully entering and matriculating through a graduate program by Brothers who have completed the process from a wide range of programs (PhD, PsyD, PharmD, DPT, MBA, MHC)." Source: (http://www.amazon.com/Black-Mans-Guide-Graduate-School/dp/1490524304)

This is powerful beyond measure!!! Purchase this book; pass it on to your friends, family, colleagues. Etc. Show all young men that it can be done! "It" being anything that any young man dreams and wishes to accomplish in their life, let it be known, that nothing is impossible or unattainable! We have to step up to the plate and start encouraging our youth and showing them success stories because otherwise, many will see these accomplishments as unattainable.

I am a kindergarten teacher and I witness the innocence of my students yearly. They are bright, full of promise, and have a genuine love for school and learning. They truly believe in themselves and have the greatest amounts of self-esteem, self-love, and will. Somewhere in the hustle, as we become older, we slowly lose sight of this innocence. Things start happening, life starts happening and we get discouraged or fall victim to what this world says we can become or do. If we encourage our children to stay as eager and full of promise, just as they were as kindergartners, there is no telling how many “success stories” we would have. I challenge you today, to pass along your story, and to encourage someone else. Kudos to the authors of, The Black Man’s Guide to Graduate School.

Until the next time that life has checked me.

-Tia

Beyonce, School, and Life!

Maupin Elementary!! My new professional home!!

Two weeks until August! Two weeks until August! I say this and I get a stomach full of butterflies all over again.  The start of a new school year is almost here and I have no idea what to expect. I am about to immerse myself in Pinterest and the blogosphere finding great first week activities, assignments, and room set up ideas. As nervous as I am, I am also ready to start my first full year of teaching. I am also very happy to be a part of the Maupin Elementary team and the principal has been very welcoming. 

In recent news, I also attended the Beyoncé concert in Nashville and I am here to tell you, that her show was beyond amazing! The wardrobe, the dancing, the graphics, the show design, and that singingà Awesome personified!!! I am not trying to go into “Stan” mode but Beyoncé is very talented and I appreciate the dedication that she puts into her craft. You can really tell that she is at a happy place in life and that she loves what she does. I am currently deciding if I want to attend her concert here in Louisville as well. After I bought a ticket for the Nashville show, she announced more tour dates and Louisville made the list. Her show was that good!!

So I’ve discussed school and the concert, now let’s talk about me and how I just realized that I will be 26 this year. I know that 26 is not old but dang, I’m getting older, lol. This is no midlife crisis but good grief; the age of 30 is right around the corner. I don’t feel old but 26 sounds old, I know that doesn’t make much sense but just let me have this random rant. My birthday is in October and instead of the “whoa is me” outlook, I want to celebrate my birthday this year. So I am taking any ideas that you can offer because I am not really the party type:)

Please enjoy one of my favorite songs from her 4 album. 

Finally, I want to share that God has been good to me this summer. Here is why:

•  I never found a summer job to help sustain my income and I have been able to make do. I was worried for nothing. This reminds me of the old saying, “Why pray, if you’re going to worry anyway.” 
•  Pepito (My Car) is on his way to that great big junkyard in Heaven. I love this car, so I am still coming to terms with this. I feel as if, I am losing a child and a lot of people don’t understand my love for this car but we have had some great times together. Seven or eight years of shenanigans, I believe. So forgive me if I get a little sappy, thinking about it.
•  I found a new apartment!!!! Yes, after much searching and praying, I found a new place to call home. It’s a one bedroom apartment, on the bottom floor, and with lots of storage. It’s onward and upward from here!!
•  Now that Pepito has made a divas exit, I’ve got to find a new car. So the search begins!

Until the next time that life has checked me.

-T

P.S. Peep my color scheme, I am thinking about decorating my classroom in these colors plus the addition of the color brown. 

Professional Development: SmartBoard Edition

I love all of the PD opportunities that I've completed so far. I am so very excited that I will have a SmartBoard this year! The SmartBoard is one of the greatest inventions, no exaggerating here! It’s so easy to create games and assignments using this program and device. I am in heaven refreshing my memory on how to use it. I love how I can create things using subjects that my kids love and like. For example, when I was student teaching, I created a silhouette game using the silhouettes of Disney characters for a unit on Shadows. The kids loved it and so did my mentor teacher. Winning!!!! The possibilities to incorporate technology into your lessons are so broad when using the SmartBoard. I have 3 more PD's to attend this Summer and I can't wait to share my new discoveries with you. (Nerd action!!)


I also went to a PD on how to use a program called Photo Story and it’s a neat little program. Very easy to use, this is very awesome!!! Towards the end of the PD, they gave us an assignment to complete. We had to create a story in Photo Story using some random pictures that they gave us. I've posted my creation below. I found the picture of the little girl through Google Images. Enjoy!!

Until the next time that life has checked me.

-T

 

New Blog Design!!!

I took advantage of being close to a computer and updated my blog layout. I actually love it for the time being. I created the header in Microsoft PowerPoint and I found the background through Google images. I've been obsessed with vibrant colors and fun prints for the time being. It just screams fun!
Until the next time that life has checked me.
-T

Summer Loving

Hi. I have been enjoying my summer vacation so much and I am astonished that August is just one month away. I am so nervous and excited about starting this new phase in my teaching career. I still have my moments where I just get so overwhelmed with happiness. After going through so much stuff to make it into my own classroom, I am just so grateful that I get to do what I love from start to finish.

I am going to see Beyoncé in concert next week and I am “stanning” for real! It’s so exciting and a little amusing at how much anticipation I have for this concert. I’m just ready to have fun, sing, and dance with King Bey hunny! BUT, after the concert, it’s time to buckle down and start preparing myself for my first class of Kinders!!

As I decide on decor ideas and first week of school activities, I hope that you join me for the ride. It is my goal to have my new computer by the end of September. I went to the Mac store and tried out a MacBook but I just couldn’t fall in love. This may change because I will be going back to check them out again. Until then, I will still be blogging when I can. I really would like to invest more of my time and thoughts into my blog. 

My professional career just keeps getting better and so are the things in my personal life. I will be moving into a new apartment in September and I am so excited to finally not have to share a space with someone else. I may not like the circumstances around the reason that I have to move but as always, I am staying positive and very happy that I have found a new place that I love. 

So in a nutshell, I will have a new classroom, a new apartment, a new laptop, and hopefully a new car. Those are my superficial and materialistic wants and needs, as of now. On the more human side, I am aspiring to keep going strong on my weight loss journey and to become a better Christian woman. I’m dedicating this year to improving Shatia and getting healthy both mentally and physically. What are your goals for the rest of the year? “It cost nothing to dream but everything not to.”  Let’s get to work!

Thank you so much for listening to my rants and raves about being a teacher. Until the next time that life has checked me.
-Tia