reflections of a first year teacher

Just less than eight months ago, I stood outside the door of room C-16 at Kennedy Middle School watching as 25 sixth graders - some terrified at the thought of middle school and others already confident in their multi-colored Jordans - filed in to take their seats on the first day of school. 

it's been a little while ...

I've been wanting to update this space for a long time now ... but every time I think to come online and update y'all on life, I get completely overwhelmed at just how much there is to share.

But alas, here I am. Rejoining the blog world because, frankly, I seriously miss it. I miss writing and sharing random tidbits of my life with y'all, and I miss that sweet gift of looking back and remembering all of the happenings I wrote about and seeing God so present in many of the moments that I couldn't seem to find him anywhere.

This post is a daunting one - how in the world do I start fresh when there are a million things to share that have happened since ... when was my last post? June 19? Woah. It's only been the biggest, most challenging, most exciting, and most (fill in the blank) eight months of my life. So ... I'm not going to write it. It wouldn't do any of the events justice to place them on a pretty little bulleted list (although, as a teacher, I have become an A+ list maker and probably wouldn't disappoint you).

So be on the lookout (and I do promise it won't be eight months before they come) for some fun life news and updates. A couple hints? I have some really pretty new jewelry and over 100 new children in my life - both of which have completely turned my world upside down.

corporate to classroom: an update

Greetings from Ms. McConnell in sunny Tulsa, Oklahoma!

It's been a really long time since I've ventured over to this space and gave y'all an update, and I apologize for that. To say that the last month has been crazy would be an understatement. Since May 7, I have:

• Finished up my job at General Mills (and trained my backfill)
• Moved out of my house in Minneapolis
• Moved onto my friends' couch for 2 weeks in Minneapolis
• Shipped all my earthly belongings to a Charlotte storage unit
• Made the 18+ hour drive from Minneapolis to Charlotte with my mom
• Said goodbye to the Twin Cities
• Spent a week in Charleston, SC, with my family & Alex
• Said good-bye to Alex for 6 weeks (He's in Spain!)
• Freaked out
• Moved out of my storage unit and into a great house in Charlotte with 2 amazing girls
• Had TFA induction at JCSU in Charlotte (made some great new friends!)
• Packed up enough clothes, toiletries, teacher supplies, bedding, a printer, etc, for 5 weeks in Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Driven to Tulsa, Oklahoma (with a pit stop in Nashville, TN, to see Sarah!)
• Moved into a dorm for the first time since freshman year at IU in 2006
• Found out I'll be teaching 8th grade math at Hale High School this summer
• Survived my first week of institute (think LONG 16-18 hour days, lots of classroom management, lesson planning, etc, being thrown at you, and spending all your time with people you've know for 2 weeks or less)
• Found out I'll be teaching THIRTY-SEVEN kids this summer
• Freaked out
• Decorated my classroom with my co-lab (team of 4 that rotates through teaching our class - 2 ELA teachers and 2 Math)
• Freaked out again
• Wrote lesson plans on decimals, rational numbers, linear equations, positive and negative slope, and solving one-step equations
• Discovered I'm more type A than I thought ... kind of love writing lesson plans
• Met the kiddos I'll be teaching for the summer (only 25 actually!) They're awesome.
• Discovered that educational inequity - the reason TFA exists - it's a real thing. And my kids have been the victims of it.
• Fell in love with the classroom already
• Taught my first lesson plan on Comparing and Ordering Decimals
• Had a kid tell me I made the material make sense to him for the first time (yay!)
• Completely didn't see a kid on his phone for 40 minutes yesterday morning
• Realized I've got a lot to learn
• Confirmed that this is exactly what I want to do with my life

Well, it's 5:54 am (I've been up since 5) and I have to wrap up a few things before I head to breakfast and then to Hale for school! I'm teaching on Comparing and Ordering Rational Numbers today - get excited!

I'll try to give a more detailed update on what this whole teaching thing is like. In short, though, I'm falling in love with it and have developed the utmost respect for the people who taught me and invested in me throughout my life. 

Happy Wednesday!

{lately} back from indiana

top row: 1) our duplex in Charlotte! 2) me & Ashley 3) Sophs in the bathtub
middle row: 1) Ben Rector concert <3 2) IU Graduation 3) A & me on Friday night
bottom row: 1) the McConnell ladies 2) me & Kels 3) the IU spread at the grad party!

Guys. Why did last weekend have to end?!

1. My brother, Clay, and cousin, Marissa, became the (I think) 11th and 12th members of the McConnell Hoosier Alumni Club on Saturday! I was on cloud 9 driving into Bloomington to attend their graduation. So many memories of that town. IU pride is so deeply ingrained in my fam - it makes celebrations like this weekend's all the more fun!

2. Speaking of IU, the first 332A (the house of girls I lived with at IU) wedding is officially on its way! Natalie got engaged this weekend to the most amazing guy, Nick, and I couldn't be happier for them. There is seriously no better match for Natty Ice, and it's been so much fun watching their relationship grow into all that it is now - through over a year of long distance, grad school, internships, etc, to their finally living in Albuquerque, NM, together now. I can't wait to celebrate their wedding day - it's certain to be the best 332A Reunion yet :)

3. Saturday night's grad party doubled as a mini-reunion of some great friends, one surprise, one planned! I'd invited and got to see Kelsey and her boyfriend, Jeff, and then my friend Ashley was randomly at The Willard and joined us for the party and for a much overdue catch-up!

4. Before heading off to Indiana at an ungodly hour on Saturday morning, A and I had an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING Friday night. We started with drinks at an Irish bar in Dinkytown, followed that up with Greek food and wine at one of our favorite restaurants, Kafe 421,  and ended the night with the BEN RECTOR CONCERT AT VARSITY THEATER. I don't think the night could have gone better in any way (okay, except for maybe the weather, but we'll forget about that) - Ben Rector was amazing live. I love his music and how you could see how passionate he was about it. And the way he interacted with the crowd was hilarious and fun. Varsity Theater is also just a great venue, making the concert feel really intimate. Seriously, guys. If you knew how much A and I love Ben Rector, you'd understand just how huge it was for us to get to go on Friday. I was sooooo happy! Did I mention the tickets were a birthday present from A? He's the best.

5. I stopped to see Kelly, one of my oldest friends, yesterday after taking A to the airport. She's 8 months pregnant with baby Wyatt, who is sure to be a handsome little man! It's so sweet to me how easy it is so start off right where we left off, as though hundreds of miles and way to may days between texts doesn't separate us at all. Love that girl.

6. Last night, my dad and I threw ourselves over the arms of our two leather family room chairs and enjoyed a glass each of Malbec together. I've talked before about how amazing my dad is, and every time I get to see him I am reminded again of that truth. How did I get so blessed to have him and my mom as parents??

7. I woke up at 2am CST this morning to catch a flight back to Minneapolis. Holy cow, I'm tired. I've got a big presentation at 3pm today, and then I may have to head home and call it a night. Oy vey.

8. I went to a Pampered Chef party last week hosted by Tristin and her mom, and now I want everything in their catalogue for my kitchen.

9. The kitchen I would use said Pampered Chef products in is in an amazing house in the Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte because we found one and got approved today! I'll be living with Haley and Laura and can't wait to move in!

9. I have 3 weeks left in Minneapolis. 15 work days. 20 real days. 3 Small Group nights. 3 Girls Nights. 3 Yoga Nights with Melissa. 1 weekend actually in the state. And then I leave this amazing (I'm choosing to forget the snow last Friday) city that welcomed me in and let me call it home for over two years. It's really setting in now that I'm moving, and my heart hurts a little about that.

{lately} in sunny minnesota

The sun finally decided to come out this weekend and warm up the arctic tundra that has been Minneapolis - and oh how sweet that was! 70+ degrees Friday-Sunday, with two 65+ degrees today and tomorrow before slipping back into some chilly, rainy days to finish off the (hopefully) last of winter weather up here. A, my friends, and I took full advantage of the beautiful weather, savoring every minute of the sunshine and warmth before heading back to cube-ville today!

{lately} he's back!

A is back from Madrid! His flight landed last night around 7pm. We got to spend a couple of sweet hours together before jet lag got the best of him and he succumbed to the exhaustion. We are going out to dinner tonight, and I can't wait to get all the details of his trip in person - and discuss a really exciting possibility that popped up while he was over there! I'll keep y'all posted :)

{lately} with the other alex

I think I've got a thing for Alexs. 

A is in Spain right now - to return on Sunday (PRAISE THE LORD!) - but that didn't mean that I had an Alex-free weekend the past few days. No, no, no. A weekend without an Alex seemed unfathomable to me, so I had one of my best friends from IU, girl Alex, come visit me in Minneapolis! Okay, that's not why she came to visit. She came because she's amazing and lives in Madison and wanted to spend a weekend with me before I head south, BUT it did result in an Alex-filled weekend! 

The weekend started off a little rocky when Alex called me from the road to let me know that a) she forgot her wallet in Madison, b) she was out of gas, and c) she was still 45 minutes away in Hudson, WI. Never a dull moment! I quickly poured my full glass of Malbec back into the bottle (no waste here!) and hopped into my car to meet her in Hudson, laughing to myself because it was obviously something that I would do, too. After that, it was a great weekend, the highlight of which was brewery hopping in Northeast yesterday! I love the atmosphere at the local breweries here and wish I'd spent more time at them now.

Clockwise from top left: Check out the photobomber behind Alex at Indeed Brewing!;
Enjoying Let it Ride IPA at Indeed Brewing; I loved the Six and Rated R brews at 612Brew;
Beer flight at 612Brew

 

{lately} lots of goodbyes

Oh, Monday. Here you are again! Five more days until the weekend, you say? I suppose I can handle that.

I've never actually hated Mondays. Tuesdays are the mean guys for me - it's like sealing the deal that the week is really happening, that Monday wasn't a fluke and you still have 4 days left in the office. This week, though, I'm happy to have work to keep me busy, the reasons why you'll quickly see in this week's "lately" post ...

{lately} in little rock

Happy Monday!

I just got back from an amazing weekend in Little Rock, AR, with A and his family. After 8 hours of traveling, we got in at 1am Friday and didn't fly back to Minne until this morning. The extra night in LR made it seem like an actual getaway, which it really was. Dinners with his best friends (and one new girlfriend!), spending Saturday morning with his dad (his mom and sister were hosting a friend's bridal shower), relaxing on his family's back deck, grilling out and playing cards with his parents and sister, celebrating Easter with church and brunch at their club ... the weekend was the perfect mix of relaxation and "g0-go-go!".

{lately} in chi-town

1. Had a great time in Chicago this past weekend with my family! Had brunch at Little Goat, the new breakfast place from the same chef of Girl and the Goat - so yummy. Followed that up with manis and pedis with the girls (thanks, Abby!) while the boys hit up a legit "man cave" to smoke cigars and drink bourbon. Reunited in the afternoon at Barn & Company for linner (two meals in the day: brunch & linner) - surprisingly great BBQ for a place in the city! And finished the day with the Million Dollar Quartet, which was pretty much a tribute to Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins. I'm pretty sure days don't get much better than Saturday was. After the show, my mom and dad stayed in to watch Soph Bug while the 3 kids and our better halves met up with my cousin, Grant, at the local Logan Square bars. Can I just say that I love my family?

{lately}

I've been eating ... food from a lot of great new restaurants around the Cities! A and I have a "restaurant bucket list" for the time we have left here in MSP, so we've been trying to make our way through that on our Sunday brunch dates and Wednesday date nights! Sometimes we choose to stay in and veg with something from the crockpot (eating out gets pricey!), but I've loved exploring more of the foodie scene in a region known for their great eats! Last night we enjoyed Goat Cheese Fritters, a Bacon Burger (the bacon is IN the burger, y'all!), and Beef Short Rib at Pat's Tap. The food was great albeit the short rib a little overpriced. I especially loved the fritters (you say goat cheese, I come a runnin'!). But the whole meal was kind of dampened by how noisy the place was. A had a long day at work, so the inability to have a nice conversation and just decompress made this a place we're happy we went to once but probably wouldn't hit again. Brunch at Bulldog Northeast on Sunday was great, though!

I've been watching ... Friday Night Lights Season 4. A and I finished Season 3 last fall and for some sad reason didn't pick it back up until now. It's like rekindling my relationships with long lost friends. Tami and Eric Taylor are so great. And so is cuddling up on the couch with A after a long day of work!

I've been celebrating ... passing the Praxis! A getting put on a project in Spain (and actually getting to go)! A getting the okay to move to Charlotte! My dad's 53rd birthday! My 25th Birth Week (it's this Saturday, and really, I've come a long way from my Birth Month last year)! And, most recently, finding a couple of girls that I might get to live with in Charlotte and who will at least make great friends!

I've been listening to ... a lot of Beyonce. That girl really keeps me amped up when I'd prefer to collapse on the treadmill. I've been training for the Lucky 7k this Saturday in Minneapolis. 4.3 miles! I'm gradually working my way up to a Half Marathon. 5K, Check! 7K, almost! Next on the plate will be a 10K, 15K, 10-miler, and then, hopefully, my first half! The best part about increasing the races is that you PR every time! Heyo!

I've been reading ... Shadows of the Almighty. Wow.

I've been wearing ... no new clothes :) I gave up clothes shopping for Lent and am so glad that I did. Doing so has really put into perspective how much I spent on things I didn't need, and I think will help me be much more intentional and wise with how I choose to spend my money in the future. It's also helped me rediscover a lot of great items already in my closet and to rework them into new outfits. Success!

What artists help get you pumped up for a long run or tough workout? I could use some recommendations!