Educational advocate

The other night, Megan and I went to dinner and a movie. During the previews, we saw this amazing trailer for a documentary coming out that's called "Waiting for Superman." I have never been more excited to see a documentary as I am to see this one. Now it's time for me to get on my soapbox for a bit and tell you how I feel about our current educational system.

The premise of "Waiting for Superman" is to shed light on how too many students are falling through the cracks and not receiving the proper education that they deserve, simply because their numbers failed to be called during a lottery for placement in a better school district than the ones that they live in. These students are subjected to sitting through tense and emotion filled lotteries, praying that their numbers are called so they have a chance to receive the education that they know they deserve, but are not getting. There are clips of kids sharing what they want to do when they grow up, but the fear that they won't be given the chance to achieve those dreams.

How has our educational system come to this? This doesn't just happen in big cities like Washington D.C. and New York City. This is happening all across America. It's happening right in our own backyards. What are we doing to stop it? Nothing. The No Child Left Behind Act has become a joke. Our districts are losing money because their students aren't performing well enough on standardized tests. We push, push, push our students to do so well on these tests that we forget that we're not teaching them everything else they need to know. Students are being pushed ahead to the next grade because no teacher wants to admit that maybe the student needs resources and assistance and instead of trying to help them, they dub them the "trouble maker" and pass them on to the next teacher so they don't have to deal with them anymore.

During my senior year of college I took a Sociology of Education class. It was the one Soc class I never got bored with. The professor was so passionate about education and making us aware of the crisis going on with our students that I was on the edge of my chair from the beginning of class to the end. He had us read a novel called "The Shame of the Nation" by Jonathan Kozol that, much like "Waiting for Superman," strove to make the nation aware of our students and teachers who are dealing with inadequate resources and materials to help the students learn, all because their districts are failing on the standardized tests.

When was the last time we took a step back to reassess what was going on? When was the last time that education was about passion and learning and not money? What happened to putting our students first? No one I know goes into the educational field for money. They go into it for the satisfaction they get at the end of every day knowing that their students are growing and learning and striving to be the best that they can be. When we make it about money, our students fall through the cracks.

Here in Cincinnati, we have districts whose levies are failing left and right because parents are so concerned about property taxes that they've stopped thinking about their children and how less money will impact them educationally. When levies fail, schools start cutting programs and students no longer get the education that they are entitled to. No one district should be better than the other because they have more money.

During my undergrad, we watched this amazing documentary filmed right here in Ohio (I wish I could remember the name of it!) that focused on several different school districts and the education that the students in each district were getting. It broke my heart to see inner city and rural districts where students were dropping out of school to get jobs because they felt their education didn't matter. They knew they would never get into college because that's what they had been told. If they're not going to college, why bother finishing high school?

How many time are our students being told this? How many times are certain students being told that they'll never succeed, never go to college, so they may as well come up with plan B? What happened to wanting our children and students to grow up to be the best that they could possibly be? Why are we now dashing the dreams and hopes of students simply because of the city or the school district that they live in?

As a future school counselor, I want nothing more than each of my students to dream to their heart's content and to believe that they have a chance. I intend to make sure they know they have choices ahead of them and that because one person tells them no does NOT mean that that door is closed. Our students deserve so much better than what we are giving them right now. It's time for our educational system to be reformed. We need to re-examine the No Child Left Behind Act and figure out where and why our students are slipping through the cracks and not succeeding. It's time to put a stop to low income districts and give each and every single one of our students the chance to receive the education that they deserve.

You can argue with me all you want but you will not get me to change my mind on this. I hate seeing programs cut, teachers being cut, and most of all, I hate to see my future job on the line, all because some parents, districts, and administrators are trying to push their own agendas and not seeing what is truly important. We need to put our students first. They have voices too and it's about time we start listening to them.

The end is in sight

I don't know why I get myself so worked up at night. All of my anxieties I wrote about the other night were uncalled for. I have everything finished for the quarter now except for my final paper for my Multicultural Counseling class and that one is started because I started it while I was in Athens. It only has to be six pages so if I do one page every night this week I can edit it this coming weekend and then my quarter is over!

Granted, I spent three solid hours doing homework last night but at least everything is finished except for that one paper. Now I can focus on fun stuff such as making our road trip cds and finalizing all the little details of our trip. Words can't even describe how excited I am that it's just a little over a week away!!

So random, but I'm missing a cd. I'm uploading songs to my Itunes to compile into a road trip mix and I pulled out a Rascal Flatts cd and I have the case but not the cd. The cd definitely isn't in my car because I pulled all of those cds out to use and it's no where to be found. How weird is that?

This weekend has been so fun and relaxing. Friday night Megan and I went to dinner and a movie. We saw Letters to Juliet and it was so cute! My favorite quote from the movie was "When speaking of love, it is never too late." Call me a hopeless romantic (regardless of what my facebook status said last week!) but I think it's true. But that's an entry for another day.

Saturday Megan and I went to AAA to get our directions and maps finalized for our trip. Then we went to breakfast and came back to my house to wash our cars. My car was so dirty but now it's pretty again. Too bad it'll just get dirty again during the drive to Florida in two weeks. Oh well. I went shopping after I had showered and got a couple of new tank tops for Florida before heading down to Taste of Cincinnati with Joe, Adge, and her mom. Everyone had fun, even if I got us lost in Over the Rhine. Story of my life anymore. :-P I spent last night after I got home doing homework as I already mentioned before finally crashing around 2 this morning.

Today I went to church where I got to help distribute communion. That was actually kind of neat. After church I dropped Joe back off at his house and then grabbed lunch before heading back to Joe's for his little brother's graduation party. I am soooo psyched that Daniel is heading to OU in the fall! Go Bobcats! It was fun catching up with some old friends I haven't seen in awhile and then Katie and I went shopping where I bought two more new shirts for Florida. Now I just need flip flops and some random little things and I should be all set. Oh and I still need a sun dress. Crap. I need to make a shopping list.

This evening Seth and I took the youth laser tagging, which I haven't done since my own high school youth group. I realized that I still suck at it but it was so much fun. We also raced go karts which was entertaining. One of the youth kept crashing into me and I about collided with the wall but it's all good. I think everyone had fun and I jokingly told Katie that I thought it would be a fun place to go on a date. haha

Tomorrow our preschool is closed for Memorial Day and it's supposed to rain so I'm thinking tomorrow will be a good day to clean my room and my bathroom and get some other random stuff done around the house. I'm looking forward to a day of just hanging out in my pjs all day.

Oh crap. I should go switch over laundry. Whoops.

Anxieties

I lay in bed with the fan on for white noise, hoping it will lull me to sleep. Knowing I have to be back at work at 8:30 tomorrow morning means I should be sleeping. Instead, I lay here with so many anxieties rolling through my head that I just need to get them out so I can sleep.

It's the end of week nine. That means one more week of classes and then finals week. I'm so ready for this quarter to be over but I've had so many mishaps with my on campus supervisor that I'm afraid all of a sudden that I'm going to end up with an incomplete because of something that's been out of my hands. I know it will all work out and I know I'm worrying for nothing but that's what happens when week nine rolls around. I tend to freak out about the littlest things.

I have one more day left at Monroe. It was supposed to have been yesterday (Wednesday) but since I ended up with strep, I'm going in briefly on Tuesday to wrap up with all of my kids and go over my final evaluation with Elizabeth. I feel like this has been a good fit for me and I feel as if I grew a lot from this experience. I have all of my hours complete but now my brain is running away with the idea that she's going to give me a bad evaluation, which I know is crazy since we've been chatting all quarter about how well I've been doing.

Add on top of that the fact that there's a certain someone I can't stop thinking about and my brain is on overload. Even after so long and the length of time it's been since we've seen each other, the thought of him still gives me butterflies. I'm going to soak up the next two weekends and enjoy our time together. There is no one quite like him and even now I'm sure God placed him in my life for a reason.

Focus Heather. It may be time to pull out the future husband journal. In fact, that's a great idea for this weekend. I need to journal out the struggle of the last couple of months in this no-dating year and journal out my reactions to this weekend. In all of this, I need to keep my mind focused on what God is teaching me in this year He has asked me to be single. I need to remember what my goal is and where this year is taking me. I can't let silly things like emotions and my heart run away with the logical side of me. I promised to make this the year of no dating and I intend to finish out strong.

It's end of the quarter. I CAN and WILL do this. There is no reason to let these silly anxieties plague me when I know I'm stronger than them. Yes, I've had setbacks but they are NOT enough to lose sleep over.

On that note, I'm going to bed. Maybe now I'll actually sleep.

Two weeks!

Two weeks from today Megan and I will be on our way here:

I can not wait! This has been the most stressful quarter of my grad school career thus far and I can't wait for a week of laying on the beach or by the pool with a book, drinking fruity girly drinks and relaxing with my family.

I am also finally feeling better. I was awake at 9:30 this morning after sleeping for eight hours and I feel great. I haven't tried to eat yet but my stomach is growling so I'm taking that as a good sign. I think since I'm on the mend I may run to AAA and pick up our maps and directions for vacation since they're only open limited hours on Saturdays and I work during the week.

I also need to start wrapping up my final projects and what not for school. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and I can taste the freedom that June 10th is going to bring. It's going to be so nice to not have to worry about doing homework and studying during the summer. I need this so badly.

Two weeks. I just need to survive two more weeks and then I get to spend nine glorious days in Florida with my family and my best friend. :-)

It's strep

After my internship yesterday I went to one of those Walgreens take care clinics because I can only use my student health insurance on campus and knew I wouldn't make it there in time so it was cheaper to go to Walgreens instead of urgent care.

The lady took one look at my throat and said from the looks of my tonsils she knew without a doubt it was strep. She swabbed me and set the timer for five minutes but it didn't even take the full five minutes for the test to turn positive.

I have never, ever had strep. Never. She gave me a presciption for penicillin (which was free at Meijer!) and some lanicane rinse to help with the pain. By the time I had left the clinic, my energy level was gone and I was finally starting to feel sick.

I went to Meijer to have my prescriptions filled and bought things like soup, popsicles, and ice cream that would feel good on my throat. However, I ended up not eating last night. I came home, put on pajamas, took the first dose of penicillin and passed out on the couch until ten. When I woke up, I took the second dose and went to bed where I proceeded to pretty much sleep until 2:30 this afternoon.

I woke up a couple times throughout the night and finally took some tylenol at about four this morning. I had gone to bed with a 102 degree fever and the tylenol helped to break it so I slept comfortably for the rest of the night.

I couldn't believe it when I woke up at the clock said 2:30. I still feel exhausted so hopefully that will help me to sleep tonight because I have to go back to work tomorrow. I have a note from the clinic excusing me from work tomorrow if I need it but I can't afford to take tomorrow off. Really, I'll be playing it by ear and seeing how I feel later tonight before I decide what to do.

Alright, I'm off to try and eat and get some homework done.

Strep?

So I'm pretty sure I may have strep. If it's not strep, then there's something going on. I woke up Sunday morning with a pretty bad sore throat that only went away after taking some tylenol for the pain.

Yesterday, it got worse to the point that it hurt so bad I thought I was going to be sick. I took tylenol every four hours yesterday which helped, along with drinking plenty of water. Last night, I went and bought some throat spray, which was the only way I was able to get some sleep last night.

However, I didn't sleep much (or well) at all. I was up every two hours drinking water and using the spray. This morning I took three ibuprofen and used the spray and I'm still miserable. I'm skipping class this afternoon and going to urgent care to get it looked at. Something is wrong but I'm not sure what. I've never had strep before, even though my sister gets it every six months like clockwork.

All I know is I'm pretty miserable. I think at some point I must have had a fever because when I woke up at 7:45, I was sweating like crazy and I had been up two hours prior to that to take tylenol. I don't know. I don't know what's wrong with me. :-/

On a more positive note, Vince got his birthday present last night and he loved it! He had been eyeing the Toy Story movie on dvd at Wal-mart when I was in Athens so I bought it for him and then my sister and I created a whole Toy Story themed package, complete with a fleece blanket, Toy Story fruit snacks, a Toy Story card, and a can of Arizona Iced Tea. I also wrote him a letter telling him how much our friendship means to me, which he told me he loved and was going to keep forever. haha

Ok, I'm off to choke down my lunch (which it hurts to eat) and then wrap up my day here at my internship so I can go to the doctor. Boo.

Athens!

Last weekend I went to Athens to celebrate Vince's birthday a week early since I knew I had Savannah's birthday party and a baby-sitting job this weekend. It was the first time in a year I've been to Athens and spending the weekend on campus makes me realize how big of a spot there still is in my heart for Athens and OU and how much I truly do miss it. I know I'm meant to be in Cincinnati for now but it doesn't mean that OU won't always hold a big spot in my heart.

Friday night the original plan was to go out for ice cream and just hang out and instead I ended up going out with the boys to a local bar where I proceeded to have a little too much to drink. What started as me having one drink turned into two drinks and two shots later. I was pretty funny that night and kept asking Mike and Vince if the room was spinning. lol It took me about two hours and about four bottles of water before I sobered up and could drive back to my hotel where I was staying off campus.

That night was the first time ever I've been drunk and it surprisingly wasn't as bad as I expected. I didn't have a hangover on Saturday and in fact, I got up and went for a run Saturday morning. It's sad that I was gone after two drinks and two shots but that's okay. I'm not usually much of a drinker but this quarter has kicked my butt and it felt good to let go and enjoy myself for one night. Had I not sobered up I would have stayed in the dorms with Vince but typically I bounce back pretty quickly after I drink.

I also apparently drunk text a couple of people, along with calling Denise and Mike from Denver. I don't remember much of that but it's okay. It makes for a fun story. haha

Saturday I went for a run and then Vince and I just hung out on campus. We had lunch from Bagel Street Deli and sat out on College Green and just talked while eating. We eventually wandered the International Street Fair and then headed back to the dorms where he did laundry and we did a couple hours worth of homework before I took him to Ruby Tuesday for dinner for his birthday.

After dinner we dropped my book bag and stuff off at my hotel room and just laid on my bed and talked about everything from politics to religion to abortion. It was nice to be able to have a conversation like the one we had where I didn't have to hold back what I thought because I was afraid of someone jumping down my throat and telling me I was wrong for what I thought and believed in.

We went to Wal-mart and goofed off for a bit before getting the movie Daybreakers from Red Box, which was the worst two hours of my life. I don't recommend it at all! After the movie was over we went for a night walk around campus and ended up at Emeriti Park, which was my favorite place to go on campus to think and do homework. It never fails that I choose somewhere near water to do my best thinking since I do that here at home too. haha

Sunday I had brunch at the Coffee Cup with my old resident director and boss Cathy which was so fun. It was so great to be able to catch up and talk about old times and what we've been up to since I worked for her. I jokingly told her I used to be afraid of her when I worked for her (which was partly true!) but have since come to appreciate her. I have never had a boss as amazing as her and I miss working for her. It's so great to know that she ended up being a friend as well as a boss.

After brunch Vince and I went shopping so I could get some new OU t-shirts and then we went back to Emeriti Park so I could get some daytime pictures. We wandered back up to College Green where I knew it was getting close to the time for me to leave. The hardest part of visiting Athens for me is always leaving. So much of my heart is still there and it makes me wish that I hadn't wished away so much of my college years. I never knew how much Athens and OU would end up impacting me and how it would leave such a big hole in my heart that could never be filled. I love my program at UC, but UC will never be OU. Never. My four and a half years at OU were some of the best of my life and I will forever cherish those memories.

It was a much needed and relaxing weekend. I hadn't felt that good since getting home from Denver and now I'm counting down the days to my Florida vacation. I feel like this has been the longest and hardest quarter of my life and I can't wait to be able to breathe again.

I now leave you with pictures!

Mike and I at Red Brick!

Vince and I at Red Brick!

Mike and I hanging out in Bromley! :-)

Emeriti Park...by far my favorite place at OU

Vince and I at Emeriti Park :-)

Lunch time blogging

Today has been a moderate day at my internship. The morning was so slow that for the first two hours I did homework and research, which is nice for me because it means I have more time for coffee with Tym after class tonight since my homework is already done! The morning picked up around 10 and I've been going ever since. I met with two individual students and then my junior high transition group. I just finished lunch but the kids are all at lunch til 1 so I have the next 45 minutes to twiddle my thumbs to meet with my next student.

This weekend was so fun. I left for Youngstown on Friday right after work. I was afraid I was going to end up driving in rain because there were massive storms moving in but I actually beat the system by 10 minutes. About two hours out from town, it started lightning and it picked up in intensity as I drove. I lucked out and made it before the brunt of the storm moved in, which was good because hail and tornado warnings had come with it so I was glad I didn't get caught driving in it.

Saturday was Diana's bridal shower. I still can't believe she's getting married in like six weeks! I'm thinking about cutting my family vacation short by two days so I can make it back to Youngstown for her wedding. She and I have been friends for 18 years (who can say that at our young ages?!?) and it would devestate me if she couldn't come to my wedding someday so I really want to try and make it to hers.

The shower was beautiful. I didn't know anyone but her mom inroduced me to some people from her church and I ended up having people to talk to. We played some games and ate great food (the cake was the best!) and of course I took pictures which are on facebook.

After the shower I headed over to visit my aunt and uncle and spent three hours there. Who happened to call while I was there? Oh my dad did. Luckily they were smart and didn't answer. Had they done so, I would have walked out. I haven't had contact with the man in years and don't intend to start anytime soon. Actually, I did find out while I was over their house that he conveniently had been in Colorado the same time that I had been for spring break. Coincidence? I think not! He has no family in Colorado and had no reason to go out there. I asked Mike about it last night to see if they had known and he said that my aunt had told him it had something to do with work but that the story didn't sound right, which in her world usually means she's making it up so part of me almost thinks he was ou there to try and find me but that's an entry for another day. Ask me if you really want to know.

Saturday night we had girls night out. Lauren, Denise, and I went to dinner at O'Charley's and then met up with Monica to go bowling, which was fun. Monica helped me to discover the wonders of Lee Dewyze from American Idol and we just had fun laughing and goofing off. We ended the night with food at Bdubs and caught up on each other's lives.

Saturday night made me realize how truly blessed I am with their friendships. Denise and I of course have been best friends since high school and Lauren and Monica are my college best friends. It doesn't matter how long it's been or how many miles separate us. We will always be the best of friends and will pick up right where we left off. I love those girls with my heart and soul and I am so lucky to be able to call them my friends.

Sunday I drove home early and got in around 1 to spend Mother's Day with my family. We went to my sister's for dinner and then I went shopping to get my mom her gift (nothing like waiting til the last minute!). Then I just hung out and relaxed in a bubble bath to start the week.

Last night I had a blast from the past. One of my old junior high friends from St. Matthias (who is actually three years younger than me) added me as a friend on facebook and then messaged me last night. We talked on IM for a bit and then our conversation got kind of extensive for IM's so we exchanged phone numbers and he ended up calling me while I was talking to Mike. After I ended my phone call with Mike, I called Kurt back and we talked for two and a half hours on the phone. We got disconnected around 2 and I text him and was like "I have to sleep!" so our conversation ended there.

How crazy though! I have not spoken to Kurt before last night since I left St. Matthias after 8th grade. It was so funny how the years just melted away. We never ran out of things to talk about and we had each other cracking up so much that he couldn't breathe and I had tears streaming down my face. It was so fun to reconnect with someone that I was friends with (though not even close friends-more like acquaintances!) back in junior high through facebook of all places. I think it was the funnest phone call I have had in forever and I actually can't wait for another one, this time on a weekend though!

This weekend I'm headed to Athens for the weekend to celebrate Vince's birthday which will be fun. I haven't been to Athens in a year so I can't wait to bask in the amazingness that is Ohio University and Athens. I love love love southeast Ohio in the spring and can't wait for long walks across campus and sitting in the Front Room on Saturday doing homework. Ahhhh I can't wait!

On that note, I am off to find something to occupy my time with until I can meet with my next student. It's only Tuesday but I already can't stop smiling which means it's going to be a great week!

Could I really be getting sick again??

I'm currently sitting at my internship waiting for the students to finish lunch so I can meet with one of my students individually and then finish up my last two group sessions for the day. After my groups I'm going home sick instead of going to class.

I woke up in the middle of the night last night to use the bathroom and my throat felt scratchy. I didn't think anything of it because I'm already on an antibiotic for a sinus infection. This morning, I woke up with hot flashes and almost felt like I was running a fever. I shook it off and figured I was fine but as the morning went on, I started feeling light headed and my stomach was queasy.

I just finished lunch and it's taking everything in me right now to hold it down. I think I'm going to go home and sleep it off instead of going to class and infecting everyone else. My guess is that I finally caught whatever's been floating around work, even though I'm already on an antibiotic.

I have to be here tomorrow so my theory is to go home and rest as much as I can so that it doesn't affect my hours tomorrow. I'm just hoping I can survive through the day tomorrow. :-/

Two more hours to go....I can make it. I hope.

Flying Pig!

This morning I skipped out of my regular church service after Sunday school and headed downtown to watch Denise cross the finish line at the Flying Pig Marathon! I've seen her through her training for the last few months and was so excited to see her meet her goal of 26.2 miles this morning.

The other night while at the gym for her last short run, she kept coming up with reasons why I didn't need to be there. I told her that rain or shine I would be at the finish line waiting for her. And at the finish line I was. It rained on or off for the hour it took for her to cross the finish line after I got there but I didn't even mind being chilled to the bone. It was so exciting to watch Denise as she hit her goal of 26.2 miles today!

I got to the finish line downtown just in time to watch my aunt Terri cross it with my cousin Brooke running her in! Terri finished in five hours and five minutes or something close to that. Denise was behind her by an hour and came in at six hours and ten minutes. It was so exhilerating to watch them meet their goals today!

Had it not been for my knee issues that set me back in the fall, I would have been running the half marathon today. Next year, though, no excuses. I will be out there coming down the home stretch of the half marathon. I want this so badly. I want to be able to say that I did it! I'm getting ready to head out to Barnes and Noble in a bit to pick up this marathon training book that I've fallen in love with on Amazon and starting tomorrow, my training is in full swing for next year. I can not wait to say that I met this goal. Denise has been such an inspiration for me as I've watched her train for the last few months that I can't wait to run this myself.

I'll end with a picture of Denise and I at the finish line this afternoon. What a great morning!

133 days...!!

I just booked my flight, my rental car, and my hotel near the Indianapolis Airport for the night before my flight which means my trip to Denver in September is now a reality! I know for awhile I really went back and forth on whether or not I was going. Okay, I knew I was going but part of me was almost scared about making it a reality, especially in the terms of knowing I'm going out with a new eye towards moving there.

*shrugs* Whatever. The trip is booked so it's official! Work has known about this for a month so I even have the time off of work. I know I'm going to remind them again in like July but that's okay.

I am so psyched for this trip. I know I'm headed to Florida in exactly six weeks with my family and Megan, but in my eyes, that's a vacation and Denver is my future. Does that make sense? To me it does anyway. It's midnight so I'm not really sure how much sense I make tonight. haha

Random side note: I just got done watching My Sister's Keeper and I am so ticked that they changed the ending from the book. I know movies do that all the time but to change it so drastically is just not cool. I am also annoyed that I intended to watch Premonition tonight but Netflix sent me the wrong dvd (after already sending me a broken one so this one was supposed to be it's replacement) so I am now waiting on a new one. End side note.

I have no real plans for the weekend. Tym and I are going for coffee tomorrow evening but other than that, I just have to go pay my Target bill and get my oil changed which means I'll probably do a good chunk of homework and some prep work for my internship for the week.

Sunday my friend Denise from church is running in the Flying Pig marathon so rain or shine I'm going to be at the finish line waiting for her. I didn't see her through all of this training to not be there when she finishes! Plus I know next year she'll be there for me as I finish the half marathon. :-)

Alright, it's bedtime for this sleepy girl. Have a good weekend all!