The Non-Conformist

Writing Project Proposal I am choosing to complete the Educational Project, with the three week poetry unit, because it fits into my profession as an English teacher as well as helping to establish my ability to produce quality lesson plans. Being a particularly “young” teacher, I do not have a great deal of experience making unit plans, especially one that covers such a broad range of content. The ultimate goal of the poetry unit is to have students understand the connection between form and content of poetry. They will develop a richer sense of poetic form providing meaning or theme, and how it is a product of its time. This simply means understanding how society and/or environment informs the structure and content, and vice versa. In the end, students will have explored several different forms, the histories, purposes and influences (or results) of the forms and poems written in such a way. They will have also experienced writing their own poems in the different poetic forms ...

As of late, I've come to realize that everybody ain't happy for you to be happy. It's funny, because happiness should bring happiness, but people start in on their own lack of happiness and things get ugly... I am happy and am in love. Haters are real. Jealousy is real. Envy is real. Why me? I don't have all there is to have in the world that money can buy and I'm not exactly where I want to be in life, so what's the big deal? I am happy for you, for all that you have done, will do, and are doing. You've made gains in your personal and spiritual life it seems, but there is something, some thing that is keeping you from living in your happiness. I remember a sermon stating that in order to have happiness things have to happen in your life. Things have happened in my life, both good and bad, but I choose to relish the good. How do we get back to love? I have grown. I've grown up. I am grown. I am no longer the girl looking for love. I lost sight ...

New Year. New You. Same Resolutions. The Alternative: GOALS. Make short-term and long-term goals that are attainable, realistic, and worth achieving. If you want to reach an ideal weight, make that your long-term goal in a reasonable amount of time, and your short-term goals can weekly (or bi-weekly) weight goals. My Fitness Pal App is awesome for this particular goal, and it allows to enter the foods you eat while setting you with a daily calorie intake. Of course, exercise is a must. If you want to increase your self-esteem/-concept/-confidence, look in the mirror and accept the nose, eyes, lips, and hair that you have. Smile, and accept that too. Do daily affirmations in the mirror. Then, as you grow more confident, do things that are challenging for you. If you want to be happy, at peace, or feel complete, pray. Just pray ask God to forgive you, make you new, teach you how to be who HE wants you to be, and move you completely out of the way so that HE can reign i...

I guess it would be completely out of order to skip out on wishing everyone a happy new year, so Happy New Year! (And, did you get everything you wanted for Christmas? Oh. It doesn't matter anyway, it wasn't about you, right?) Of course, with the ringing in of the new year in a church, home, or club, we have the never-ending, over-indulgent, unrealistic task of making resolutions. Ha! Well, not everyone, but all in the media, the questions pour in and the answers seep between the lips of liars like smoke. (Ok, so no one lies, it just doesn't work out the way you planned it...right?) Resolutions just aren't what they should be. Messy, drama-filled people say they won't let nothing worry them and that they're going to do them. Lazy people say their going to stack their money up. Lost, disconnected, and discontent people say they will find the right person to be with this year, and it's going to be real. The discouraged say they'll go back to school...

Six (6) months into our relationship, we realized we wanted to be together for life. Marriage was inevitable. We did what any two should do when they are living together, and are truly in love...we went and got married. Just the two of us, the judge and God. Fast forward (almost) 9 months later, we are still very young in marriage, but old in love. We learn something new about each other everyday, and we enjoy it. Marriage is work, but it is all so fun and exciting. We don't consider it work though...it's a lifestyle. Marriage presents freedom - a freedom that we never knew before. I mean, you might think being single is freedom (it has its perks if you choose that lifestyle), but not like marriage. When married, you can freely talk about sex with your guy or gal, why? Because you're married! You don't feel bad about what you're doing, after you've done it, why? Because it is YOUR right as a married couple to  love each other and love on ...

As of late, I have been surrounded and drowned in a sea of endless talking. I have never been so talkative...at least I don't think. Just think: all you hear is talking from the same 2-3 people for four (4) straight, and it's really about nothing. They talk-talk-talk-talk to no end, and just will not STOP! How can any one person talk for so long, without pause? I literally left with a headache. I was completely aggravated, disgusted, and annoyed. (Are all those the same thing? Oh well, it doesn't matter.) If I could have, I would have said, "S.T.F.U." - as nasty as possible. I would have said it to the point that it hurt. Mean? No. Cynical? Maybe. I just don't like all that talking. What is there to talk about - in school? It's ridiculous.

For the past few months, I have been going through some things that have really tested me - pulling me in every direction to the point of wanting to give up. I wanted to throw in the towel a few times, however I kept the faith. I persevered, prayed, praised, and prepared. HOW? It was all by GOD. I do not care much for dwelling on the past, but I do look back just to see how far I have come. This time last year, I had come to a crossroad and finally accepted I had messed up and was in a mess of a relationship. I was making plans to do great things, and I had decided that I would keep going even alone. Fast foward to March 2012, when things started to really fall apart. I had people and things going up against me, but they did not know Who had my back. He has backed me up since way back when. They did not know my Savior - my God - the One and Only. They did not know Who or Whose I was - I am a child of God. I got something in the mail yesterday, and got the call I KNEW I was...