Happy Almost New Year!

I am sooo, sooo, sooo ready for 2012. I am totally looking forward to starting new projects, enjoying more of my creative side and participating in the transformation...

Butterflies morph, why can't I?

I am gonna fly, fly, fly!

I really wish I had started telling you about my current adventure sooner. I have been on the road with my dog and two children for nearly three weeks. I packed up in New Hampshire and began a month long journey along the east coast...NH to South Florida. The furthest we have gotten is Hialeah, Florida, my birthplace. While it felt like being in another country at times, it was incredible how much I things can change...and still remain the same. My love for the hispanic culture is unchanged, my memories remain a constant and I hope I instill the love of a multicultural society is passed on to my children.

A little bit about our trip: Our first day of travel was filled with about three hours of traffic in Philadelphia, Delaware and of course Maryland. We sat about 9 miles from our destination and it took more than an hour to get there! My kids were great as they were plugged into their new Nintendo DS from Amazon. My younger child is not yet reading, yet amazed me how well he can operate his handheld DS lite. The reading 1st grader found her DSi's photo and video options a feature she cannot live without!

We made our was to DC in about 14 hours. Luckily we had no real time frame to complete our travels in and ended up staying in DC with a friend for three nights. During the afternoon of our second day, we headed out to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Check our photos in my gallery.

A couple of things I love about DC: Free stuff! Did you know all of the "National" museums are free? Parking might be an issue, so go early or go after lunch when the buses clear out and people are heading off to lunch. Bring some snacks in a cooler you can leave in the car and have a picnic on the mall under the trees. Even if it is hot, you can still beat the heat! Leave the cooler in the car? I know, but you will not be able to bring it inside the musuems with you due to security regulations.

That's all I have for now, I promise to share some photos of the second leg of our journey....soon!

Taking time to reflect

Seems there is not enough hours in my day to reflect on what I have done. Instead, I think I find myself worrying about all the stuff left undone! I took a little time to night to play with some shots from the past 5 or so months...it helps me remember that we are accomplishing a pretty well rounded life with a little bit of fun mixed in!

With the exception of the pottery shots, all were taken with my Nikon D90. Of course a few are cropped and tweaked a little bit, thanks to Picasa 3. I have not gotten around to purchase Lightroom, I am still using my free trials of all the Adobe picture software until I make a decision. So far, I like Lightroom 3 the best...easy to use and lots of online "how to" videos.

Enjoy the photos. Remember take time to reflect...

Teachers Looking for Jobs

It is in the news in nearly every state in America: Teachers not being given contracts for the new school year. Scary times when our districts have to cut positions and not ask our much needed teachers back fulltime for the following school year. I was lucky enough to be asked back each year in my former brick and mortar school district. I was also lucky enough to request a child rearing leave for the school year. When my year was up, I decided not to return full time. The high school never filled my position.

It just so happens that I was lucky, fortunate, and smart enough to think ahead. I created a vision board of sorts and believed that I would one day be a work from home mom where I actually earned a real income and no longer needed full time day care. I have managed to do just that with my current teaching gig. I am 100% a telecommuter, virtual, online high school Science teacher. Lucky me!

If you are interested in the virtual field of education, I highly recommend starting with the basics: How to Succeed as an Online Facilitator
I read this article back when I first considered teaching online, before the birth of my first child six years ago. It offers valuable insight when considering the change from brick and mortar to online.

Dealing with Today

Today ordinary day. Just like all the others, happens to stand in the middle of the week and well, quite frankly...gets in the way of me getting to my weekend.

Got my new Tokina Ultrawide Lens off of Amazon this past weekend. From what I understand, it will be my "prime" lens as it has one focal length: wide. I plan to explore its full potential this weekend when I am home in Florida. Funny, I cannot think of one thing to take photos of. Maybe I will hit the train station. Amazing place to people watch and listen...even smell. Hotdogs, trains and passengers...all with their own unique journey ahead of them.

My weekend is not a weekend of leisure. Endarterectomy. Say that three times fast. I have been doing just that as my father prepares for his second. It is a pretty crazy procedure performed on a clogged artery. It is dangerous, the prognosis is good and it saves lives. Just another reminder that a healthy diet, exercise and happy life are the prescription to prevent my own Endarterectomy.

Decision Making

Are you one of those people who thinks on your feet? Likes the excitement of coming up with an idea on the fly and going for it?

I am. I am proud of it too.

As a high school teacher you have got to be. All of those faces staring at you while you fumble for a word to conclude your lecture...or the kid making a scene in the back and figuring out how to handle it without losing your cool. Characteristics of a teacher.

National Teacher Appreciation day is today. A glorious day indeed as it reminds me that while I may not have all the answers to all the problems in the world, I can use the tools God gave me to do some good in the world. I no longer work in a traditional brick and mortar classroom, I am a "virtual" teacher.

I am part of a growing population of teachers who have become part of the pyramid of learning: student, teacher, parent. The three of us are a team and can conquer any task together. I am a better listener, teacher and all around person because now I truly know my students and how and why they do what they do in the classroom.