Coaching

High school

     In my lifetime I  have had the privileged to coach educators and students. I am who I am today because of my coaches; beginning in middle school, definitely my high school and college coaches.  

     I learned in middle school that effort is rewarded, in high school I learned the importance of being a team player and the importance of roles and in College I learned that I have a voice, I have qualities of a leader and the importance of knowing when to lead and when to follow. 

      I have coached high school volleyball, basketball and track and field and middle school volleyball and track and field. I  have attended promotions, graduations and weddings of my athletes, I have taken phone calls that should have been directed to mothers, I have shared my stories, I have mentored and I have given my all to my athletes. This year I was unable to complete my volleyball season and had to tell my track team that I could not coach this year due to my health. 

College

     I have realized that I am a hands on coach, I enjoy modeling my expectations, putting on my athletic gear and truly showing my athletes what I want to see. When I am coaching adults I have to constantly give them  pep talks and point out what they are doing correct and then collaboratively we reflect and identify what they need to correct. When I am coaching students I am constantly pointing out the flaws , the mistakes, and then struggle with how to praise. When I return to coaching sports I am going to change my approach, I will  praise more and  find a way to make my athletes more reflective.

Teaching is a gift

I Love my Job it is the GREATEST job in the world! I help create productive citizens.

      I have a degree in Marine Science but as I look back over my life and class assignments (that I have kept since middle school)  I have always wanted to be a teacher.  I was honored to be nominated by my peers as the Teacher of the Year to represent the school in the district and after completing a long and arduous application I was selected as 1 of the 5 district finalist. 

     Many of the applicants wrote how there parents (former educators) influenced their career and how they looked up to an educator. My store was very different, I wrote of the disappointment and anger that I felt toward a specific educator that told my mother,"That I didn't have the ability to comprehend  English III at this level (honors)". See said those words to my mother at an open house as I stood next to her. Those words still burn my ears to this day.
     As I contemplated going back to school to become and educator I vowed to always believe the following: All students deserve an education, My purpose in life is to educate, I must meet my students needs, I can make a difference, and you reap what you sow.

I feel that being an Educator is a God given gift. Many enter this occupation but don't last because they are not called.

My (God) Sisters

 
I believe God puts people in your life for a reason; some are there for a moment, some a season and others for a lifetime.

Me and my Girlfriends

     When I decided on a school I choose one that had a specific Sorority because all of my life I wanted to have sisters. Well I never got the opportnitiy to pledge that sorority but I still got what I was in search of . I have 4 girlfriends, my college volleyball teammates. We all came from different states, majored in different areas and had unique personalities (the big spender, the lazy one, the genus, the mean one and the mom). I was the mom of the group if they needed money, advice,a prayer, a shoulder to cry on, a designated driver ... I was and am still proud of my role in our group. We have our girls weekend once a year and I look forward to our time together.
     Although we are in different states and at different stages in our lives if I call on them I know that they will be there for me and my family. When my brother passed I had my sisters to lean on as everyone looked to me to be the rock in my family. I looked to my sisters for support.

God is Awesome he supplies me with all of my needs!