What I Learned this Summer

Summer is over for me despite the triple-digit heat in Phoenix. But school is about to start, and as teachers, it's time to get ready for our new crop of students.

Before moving on to the next season of life, I like to look back and review what I learned.

I'm so thankful that I had nine weeks off to rest up and get refreshed for a new school year.

Here are a few things I learned this summer:

1. Family first. My dad was hospitalized with congestive heart failure. He lives in Florida, and I am in Arizona. So, the distance was frustrating as I'm also a nurse. I hopped on a plane and spent time helping him in his time of need. If you missed my post about this, you could read it here. He will never be a burden to me, and I was so glad I didn't have to be concerned with taking time off work.
2. I am a life-long learner. I never want to feel like I'm too old to learn something new. The Technology Integration Specialist at my school offered free courses throughout the summer to staff members. I took advantage of this. I learned an Adobe program called InDesign. It's perfect for creating newsletters. But I realized it was also a useful program for the parent book I've been writing. So, I continued the learning process through online courses and YouTube videos. I'm not an expert, but I do have a better grasp on this program.
3. It takes persistence to complete a project. I tend to go from one project to another. It's like the three or four books I read at one time. :) I've been accumulating funny things kids say since 2010. I  write down the cute things students say and toss the paper into a jar I kept on my desk. As you can imagine, over time, it was getting filled up. I put together the sayings along with tips from Ms. Debbie, using InDesign. 
4. I enjoy working with people from around the world. Since I'm not an expert on using InDesign, my husband suggested I check out a site called UpWork. It's a place to find freelancers. So, I discovered a guy from Malaysia, who is an expert using InDesign. He helped me with fonts, spacing, and format for my book titled "Kids Say the Funniest Things in Preschool: What Your Children are Saying". Even though he was 14 hours ahead of my time zone, we managed to work it out to accomplish my goal. The only thing I'm missing is a photo to use on the back cover of the book!
5. I miss my students. Even though I enjoy the break, I miss the kids. Yesterday, I returned to work for professional development. One of my students from last year is a teacher's child. So, the daycare was provided. I stepped into the room to say hello, and before I knew it, Max wrapped his arms around me and wouldn't let me go. Oh, what a blessing! He kept saying, "Ms. Debbie" and I could have cried. Yes, this is a good job for me at this stage of my life.
6. I don't always complete everything on my list for the summer. Life doesn't often go as planned and so I want to be flexible. I did accomplish much on my time off but not everything I hoped for. I got together with a few friends but not all on my list. Friends are important to me, and I want to make time to nurture relationships. Hopefully, I will be able to catch up with my friends even during the school year.

So, now it's back to work and a new season of my life. I can't wait to meet my new students.

I'm linking up with Emily J Freeman as we share what we learned this summer.

Blessings and love,