Simply Shelby

I haven't blogged in awhile. I think a lot of my blogs in the past year have started out that same way. I couldn't tell you why this is so, but it is. As I think of where my life is right this second there are millions of thoughts rushing through my head. About a year ago my life changed when I made some difficult decisions and accepted my life and who I was.  I often get lost in my thoughts when I think of how I wish I could be more of something. Sometimes I want to be more healthy. Sometimes I want to be more athletic. I want to be more energetic for my students. I want to be more caring. I want to be more loving. I want to be more accepting. I want to be more Christ-like. I want to be more involved with my siblings. I want to be more  accepted. I want to be more of a better team player for my teachers. I want to be more this and more that. I want to be more . A very wise person told me to lower my expectations of myself. As an educator this had a huge impact....

I cried today. Lately, I haven't been much of a cryer. My mom will tell you that it takes a lot to make me cry. Today I cried. I cried because today was the first day of school. I am exhausted. My feet hurt, my face is greasy, and I'm not sure how I smell. I smiled as 22 brand new students walked into classroom 120. I felt the high energy of the kids who wished summer was at least another month longer. I tried to explain the rules and procedures but forgot how difficult that can be. This year will prove to be the biggest challenge in my teaching career. I miss my kids from last year, still. I hope the impact they've left on me will never change. Today, I write down a prayer for myself and for all my teachers out there. I pray that I will make a difference. I pray that tomorrow when the routines begin that I will give direction with clarity. I pray that I will find something to love about each one of my students. I pray I don't forget the good kids while I'm focusing...

There aren't many words that can describe how much I've been loving summer break. It has been filled with catching up on sleep, a million selfies, getting organized at home, Pinterest, and Netflix. Last week I had the most amazing trip to California with my aunts family. We stayed at the most gorgeous beach house in San Clemente and I fell in love with being near an ocean again. We visited the San Diego Zoo one day and my family was very supportive of my desire to see giraffes. I bought the most adorable giraffe earrings and I just know my kiddos will love them. Around the end of the school year I volunteered to direct the school play next school year. My knowledge of directing is SLIM but I'm willing to give it my all. I am so grateful for this phase of my life where I can take on new challenges so easily and without much hesitation. I am also grateful for all of the support I have already received. Westmore is the most magnificent school and the parents are amazing. As mu...

Today as I was leaving work after a 12.5 hour day (parent teacher conferences) I stood for a few minutes in my classroom. The lights were off and the only light was coming in from the sunset in my window. As I stood there I felt at home. I looked at the mess on my desk, the pencil shavings on the floor, the art on my walls, and I was filled with a sense of calm. I asked my friend, Siri, the meaning of the word home. She told me that home is, "the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or a household. An institution for people needing professional help or supervision. The goal or end." Thank you Siri, for giving the perfect definition for teaching. My classroom over the past two years has been my home. It is where I am the member of a classroom family, where I give help and supervision, and it is the goal or end. In my classroom it is a place of learning for myself and the kids. My classroom is a place where love can be felt constantly. I a...

Today I am tired. I'm tired most days but today I'm especially exhausted. Some days teaching takes everything out of me. Some days teaching pushes all my buttons. Some days I get home and feel like nothing I do will make a difference. The hard kids will still be hard tomorrow. The unloved kids will come to school tomorrow needing love. The behaved will still be golden. The math lesson will happen. The energy will be used. The feet will hurt. The day will start. The day will end. That bell always comes. Without even meaning to, my mind thinks of that one student. The one student today who had a break through. The one student who found a friend. The one student who was praised. The one student who was complimented. The one student who did well on multiplication. The one student who served another without being asked. The one student who had 6 hours away from a hard home life. The one student who walked in and felt loved. The one student who learned something new. The one studen...

As a twenty-two year old I thought that there was an order my life would follow. It would go something like this: Birth School More School Higher School University Job Marriage Baby More Babies Get Old Die As an LDS woman being married and having babies is something I have always wanted. I figured marriage and babies would come easily for me. I moved to Utah, then I graduated college, then I got a great job, and now I'm just here. No marriage, no babies, just me. This is my life. Am I happy? I would say yes. Is it easy? I would say no. There is a certain level of humble one has to be in order to fully trust in God's plan for life. It requires constant prayer and fasting. It requires a faith stronger than I would have ever thought. Timing. Life is all about timing. Not my timing, but the Lord's timing for me. I am grateful for the power of prayer and the comfort it brings to my life. With daily communication with my Heavenly Father I am reassured that he know...