bright lights... big city

This past weekend, my best friend and I ventured North for a fab weekend in the big Atl!! We really did have a blast getting to see my other close friend, Stephanie Roberts and her husband!! The weekend consisted of: lunch with a girl we graduated with, photo session in Atlantic Station, dinner and a movie, lunch at JCT - and of course another photo session, Hawks game, shopping, and lastly, looking for a place to park (which was sort of an every day thing!!!)

Here are a few shots from the weekend...

Anna and Nathan...

Anna and I have been best friends since the sixth grade! Now that she is dating Nathan, I have to share my time with her, but he understands that I am part of the "Anna Burns Package."

Anna, you look like a fab model!

And Stephanie and Randy...

Stephanie and I have been friends for... well forever! We grew up together and now that she lives in Marietta I do not get to see her as often as I would like, but I take every chance I get!

For those of you that have been hiding under a rock for the past 23 years, the camera loves Stephanie, and Stephanie loves the camera! Personal favorite from the day...
This weekend was a blast! Thank you my friends that bore the cold as I made you pose.

Happy Tuesday...

this philosophy of mine...

When the word “teacher” comes to mind several other words immediately follow: passion, determination, patience, success, motivation, and caring - just to name a few. I think that all of these words cohesively travel hand in hand! In order to express my philosophy of teaching I must use all previously stated words to describe my personal beliefs. My philosophy is, “I believe that teaching is a God given passion that motivates us to patiently care for our students. In turn, our students will then be determined to succeed throughout their education which leads them to impact the future in a positive manner.”
When I was younger I always tried to imagine what my life would be like when I “grew up.” The funny thing is, I never once looked into the future and saw myself teaching. My true dream was to become a wedding planner and major in communications, but those plans all changed one day while I was in Vancouver, Canada. I felt like God was telling me that He had other plans for my life, so I decided that I would listen and follow what He told me. Since that day I have constantly searched and deciphered exactly what it takes to be a successful teacher. The truth is there is no book, essay, or person that can answer that question. There is not a master check list that one must follow in order to successfully impact the lives of children! However, as an aspiring teacher, it is vital to my success that I pay attention to the teachers that have come before me and observe exactly what it is that they have and the techniques they use to on a day to day basis.
Teaching is so much more than simply “showing up for work and corralling children.” It is about striking a revolution within a child. Seeing that child grow from interested to enthralled, all the while making sure that the child knows he is loved, cared about, and important. This sort of task takes devotion and passion; two words I just can’t get enough of. When we walk into our classrooms passionately devoted to our students and to their future, statistics are changed as well as lives.
Although I still have two more years until I finish my bachelor’s degree, I am already ecstatic about starting my career. And I believe that that sort of passion is what one needs to look for if they are considering going into the education field! It’s a passion that knows no end and will not be quenched until its recipient is changed for life.