Queen Jen's Gems

 Here we are. It's almost the end of another year. Praise God we made it!! I thank God for keeping me from January to December 🙌!! Each moment, second, minute, day,  and month had its highs, lows, good times, frustrations, challenges and wins. I gained some people and lost others along the way. I lost some people in the sense that I was associated and talked with them, but I no longer do so. Some people I grew apart from as we had different beliefs and that's okay. I also lost two beautiful people near to my heart in April of this year: my Aunt and Uncle, who I miss so much and am thankful for the moments shared with them🙏. For the last few years instead of making New Year's resolutions, I have been choosing a word to focus on in the year. This year, I chose the word open. I was ready to be open to learning new things, meeting new people, visiting new places, and having new experiences 💜. Notice the word new. I was looking for something new the whole year and not just at...

 Does this sound familiar?! At some point in your school experience, I'm pretty sure you had to finish this phrase. Whether you had to say it aloud or write it down, it was presented to you in some way. Now I know when I heard this phrase, several answers came to mind. Here is what came to my mind: nurse, librarian, writer, paralegal, and a counselor. Yes, my mind changed many times about what I wanted to be when I grew up and yours may have done the same 😊. One thing I did know from a young age is that I wanted to work with kids. You see, growing up in our household, there were always kids at our house. My Mom was the neighborhood babysitter and she was the best💜. Ms. Sylvia's house was the place to be according to the kids 😉. In fact, sometimes the kids didn't even want to go home when their parents came to pick them up! Every child that came to our house was shown the same love that my brother and I were shown. My Mom treated every child like her own son or daughter. ...

 Teacher life 💚💙. Whew! It can be fun, challenging, tough and rewarding all in one. Every day looks different and brings the need to be flexible and adjust accordingly. I would go even further to say that the hours and minutes in my day can change up in an instant. I have to stay alert, observant and open-minded. Yes, I'm a teacher, but I'm also a student. I am a lifelong learner and you should be too. Whether that is taking actual classes. attending workshops, or learning from experience and others, there is always something new to learn. Do you want to guess who my best teachers are on most days?!! My students. Yes! I tell them all the time I don't know everything and I'm learning right alongside them. I tell them it's "our" classroom and we are to help each other out. I let them know that I have responsibilities, but so do they. Today, I want to take you into our classroom and share with you lessons I have learned. Buckle up, get ready, and enjoy the ...