How I Make That Money Honey Link Up

   

Today I am linking up with Lindsey over at The Bargain Blonde for the how I Make That Money Honey Link up.  This link up is all about what you do for the daily grind, your real life job.  I love getting to find out about the girl behind the blog and about everyone's actual "real lives".  So here you go.

Growing up in youth group at church I had the opportunity to travel on several summer mission trips to work with kids.  We traveled to places like Jacksonville, FL, Charleston, SC, West Palm Beach, and Memphis, TN.  I found a passion for working with underprivileged kids and knew that I wanted to help others when I grew up, specifically kids.  For me, it just clicked that this was my calling.  That paired with my passion for helping and encouraging others pointed me in the direction of some sort of counseling.  

I ended up graduating as valedictorian with a BA in Psychology and minors in Spanish and Sociology.  This catapulted me into my career path.  In order to be a counselor you have to have a Master's degree.  I ended up getting a fellowship to study School Counseling at UNC Charlotte, my hometown where Brandon just happened to get an Engineering job after we graduated.  It was meant to be. 

I finished my Master's in School Counseling in May of 2011 and began the job hunt.  I ended up getting a job as a middle school counselor.  I just finished my first year counseling and I absolutely love it.  I get to work with students on academic, personal, social, and emotional concerns.  I speak to kids about issues ranging from friendship to suicide and self-mutilation.  My job is never boring and I feel like I am making a difference on a daily basis.  

I never thought middle school was the age group for me, but I love them.  They are in their own special world with unique issues.  Plus, a perk to working in the school is that I get summers off, Praise Jesus!  After working with middle school issues for 10 months, I definitely needed a break.  I am looking forward to continuing to grow my counseling skills and make a difference in kids' lives. 

Happy Week!

I know I have been quite absent on here lately, but I have been super busy.  I hope you all haven't forgotten me!  The reason for this post is simple.  Happy National School Counseling Week!!  If you know a school counselor please take a minute to give them some encouragement and affirmation.  I am so incredibly blessed to be a school counselor.  I get to build relationships with students that are different than any other adult in the building.  I love being able to serve students and be there in their times of need.  The down side of the job is that sometimes the work we do goes unnoticed, but today I received some affirmation from my students and the teachers I work with.  It is so nice to feel that that the work you do is making a difference.  So, for all the school counselors out there, I appreciate you and am so happy to share this wonderful profession with you!!  You make our world better!

Be a Bucket Filler

 This morning we had a staff meeting.  I mostly dread staff meetings because they long, drawn out, and mostly flub, so I sloughed into ours this morning with similar expectations.  Most of the meeting met those expectations, but at the end of the meeting our principal hesitantly pulled out a children's book to read to us with the intent of boosting morale.  With the expectation of being laughed out of the room, he carefully opened the book and prefaced it by acknowledging the potential of humiliation.  The little book was titled Have You Filled a Bucket Today?.  It talks about how we each walk around with an invisible bucket.  Now, this bucket starts out each day being empty.  The day calls for it to be filled or depleted again.  As we walk around each day we have the opportunity to fill someone's bucket or to be a "bucket dipper".  With love, acts of compassion, kindness, and respect we carefully fill one another's buckets.  With every mean word, dismissal, and careless or unknown act of coldness we become bucket dippers.  As you fill someone else's bucket, you fill your own as well.  

As he finished reading through the book I could feel myself becoming happier.  He concluded the meeting by passing out slips of paper that we can fill out and let someone know how they have filled our bucket.  He also gave us a solo cup to symbolize our buckets.  I am not one for cheesy gimmicks, but this one made my day.  I love the idea of being a bucket filler.  What an elementary concept that adults still do not understand.  With one small action you can add a little bit of happiness to that person's life.  I don't do this nearly as often as I should.  We all become caught up in the spiral of negativity and I find myself complaining more often than showing gratefulness.  I want to be a bucket filler at my job and in my life in general.  So what are you?  Are you a bucket filler or a bucket dipper?  Go be a bucket filler!!

She Works Hard for the Money

As most of you know I am a working woman now.  I got my first school counseling job and have hit the ground running.  I have been crazy busy and have had little time to even stop and eat lunch, much less relax.  The kiddos start school tomorrow and I am looking forward to meeting all of them.  We have 1300 kids at our school and only two counselors.  It is going to be an interesting year for sure.  So if I am not posting as often that is why.  I did want to show off my office space though.  I am still in the process of decorating, so any fun ideas that would be good for a middle school would be appreciated.  I have one big blank wall and I am trying to come up with something fun to put on it.  I want my office to be an inviting, warm, and safe space for the students.  I think I am getting there slowly.  

 

Notice the duct tape holding the arm of my chair on, haha