It has become tradition for me to write after this particular American tradition.
For a couple a hours it took our minds off politics and all the chaos around our fallen world.
I have put much thought into continuing this blog and will be attempting to use this platform to communicate more often with my audience.👍🏽
As I checked my emails this week I ran into one that encouraged submitting work for the great book, Chicken Soup for the Soul. In my younger years I would love reading these books. They were so REAL and so descriptive. The writers made you see and feel their stories. This led me to research the topics for submission. I kid you not I felt like a college student again just given my first assignment for a new class.🤓
One of the submissions deals with teaching and encouraging teachers. This led me to my next adventure.
When I graduated from college I made it a point to keep all my work. I even went as far as
creating a file system for each course I took. I organized each class according to year and quarter in which I took the course. Back then I didn't know why I tortured myself with such a task, but God never makes mistakes. After reading the different topics for submissions, one sparked my interest. I started to think how could I prepare myself for this task and just like that a lightbulb 💡went off!
I remembered receiving a package long after college. This package contained journals from students that embarked on my very first teaching journey. They were my first to see and obtain my syllabus immersion of art education curriculum. For those that do not know, here is where my true passion lies. Education is nothing without art and art can not be without education.
At least this is my viewpoint of the world.
For a long time now, I have felt extremely discouraged by the current situation that children experience in regards to art and education. During the time that I partook in my ArtsBridge program at UCLA I felt the most lively I have ever felt. I actually felt the passion and love for something bigger than myself. It didn't matter if I would get sick or the struggles I faced as a first generation college student, somehow God made it possible for me to finish and get through. I was blessed with the greatest instructor that truly cared for her students. I will never forget her, she made such an impact in my life. She was not only my professor but also my mentor, and I thank her for taking me under her wing and sharing her knowledge and womanly advice.
This blog began in that particular journey and many years now down the line it always seems to bring re-found joy into my life. Life is definitely and ongoing circle, a cycle, everything turns full circle.
Trust me when I say that I have attempted to embark in the education system so that I could be the first to obtain how to best incorporate art and education. During my time in Los Angeles this dream seemed so much more achievable, but later moving back into the Inland Empire life took it's course in a different trajectory. Budget cuts happened and common core introduced, leaving little to no room for art. It was detrimental to me, I didn't know how to handle this or how to ingest what I was living. My attempt to save art in education came a little after having my son. As many know though, being a mother and a career woman is tough, especially when you do not have someone to trust completely in caring for the little being God has placed in your hands. I struggled so much!
So I tried to do something that no one had done. I took on the load of running my own club, a dance club.
But boy was I in over my head.
Adjusting to motherhood and trying to balance my professional life became the biggest challenge I had yet to face.
But you know what they say "A setback is only a setup for a comeback."
Unfortunately, I could not take all the pressure. I was being pulled in many different directions.
My heart tugged at me because I didn't want to miss my son's first years of life. My struggle also stemmed from my own personal separation from my mother as a child. I understood how crucial the first couple of years can be, I knew that these first years would shape and mold the relationship I would create with my son.
Sadly, I had to make a choice. I left my position at the school district and dove whole heartedly into motherhood, a job seemingly as hard.
My battle between a career and motherhood still continues.
No one tells you how hard it will be to balance motherhood and your attempts to create a profession that no one really understands.
Talk about stereotypes and biases.
Breaking barriers is harder than one thinks, molding thoughts can be so hard to achieve.
In today's education many teachers lack empathy for the children that they teach.
In search of material to aid me in my submission I took to looking for the journals. My first attempt resulted in no success, but I did find a letter. This letter came from a little girl that was part of my husband's class (at the time merely boyfriend). This brought memories from the days working in an after school program. This little girl not even in my class somehow was touched by me. I remembered that the letter came with a necklace full of stars. When I read the letter I felt the spectrum of joy and sadness. It is so hard not to get invested in the lives of these children but I know that my impact will carry in them for a lifetime. I now attach and share this letter for all to read and enjoy.
