Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Week 1 - Please allow me to introduce myself....

Blogging, eh? Okay, I can live with that. Actually, I have often planned/hoped/threatened to start a blog, so perhaps this is the little "push" I need to really get going. Thanks, Dr. McMillin! To get right down to business, I will tell everyone a little bit about myself, although I must warn you, I am painfully uninteresting. I am 32 years old, and I have lived my entire life in the bustling metropolis of Brewton, Alabama. While Brewton proper is about as boring a place as one can imagine, the location is nice, in that it is within an hour's driving distance of several interesting locations, like Pensacola, Navarre, Mobile, Spanish Fort, and Montgomery. The reason I stay in Brewton, even though it is not my favorite place, is because it is small and quiet, making it a nice place to bring up my three children. I have two boys, Addison and Bayden, and one daughter, Fynne. It doesn't hurt that my family home is here, and cost of living is low.
I have loved literature and language for as long as I can remember, so it seemed only natural that I would major in English literature in college. I earned my Bachelor's degree in English from Auburn University Montgomery in 2003. It was never, ever in my plans to teach school. That said, I have no idea what I planned to do with a degree in English, so when a friend referred me to a principal in desperate need of an English teacher, I thought, "Why not?" I was hired for my first teaching job the same day I graduated from college. Initially, I only planned to teach for a short while. I am now in my 10th year in the classroom. Funny how things work out, huh? My husband of 13 years, Jeremy, also graduated from AUM and also had no intention of teaching. He is in his 9th year of teaching. Go figure.
When it became clear that teaching was more of a career than a stepping stone, I went back to school and got my Master's degree in teaching English (M.A.T.) from UWA. Now, I am taking a couple of classes so I can get my class "A" certification and get started on my Ed.S.. The school at which I teach generously covers tuition for teachers continuing graduate and postgraduate study, so I guess my husband and I will continue working on our educations forever, since a sick, sad part of us really loves taking classes.
      Outside of the classroom, which consumes most of my life, and my family, which consumes the rest of it, I have little time for hobbies and such. I will list a few random facts about me and my passtimes, just to help you get a better idea about me, if you want one.
  • I enjoy playing the guitar, though I am not that good at it.
  • I have traded many a night's sleep for the satisfaction of finishing a great book. Books trump sleep....most of the time.
  • I love hard rock (did you catch the Rolling Stones reference in my post title? Did you??) and alternative music, Disney World, Broadway musicals, and virtually all movies, even sappy dramatic ones.
  • I am afraid of flying. I never fly. Ever.
  • I love Steve Carrell.
  • I would give most anything to own a sloth. They are so stinkin' cute!
  • My best friend is a Spanish teacher who works across the hall from me. She sort of coparents my children and shares my Disney World addiction, so most of the time, when we go, we go together. With my husband and kids. She is single, but she accompanies me and my family most everywhere, and some of my kids look more like her than me, so most people probably think we are polygamists.
  • We think the polygamist thing is funny, so we don't try to dispute it.
That doesn't sum it up, precisely, but it scratches the surface, and that is what blogs do, mainly, right? Scratch the surface so the reader wants to find out more? I look forward to getting to know everyone and working with all of you. I can't wait to get to know you!

3 comments:

  1. Hello Flannery!

    When I first enrolled in the Education program at my university my intention was to teach English. I switched to science (another love) when I realized how difficult it could be to get a job here in NY. How lucky you are to have gotten a job right away, and that it you love the road it put you on.

    So, we know you what music you like, but please tell me, who is your favorite author? What book could you read a second or even tenth time?

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    1. I would love to hear what you are reading too!

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  2. Bonnie, how cool that you love (and are proficient in) both English and Science! Most people (especially myself) tend to be strong in either one or the other. As mush as I love music, I love reading more, but my tastes are SO eclectic; it is impossible to narrow it down to one author. For young adults, such as the kids I teach, I love books by Melina Marchetta, Markus Zusack, J.K. Rowling, David Levithan, and John Green. For younger kids, I adore the 'Skippyjon Jones' books by Judy Schachner. For my own enjoyment, I love just about everything. Some fave authors include Ken Follett, Kate Chopin, Steig Larsson, Amy Tan, and Chuck Palahniuk. Now then, aren't you sorry you asked? HA! What about you guys? Any good books you just love or would recommend?

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