I don’t know about you, but when I haven’t seen a friend for
several years, it feels like I’m getting to know that person all over again,
because so much has happened since we’ve last talked.
That’s how it is with this blog.
So let’s just consider this a getting to know you (again) post,
shall we?
My name is Allison Gerken, and I live in the great state of
Ohio (Go Buckeyes!). My hubs and I have
been married for 9 years, and we have 3 munchkins, two girls ages 6 and 3, and a
handsome little dude, who just turned 1 in May.
For the purposes of this blog and for the safety of my kids, I’ll refer
to them as M, K and C. Below are some pictures from our June visit to Walt Disney World.
K and M with the one and only Anna!
M and K with Minnie.
The fam - my parents, me, my hubby and my kiddos.
So who am I? I am a
Jesus-loving, clean-living, teacher-mommy.
I would be nothing without my Lord and Savior, and if you took
a peek into my music playlist you’ll find mostly contemporary Christian
music. My hubby and I are big Casting Crowns fans, and also enjoy Francesca Battistelli, for KING & COUNTRY, and I
love Matthew West. His song World
Changers should be the teacher national anthem. Listen to it here, and see what you
think!
About two months ago I complained to our school nurse that, in general, I just felt lousy. Sluggish,
no energy, trouble focusing, etc. Typical
teacher stuff. She suggested a website call 100 Days of Real Food. This
site promotes a clean eating lifestyle, free of preservatives, GMOs, chemicals,
and basically anything that’s in food that shouldn’t be there. I dove in, and haven’t looked back. In addition to clean eating, we are now
extending that thinking into the rest of our lifestyle, and it has been life
changing.
I am beginning my 11th year of teaching. I have spent all eleven years in third
grade. I love teaching third graders
because they are still excited about learning (most of the time), are really
starting to understand the power and magic of reading (most of the time), but are old enough to blow
their noses without my assistance (most of the time). I have spent my entire career teaching in the
same district, and although it means a daily commute, I love where I’m at!
My family is my life, and I enjoy nothing more than taking
care of my husband and kids. Summer is
my favorite time of the year because I get to focus on just being a wife and mom. Being a mommy is tough work, but being a
teacher-mommy is even harder. Instead of
just my own kids to worry about, I have approximately 20 other children to care
for on a daily basis. I feel blessed to
be entrusted with the future of so many young lives, but at times if feels like
an overwhelming task, and I’m not always sure I’m really being successful at
either one.
So in the spirit of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
by Dr. Stephen Covey, let’s begin with the end in mind. I’m hoping to have some honest, open
conversation about the daily triumphs and struggles of being a
teacher and a mom. I hope that you’ll
join me in my dialogue, and invite your comments, questions, thoughts, ideas,
etc. Being a mom is a big job, and it's tough to be a teacher these days. Doing both is a double challenge. So bear with me, and let’s see where this
journey will take us!
See ya real soon!
Allison
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