Introductions

Sweet13_Princess

My name is Shannon and I created this group to connect with other educators. I have a two year old, a full time job teaching high school English, a husband starting a new business and who is working six days a week, and live-in in-laws that are helping with his new business/child care. It's crazy! I feel like putting aside time fore me is practically an impossibility. In fact, I have a stack of short stories to score sitting on my desk at this exact moment! I try to exercise at 9pm at night once I get my daughter to sleep, so I don't need to impose on anyone or miss time with my girl. Please feel free to add me as a friend and we can muddle our way through this together and lend a sympathetic ear to the challenges of our profession! :-)

Shannon

chaakonson

My name is Chris and I am a high school health teacher in Minnesota. Although I do not have kids I am very busy with coaching outside of school and it makes it difficult to find times to exercise after a long day. Over the years I have put on some weight and would like to get back below the 200 lb mark like I was 5 or so years ago. Also wanting to lead by example for all of my students Practice what I Preach!

Sweet13_Princess

Welcome to the group, Chris! Being a coach is very time consuming... you have a whole team of kids to worry about! That takes a lot of dedication. I feel like I want to set a good example for my daughter too. I never was very athletic when I was in school, probably because I didn't feel very confident in myself physically. I don't want my daughter to feel the same as she grows up!

I ended up getting a 15 minute treadmill workout last night after she went to bed. Probably at the expense of grading a few essays, but I think it's important to put a little "me" time aside each day!

Shannon

amyb9685

My name is Amy and I teach first and second grades in a combined classroom in IL. I have two daughters that are 3 and 5 years old. I am also the HS youth leader at our church and I am the nursery director at our church. I feel like I am always doing stuff for other people and I never have time for me.
I lost 30lbs before Christmas and then I "took a break from dieting" during the holidays. Not a good idea! I cannot get motivated to get back on track. I only gained back 5lbs but I know it will just keep slowly coming back if I don't get back on track. I would love any motivation that I can get!:)
I was also like you, Shannon, and I would do my workouts after I put my girls to bed. I like to do Zumba so I look up videos on youtube and do those with my girls sometimes before bed. I am hoping to teach them that exercising is fun and not just a chore that they have to do to look or feel a certain way.

Sweet13_Princess

Hi, Amy! I'm always in awe of the elementary school teachers! You sure need a lot of energy to work with that age group! I had a two year placement in sixth grade when our district had budget cuts. I was grateful for the job, but I was exhausted at the end of the day. There was no sitting down on that job (plus I was pregnant at the time!) I find it hard to be motivated some nights too, especially since I tend to be an all or nothing kind of person. To get back on track, I started by logging my food on MFP and trying to get a short 10 minute workout each night. It was so small, it was really nothing to get accomplished... just a matter of getting myself on the treadmill! I had a setback with a bad ear infection and allergic reaction to the medication mid-January, but I kept eating healthy throughout, and now I'm up to a 15 minute workout each night. Each week I plan on tacking on 5 minutes. Zumba is great! I always loved the cardio classes at the gym, but it is tough to get there with a two year old at home! Feel free to add me as a friend!

Shannon

raulsgirl75

Hello I'm Michelle . I am a learning support assistant . I have two daughters (17 & 23) and I am currently raising my grandson . Looking to get rid of the 40+ lbs that I regained .

Sweet13_Princess

Hi Michelle! Glad to have you in the group! You have a very challenging job. I'm always in awe of the dedication and hard work our learning support assistants do in our classrooms. I think at times, you can be an under-appreciated group. You must have a lot of energy to help with your grandson. I know my two year old daughter gives her grandparents a run for their money. :-)

Shannon

SallyJoT

Hi All! I am a K-1 Special Day Class teacher. I have two kiddos 12 and 8 who keep very busy schedules. My husband works nights and we are often giving high fives in a parking lot of some sports practice as I take over kid duties and he heads out to work. I struggle to find time to work out and know that if I do not adequately meal plan and shop on the weekend, we are set up for lots of eating out and grabbing quick, unhealthy food options. I would like to set habits and routines that make healthy choices easier and more accessible when life gets hectic. I look forward to taking this journey with you all.
Sally

bandnerdtx

Hi! I'm Susan, and I am a middle school assistant principal. My husband and I have three kids between us, but they are all older. The youngest is about to graduate from high school, and the girls are in their twenties. This is my first year as an administrator (after 24 years in the classroom), and the emotional struggle has been rough. I ate a lot of stress and heartache during the first semester. My husband and I are committed to getting our figures back, though, and since January 1st, I've lost about 16lbs!

Sweet13_Princess

Welcome Sally and Susan!

I've always thought having a baby/toddler as the roughest time, but the more I talk to other moms, the more they say it gets pretty tough when they start sports! Family time is a struggle, let alone "me time" to workout. I can see where you are coming from, Sally!

Congratulations on your new position, Susan! I'm always in awe of administrators. It seems like such a tough job, where everyone else's needs are put first before your own! It's not a job I'm cut out for, as I love teaching, but generally hate dealing with the discipline aspect of things (but I have to, as it is par for course when in the classroom). I'm working on my supervisory certificate in curriculum and instruction. I actually enjoy writing (or it seems like always rewriting) the curriculum. I hope someday, when I feel like I need a change, that I can shift over to that realm in the school system.

Please feel free to add me as a friend!

Shannon

TXaggieMom3

Hello!! I'm a 1st grade teacher from TX. I have 3 kids and I am avid runner! I am not the fastest, but I get it done! I have ran 8 half marathons and 1 full marathon. Currently, I run a race each month. This helps keep me accountable with my fitness goals. I've been married for 16 yrs and luckily for me, my husband is very supportive of my running and races! I travel to OK, NM, LA for races. Next on the list is Arkansas.

sammylong333

Hi, I am Sammy. I am a Special education teacher in colorado. I teach k-3rd. I have been struggling with losing weight for a long time. 2 years ago I lost more then 50 lbs and I was able to maintain it. I am now wanting to loss more weight to be healthier. I am finding it hard to start exercising because the demands of my job, and because I am also in grad school. The only time I have is on the weekend. But I like to reserve that time for my BF.

Sweet13_Princess

Welcome, TXaggie! I am amazed by people who do marathons! I'm back to training for a 5K after being away for exercise three years. It's tough! I do my race this weekend, and feel like I'm not really trained enough, but I'm going to do my best. Kuddos to you! Good luck at your next race!

Hi Sammy! I'm starting a grad class at the end of April, so I'm going to be in the same boat you are. It's really hard to balance your time. I'm juggling time with my husband, toddler, teaching and all it entails, plus working on my curriculum and instruction supervisory add-on. I'm going to have to do some work experience hours this summer, plus juggle college classes on top of it. I've been making exercise my "me" time, but I'm looking forward to the end of this year, when I'm done with all of my coursework. I splurged a little on dinner tonight because I haven't seen my best friend since before Christmas!!! Good luck with your classes!

Shannon