My Teacher Has Hips

...but oh wait! I'm the teacher. That's what was inferred about me. I have hips. 

Here's what went down. 


So I'm walking through the middle of my class at the end of 3rd block and one of my boys gets a weird look on his face as he looks at me. I meet his glance with a frown. He then proceeds to say, "Don't take this the wrong way Miss Davis, but I just noticed that your hips are bigger than your legs." Then he continued to make an "eeww" face. After a split second of thinking did he really just say that to me, I told him, "Well, yes. This is normal. You say eeww now, but when you're 16 you'll have a different opinion." At which point the girl sitting beside him said, "Yeah, Miss Davis is right. Girls are supposed to look like this." And then she proceeded to put her hands in the air and air draw the standard hourglass body shape of a woman complete with wide hips. 

There -- in my third block -- at 1:30 on a Tuesday afternoon -- is proof that kids do, in fact, say the darnedest things. 

Go ahead, laugh.

Live Drunk Tweeting

"I may or may not be tipsy right now...."

Those were the words I tweeted some time during the hours of 1AM and 2AM on July 6th, 2012. The tweet has since been deleted at my mother's behest. I've just returned home from vacationing in Texas/Louisiana for a week, and that particular Thursday night, my sister, Raynise, took me out for a night out in Dallas. We went to this fabulous place called Beauty Bar, a place deserving of it's own blog post -- and will get it shortly. Anyways, I had a few drinks before the crowd thickened too much, and by the time the place was packed and the DJ was playing a round of great music, I was -- how should I say this -- tipsy.

Now, the normal Jasmine usually keeps a tight lip on her emotions and the inner workings of her mind. But once alcohol gets involved, I'm not ashamed to say this, but I loosen up...a whole lot. Needless to say, I started tweeting what I was feeling and what I was seeing.

Well, I concluded my fabulous night, went home and slept for a few hours before we hit the road to stay in Louisiana for the weekend. Somewhere during the ride, I received two texts from my mother in relation to my tweet. I knew it wasn't a good idea to let her follow me on Twitter because she is a cyber-stalker! Words I'm not ashamed to type because I've physically told her to her face she stalks my Facebook. Next trip to KY, I intend to fix the alert system on her phone so she won't be glued in to my every status update or tweet. But alas, I digress...

Here's what the texts said. Verbatim.

"U really need to remove those tipsy comments. As an educator u r being watched thru all aspects of social media. Plz remember that. Don't u watch CNN or FOXNEWS

- teachers are always let go because they should exemplify good moral judgement always. We love you." 

My face when I read the text: -______- extremely long blank stare with a huge eye roll

My thoughts when I read the text: Are you kidding me right now? Not again! 

My actions when I read text: throws phone back in purse to deal with situation later

Eventually however, being the ever obedient child that I am, I deleted the tweet I posted per my mom's request. But a big part of me was really fired up when I had to do that and a lot of questions/angry thoughts started forming in my brain.

So, in regards to my mother's response texts, let me vent --

#1 - Why the hell is my mom stalking me over Facebook and Twitter and then sending me texts about what goes on in my personal life? Its enough that she reads my status updates, and tweets, and can view my pics. She's glued in to every aspect of my life now. But I swear, every time I post a status update that is slightly negative, or off the wall, I'm getting a text wanting more information about it. I know she's just trying to look out for me and stay in tune with my life being that we live 8hrs apart now, but damn. My Twitter is sacred. Leave it alone. You wanna be a Facebook Nazi, cool. I try to not be off the wall on there. My circle of friends extends far beyond the 20-somethings I hang around with or know through school. But Twitter is where I can really say what I want. So sit down and let me say what I want. I've been holding my tongue in regards to how I truly feel since I was damn 10 years old, and let me tell ya, that has not boded well. I've got a lot of shit built up. Besides, last time I checked I was an adult. You've got to ease back and let me make my own decisions however good and logical or stupid and illogical they might be.

--> I'm sure her counter argument would be the whole I'm your parent, and I will always be your parent and you will always be my child speech...  -___-

#2 - Duh, I knew that. I'm a teacher I'm not stupid. I know how tight-assed the system is. I know how teachers can get fired for the simplest and sometimes stupidest things. It's like educators are placed on a pedestal and we have to be as moral as Christ. We can't wear anything too hip or too flashy. We can't have crazy tattoos or piercings. We can't drink. We can't curse. We can't go out and have a good time. I think the majority of the world views teachers as these holy, all-knowing, all-patient nerds who teach kids for 8 hours and then spend the rest of their time grading papers and planning for the next 8 hours when we get the kids back. WRONG! I have a life. I do things that I consider fun and things that make me happy. I am a professional at work because it's just that, work. But when I go home, ESPECIALLY in the summer, that is MY TIME. I am off duty. Granted, I'm not the type to get all buck-wild and go clubbing every weekend and get shit-faced, but I do like to have a good time. I could understand society and my mother's POV if I was spending my time off as a stripper and soliciting sex on the street corners, but I'm not. I hardly think an "I'm tipsy" tweet is any cause to get concerned. I don't think me being tipsy and alerting it to my twitter followers is going to get me fired. Hell, I don't even drink that much. Only when I'm partying, which is an extreme rarity since I graduated. Plus I know a whole lot of teachers who go home and crack the wine bottles or the beer cans open a few times a week. That is not me. I know I have to be good online (even though I'm supposed to have freedom of speech) and good in public (because I'll never know who I might run into), but -- if you're going to judge me more harshly than any other person simply because I'm a teacher and I have this clean image I have to maintain, judge me when I do something extremely serious and degrading, not because I, as a 24 year old, went out to a bar, had 3 drinks, got slightly intoxicated and then decided to tweet that I was intoxicated. I wasn't endangering any students. I wasn't endangering any person around me. I wasn't even endangering myself. So society, mom, I say this to you: chill.

--> counter argument: It's true, you have your life, but you are a teacher, that is a fact. You always have to be on your best behavior both through your actions and your words, no matter how you feel. Your life's liberties mean nothing. You have an image to maintain...   -___-

Deep sigh.... I feel so much better now getting those words out of my head. I'm heading to Kentucky this weekend. On my agenda is a sit down with my mother about personal boundaries. We've had one of these talks before after I graduated. Now it's time to have one again. The 24 year old Jasmine has come a long way since the fresh college graduate Jasmine. It's time for her to release more of the leash she has on me. Let me be an adult. I know she's my mom and she can pull rank over me and try to lead me on a path that will prevent me from self-destructing. But this is my life, and a part of me growing up and being independent is self-destructing. Sometimes you have to do the wrong thing before you can learn the lesson between right and wrong and truly appreciate it. I feel that my parents might have sheltered me too much, which is partially good and partially bad. Overall, I'm a good kid. I mostly say the right things. I mostly do the right things. I don't think one measly tweet was something to get up in arms about. And if my employer sees it, or something like it, and decides that I'm not a good fit for the system anymore, then well, lesson learned. That's what life is about: living and learning. And that's exactly what I'm doing. Let me do it.

Moving On Up

It's been forever since I've written and its all due to the fact that life has been superbly busy for me this last month.

For starters...I've got a job; I'll be teaching 2nd grade at a wonderful school in Shelby. They hired me after my preliminary interview. And I know it was God looking out for me when the principal called and woke up up at 7:27am the day after my interview telling me how impressed she was with me, because originally she told me that the openings were in K and either 3rd/4th grade. So I accept the job and she surprises me and says I'll be in 2nd grade my favorite grade. My school also has some nice perks...SMARTboard, my own personal laptop, and ELMO, a HUGE classroom, and an online office supply thingy so I don't have to come out of pocket for expenses. Add that on to the fact that the teacher who I'm replacing left all her posters and bulletin board sets for me to use so I really don't have to buy ANYTHING. This is another reminder of what listening to God will do for your life. I prayed to him and trusted him that he would help me get the perfect job in the perfect grade and all of that has come to fruition.

I got a surprise today as well from dear old mom and dad. We went back to Gastonia to check out two more apartment complexes. Last time we went down there was about 3 weeks ago and I was deciding between two really nice properties. Well after careful consideration I knew which one I wanted but knew I couldn't move until September after I get my first TEACHER paycheck (:D), but dad out of the blue says he wants to go look at the property I had decided on moving to again. We do so, the property manager tells me that they only have a few units left, and the next thing I know, I'm filling out an application and dad is paying for my app fee and my security deposit. So now my apartment is officially mine and it wont get sold before I can move in. I'm in shock. Everything in my life is falling together right now and I feel so blessed. 

But aside from all of this serious stuff going on in my life, I spent a wonderful week in New Jersey and Maryland visiting two of my really good friends. My bff in NJ moved away when we were in 10th grade and were had met in 6th grade and were practically joined at the him. My homie in MD is my bestie guy friend who I met at camp. Both of them have been wanting to see me and I spent 4 days with both of them. I did a crazy thing and rented a car to drive 10hrs from NC to NJ, 6hrs from NJ to MD, and then 7 hrs from MD to home again. It was wild and absolutely crazy but I feel accomplished. It feels good navigating the road and being alone and in charge of my life. Road tripping is FUN! 

1st Job Interview

So, it finally happened. After all the resumes I've been sending out among like 6 different school systems I FINALLY got a call do to an interview at a school in Shelby. I was super stoked but just a smidge nervous. But after lots of prayer, preparation and getting some advice from a bestie I headed down there ready to wow them. And I must say that I did. I walked out of there with such huge confidence that I beasted that interview and they loved me!! Now it's all just a waiting game to see if I get a call back for a follow up interview. The school secretary was so kind as to let me know that they had interview over 40 people for the 1 5th grade position. That's crazy! So with me being interviewer number 46 I just hope that they hadn't found what they were looking for yet with candidates 1-45 and hopefully they see what they want in a teacher out of me.

But while I'm waiting I'm still going to be applying for jobs elsewhere. Catawba County finally posted its openings, to which there's only 3, 2 4th grades and a 1 5th, so I'm hoping God blesses me and I find some favor and can snag a job before the 2nd week in July. That is my prayer. That way I can start preparing for what I'll need.

Throb, throb, throb

So I've been subbing for the last 5 days straight and I still have another 8 to go till the school year is over, plus I'm working part time at HDD in the evenings 3-4 nights a week. My schedule is super jam packed and I think my body is getting a little exhausted. Who would've thought that I would get so unaccustomed to going to waking up early and going to teach every morning since I ended my student teaching about a month ago. I've had a pesky lil cough that's trying to take root in my body and an intense headache for a solid two days! Oh I'm miserable. What's worse than being sick, is being sick and having to teach. I just want to curl up into a ball and sleep. Too bad sleep doesn't even come easily for me these days. I lay in bed tossing and turning for an hour and then I sleep so light it's like I'm in a state of semi-consciousness. And I'm so tired that when I do have a moment of down time I just plop down on the couch or in front of my computer when I need to be on the Wii working out or taking a walk through the neighborhood. I'm so slack these days and it's ridiculous. Can it be June 11th yet? Then summer vacation really begins...

Slowly Healing

I have been on a whirlwind of emotions since my break-up. One minute I'm feeling good and the next minute I'm balling my eyes out. But I am proud to say that I have not cried since Saturday and that is a huge improvement. I guess you can tell I really loved the guy because I never cry. So it's a serious matter when I do.

Anyhow, I've been kind of hush hush about the whole situation because it's a long story and I get emotional when I talk about it, but as I've been letting people know, they've been quite supportive. God always has a purpose and a plan for our lives, and though we may not see it, we need to trust that He knows what's best and for our future. We have to walk and live by faith!

However, throughout my turmoil there's been one stand above friend than the rest. My Bruh Dayo, whom I call "Mr. Joy" because his Nigerian name means joy, and he calls me "Flower girl" because,well, it's obvious, my name is a flower..... I opened up to him first because I needed a guys perspective and wanted someone outside my circle (he lives in DC, can't get much further than that) so he really helped tune me in to things. What I didn't expect was for him to text me everyday, checking up on me and asking if I was ok. Then he would call, or pick fights with me, anything to get me smiling and laughing again, and I must say that I truly appreciate him. Who could have predicted that a soror of Delta Sigma Theta and a Bruh of Omega Psi Phi would meet at Camp ABC in the summer of 2009 and hit it off and have a great friendship a year later. I never expected to see or hear from him again, but I'm glad I gave him my number all those months ago. He's helped me start mending the pieces of my heart when I didn't know where to begin, and for that, I thank him.

| o |

As of today, countdown to G-day is 9 days away. Tomorrow is my last day at my internship site. I hope the kids don't make me cry. I'm going to miss them so much.

Post Birthday Angst

So I celebrated my 22nd birthday a few days ago (9 to be exact) and it was a long day. I started my Friday like any other normal Friday, going to LCES and teaching my fabulous second graders. My year-long internship with them is winding down by the way, and I'll be graduating magna or summa cum laude (whichever one means I have a 3.75). After school I showered and changed and got ready for my darling Anthony to come see me. But he works a full time job, and I teach and work a part time job, so needless to say we both were tired. But we still managed to have a good night. He took me to Carrabas, shopping and to see the Bounty Hunter and we had a good night with lots of laughs. And after being with him since September 18, 2006, it's wonderful that we still have so much to laugh and talk about. A lot of people lose that when the newness of their relationship wears off.

But after my birthday the following days put me into a sour mood and I realized that 1) I'm really about to freaking graduate (1 month and 4 days from today) and 2) I'm getting really old. In simpler terms, I feel like I'm at a fork in the road and I'm ready to take the next step in this crazy thing called life, meaning get a new set of wheels and my own digs. I'm so ready to be FREE!!! .... mentally and emotionally anyway. Financially, I'm still dependent on my parents for boarding. So I'm praying to God that I get a job offer when I go to the career fair on April 23rd so I can start putting those salary rated paychecks in the bank. I know it's tough out there on teachers right now and more are getting laid off, but that's not going to be the case for me. I WILL get a job and I WILL get good pay and I WILL be moved out of my parents house before I turn 23, otherwise I will lose my mind. I can't deal living with my parents and 3 teenage brothers. My idea of "I'm an adult" is not necessarily theirs.

Until next time