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Will I be able to take care of everyone, go to school and work?
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Timeline for disaster
What a difference a day makes!
2 shattered wrists requiring 4 surgeries each, a broken knee, concussion, partial deafness.
And so are the days of my life
Doctor: "I'm sorry Mrs. Alexandre, we may be able to do another surgery on the right wrist, but the left one is what it is, he will probably never use it again!"
Me: "What do you mean it is what it is?"
(Aside:) Oh my god, what am I going to do? He has a concrete construction business. He needs his hands to work. I've been home with these kids for 7 years, how am I going to support my family???
To do (kids):
Feed the kids Bathe the kids Dress the kids Take the kids to school |
To do (Pedro):
Feed Pedro Bathe Pedro Dress Pedro Take Pedro to therapy |
What it means to be a Non-Traditional Student:
Despite the stuggles to maintain a balance between family, work, and school I feel as though through this experience I have been able to emphasize to my children the importance of education. They understand that my expectations for them to have academic success is no dfferent than the expectations that I place upon myself. Through hard work and determination the future has no limits!
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The tweets represent my struggle to find a balance in having quality time to spend with my kids while working and going to school, as well as my frustration with the prospect of finding a job when I am finished.
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My name is Kris Alexandre and this is my journey to becoming a teacher. I am a senior at Rowan University and despite finally being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel I am struggling to create a balance in my life. I work as an office manager for a busy medical practice, I am a wife, a mother of 9 and 11 year old girls, and a student. I feel like I am getting pulled in so many different directions, that I am unable to be truly effective at any one thing. I want to effectively parent my children with love, kindness and understanding, be a good wife, be efficient at my job, and maintain my successful academic record. I feel like I am failing miserably at everything. Part of me wants to just quit and enjoy my family. The reality tells me that I have worked so hard and I am so close to finishing. Inside I wonder what price will I pay. I constantly weigh the good and the bad, telling myself that I am almost there. I worry that all of my hard work will be fruitless with such an unstable job market and an abundance of unemployed teachers waiting to fill the positions available. Knowing that I will have student loans to pay with grim job prospects adds to my stress. On the other hand I try to look at how much I have accomplished these last four years. I got my associates degree, I am close to getting my degrees in both writing arts and education, I have raised two wonderful kids and I have managed to stay married for 19 years despite my occasional freak out. I know in my head that finishing is the only option, but my heart tells me that I am missing out on making memories with my kids. I guess I will have to find a way to manage my time better so that the time I spend doing things is quality time and I am able to create a better balance between family, school and work.