Listen to your body.

This is probably me oversharing, but I'm a millennial, so let's just play into the stereotype for this post. 

It's no secret that I'm dramatic. I'm the youngest of four and being dramatic is just who I am. My anxiety also manifests itself in being a hypochondriac.

My mom's response to my hypochondria was always "You're the expert on your body. If you need to see a doctor, see a doctor." 

Even as an adult, people always say to listen to your body. Well, I thought I had, but apparently other people didn't want to listen. 

In June of 2017, after sharing concerns with my gynecologist, she begrudgingly ordered an ultrasound where they found a mass on my left ovary. Cysts are not new to me--I had my first one rupture at 14. However, cysts are typically fluid filled, not solid. My mom came to the follow up appointment with me, and I left in tears. The doctor essentially told me that the formation of this solid mass was my fault due to lifestyle choices. When my mom and I brought up PCOS or endometriosis, things that are in our family history, we were again dismissed and I was made to believe that I had somehow caused my body to form this mass. We were advised to take the "watch and wait" approach due to my age. I was told they "could" operate, but there was a strong chance I'd lose my left ovary, something that is scary to hear at 24 years old.

In December 2017, I saw a different doctor who ordered a CT scan. The scan revealed that the mass hadn't grown, but they did note a small cyst on the right side. Again, I was told to watch and wait. When I mentioned the pain I was in each month, I was told to continue taking advil because "most women are in pain each month." 

After getting on my own health insurance in January of this year, I researched local gynecologists and found one with excellent reviews. I saw the PA at the office in July and finally felt like someone saw and heard me. She asked if I'd been in pain and if I'd like something stronger than advil for the pain. I declined because honestly, at this point I was used to it. An ultrasound revealed that the cyst on the right had grown to 7cm, and I was asked to come back in 6 weeks. In August, the cyst had grown to 9.5cm and the doctor recommended surgery for removal, and I was prescribed a low-level pain pill. 

I, of course, initially declined the surgery. It wasn't until the doctor came in and said she would recommend her own daughter get the surgery that I took her seriously. After consulting my mom, I scheduled the surgery for Thanksgiving break since I didn't want to miss work. 

God, and my body, had other plans. After a 6 hour ER visit in September in which my doctor believed my ovary twisted on itself and untwisted again, the surgery was moved up to yesterday, October 29th.

At my pre-op two weeks ago, I was informed that my surgeon wanted to remove both the large cyst and the solid mass. When I brought up my concerns about losing one ovary, she told me she completely disagreed with the other doctors I had seen and she was confident she could preserve both ovaries. 

Yesterday was the big day, and upon going in to remove both the cyst and the mass, the surgeon found both ovaries covered in endometriosis, and the solid mass on my left side was an endometrioma- a mass filled with endometrium. The pain I'd been experiencing for years wasn't "normal." The pain was legitimate and there was a cause behind it. I have a family history of endometriosis and nothing I did (or didn't do) caused it. 

My doctor said she is so glad we went in when we did. Although not life-threatening, endometriosis can cause some serious problems and can cause infertility if left untreated, and if it had continued to grow, we would be looking at some other complications. 

I am so grateful to this doctor and her insistence on surgery and her professional opinion. Although I'm sore and in pain from being pumped full of carbon dioxide, it is such a relief to hear that I wasn't overreacting to this pain for so long. I'm so excited to get through this week of recovery and go on to hopefully be pain free(ish) moving forward. 

I'm blessed by a mom who works in the medical field and can translate "doctor speak" into something I can understand. I'm blessed by a fiance who has been an excellent nurse these last two days. Let's just say it's a good thing he wants to marry me because he can't un-see anything from these last two days ; ).  I'm thankful for an incredible support network of family and friends who are also co-workers and are taking good care of this anxious teacher's kiddos. 

Standing Up.

If I'm honest, things lately have just felt...complicated, and a lot of that is wrapped up in going back to school. 

Last year I lost my teaching fire. It was a combination of a lot of things, but every day I just went home never feeling like enough. I didn't feel enough in my classroom, in my relationships with students, and in the reviews/feedback I was given. There were a few weeks back in March where I truly thought I wouldn't return to the classroom. 

And that terrified me. 

I know everyone says that you shouldn't let teaching be part of your identity, but I'd like you to find an educator who can honestly say that they keep their identity separate from their career. 

So feeling like I wouldn't return to my classroom--the one place where I felt like I truly belonged--was heartbreaking. I had no idea what I was going to do. 

Through prayer and grace, I decided to step down from a leadership position, and that helped lighten the load. 

My focus for year 5 was that I wanted to get my fire back. It is my last year as Ms. Rivard before I gain a new last name (and so much more) next summer. I feel at home in my classroom, but second guess a lot of other aspects of my teaching career. I realized that last year I spent so much time worrying about the administrative side of teaching that I didn't have the bandwidth to focus on my relationships with students--my very reason for teaching. I vowed that this year would be different. 

Imagine my disappointment when I'd been summoned for grand jury duty back in June. My reporting day was today. If selected, I would have to miss two days of work a month for six months. I thought, "Really, God? I’m trying to get my fire back and now you're saying I could miss 12-13 days of work? How am I going to create these relationships with my students if I'm not there?" 

It may seem silly, but I lost sleep over this. My anxiety has already been bad with going back to work and adjusting to the new school year, to add that stress on top...my brain just couldn't settle down at night. I was so worried when I showed up for jury duty this morning. As they began to describe our responsibilities, they said we'd hear several murder cases, rape cases, and child abuse/child sexual abuse cases. I was freaking out in my seat. I can watch the occasional crime show, but the child abuse/child sexual abuse had my heart racing. 

I know what triggers my PTSD, and I was triggered. I knew I would never be able to make level headed responses in situations where children and other victims were involved. I just kept sitting there thinking "I trust you, God. I trust you." 

The judge began to ask for hardship excuses such as being a sole provider for a family member who is dependent, health concerns, etc. I texted Brian during the break, and he told me I needed to speak out about my PTSD. 

Now, my close family and friends know the true inner-workings of my PTSD, and I can sit behind a computer screen and talk about it because I'm not looking at anyone, but to tell other strangers...? (Did I mention you had to stand in front of a selection panel of 13 people and a room full of 100+ others?) No. Thank. You. I told Brian that my PTSD wasn't a hardship and God would help the panel make the right decision. 

As I sat in my seat, my heart was pounding and I was shaking uncontrollably. The next thing I knew, I was standing up to go up front. 

There are about two distinct times in my life that I can say the Holy Spirit moved through me and pushed me forward, and today marks the third. 

I stood in front of the panel and 100+ other people and said that I had PTSD from a childhood trauma, and I was concerned about the nature of the crimes and the impact they would have on my mental health and my ability to make sound judgments. The judge said she worked in the mental health division and applauded my self-awareness. Just like with everyone else who explained a hardship, she said that she would take my concern under advisement. 

I was shaking and in tears. That is hands down probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. 

I was excused by the grace of God. 

Now, is there a chance I still would've been excused had I not stood up? Yes, but I think God used this entire experience to teach me a lesson. Sometimes I don't need to fight so hard or wait for some "sign" about something. In this scenario, He used my PTSD for something good that helped calm me. He is so, so good to me. 

Because my dad was an attorney and later a judge, I was missing him something fierce through this whole process. I wanted to know exactly what would be expected of me. It's hard enough planning the wedding without him, so this was another layer. 

I came home to flowers from Brian. He told me how proud he was of me for doing something I was so afraid of, and he was proud I stuck up for myself. These beauties can be seen here: 

Do you see the one flower that isn't like the rest? My dad used to give my mom, my sisters, and me yellow roses. My sisters each had one in their wedding bouquets, and I will have one in mine. I asked Brian if he requested the yellow rose. He said no and he hadn't noticed it until getting the flowers into the car. When he saw it, he smiled, just like I did. 

Not only was God beside me and walking with me today, my dad was too. 

Grief.

Grief is a funny emotion. It's funny in its complexity and its fluidity.

Grief is complex and fluid because it never goes away. When you're grieving and someone tells you that "it gets easier," the "it" they're referring to is life moving on. Day by day it gets a little easier to continue on in life without that person. However, grief itself never gets easier. It ebbs and flows, but it is always there.

Grief can hit you in the happiest of times because joy is a vulnerable emotion. If you've ever lost a loved one, you know that you can experience one of your happiest moments (like your boyfriend proposing) and feel exuberant joy, and within seconds there is a part of you that is sad and lonely.

The vulnerability of joy is why I'm writing this post about grief. Brian proposed just over two weeks ago. As we celebrated with each other and with our friends and family, I couldn't help but think that parts of me were missing- my dad, my grandma, and my grandpa. But grief turned it's ugly head and I pushed those emotions to the side to continue on with the celebrations.

It wasn't until Saturday when we looked at a venue and the manager kept mentioning the things my dad would do that I realized a part of me wasn't OK. "When your dad sees you in your dress..." "When your dad walks you down the aisle..." "When you do the father/daughter dance..."

Over the last 20 years I've grown accustomed to people assuming my dad is alive and well, and I can typically brush those comments to the side. I know this person only had the best of intentions as they made those comments, but it immediately turned me off to having my wedding there. I didn't realize it until later that evening when talking about why I wasn't so sure about that venue that I put two and two together.

The truth is, I accepted long ago that my dad wouldn't be able to do those things, but I thought my grandpa would. He was alive for my sisters' weddings, and I always assumed he'd be around for mine. I assumed he'd be the one to walk me down the aisle alongside my mom; I assumed he'd do the father daughter dance with me. And because grief is fluid, it swallowed up grieving the both of them and resulted in anger, frustration, and disappointment.

As I sit and try to think of ways to honor those I've lost on my wedding day, it just barely begins to fill the void. Even honoring them is a reminder of their absence.

Almost every married couple tells me and Brian to relax and enjoy this season because it's such a sweet season. As much as I want to do those things (and I will do those things), it's also a hard season because it's a constant reminder of three people I don't have with me.

I find myself not wanting to think about other venues because I don't want to deal with the assumptions. But I will deal with them. I will smile and nod my head as if my dad will be there to see me in my dress, walk me down the aisle, and dance with me because it's just easier that way.

I know the answer most people want to give is that my dad, grandma, and grandpa will be there with me in spirit, and believe me I know that, but it doesn't make it any easier.

I don't know what this season of engagement hold for me and Brian. I am excited for us. I am excited to start my life with someone who loves me so well. But at the same time, it's all just very bittersweet. If you're in a grieving season, just know that you're not alone.

Smile, God loves you!

Finding the bless in the mess.

It has been a HOT minute since I've written on this blog, which is odd considering writing is typically my life line. 

When I reflect on why I haven't spent much time writing on here, it's because I realize I've been a bit busy living and enjoying life...something I wasn't so good at in past years. 

If you've stuck around this blog for awhile, here's a look at what my year- end post for 2016 was like (click here). I always enjoying seeing what past Victoria has to say, because current Victoria can tell her that she was so wrong. 

If 2016 was about saying "yes" to new challenges and experiences, then 2017 was even more so a year of "yes!" I said in last year's blog post that my word for 2017 would be "confidence," and initially I thought "Well that didn't go so well," but in truth, I have become more confident in who I am as a person. 

I would say that 2017 has shown me that God's plan is always, always, always infinitely better than anything I could come up with on my own. 

Let's flashback to 17-year-old Victoria ringing in 2010 with best friends and what her plan was...
- Graduate high school with a first love
- Go to a small liberal arts college/university
- Marry her high school sweetheart
- Have said marriage at 22
- Become a psychologist
- Have her first baby at 25

The only thing on that list that went according to "plan" was the first item, and that unraveled in its own hot mess three years later. Instead of a small liberal arts school, I went to the University of Georgia (the finest institution in all the land I might add), broke up with that high school sweetheart, became a middle school teacher, was single at 22, and is unmarried at 25. I always felt this insane pressure to stick to the plan, and God threw every bit of it out the window and made it into something that glorified Him. Every set back, every breakdown, every "oh crap, now what?" moment was met with His goodness and His faithfulness and His "I have something better in mind." And I'm slowly learning to be OK with that.

In my years following college, also known as "adulting," I've realized that planning is slightly futile. I really do think God hears our plans and let's out a good chuckle. 

Now when people ask me about plans, I channel my inner Phoebe Buffay and I respond with "I don't even have a 'pl'," much less a plan. Sure, I have a mental picture of how I'd like things to go, but I really have no idea, and I'm *slowly* learning to be OK with that. 

Currently I'm in a state of transition. I'm about to move out of the only place I've ever lived in other than my mom's house and UGA Housing- cue all the feels. I'm moving in with some friends until I am established enough to get a place of my own. A blind date back in March turned in to something more (I won't get too cheesy or Brian might kill me ; ]). Teaching middle school is always insane. 

Change has always been a trigger, and right now change is abundant. Rather than freak out, I'm trying to ride the waves and find the bless in the mess. Because isn't that what life is about? Things are always messy, but finding the little blessings is what makes it all worth it. 

It took 3 years post-grad to have an established community, and I'm blessed to work with my best friends and "my people" out here. I still had an annual girls trip to Charleston with those 3 ladies I rang in 2010 with. 

2017 brought a new love, strong friendships, a trip to Charleston, Oktoberfest, a day trip to Chattanooga, a 36 hour trip to Disney World, a trip to Nashville, new students, free concerts, an SEC Championship (I would be remiss not to mention that), and endless laughs. 

I know that every new stage of life will bring its own challenges, but I pray I always remember to find the bless in the mess. 

Smile, God loves you!

"What, like [teaching] is hard?"

Fun fact- In 7th grade, for "I wish I was day," I was Elle Woods. Meeting Reese Witherspoon is on my bucket list. Some people say I need a better bucket list; I don't care. 

Summer break is coming to a close, and right now these last days of freedom feel like one loooooong Sunday evening. I get extremely anxious as summer ends, as I think most teachers do. Now that I have three years under my belt, I don't feel like a newbie anymore. I am at home in my classroom, I can make parent phone calls without feeling like I'm going to vomit (most of the time), and my skin has gotten *slightly* thicker. The anxious feelings I had going in to my first year of teaching are very different than the way I feel going in to this year. 

Going in to teaching for the first time, I felt a bit like Elle Woods. People told me it'd be hard, and student teaching proved that point. But I was going to conquer all of the tasks, grade assignments in less than 24 hours, attend every meeting with a smile, handle parent conferences with ease, and be the best dang teacher on the planet. 

What my first year of teaching really looked like: me crying. A lot. I cried on the first Friday of school because a student somehow managed to get a county pre-test out of my classroom. I cried because a student called me a bitch. I cried because a parent was upset with me. I cried when parents asked if I was really qualified for my job, after all, I "didn't look old enough to have a college degree," although they could check my student loan status and be sure of that one. I cried in front of my assistant principal. I cried out of frustration, anger, and disappointment. 

Despite all of that crying though, I learned a lot. 

I learned very quickly that the longest stretch of time is between Labor Day and Thanksgiving in the fall. The longest stretch of time in the spring is from MLK weekend to Spring Break. 

I learned August is the longest month where 12 hour days are common. May is the craziest month filled with almost daily happy hours. 

I learned that it isn't worth it to buy Ticonderoga pencils unless you're the only one using them. Those suckers aren't cheap and you will lose almost every.single.one. 

I learned I can distinguish a student's voice and call them out when I have to turn my back for a split second. I've been asked multiple times if I have cameras in my classroom. 

I learned that I would say things and use phrases I never thought were part of my vocabulary. "Stop licking your pencil." "Keeping paper in your pants is not an acceptable organization system." "No, farting in his eye will not cause pink eye." 
Y'all. I teach 8th grade, not elementary school. 

I learned that 8th graders are complicated and emotional beings that lash out and that I'm often an easy target. It's not as "uncool" to take out their anger/frustration/hurt on their teacher as it would be to cry in front of their peers. I can't tell you how many times a day I say "that wasn't about me. That wasn't about me" because it's the only way to cope. 

I learned that peeing is a luxury, especially during testing. Teachers complain about this because it's real. 

I learned that teachers do A LOT of paperwork. 

I learned how to un-jam a copy machine quickly and without kicking it. It's not uncommon for me to tell my students that their papers are messy because I got in a fight with the copy machine that morning. 

I learned how to say "no" and how to ask for help, and those are two of the most valuable things I learned in that first year of teaching. 

I learned that teaching IS, in fact, hard. That's the reason I'm anxious to go back each year. I know the stress. I know that long and sleepless nights are ahead of me. 

However, the most important thing I learned, is that the people you work with make or break your job. I work with awesome people. I work with my best friends. After all, nothing can forge a friendship faster than being in the trenches of teaching middle school students together. 

In three years of teaching, I've learned about grace. I've learned that if I give my students a warning that I'm having a bad day, they're often more understanding than if I simply lose my cool with no explanation. 

I've learned that eventually, everything WILL get done, even in May. 

I've learned that not everything needs to be graded, but if the students took time to complete it, I can take time to look at it. 

I've learned that there is an excuse for EVERYTHING. If an assignment is due online, I can count on about 15 excuses of "my wifi quit working," or "our power went out." The latter is my favorite considering I live in the same area my students do and surprisingly it didn't storm last night. 

I've learned that laughter is the best medicine. If a student says something funny and it won't completely derail your lesson, it's OK to laugh. I've had to excuse myself from my classroom to get myself together. It happens. We moved on. 
Laughter boosts any mood. I laugh at myself, my coworkers laugh at the ridiculousness that happens on a daily basis. 

I've learned that most problems teachers face during the day can be alleviated by a good vent session, chocolate, and maybe some wine. 

No, it isn't easy. Yes, it is hard, but I also couldn't imagine doing anything else with my life. Cheers to summer 2017, may all of the teachers out there enjoy their last few days of freedom and remember why we go back to this crazy profession every year. 

So long, 2016...

I cannot believe 2016 comes to a close tonight. I remember my grandpa saying that time flies more as you age, and I can agree with that. It feel like life is flying by, but this year, I can honestly say that I'm living it as it goes. 

Like everyone, I have regrets. One of the biggest things I regret is not experiencing enough in college. I'm not talking the typical "experimenting" some people do, because that's just not my style. I feel like freshman year I went and did things, but when sophomore year rolled around and I was in a long distance relationship I let so many opportunities pass by. Athens is an eclectic city full of music and culture and so many free opportunities to experience those things, and I always said "no." I could come up with any excuse- I had to study, I was working, I didn't feel well, etc.  I let excuses define me, instead of experiences. 

I've written on here multiple times about how my diagnosis in February of PTSD helped me find freedom, and I can't say it enough. I can't put into words how confusing, frustrating, and infuriating it is to feel like no one understands. When I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), I sometimes felt like I needed to make my anxiety fit into the boxes that describe GAD, rather than the other way around. It hurts to feel like a crazy person, and I did. I didn't understand why change made me lose it, or why I regressed so much when I was upset. I couldn't name my emotions; all I knew was that I felt like a young teenager whenever something big happened. I always felt out of place in my life, and that stinks. 

With the PTSD diagnosis I finally felt like my symptoms fit into those "boxes." I relived A LOT this year: being there when my dad died, finding my grandmother the morning she died, losing grandpa, and the other trials and tribulations that come with growing up. In reliving those things I was able to name emotions with the emotional knowledge & understanding of a 24 year old. Reliving these things meant feeling them, and God bless my friends & family for sticking by me. 

This year was about saying "yes." I said "yes" to running a half marathon with Jackie-- something I NEVER thought I would do in my lifetime (and truthfully didn't have much of a desire to do). This lead to me realizing I actually enjoy running, and it's something my sister and I can do/talk about together (and complain, whine, etc. : ]). I said "yes" to counseling again, which lead to that freedom of a new diagnosis. I said "yes" to new opportunities at work, which although some didn't work out the way I wanted, I still learned from. I said "yes" to mountain weekends, new scenarios with friends where I only knew 1 person. And finally, I said "yes" to Chicago with my best friends. There is SO much more between those highlights, but they're just the tip of the iceberg. 

It breaks my heart to go on social media and see so many people saying how horrible 2016 was and how much they can't wait for it to be over. In some ways, I think losing my dad and suffering that trauma at 6 helped me to realize at a young age that life will suck. It will throw you curveballs and leave you crying in a ball on the floor feeling like you're the size of an ant, but there's also so much good in this life. Terrible things happen every day, but there is comfort in the beauty of a "laughing until you cry" moment, or remembering someone who is gone, in finishing a good book, in sleeping in late. They may be small things, but they're what make this life worth living. They're the things that keep us going for one more day, even when it hurts. 

I'm not one for resolutions, but I do believe in goals. A year ago, God put the word "PERSIST" on my heart, and that became my word for the year. I had no idea how much that word would encompass all this year held for me. The word God has placed on my heart for 2017 is "CONFIDENCE," something I'm certainly lacking. I can, however, start 2017 with the confidence in knowing that I can get through whatever this crazy life throws at me. 

Smile, God love you!

Dear Governor Nathan Deal...

As an educator, I tell my students to do the right thing, and I try to model that for them. I encourage them to stand up for what they believe in, and make a difference. After attending NCTE last week, I crafted this letter to mail to Governor Deal (I also plan on tweaking it and sending it to my senators and state representative). I will be mailing the letters later this week.

Here we go...

Dear Governor Nathan Deal,

I'm sure you've heard this recurring theme in letters you've received, but I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity. Your teachers are tired. I am aware that many of these letters are written off as just another griping and complaining teacher telling you that we work too hard, but, alas, we get summers off! How hard could it be?

I have several questions I'd like to ask you:

1. Can you think of a teacher who made an impact on your life? What was that impact? Chances are, the impact they made had more to do with their wit, their creativity, their passion, and a life lesson you learned than it had to do with the subject they taught or a test you took.
2. How much time have you spent in classrooms over the course of your administration? I'm not talking a walk-through of a school, or a meeting held in a school. When have you gotten on our students’ levels? Asked them what they like about school? What they wish they had more time for? Did you spend a day in a teacher’s shoes? Administrators?

Our schools contain our nation’s unwritten history, and that is a big responsibility to put on the shoulders of men and women who are overworked and underappreciated.

As an educator, within any given day I am teacher, mentor, colleague, nurse, counselor, actress, friend, and many times, foe. I am known for my high expectations, and my students (at times begrudgingly) rise to the challenge.

Recently you proposed Amendment 1 to the Georgia Constitution, that, although written in nice and flowery diction, failed. I've read several articles about your frustration with its failure. I'd like to clarify some things for you. Educators advocated against the amendment because of the questions I've asked above. Yes, you have an advisory board of teachers, but as with most surveys, they are in no way representative of the whole.

In addition, if you've never been an educator, you have no idea the frustrations of being told what and how to teach and the supreme stifling of creativity that results. This past weekend I spent 3 days with thousands of Language Arts educators from across the country at the National Coalition of Teachers of English (NCTE) convention. In one session we had middle school students from around the metro area sit down for roundtable discussions. The recurring theme of things the students wanted was to know their teachers cared. Many of them feel their teachers don’t care.

This breaks my heart, and it should break yours, too.

As I’m sure you know, in a publication from the Georgia DOE in December of 2015, they released the attrition data of teachers in the state. 44% of teachers leave the profession before they reach year five. I personally know of three phenomenal educators who left the field because they couldn’t take the pressure.

“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Well, Governor Deal, teachers aren’t in an uncomfortably warm kitchen; they are trying to shape young minds, but are trapped in an inferno of policy and data.

Teachers do care. We care so much that it hurts our very souls to see students fail. The clincher? Some teachers don’t have the time to show how much they care. Within fifty minutes of instruction, we are expected to have students read independently, craft written responses, participate in class discussions, and ensure they learn how to analyze poetry, non fiction texts, and classic pieces of literature. We are also expected to make learning hands-on and fun for the various types of learners in our classrooms. Our classes are bursting at the seams with 35 students: some with IEPs, some that are Gifted, some that are ELL, and don’t forget about our middle-of-the-road students who always seem to get lost in the shuffle. Are you tired from seeing all of this information again and again? Well, I assure you that your teachers are tired of saying the above repeatedly and being met with little to no response. We are also expected to create high quality assessments, analyze the data from the last assessments we gave, and provide effective feedback to all 140 of our students. It becomes difficult to cater to each student who needs you and to show them that you care when you hit the ground running the second they walk into the confines of your classroom.

Everywhere I turn I see people complaining about teachers. We are never enough. We’re too strict, too tough, and we ask too much of our students. The profession of teaching has lost its humanity.

Let me be clear, this is not our administrators’ fault. They are doing what’s expected of them, so please don’t shift the blame of failing schools from teachers to administrators. The blame should be placed on our policymakers and stakeholders.

Governor Deal, this is only my third year of teaching, and I refuse to become another statistic. I keep my head down and with confidence know I am doing good things within the walls of my classroom. I create a culture of openness, as do my peers. However, even after two and a half years, I am exhausted to the core of my being. I will continue to pour into my students and be a light to my colleagues. I will not stop fighting. I continually tell my students to do the right thing, and I would be a poor example if I did not follow my own advice and expectation.

I would love to know how you plan to make big changes throughout the rest of your time as governor of the state of Georgia. I would like to know how you plan to lighten teachers’ loads, decrease teacher attrition rates, and spend more time in our local schools. I would like to see this plan take into consideration the specific needs of our administrators, teachers, and students, but without another government takeover policy. What will you do to ensure our students become productive members of society and the workforce, and not just prepared for yet another standardized test?

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you soon,

Ms. Victoria Rivard