This week is the last week before the spring semester begins at Valdosta State University (VSU). Before the whirlwind of classes and advising begins, I wanted to first inform readers about the motivation for this blog and to update you on my goals so far...
Motivation. Although she may not know this, Kathe Lowney, has been one of my mentors during my time as an assistant professor. She is the catalyst that initially encouraged me to write this blog. We are both writing a post a week for 52 weeks. Find her blog about teaching here. Although Kathe is now retired, she is still affecting my professional and personal development! Thanks, Kathe!
Health. The team-based weight loss program I have joined officially started this week. It was unfortunate timing because did my first weigh in right after running 7 miles in a race... Here is a photo of me taken by Herb Wills, a Tallahassee running legend now photographer and blogger. It was towards the end and I was straight up walking until I saw Herb. He gave me the motivation to jog to the finish line. In addition to running, I have been able to incorporate yoga into my work day by visiting some of the local Valdosta studios. Hanging by my hips and nothing else in a Superman pose was a new experience at Hangout Yoga. I highly recommend aerial yoga if looking for an upper body workout. Yoga Central downtown was also very convenient and relaxing this week as I was updating and improving my syllabi and classes. Next, my husband and 21-month old will be doing a 10-mile training run with me at the St. Marks Trail in Tallahassee, a 16-mile, flat, paved trail.
Wealth. To save money, my goal is to spend less at coffee shops, my favorite kind of hangout. I started writing this post from Grassroots - my first time there all week - so my goal to drink coffee at home and work only is going moderately well. This trip was absolutely necessary because we ran out of coffee beans at home! However, I have now set up a cute beverage station in the office... please excuse the pile of papers to be filed... Let's be honest: coffee is a source of motivation.
Happiness. Out of the 12-book goal, I have already read 3 books! With a 50-minute commute and an Audible account, it wasn't that hard. Even though my parents were not alcoholics, I found Janet Geringer Woititz's books very helpful. They had been recommended to me over and over again by various colleagues. Motivated to learn more about the counseling profession, I finally took the time to read these books: Adult Children of Alcoholics, Struggle for Intimacy, and Lifeskills for Adult Children. Find my reviews of these books and others here. I'm currently reading a parenting book on conscious discipline with the major premise being the same one my dissertation was founded: You cannot give what you don't have (the Peter Effect). If a parent does not have self-control, they cannot teach self-control. Or in the case of my dissertation, if a teacher is not self-regulated, they cannot teach students to be self-regulated.
Please send me your books recommendations and I will continue to update goal progress every once and a while. Next week's post will not have this structure, but will discuss the first week back to classes, teaching teachers about teaching, and more about being a #professormom.
Dr. Arrastia-Chisholm
Motivation. Although she may not know this, Kathe Lowney, has been one of my mentors during my time as an assistant professor. She is the catalyst that initially encouraged me to write this blog. We are both writing a post a week for 52 weeks. Find her blog about teaching here. Although Kathe is now retired, she is still affecting my professional and personal development! Thanks, Kathe!
Health. The team-based weight loss program I have joined officially started this week. It was unfortunate timing because did my first weigh in right after running 7 miles in a race... Here is a photo of me taken by Herb Wills, a Tallahassee running legend now photographer and blogger. It was towards the end and I was straight up walking until I saw Herb. He gave me the motivation to jog to the finish line. In addition to running, I have been able to incorporate yoga into my work day by visiting some of the local Valdosta studios. Hanging by my hips and nothing else in a Superman pose was a new experience at Hangout Yoga. I highly recommend aerial yoga if looking for an upper body workout. Yoga Central downtown was also very convenient and relaxing this week as I was updating and improving my syllabi and classes. Next, my husband and 21-month old will be doing a 10-mile training run with me at the St. Marks Trail in Tallahassee, a 16-mile, flat, paved trail.Wealth. To save money, my goal is to spend less at coffee shops, my favorite kind of hangout. I started writing this post from Grassroots - my first time there all week - so my goal to drink coffee at home and work only is going moderately well. This trip was absolutely necessary because we ran out of coffee beans at home! However, I have now set up a cute beverage station in the office... please excuse the pile of papers to be filed... Let's be honest: coffee is a source of motivation.Happiness. Out of the 12-book goal, I have already read 3 books! With a 50-minute commute and an Audible account, it wasn't that hard. Even though my parents were not alcoholics, I found Janet Geringer Woititz's books very helpful. They had been recommended to me over and over again by various colleagues. Motivated to learn more about the counseling profession, I finally took the time to read these books: Adult Children of Alcoholics, Struggle for Intimacy, and Lifeskills for Adult Children. Find my reviews of these books and others here. I'm currently reading a parenting book on conscious discipline with the major premise being the same one my dissertation was founded: You cannot give what you don't have (the Peter Effect). If a parent does not have self-control, they cannot teach self-control. Or in the case of my dissertation, if a teacher is not self-regulated, they cannot teach students to be self-regulated.Please send me your books recommendations and I will continue to update goal progress every once and a while. Next week's post will not have this structure, but will discuss the first week back to classes, teaching teachers about teaching, and more about being a #professormom.
Dr. Arrastia-Chisholm
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