What on earth could make a woman in her 40s walk for hours in the woods looking for Tupperware hidden under a rotten log? For me, the answer is Geocaching. Geocaching is an ideal way to enjoy nature all year long. Considering I have found 152 caches in 15 different states, I think I am hooked on the hobby. Geocaching is a scavenger hunt. It encourages people of all ages to use their GPS devices (or smartphones with GPS technology) to get off their couches, out of their houses, and explore new areas. It's pretty simple. Go to www.geocaching.com to learn more and create an account. Download the app to your device, in my case an iPhone, for less money than you’d spend on pizza delivery. Unlike the pizza, the experiences you will have Geocaching will last much longer. Once you start exploring, you’ll understand what I mean. Just know that you need to have a healthy sense of adventure, and be respectful of the land the caches are located on. Caches are found on private and public lands. Some are even located on business properties. Once you start Geocaching, you’ll be amazed how many there are around you. One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to check my app at gas stations, rest stops, and other places along the way. Looking for a cache is the perfect excuse to stretch your legs and explore on those long road trips! You will learn quickly how to use the GPS coordinates to help you, along with different clues and hints found within the app about the caches you are seeking. There’s not one true description of what a cache can be. Some will be as small as a quarter and others as large as a coffee can or ammo box. There are a few that will have items for trade. Others are so small they can barely hold the signature log. Some are placed up high, some are down low, while others are magnetic and hidden in plain sight. It's amazing to see all the signatures on the cache logs. My daughter and I have seen signatures from our neighbors down the street to Geocachers from Ashwell, England on the logs. (I am not sure why the Geocachers from Ashwell stuck in my mind so clearly, but they did!) Above all else, it's a fairly inexpensive and enjoyable way to bond with friends and family. I have great memories of Geocaching with my daughter when she was younger. She would often squeal with delight when she was able to locate one before I did. Now that she’s older and more experienced, she doesn’t get as excited about the finds as she once did, but she still lights up when she can beat me to it. I have introduced a few of my friends to Geocaching and they will suggest we use my app to find a few when we are together. I love watching them get excited about it, like I do. It also comes in handy as a teacher. I often travel with my broadcast journalism students for contests and conventions. When we have down time and the kids say they are “bored” that is a great time to get the app out and go on a hunt! However, don’t think you always have to Geocache with other people. I have done it alone a few times. When driving long distances by myself, I like to stop occasionally, take a short break and get a little exercise. The thrill of the hunt and finding a solution to the riddle that is Geocaching is fun, but ultimately anything that gets us outside (in my opinion) is a positive thing. I hope you’ll consider trying it, too! |
Looking back on this school year, I honestly think one of the BEST things BJJTV has done is something that hasn't won a bunch of awards or grant money. It is something that may not get us a ton of attention in the competitive world of scholastic journalism, but it has gotten us attention within our school. This something is our weekly Friday Show feature "Not Just Another Face in the Crowd." In November, myself and three students attended the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism convention in Indianapolis. We attended a session titled "Humans of Your School: The Video" taught by Michael Hernandez and his student Omar Ahmed. They are from Mira Costa High School in California. We already do a Humans of WHS with photographs and quotes on our website, but this focused on producing quick one-hitter video features about various students. Myself and the BJJTV students in attendance were hooked. We knew this HAD to happen for our school. Why? Well, the Friday Show needed a facelift. Our student body is full of students who have stories to tell. And, quite frankly, many of our students do not know each other. It took some planning and experimenting, but by January we were ready to dump the "Pet of the Week" and weekly contests on the Friday Show and launch "Not Just Another Face in the Crowd." That first week alone, I recieved six emails and two personal visits from teachers and students complimenting the new segment. This spring semester, we had one week we didn't have the segment, and students came to me complaining that they had missed it. Several told me it is their favorite part of the Friday Show. That in itself was better than any award or grant we have won this year. I love that we are creating something for our students and teachers that they appreciate and actually miss when it doesn't happen. Click HERE if you would like to see all the people we have featured on "Not Just Another Face in the Crowd" since we started it in January 2017. Until next time, MT
I clearly remember watching both the national and local news with my mom during dinner. It’s what many 40-somethings, like myself, did when we were children. We didn’t just consume meatloaf with a side of carrots; we had a helping of news delivered to us from networks such as NBC, CBS, and ABC. Today’s tweens and teens do not consume the same news diet. Newspaper readership is down, as are network news ratings. Many students aren’t home for the evening news due to jobs and school activities. Gone are the days of watching a story about a presidential scandal or a peanut butter recall, and discussing the issues with a trusted adult in the home. Additionally, multiple polls show that the top three news sources for people under 22 are Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook. Often, those quick headlines or 140 character tweets that get attention aren’t even real. Many are outdated, parody, or “fake news.” Sadly, it’s not just tweens and teens swept up in the unreality; many adults are having trouble navigating these waters. In 2010, the rapper P. Diddy started a Twitter rumor that LeBron James signed with the Knicks. People believed it; therefore P. Diddy issued an apology. People have believed so many fake news stories stating Justin Bieber is dead that he took to Twitter in both 2010 and in 2014 to verify that he is indeed still among us. Some people were still unconvinced. Perhaps that is why he made various video appearances shortly after each “I am still alive” tweet he posted. Fast forward to 2016. A fake news site article went viral on Facebook stating that Pope Francis publically endorsed Donald Trump. People believed it. I have Facebook friends who said they shared it without even reading it simply based on the headline. As educators, the time is NOW for us to guide students of all ages through this uncharted territory. There are several fairly simple ways to evaluate news. #1. Do you see poor grammar, misspellings, outdated web design, and unprofessional looking photos? Professional news sources avoid these issues. Often, when someone points out a misspelling or grammar issue, they fix it as soon as possible. #2. Is there exaggeration in the headline? “You Will NOT Believe What (insert name) Did to Earn Votes! It is SHOCKING!” If it says you cannot believe it, well, odds are you shouldn’t. This is most-likely click bait. Some sites are driven financially by how many hits they get. Your click just made a fake news reporter happy. Did you share it? They are now overjoyed because you are lining their pocketbooks. #3. Do they cite sources? Who did they interview? Did they conduct sound research? The news is probably not reliable if you cannot see clear answers to these questions. #4. Is there a byline? As in, who actually wrote the article? Can you find this person online? Are they real? (By the way, I am real. My name is Michelle Turner. I teach Broadcast Journalism at Washington High School in Washington, MO.) #5. Mark Twain once said, “A lie can travel half way around the world while truth is still putting on its shoes.” How fitting for today. It is simply too easy for anyone to create a website and publish whatever they desire. Ask yourself a few questions before hitting that share or retweet button. Is this a reputable news source you have trusted in the past? Do they have a history of being known for delivering the news? #6. With that said, reputable news sources tend to own their own domain. Yes, it is important to check the website’s URL. Is it a website you have heard of before? Is it suspicious? Perhaps it mimics a reputable news site, but the .com is followed with .co .lo or other letters you are not familiar with. #7. If it sounds fishy or fake, do your research! There are several sources for fact checking: snopes.com and factcheck.org are both known for debunking fake news. #8. Is there an “about” or “contact” area of the website? Look for one. There should be a way to contact reporters for the site. There also should be information about the publication included. #9. Are other news sites reporting this story? Do not just trust one news source. It’s important to get news from a variety of sources. #10. Last, but not least, do not share something without making sure it is current and reliable. Teachers and students alike can create a ripple effect and calm the media waters by not spreading false or outdated information. We can also kindly let others know when we see they have shared fake or outdated news. On that note, The Golden Girls actress Rue McClanahan died in 2010. Can we please stop posting on Facebook that she has recently died? The sharing of her passing happened so often in 2015 she was a trending topic on social media. Just the other night, one of my Facebook friends claimed that, “2017’s First Victim is Blanche” and posted an article about Rue’s death. She took it down when I politely pointed out she died seven years ago. Simply put, we are constantly bombarded with information in today’s society. Separating fact from fiction can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. People of all ages can learn how to conduct simple fact checks to become better-informed citizens. It is our responsibility, as educators, to help students of all ages evaluate news sources.
I am in the uplift business. As an educator, I believe in doing more than simply teaching a curriculum. It’s my mission to help students find their passion. I want them to see greatness within themselves that they may not know is there. Imagine my surprise when the tables were turned on me by you last summer. I entered my classroom on a steamy day in August 2015 ready to prep for my 20th year of teaching. I found a very heavy package. As I opened it, I instantly knew what was in my hands. It was a Peter Lik photography book. I knew that book well because just that spring when I was placing my school supply order, I had looked at it online. I wished I could have one, but it certainly wasn’t in my budget to order one. My mind raced in a panic assuming that I accidentally ordered it for my classroom. Thoughts ran a marathon through my mind: How did I do this? I was just LOOKING at them online, I didn’t mean to order one! How do I explain the mix up to my bosses and our finance office? …but then I opened your letter. As I read it, I felt happy tears and got goose bumps! As you stated, every year my students select photographers they admire to write. You were the recipient of one such letter and instead of just skimming it and putting it to the side, you did one of the kindest things I have ever experienced.
In my flurry of excitement, I showed the letter to my bosses, my co-workers in the art department, any one I could find in the building…I even took a photo of it and posted it on my personal facebook account. People were in awe. Within a few days, my student got a hold of me to see if I had heard from you like she had. You didn’t just write me and give me an amazing gift, you were kind to her, too. The words you wrote inspired me. Suddenly, I felt like perhaps I was more than a decent teacher. Maybe I had some greatness within myself that I didn’t see. I felt like I could accomplish anything because you, a man whose work I admire deeply, took the time to call me “inspirational” and a “legend.” I read the letter to my parents and daughter over dinner one night. I showed them the book. My mom agreed that your letter was a “framer.” From the receipt of that heavy box you sent to the very last day of school, my 20th year of teaching was honestly one of my favorite school years ever. I felt compelled to try new things and toss myself into areas where I could fail, but instead I was able to flourish. Mr. Lik, I don’t just teach Photography at my school, I am also the Broadcast Adviser for Blue Jay Journal TV. Upon receipt of your letter, I thought to myself, “Well, I was a finalist for JEA National Broadcast Adviser of the Year a few years ago, maybe I should try again? I am a ‘legend,’ right?” OK, maybe that is a bit goofy sounding, but it’s true. You instilled within me the confidence to try so many new things within my career and in my day-to-day teaching. You did that with one letter (which is now framed in my home) and one amazing gift (your beautiful art book). So, in conclusion, THANK YOU for taking your time to write a letter to both my student and me. Thank you for the photography book, and most importantly for the uplift. You lit a fire within me. I set a goal to make my 20th year as a teacher my best one ever. I don’t want that sense of adventure to end. I can only imagine what next school year, my 21st, will have in store. I am more than just a fan of your work, I am an eternally grateful teacher. Sincerely, Michelle A. Turner PS: By the way, I am the 2016 JEA National Broadcast Adviser of the Year. Thank you for that “push” that I needed to believe in myself and hit the “submit” button on that application.
This school year has been one of the biggest blessings for me for MANY reasons. However, eight of those reasons are photographed right here: I won't pretend that all eight of these young women are perfect, because in many ways it is a person's imperfections that make them who they are. Sometimes those qualities that we wish we could fix about ourselves, end up being some of our best character traits.
I will be honest and say that in each of these young women I see these wonderful qualities: hope, humor, joy, determination, perseverance, beauty, intelligence, heart, beautiful smiles and amazing hair! (I am a girl, after all! Just look at their hair!) When I think about the school year, I know so many of the great moments I have witnessed have been because of these young women. They took the time to be leaders for their BJJTV Staff and their school. They shared in that responsibility and didn't wait for some magic title to be bestowed upon them. It didn't matter if they had been on staff three years or one, they all stepped up and took on responsibility for leading this staff to great heights. When one of them had an off day or week, another would step in and help pick up the slack. That kind of teamwork is something I dream of. They found ways to tell stories that mattered to our school and community, too. Some of their work has gone "viral" and for good reasons, not for lackluster ones. They produced stories with heart, with gumption, and with the best interests of all the stakeholders in mind. I couldn't be more proud of the body of work created this year, and this year isn't even totally over yet! As their time in BJJTV comes to an end, I have four thoughts I want to share with them, and any student who is about to embark into the "real world." #1. Too many of our nation's youth are leaving HS and entering college with a lot of "brain power." Sadly, though, we have not equipped them with "work power." I am fairly confident that by being in a program like BJJTV, these ladies now know how to work and work hard to accomplish a goal. They know how to overcome obstacles and not give up. My TOP TIP for life success in college and in the work place is to WORK and get tasks done to the best of your ability in an acceptable timeframe. Bosses don't want excuses, they wants results. #2. The biggest regret I have from college was not taking the opportunity that was handed to me before my senior year to study for a few months in London. What was I thinking? Oh, yeah...I was thinking about the cost and how it could throw off my graduation date by a few months and a guy I was seeing. Stupid! I still kick myself for that. Do not turn down amazing opportunities for crazy reasons. #3. Get out of your bubble and network with new people. As you leave WHS, you can actually make new friends. You can live in a dorm or apartment with people you've just met. You can actually put down that phone and network socially face-to-face with new people. Do it. It'll help you grow and change in so many ways. #4. Travel. Travel. Travel. Travel. I can't say it enough. You may say you don't have the time or money, that's a lie. You can start a fund now. I started young by stashing away cash I "would have" spent on expensive clothing or a fancy meal out in an envelope in my freezer. Now, I do something crazy and have a travel savings account and find ways to go on the cheap, like flyer miles via Southwest Visa Rewards. I have had friends ask me strange questions like, "Why are you going to New Mexico over Christmas with your mom?" My response, "I haven't been there yet." Every town, every state, and every country you visit will teach you more than I can possibly teach you. Just put down that phone and absorb your surroundings. It'll show you that there's not one "right" way to live, but many ways. Oh, and try the food, too. It's a fun experience to learn that Frito Pie in Santa Fe is amazing, but grits in Bowling Green aren't up your alley. So, ladies, as you tackle the last quarter of your WHS experience, I hope you'll take some of my thoughts to heart. Also, know that I thank you all so much for an amazing year. Much love, ~ MT I work too much. I stare at a screen too much. I don't take care of myself enough. Blah. Blah. Blah. OK, so I have heard it a lot from various sources (friends, co-workers, my eye doctor, and even the dentist). Maybe it's true. However, I can say this. When it gets to be a bit too much, I do have one way to stay sane and find my sense of self. My great escape is photography. See that image above? I made that at Grand Teton National Park this past summer. Yeah, I used the word MADE. There's a big difference between MAKE and TAKE. Ansel Adams stressed that. We don't take, we make great images. Who is Ansel? Well, funny you ask. He's one of my inspirations in life. He got me out to Yosemite several times. He encouraged me to reach for all the range of tone possible in an image and to really hone my focus. That's impressive for a man who passed away when I was only 10 years old. Gosh, I wish I had met Ansel Adams. OK, let's get this back on track... Here's my secret to sanity and self-care, folks: There's nothing more cool than hopping on a plane with a $5 to $10 ticket (thanks Southwest Flyer Mile program!) and jumping in a rental car with a map. Oh, and of course I pack my camera. I don't just like to bop around out west, I can find images to capture in my own neck of the woods, no airline ticket required. Look at this one one below: I like that one. That's huge. I often am my worst critic. (Oh, I need to add that to the list after "I don't take care of myself enough." NOTED!)
Funny thing about this image is that I made it at WHS right outside the West Wing Cafeteria. I am so old... I mean "experienced" and "seasoned" that I remember when that area was Four Rivers Technical School. Yes, I said Technical School. Now, it's the West Wing cafeteria. Where have the last two decades gone? So, with age and experience comes this thing called "getting to know yourself." This is what I know. All those people I mentioned before are right. I work too much. I stare at a screen too much. I don't take care of myself enough. ((adding, as noted)) I often am my worst critic. However, I have photography. THAT keeps me on track. You can just ask my BFF, Kris. (If you can catch her, she's a busy gal.) Anytime she notices I am acting a little off kilter and unbalanced, she says it's time for me to get my camera and go for a drive. She's right. Where's my keys?
Picture it. The year is 1996. Warrenton Junior High School. Yes, back when they were Junior High Schools and not "Middle Schools." You are in a lower-level corner room that has some windows near the top. A bit drab when empty, but when full it is bustling! It's an overcrowded school system, so a split-shift day is in full swing until they can complete a new High School building. This yellow room has two teachers desks! There are High School Math classes from the crack of dawn to noon, and Junior High English, Publications, and Drama classes from noon to about sunset. A very nervous, yet very happy to have a job in her chosen field, 22 year-old graduate of Central Missouri State University (now UCM) stands before a classroom of 33 students in a Junior High Drama class near the middle of the school day. It's huge. Her other classes are manageable, but this one is boiling over with eye-rollers, talkers, and kids angry because they just found out their old Drama teacher resigned two weeks before school started. It is so crowded that some students take turns sitting on the floor the first week until they cram more desks in. In the crowd, there's a girl who at times makes empathetic eye contact with the very inexperienced teacher who is just trying to remember what it was like to be in Drama. (The last time she was in Drama was in High School!) Back to the student... she's 14 maybe going on 15, tall for her age, and mature. She is always well-mannered, but there's this spirit to her. A little spark in her eyes that only increases as the days turn into weeks and the weeks into months. She is vibrant. The nervous, young, and not-so-bright teacher and her hit it off. They laugh at the same things, they tell the same jokes, and they think the same things often. By the end of the year, the girl steals the show on stage, at nursing homes where she would give monologues, and steals the young teacher's heart. Flash forward 20 years. I (the young teacher) have silver streaks taking over my hair and I feel way less nervous. I am at Washington High School in a windowless, but VERY bright classroom. That young girl who I just adored and secretly wished could be my little sister is still very much in my life. I was only in that town and school for two years, but somehow Krista and I connected. Over the years she and I have been in touch, out of touch, back in touch... and we've celebrated many milestones. She sang in my wedding. She was also one of the first to express her sadness over a decade later when my marriage ended. She celebrated my 40th birthday. She made sure I had a chance to see her in Theatre during her run as a Graduate student at Lindenwood University. She has played on a slip and slide with my daughter. She's met me for lunches, a roadtrip, and more. We have laughed, cried, and laughed some more over the years together. As an only child, she very well could be the little sister I always wanted - yet at the same time I didn't want a sibling for "real." See, the beauty of Krista is I have never had to share a house with her or fight for the attention of our parents or bathroom counter space! Ha! Also, she's 32 and I am 41. There's just enough of an age gap, I think sometimes she listens to my advice and doesn't write me off as too old or too young. What has her on my mind this summer? Another life celebration has occurred. I got to visit her in the hospital, and hold her newborn daughter on Saturday, July 18th. Grace is beautiful. I figured I would love her since I have loved her mom for 20 years as my "adopted" sister, and I was right. I am not great with babies, but this one - she has stolen my heart just lke her mom has. I am so thankful I got to meet and hold Krista's little Grace recently. I am also thankful Krista's mom went and sat with my daughter so I could do so. (Kids under 14 are not allowed in the hospital she's in). So, the age-old question(s) posed to me yearly are addressed right here today in this blog entry: ~ Who is your favorite student, MT? ~ I am your favorite, right? ~ Come on, who is your favorite? Mystery solved. It's still Krista... ...or maybe it's ALL of you? Until next time, ~ MT It's only been a month of summer and I feel like I have crammed a YEAR into this month. It's been so busy, yet so great. I am sure some of you are like, "Yeah, what can a teacher do for fun in the summer?" Ahhhh, well, here are my highlights so far: ~ Wrestled both my cats to the vet for their appointments. Bonus: clean bills of health. ~ Fished and hung out with my family at Clearwater Lake in Southern, Mo. ~ Finally saw Alison Krauss and Union Station in concert. If you don't know her and the band, think of O' Brother Where Are Thou. They did a lot of the music and singing (not George Clooney). ~ Went to Reelfoot Lake, TN with my family to fish. Sadly, the best fish we caught were on our plates at the restaurants, but this place was so beautiful. I took so many photos and was just impressed with the region and wildlife. ~ Visited the Discovery Park of America in Union, TN. VERY COOL. My daughter loved it. ~ Took the only riverboat ferry across the Mississippi from Kentucky to Missouri. I was nervous. My daughter had to tell me it was going to be ok. We only had to pay $16 and a hug. I gave the cash to the ferry worker, while my daughter provided the hug. ~ Hiked a little trail at Big Oak Tree State Park in Southern Missouri (BEAUTY!). I have always wanted to see this place and it was worth it. It was just FULL OF LIFE and humidity, but that's to be expected. ~ Have filled a sick amount of memory cards with portrait sessions and TONS of nature photos. ~ Was juried into (two of my photographs) the "Seeing Red" art show at Soulard Art Market. ~ Am finally getting new ceiling fans! (the joys of home ownership) ~ Painted an actual painting. I kinda like it. I am normally not pleased with my skills on a canvas. ~ Saved a snake's life. No joke. Poor thing. ~ Saw Lily Tomlin (comedian) live in St. Louis with my mom. ~ Made my dad smile big on Father's Day with his gifts and my presence. ~ I am in the running with my name suggestions for some new Yosemite National Park pack mules. I like naming contests. I hope I win. In the past I have named a sandwich and a boat, adding pack mules to the list would be STELLAR. ~ Camped and did a few trails in Southern Illinois with my daughter. It was just the two of us for some "bonding" time. We had quite the road trip. ~ I had a listener hour where I picked every song played on Planet Radio. It's a classic rock internet radio station. Very cool stuff if you are ever interested: http://www.planetradio.us ~ Was able to wish my Grandma (my daughter's "Grandma the Great") a VERY Happy Birthday. ~ Had some quality time catching up with friends I hardly get to see during the school year, no offense kiddos but from August to May I spend way more time with you than my buddies. As much as I love you, I kinda miss them! ~ Got a sunburn. Was it a highlight? IDK, but I was starting to fear I'd end up in the hospital because it was pretty bad, but I ended up not needing medical attention...THAT is a silver lining! ~ Found a fun show to binge watch on Netflix with my momma. Since I have Netflix and she doesn't, it gets her here to visit with me. ~ Went to my first Art in the Park in Columbia, Mo. ~ I just started reading my second Bill Bryson book. Summer is my time to actually read for FUN and not for work. ~ Have made some great connections and plans for next school year for BJJTV. Some of which are improvements to this website and how it flows (and how you navigate it), which some of you may have already noticed. ~ Am attacking my HUGE amount of digital images I need to process for my family, friends, and for the art galleries/shows, etc. I participate in. ~ Paid off my house insurance. It's not due again till June 2016. THAT is another perk of adulthood, but not having to mess with it again for a year, is HUGE. ~ I rarely have set an alarm clock. I totally love my career except for that problem. Why can't school start at 11 and go to like 5 or 6? Hmmmm? I know, I am radical! That's just a bit of the first month "off" and I know that July looks to be just as interesting, if not MORE. SNEAK PEEK: I am going to photograph and visit Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons for the first time in July. Normally, I am a Yosemite gal, but I am branching out this summer! Until next time, MT PS I am with Morgan when she blogged about GETTING OUT. Even if you aren't able to get out of Franklin County, you can at least get out of your house. Go explore. Take your phone and/or camera and click some pics of the beauty around you. You won't regret it! Believe it or not, below is an iPhone photo I took on Reelfoot Lake in the boat. I used a cool app called SnapSeed to lightly HDR it and up the contrast a little. After nearly 20 years of dying my graying hair, on my 40th birthday I said "enough is enough" and stopped. I am now going on a year and a half of being dye free. The white, gray, and brown streaks are coming in nicely. Yet, some of the comments I hear are not so nice.
I've had people tell me they can't understand why I am doing this. Even when I explain how much money I have saved and what I have been able to do with that money (a new camera body for starters!), they still do not understand. "I can't grow old gracefully, like YOU." "I don't like it." "You look too old like this." "Wow, you're brave." Brave? I can handle the odd comments and critiques more than hearing that I am brave for letting my hair be its natural color. I think we all need to take a step back and ponder bravery. I am tired of hearing someone is brave for being who they are. I see bravery as running into a burning building to save someone, or being on the front line of war to defend your country. Those acts are brave. Allowing yourself to simply be YOU is not necessarily brave. Think about it. Since when is hair color tied with bravery? Wake up, America, and figure out that physical appearance isn't an act of valor. Until next time, ~ MT Well, I am the 2015 Missouri Journalism Teacher of the Year and co-winner of the Taft Award for the Missouri Interscholastic Press Association. That, combined with last spring's JEA Broadcast Teacher honor, is a bit "odd" for me. As I joked with some friends this week, it's nice to see my name on things that I am not buried under. Because, let's face it, at 41 I am hopeful I have at least 41 to 60 more years left to piddle around on this planet.
On Friday two sweet Yearbook ladies came over to interview me about it. They asked the "right" question (in Journalism that's the key - asking the right question!) and I felt weepy. Long story short, this is a long version of what I had to say to those ladies, and now to anyone willing to read this blog entry. One of my students recently produced a story about young moms. One of the girls interviewed openly talked about the ridicule and comments she's faced at school and in other places in her life. It cut me deeply. Was I a young mother, no. However, I am very close to a woman who was and still is by all regards a young mother. I watched my mom starting at a very young age put her wants and needs on hold for my betterment. She didn't push me off on to her parents or other people to raise me while she chased collegiate dreams or parties. While other kids were out having a blast on their 21st Birthday, she was probably knee-deep with three-year-old me begging for attention, Captain Kangaroo, and mac-n-cheese. My mother would put off things like appliance purchases to put a saxophone in my hands, She'd skip trading in her car to offset the costs of a new one so that I would have a set of wheels when the time came. When it came to being selfless, she 99.9% of the time was. However, I always knew there was an expectation upon me not to waste all that she had given up to raise me UP and above any situation we faced. While I was far from a really studious student in my younger years, once college hit I was a new woman. I took every class as seriously as possible. I never changed my major. I never failed a course. The ONE course I had to drop, I was a wreck because I felt I had failed her and wasted her money, but I knew I wasn't going to make it if I stayed enrolled. It was totally over my head despite the multiple tutors I hired. I watched all these people around me dropping classes (paying for a class they weren't finishing!) and changing majors, I couldn't understand how they could waste their parent's money and time like that. While many of my classmates and sorority sisters were out on weeknights, I often wouldn't. I tried to stick to "going out" on the weekends. To say I was almost obsessive to graduate in four years with at least a B average would be an understatement. The same obsession started in my job hunt, then my career, and also my Graduate School experience (a 4.0 finally, by the way). I always felt this need to not let all those things my mom had given up go to waste. So now, as I told those young women who interviewed me for the Yearbook, I almost wish I could take my name off any "awards" I get and replace it with my mom's name. I am who I am not just because she chose to have me, but because she chose to RAISE me. I am who I am today because of every minute of energy she poured into me, every arguement we had, every chore she gave, everything she put off in her life to give me more, every laugh we have shared, and every thing she is. Back to that girl my student interviewed about being a young mom... I was thinking of her so much and then ran into her in the hallway a few weeks ago. I had to hug her. I had to tell her it'll be ok. You keep being a good mom to your child and it will all be ok. I told her I know from personal experience that the road may be rough, but the outcome can be amazing. So, for now in my heart the 2015 Missouri State Journalism Teacher of the Year isn't Michelle Turner... it's a beautiful young woman named Susan. Enjoy this moment, mom. You've more than earned it. Consider each letter of this a clap that builds to a standing ovation for you... as a few of my tears of thankfulness hit the keyboard. I love you, mom. ~ MT |
Ms. TurnerStarting year 25 as a Journalism educator. Photographer. Mom. Nature-Junkie. Super Fan of Missouri State Parks and Conservation Lands. As a wise BJJTV alumni says, "Treat People Like People." Archives
February 2022
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