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Why Coffee Dates with Friends Matter -Even if You Don’t Drink Coffee
One way I’ve been able to reconnect with friends is through coffee dates. I don’t even drink coffee! But we’ll head over to our favorite local coffee shop, grab a tea or smoothie, and sit there and chat—catching up on life. I do this with one friend as often as I can, which seems to be about once a year now. We sit and talk about anything and everything. One time, we even sat by the window watching people try to parallel park. It was just as fun as you’d think—especially with our commentary! It’s such a peaceful environment to connect. Today, I met up with four friends I used…
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Back-to-School Time! Give Them Back to the Teachers!
It’s back-to-school time!Some schools have already kicked off their first day, while others are just around the corner. Teachers have been hard at work—prepping classrooms, carefully planning lessons designed to stick (like a catchy TikTok sound), and praying over their rooms and every single student who will walk through those doors. It’s a bittersweet time. They’ve spent the summer getting things done at home, relaxing, taking professional development courses, and being with their own families. Now, they’re shifting back into full-blown school mode. Let’s pray for them—for wisdom, patience, love, and guidance as they welcome each child into their classroom. There are kids who are genuinely excited to return. They’re…
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Special Education-High School
High school special education is my favorite. I do miss the endless hugs from elementary students—but in high school, I get something just as sweet: “I love yous.”Almost daily, as students leave my room, I hear:“Bye, Mrs. Carnahan! I love you!”“Bye! I love you!”And they’ll hear me shout back—loud and proud—“I love you! Bye!” Just like in elementary, I’m here to help anyone who needs it. I’m not built to support only the students with IEPs. I’m built to serve—to lift burdens, lighten loads, and help both students and teachers understand what’s being asked of them. When I first started teaching high school special ed, students were embarrassed about their…
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Elementary Special Education
Special education isn’t one-size-fits-all—for students or for teachers. Every day is a pursuit of progress, and each classroom comes with its own unique joys and struggles. Take, for example, a multiple-handicap unit. Or elementary special education—which is a glorious, beautiful beast of its own. When I taught elementary, I worked alongside two general education teachers, supporting any student who needed help—regardless of whether they had an IEP. I would pull students into my classroom in small groups, track their progress, and gather data on those who were struggling. I listened when they needed someone to talk to and stepped in to calm them when behaviors began to escalate. Elementary-aged students…
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Success
What Does Success Really Look Like? What does it look like to be successful?Did they just wake up one day being good at everything, with a big new house and a pool table in the basement?Is it brand-new cars with every bell and whistle imaginable? What we usually see is the end result of someone’s hard work. And yes, sometimes that result does look like a new house, a new car, or luxurious vacations. But not all success looks like that. What if success means financial freedom?What if it’s a dependable, new-to-you car?What if it’s simply being happy or content with your life? I’ve learned that success doesn’t always mean…
