Untitled 4/27/20
What if I told you that today, I spent the bulk of the afternoon crying in my car in a park? Like boo hoo. Snot running. Struggling to breathe bawling.
CORONAVIRUS, THAT SHIT IS REAL
None of us saw it coming.
I'd just driven half way across the country to start my new journey in Texas.
Happy as hell to be working 2 jobs.
On the brink of my 30th birthday.
Finally adjusting to the hustle and bustle of Austin tolls and traffic.
Enjoying all the soldier eye candy at Walmart.
Then boom.
This is 30
Happy New Year to me! 30 is supposedly that pivotal age where you’re supposed to have it all figured out. I always thought that I’d be approaching 30 as a young woman thriving in the career of her dreams. With the love of my life. In a loving home. With a few rugrats running around said home. Man. Let me […]
Education Has Fallen- 1 Year Later
One year ago I entered the doors of education as a bright teacher with high hopes of being able to reach and teach every student that entered my classroom. Some days I’m still that educator. Other days I question whether or not I’m actually making a difference. On those days I go home, crack open of Aldi’s wine and read reflection assignments that I had my kids write about my class. I binge watch 13 Reasons Why. Lean on Me. Dangerous Minds. There are also times that I vent to my non-teacher friends and reserve the hard hitter items for my notebooks. For the first time in my life, I feel that I’m working in my purpose. I have the job that creates all the other jobs. Nurturing the future. Planting seeds of wisdom. All the cliche catch phrases associated with being a teacher. But regardless of how critical my role is, how much I pour into my kids, the moral of the story is that the education system itself is failing our kids. But you already knew that. So I’m not sure if I told you. I currently teach Principles of Business and Finance and Entrepreneurship I at the high school level. Last year I taught Essentials of College Math, Math 2 and Advanced Functions and Modeling. Do I have a degree in math? Nope. Am I good at it? Yep. They needed a teacher. I needed […]
In Case You Were Wondering
As many of you may know (or don’t know), I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety and depression in November 2015. Since then it’s been a colorful rollercoaster to reduce the number of panic attacks, suicide attempts/thoughts and breakdowns. I’m grateful to everyone who’s tagged along, supported me or literally saved my life. Moving forward Pretty Dope Right?®️ will be a blog dedicated to sharing my journey according to my anxiety and depression. How it’s defined me, allowed me to define myself and forced me to find a functioning medium. Thank you for reading -Racquell
A Not So Hot Girl Summer
It is approaching the end of the summer. For those of you that don’t know, I am a high school teacher. I too, was under the false impression that summers were reserved for trips around the country, binging on Netflix series and waking up at 5pm from hangovers. This summer has been the furthest thing from that. This week […]
Love After Lockdown
This will likely be one of the most transparent pieces that I’ve ever written. Most of you all know that I typically don’t discuss my personal life online- especially my family. But last week there was a major shift with my family dynamics. Not many people knew that my dad had been incarcerated for the past 18 years of my […]
Write the blog sis!
I’ve been slacking. I’ve been challenged. Most importantly I’m making changes for the better. Slowly but surely I’ve gotten away from myself and more specifically, my writing. It bothers me more than I care to admit. Not only am I letting myself down, but I also feel like I’m letting down my fellow writers and those that depend on me […]
An Open Letter to Assata Shakur
Dear Assata, I hope that this letter finds you in the comforts of your freedom. I won’t take too much of your time. One day (about a month or so ago), I visited my favorite herbal apothecary. I picked up a 21 day guided journal and I as gifted a bracelet with “Exist Like Assata” etched into it. I am […]
The Final Assignment
I became their teacher in November. No formal training, education, nada. Most would say that I was at a disadvantage being given seniors. This is the result of simply teaching with what’s in my head and in my heart for my kids. At the end of the semester, I created a written assignment for my students. A few students complained since it was a math course. A few were eager to write as it was worth a quiz grade replacement. Ms. Royster’s Final Self-Reflection Assignment As you all know, I am a writer at heart. I decided to share my love for writing with you all. Luckily for you I will be dropping your lowest quiz grade and replacing it with a completion grade. Below are the requirements for the assignment. Your Self-Reflection Needs to Be: Handwritten on college ruled notebook paper (I have plenty!) Turned in at any time but no later than the last day of class One page minimum (but you are more than welcome to write as much as you’d like beyond the one page) Transparent. Be honest. Please respond to all of the following: How has this course impacted me? This impact can be positive or negative depending on your experience. How will the skills that I have acquired in this course assist me with future success? What other skills may I need to adapt to give me the […]
