It’s fourteen minutes past my
bedtime, and I’m sitting at the kitchen counter, spooning out clumps of cookie
dough like it’s the healthiest thing in the world, mind you that just three
hours ago I was instructing a fitness class and twenty minutes ago I posted
healthy lifestyle tips on my discussion board for a fitness group I administer.
That’s me in a nutshell; I’m a contradiction in every way possible. But at
least I’m aware of it. Isn’t that what they teach you? That admitting it is the
first step to acceptance, which leads to recovery. Hello, my name is Abigail
Newton, and I’m a contradiction to myself. I’m pretty sure if I continued on
that tangent I could publish a very unpopular memoir, so I’ll be moving on...
As I mentioned above, my name is
Abigail Newton. I taught high school English in the state of North Carolina for
five years. Last year, I had a whirlwind of a moment and found myself teaching
Kindergarten for one semester and Preschool the second semester. This year, I
am an educational aide in a kinder room. I’m proud to say that what I feared
was a developing drinking problem has actually lessened over the past few
months; there’s nothing these five year olds can do to shock me into finding
comfort and religion in a glass of wine on a Tuesday evening anymore. As crazy
as our school days can be, I love those kiddos, a little too much at
times…legally.
I received my bachelor’s degree
from Western Carolina University in December of 2006. I was fortunate to have
gotten hired right off the stage in January of 2007. I’ve been teaching ever
since. I’ve never questioned my profession, sometimes my sanity, but not my
profession. I have a love for education and a disdain for ignorance. Again,
another way I contradict myself, for I am one of the most ignorant individuals
you’ll come across. (<- See, I just ended a sentence with a preposition even
though I’m an English teacher…who does that?) At the conclusion of the last
school year, I decided to finally get my masters. Because it makes sense to
invest a lot of money into something the moment you’re currently making less
than you ever have, right? This is my fifth and/or sixth course with this
program. It all depends on which class you’re reading this because I’m taking
two courses, and I’m a big fan of copy and paste. I’ve been very pleased with
this program, mostly because they keep letting me register for classes. The
main reason I am getting my masters is for personal fulfillment. I’ve been
envious of those who have found the time and the attention span to obtain theirs,
so with being in a position where my responsibilities are fewer than my
previous positions, I feel like this is the best time to complete the degree.
I have a passion for teaching those
who “just don’t get it.” I told my students that I became an English teacher
because that was the subject at which I sucked least. I wasn’t good at it; I’m
still not, but I know the feeling of trying my hardest to only get a B or a C.
I speak underdog. Advanced students…no thank you. There’s a strong chance they
are smarter than me, and they know it. My level D readers intimidate me if that
completes the picture for you. They’re all like, “I recited all fifty sight
words last night.” And I’m like, “Yeah, well, I almost found Waldo last night,
sooo….”
A few important facts to know about
me is that I managed to land the most amazing husband in the entire world; he’s
my best friend and I wouldn’t trade him for a Kit Kat, which is saying a lot
because Kit Kats are pretty much what makes the world go round. We are
currently raising our one year old Torby girl named Seyo; she’s part cat, part
Satan, but I love her so much because when she’s not hating my existence, she
does this thing when she presses her paw against my cheek…ahhh…melt my heart. I
am originally from Canton, North Carolina, Roll Tide, but currently live in
Yangju, South Korea. I am in a constant battle between working out and eating
my feelings, food usually wins. I maintain an unpopular blog about that
particular subject. I love love love reading my Kindle, snuggling my cat,
dancing in the car, dancing in the kitchen, dancing in the shower, eating Kit
Kats, baking bread, dancing in public, reading recipes, dancing with my Seyo, instructing
fitness classes, dancing with my husband, and overwhelming my daily schedule. I
am an adamant Christian and sing out hymns at the drop of a chopstick. I do not
use curse words or words in place of them; however, I have a strong country
accent, so when I say ice, it sounds like @ss, and my friends always think
they’ve “caught” me cursing. I’m a very open person and feel it necessary to
let everyone know when I have cramps; I guess I just consider that to be a
warning. My husband and I do not watch TV. We feel that our time is better
spent when pouring over pinterest for an entire weekend. I am a longwinded
person and if given an inch, I’ll take an acceptance speech. With that being
said, I must retire for I have a five a.m. workout session with a girlfriend in
the morning and dozens of cookies to destroy tonight. I look forward to the
next eight weeks, and I apologize that you have me as your classmate: I can be
a little much. Goodnight.
