In this bonus episode of CCISD to the Fullest, Dava West and Lindsey Hunt spoke with Jordan Pawelek, a second-year, third-grade math, science, and social studies teacher at Parr Elementary. She opened up about her unlikely path to becoming a teacher, what her first year was like, and some of the strategies she adopted to overcome some of her first-year obstacles. And we're so honored that she did. Here's Jordan sharing some advice on how she prevents burnout and how she works to fill her star bars.
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Speaker 1
Hey, Clear Creek ISD, it's Lindsey Hunt, and I'm excited to share our interview with Jordan Pawelekk. A second year math, science and social studies teacher at Parr Elementary. It was a privilege to talk to Jordan in preparation for our podcast series CCISD to the Fullest. She opened up about her unlikely path to becoming a teacher, what her first year was like, and some of the strategies she adopted to overcome the behaviors in her classroom.
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Speaker 1
And we're so honored that she did. I hope you enjoy getting to know Jordan. Let's take a listen.
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Speaker 1
All right, Jordan, welcome.
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Speaker 2
Good to have you here. Hey, Dava Yes.
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Speaker 3
So glad to meet you. I know you today we are.
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Speaker 1
So we're going to jump right in with telling us a little bit about yourself.
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Speaker 4
Okay. So a little back story is that how I got into teaching is probably not how most people get into teaching. I feel like a lot of people you meet. Yes, their parents or teachers or somehow they're like, oh, well, so-and-so was a teacher to me and they fell in love with it. I have no connections to a teacher at all.
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Speaker 4
It's always been like whispered in my ear, like, Have you ever thought about teaching? And I've never fully taking it seriously. I was like, Yeah, maybe. I don't know yet. And then through college, my friends and my family always make fun of me. You would need a calculator to count how many fields I change into throughout college.
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Speaker 2
I have. And that's okay. And that's okay.
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Speaker 4
It's all about finding yourself in college, so don't stress. So I dabbled in it all.
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Speaker 2
If you need anything, I'm there.
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Speaker 4
So I was second year in. I landed into teaching a math class and the professor was amazing and how she led the class. And I was like, You know what? Maybe I do like teaching. I just needed to meet the right person to show me that I like it. And so then the next semester, I signed up for teaching courses, and somehow it just flowed for me and it just clicked.
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Speaker 4
And I was like, I think this is where I was meant to find. Somehow it just took me a while to get there. And I'm grateful that it took me that long because I got to experience other stuff and see other thing. And so it gave me background knowledge and stuff for where I am now, so I'm very appreciative of that.
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Speaker 4
So that's a little bit of how I ended up in the teaching field.
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Speaker 1
So what was it about this teacher? I know that you're about to ask.
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Speaker 3
I had two questions, but that. Yeah. So what was it about this professor that just made you want to.
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Speaker 4
So. Okay, I don't even know how how I ended up in this math class, but it just really she broke down math and how to think about it, actually, instead of just two plus two is for him. It's just that because it's that she was like, But why is it? So she made me sit there and think and I was like, Man, I want to make people challenged their thinking like, am I kind of have forgotten how much I love math?
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Speaker 4
And so I was like, and I love math. Am I meant to be a math teacher? And so I guess I was just her like, she just made me think. And I'm a big thinker. That's another thing my friends make fun of me for is will be sitting somewhere and I will just bring up this big idea. And I just we're trying to be casual and I'm like, No, no, no.
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Speaker 2
It's not. So it was just I just putting.
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Speaker 4
Those two things that I like together. So in my classroom, I like to have a lot of like the kids are just I mean and that's part of the CCISD way to is them exploring. So it just it wasn't.
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Speaker 2
A natural fit.
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Speaker 3
So I feel we need to find out where you went to college to see because we are we're noticing some consistency on some of our our our guests that we've had. So where exactly did you attend college?
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Speaker 4
So I was a student at Texas State University in San Marcos So go back, go bobcats.
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Speaker 3
Inner in Texas, Texas universities are doing a great job.
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Speaker 4
They are great. I love that school and all my professors there. They were incredible. So I'm thankful for all of them.
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Speaker 1
So awesome. So have you worked at another school district or did you come straight to see CCISD
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Speaker 4
So I actually came straight to CCISD even for my student teaching. Okay. So I did a little bit of like in the schools one or two days in same markets. And then I actually had a friend who was from League city and I had no idea where I wanted to go after San Marcos. And she was like, You should just go try student teaching.
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Speaker 4
We're like in League city cause she was like, It's a great school district. And I was like, Sure, I'll see where the wind.
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Speaker 2
Takes me because I just.
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Speaker 4
I like to switch at my location sometimes. And I was like, I've been in San Marcos for four years. Let's try it out. So I came down here and I student taught at Parr Elementary and I got along awesome with my team and I will credit half of my success to them.
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Speaker 2
Oh, and.
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Speaker 4
I go and go with my team and I love the district and the school liked me and they had a opening for me, so I ended up staying there. So it was.
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Speaker 2
A.
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Speaker 4
Chance and luck and hard work.
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Speaker 1
So tell us about the student teaching.
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Speaker 4
So how it went. So I along the lines of I knew have also no children in my life. Like I have no younger siblings. I have no nieces or nephews babysitting, no nothing.
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Speaker 2
Yes.
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Speaker 4
So I stepped into the classroom that first day and I was like, okay, these are children.
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Speaker 2
I am now with them.
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Speaker 4
So it was very interesting, but it was also great that my first experience to children was in CCI. SD Because right off the back, everything I learned like has paid off in my teaching now because they taught me how to care. The CCI is like how to like teach them responsibility. So all of my vocabulary I used, I didn't have to relearn because I was learning for the first time ready to learn it.
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Speaker 4
And so it was awesome teaching. And like I said, the teachers I got to be with for my student teaching. One of them is actually my partner. Teacher right now and I adore her.
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Speaker 2
And her and.
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Speaker 4
I are like two peas in a pod. And I feel so bad for our students because we are just we crack jokes all the time and we're just goofy teachers together. And but she makes my life a whole lot better.
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Speaker 3
I don't feel sorry for your students.
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Speaker 2
I know this. All these things. She what relationships look like she may do great relation.
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Speaker 3
Y'all are a perfect example and building a great relationship with one another.
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Speaker 2
Yes, always. You still.
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Speaker 4
It's. Yes. Her and I, we make each other laugh and that's what's important to her and I both. So for. Yeah. So my student teachers were really awesome. They are awesome at the PBIS way. So I got great examples of how to set goals for the kids and I just I can't rave about them and everything they taught me at my student teaching.
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Speaker 3
So it's my understanding you're relatively new teacher, right? Year one. Year two I am.
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Speaker 4
In year two, teaching.
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Speaker 3
Year. So we had student teaching and then last year was your first year and now, now I'm like going on year to beginning year to yes. So if you can think back to last year self, what was that like being that first like not a teacher in your classroom anymore you are these are your kids.
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Speaker 4
What was that like on the outside? I had it a little bit together, but on the inside it was definitely pure chaos.
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Speaker 2
In my brain.
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Speaker 4
It was scary since I had no experience with children I had seen. So when I came soon teaching, I came in the spring, so they knew what a lot of stuff was, at least in the third grade classroom. So when I got my kids first day, I was like, Oh, y'all actually don't know how to do a lot of things.
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Speaker 4
And that was such a new thing to me. So in my head I was just, I mean, it was a lot of panic of, okay, you've got to learn to be quick on your feet because if.
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Speaker 2
You.
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Speaker 4
You are not they know. And so it was it was just a lot of, you know, having to tell myself, you can do it, just take the rest and learn as we go. So I've definitely I've learned those procedures that I need to know now. But yeah, back last year, it was a lot of scrambling for this. Scrambling for that.
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Speaker 4
I mean, you're you're learning curriculum, you're learning behavior management and a lot of that. So it was a lot of a lot of.
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Speaker 3
Time that you should be in college, but not quite completely.
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Speaker 2
Yeah, it does. It, it's, it's funny. Right.
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Speaker 4
It does not carry over to the way.
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Speaker 2
Yes, yes. It's yeah. It's kind of like did I spend three years learning on that. Yeah.
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Speaker 3
It's, there's theory and reality, right. Yes.
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Speaker 4
And it is like you're put to the test. I mean, granted, my sub plants are phenomenal. I, they taught me how to make a day's worth of plans, but yeah, no, actually being in the classroom with children, I was like, you could not have sent me to college long enough.
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Speaker 2
To get to this. So it's definitely been.
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Speaker 4
A lot of learning. I mean, yeah, no, I was like, it is weird how it doesn't curriculum wise. Like I can teach math like fairly well. So I will say college transferred over in that way, but learning how to deal with kids, with students and all that did not transfer over for me.
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Speaker 3
So what I'm hearing is like like when you started teaching, when whenever you were ready to find out you were going to do student teaching and you're ready to go, well, I will dove in student teaching, first year teacher you like had a successful experience as a student teacher and then you're ready for your first year and you had this picture in your brain on what it was going to be like.
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Speaker 3
You're a thinker. You thought it through. Did it align with what really happened?
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Speaker 2
No.
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Speaker 4
And if anyone says it did, they lied. And I think that's just part of the job. It's because you don't work by yourself. You work with not only your team works with like 20 other little humans. So you can't have a plan because you have 20 little wrenches being thrown at you that you have to be prepared for every day.
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Speaker 4
And that's not something that I was used to. I'm not used to having them. So I have adjusted now into learning how to handle all of my little things and my thinking has definitely picked up. Has picked up. Was pace wise like being able to answer questions? But yeah.
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Speaker 3
20 different little personalities.
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Speaker 2
To work through. Yes.
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Speaker 3
So since it wasn't quite like you thought it would be, I'm assuming there were some obstacles last year and in general, like sounds like you kind of had a college journey there. So how do you overcome obstacles?
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Speaker 4
So I struggled a lot with some behavior management in our classrooms, and I feel like that is something that every teacher struggles about. It's not. A lot of times you go say, Oh, that that one lesson and go to, well, most of times I go to my teammate. It's about how are we going to handle this behavior? How are we going to correct this behavior?
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Speaker 4
And last year, her and I had some hard behaviors to handle and so I think learning curriculum and then those tough behaviors was a lot. So that was a lot for us to handle. And I think having the strong teammates that I do like, I mean, if I would have had her to go and talk with every day, like we would sit in there for.
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Speaker 2
30 minutes every day.
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Speaker 4
To just decompress our day. Like I give so much of my credit to her because she keeps me sane.
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Speaker 3
Well, give her a shout out.
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Speaker 4
Thank you, Dina. Scott. She is my person, but she helped me a lot last year.
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Speaker 2
Sorry. Just breathe. You're fine.
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Speaker 3
She seems like she's a very important person.
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Speaker 4
Yeah, she was. And I guess it.
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Speaker 2
Didn't hit me till now, so I hope you.
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Speaker 4
Appreciate my shadow.
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Speaker 2
Yeah, she's.
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Speaker 4
An amazing person, and I know that that's why I'm looking against each other and just get to experience her love, too. Because it's not every day that you get to see such people who love their kids as much to like, you know, we do. But her and I care a lot about our kids and you can see that with how I hope you can see that with how I teach and with how she teaches as we let the kids be themselves as well.
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Speaker 4
So, I mean, that's why also behavior management is a big thing for us is because we want them to follow our expectations but also be themselves because like how they say snowflakes, they're all different. So every kid is different. So I don't want them to. Oh, so I'm trying to get over my, like, try.
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Speaker 2
To find.
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Speaker 4
Grace here. So I don't want them all to just be in the cookie cutter mold. All right. So that's figuring out how do I rein in their expectations without letting them be their individual personality at the same time?
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Speaker 3
So they're all snowflakes. They still all have to fall to the ground, right? Right. So we appreciate the uniqueness of them all, but you all need to flow in the right way.
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Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah. Same direction.
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Speaker 1
Shouldn't matter how you get there. You do need to go in the same direction.
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Speaker 3
Well, with you being a first year teacher, I'm very here's I love to ask this question to first year teachers. I like to ask it to seniors in high school. If you had your self last year, first year teacher sitting over there, what advice would you give her right now?
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Speaker 4
What advice would I give myself?
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Speaker 3
Looking back, if you could go back and give yourself some some wisdom, what would that look like?
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Speaker 4
Keep pushing. It does get better. And I think that's just something everybody preaches and says out loud. But it's just one of those things that you have to see for yourself that, okay, I'm going to make it through. You just have to keep. Cause like last year I said my behavior management was just behaviors I had in my class were rough.
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Speaker 4
And this year I've had I've have a class who I don't have as much of the behavior problems they had last year. So I'm lucky in that way where I get to focus on other things this year a little bit more. And so yeah, it's really just keep pushing because we all have hard days and that is okay.
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Speaker 4
And just knowing that we're going to have times, we're going to be sad about work some days and you're going to have days. We're going to be working and be really happy. And I think that that's every job at the same time. So don't just think that, Oh, my job is so much harder than every other job. We do have our individual battles a little different than a lot of other jobs, but every person can leave work and say, My job is hard.
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Speaker 4
I had a great day today. Some you left me a great tip at work today. You know, we can all leave our job with our own things, but I think it's also taking the fact that you leave with more than just a $20 tip from work. You leave with knowing that man, I made that one student, like, super happy.
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Speaker 4
And just like I can see my kids from last year in the halls in like I can see how much they love me. And so it's kind of like, okay, I guess that's worse.
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Speaker 2
Yeah, that's better than a like yes.
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Speaker 4
It's like you can take your 20 bucks. Yes. My pay off is knowing that like when they see me, I can like feel how much they love me. So it's kind of like as hard as it was, they use it. So that's how I would tell. That's what I would tell my future self. As hard as it is, it gets erased with the positiveness itself.
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Speaker 4
Yes.
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Speaker 2
Mm hmm.
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Speaker 3
So you talked about the hard times, and you are a second year teacher. And most people probably would think that a second year teacher wouldn't even like to be thinking about burn out. But you can get burned out within the school year. Yes, it is a long year. So what do you do to prevent burnout?
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Speaker 4
To prevent burnout? So last year, like I will say, I was extremely burned out because first year teacher, I would love to have county over time hours I.
00;15;09;15 - 00;15;10;24
Speaker 2
Spent out of school.
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Speaker 4
The Saturday is the Sundays I spent and as awful as it sounds, it was worth it. It paid off. And I think that that's one thing I would always tell myself is you are grinding now. So next year it's not as hard. And I am so thankful I did that because now I can actually walk out at 345.
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Speaker 2
Some days I don't have to.
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Speaker 4
Sit and prep self because I did it all last year. So as hard as it is that first year to want to stay to do all this, it makes your life so much better in the next years knowing that, Oh my gosh, I'm so glad I made all those stations for math class because now I can just say, Oh, I had those already done.
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Speaker 4
I'm done. So it is it's just knowing that as long as you organize, that is the key to getting it.
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Speaker 3
So some heavy lifting now pays off later down the road to help prevent burnout in the future. So occasionally you have to go through the hard times. You do get to the good times and try to find a balance that works.
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Speaker 4
And then also just knowing that there are days where I might stay late till five, but if I stay late till five today, tomorrow I'm going on at 345. And knowing that my team always says It's going to be on your desk tomorrow morning, it'll be there tomorrow, do it tomorrow and so that helps me too, is knowing, okay, I know you're stressed, but even if you finish, you got something else to do.
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Speaker 4
So just go home and enjoy your time at home. And I know that that's hard to say, too, because even all, I have some other friends at other schools and they're like, I really can't even enjoy eating dinner with you right now because I just have to think about going home and making plans. And it is sad that we have to live that kind of job where some people actually get to clock out and we teachers are sitting there were like, Hmm, but I have the one thing I need to go do.
00;16;56;04 - 00;17;22;03
Speaker 4
So it is having to learn to sometimes just having to flip that switch to help you not overthink about work and then finding stuff that makes you forget about work. Like you have to have an out. What's your express? What do you like to do? I first I'm a gym girl, so I do it too. But also like my weekends are my weekends and I am seldomly in my house on my weekends because that's why I like to call it like filling my stars.
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Speaker 4
Like you have five stars you need to fill every day. And so my weekends.
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Speaker 2
So even if I so we would say, well.
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Speaker 4
I'm filling your buckets, but like, I like fill my stars every day. So some weeks, you know, you're not going to get your five stars. And I'm like, weekends are my time. I'm going to fill up my star bars. So I am going to go.
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Speaker 2
I know. And I can just like see like five.
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Speaker 3
Stars and they're like kind of like the whatever Amazon rating, like just a five star rating or whatever. So that is really.
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Speaker 2
That's I am.
00;17;51;26 - 00;17;53;10
Speaker 3
Seeing so much.
00;17;53;10 - 00;17;54;21
Speaker 2
More so.
00;17;54;23 - 00;18;09;19
Speaker 4
False in the might be mean one of my friends we might just go sit out like I love going to restaurants where you can just like sit outside and just like it's like the nature and you're just with good company like that is like I can sit there for 30 minutes and I'm like, oof, this made my whole week worth it.
00;18;09;28 - 00;18;24;26
Speaker 4
So it is, it's finding those moments and being able to, like, decide this is that moment that makes me happy. So I need to make more of it. So I do that. I love music, so I go out to concerts and I'm like, You just have to find the things that make you happy because we do have our weeks and set time.
00;18;24;26 - 00;18;27;21
Speaker 4
But yes, you do like you're doing, though. Yes, it.
00;18;27;21 - 00;18;33;07
Speaker 3
Is. And even as the thinker, you find time to kind of turn that brain off a little bit. Right. To find some balance.
00;18;33;24 - 00;18;38;07
Speaker 4
Which is good. Yes. You have to you have got to find that balance with it.
00;18;38;07 - 00;18;45;05
Speaker 1
So what would you say is going great in your life right now? I know we talked about a few of the tougher things, but what's going great?
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Speaker 4
Well, it's going great for my teaching life. Let's see.
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Speaker 2
I just want you to just give me anything good. Does not have to be good teaching. It could be, you know, something great.
00;18;56;09 - 00;19;14;26
Speaker 4
Let's see. Honestly, I will say that I feel like this year I have mastered my work life. Balance is, like I said last year it was grind grind to the core of working all the time. In this year, like I can say, I leave work a lot happier and so that makes my like out of school life feel a lot better from last year.
00;19;14;26 - 00;19;26;06
Speaker 4
I was so exhausted all of the time, like I could fall asleep standing up last year. It was insane. And this year I can actually like survive my days without getting tired.
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Speaker 2
So that's weirdly enough.
00;19;28;05 - 00;19;49;09
Speaker 4
Like so much better where I'm like, Oh, I can actually like go to get food after this and I won't fall asleep at the table. So like that's doing better in my teaching team is awesome. And we've gotten in a groove of like how to like, plan together. It's just this year that I don't have as many stresses because I've gotten and everything down.
00;19;49;20 - 00;20;18;28
Speaker 4
I just like the whole flow of things is just fully going better. I, I can teach happier now because my, I've learned how to teach so that yes. And it's like I feel the system moving and so they're happy. I'm happy I clock out, I'm not miserable. I get to go then see I have a roommate I live with right now, so her and I are like, we take turns cooking dinner and then we go to the gym and it's just like, I have all these things I like I have in because I'm a big teachers.
00;20;18;28 - 00;20;28;29
Speaker 4
I feel like we all have our schedules, that we like all our work and then we leave. So it's like now I have my home schedule that works. So it's just like I, I get to be in a schedule now and that's what makes me happy.
00;20;28;29 - 00;20;30;27
Speaker 2
So yeah.
00;20;31;08 - 00;20;34;29
Speaker 3
I'm glad I like that teach happier. I like that too. That is.
00;20;34;29 - 00;20;35;17
Speaker 2
Good. Yes.
00;20;35;25 - 00;20;53;03
Speaker 4
With you. I feel like how you teach is your students feel it. And I felt like last year, like when I was sad or like I stressed, I feel like they can feel it, they feel it. And so it adds a lot of stuff to the classroom in this year. Like, we laugh so much and just it's fun time.
00;20;54;04 - 00;21;03;08
Speaker 3
It's fun. Do you think there's anything that could still use some attention? Like, things are going great? Was there anything that could sell you some attention? It sounds like you have a pretty good schedule, a good balance.
00;21;03;19 - 00;21;11;26
Speaker 2
And if it and if you're like secretly, secretly, something's not. Yeah. Oh, no, no. And it's just hard to say, you know, and if you go, nope.
00;21;11;26 - 00;21;12;28
Speaker 3
Everything's rocking, that's.
00;21;12;28 - 00;21;13;08
Speaker 2
Good.
00;21;13;16 - 00;21;20;29
Speaker 4
I will say what is hard is so I'm not originally from this area, like I said so. And where I am, Shiner Texas.
00;21;21;04 - 00;21;22;18
Speaker 2
Taxes so.
00;21;23;04 - 00;21;33;28
Speaker 4
A few hours, you know, depending on traffic away from home. So I mean, not always be nicer to be able to get home and it could be split. So being able to go.
00;21;33;28 - 00;21;36;20
Speaker 3
Distraction, maybe they're building something that will help them rocket.
00;21;36;20 - 00;21;42;06
Speaker 2
Me home. Please. Instead, I'm getting flat tires from all construction, but no.
00;21;42;06 - 00;22;00;02
Speaker 4
Yeah. So definitely like I would love to be able to be close to my family because that is hard at times. Not getting to be at home. Yeah, but I'm glad that I have found people here though that I can like because, you know, family doesn't always have to be your bloodline. So I have other people here that I'm lucky enough to like.
00;22;00;02 - 00;22;04;18
Speaker 4
I know I can't go see my actual family, but I know I saw people here that I can treat like my family. So to say.
00;22;04;18 - 00;22;08;14
Speaker 1
That that's also another thing that we're hearing that's pretty powerful.
00;22;08;18 - 00;22;34;23
Speaker 4
Yes. Just having that family connection, that is a big thing. And that's just like my Dina My co teacher and I co teacher. I switch teacher and I don't know what other schools call them. Parent I like last weekend we went to a little festival in town and we went and got lunch together and just she's my, my other I don't know who she is me, but she's like my mom to me, kind of.
00;22;34;23 - 00;22;35;11
Speaker 4
You're so.
00;22;36;19 - 00;22;58;14
Speaker 3
Extended family, so you gave advice to your your first year teacher herself over here. But what do you think? Could you name some things you actually learned from your students? Because it sounds like it was like last year was a pretty impactful year. You learned a lot from your co teachers. Learn about yourself some did you learn what lessons?
00;22;58;14 - 00;23;01;07
Speaker 3
Maybe the top three things you learn from your students.
00;23;02;12 - 00;23;03;04
Speaker 2
Hmm.
00;23;03;11 - 00;23;18;06
Speaker 4
Believe it or not, my kids tell me not to be hard on myself. So that's nice when they correct me because sometimes I might really self-conscious about my handwriting because, you know, I feel like teachers, you're supposed to have this, like, super cute handwriting.
00;23;18;06 - 00;23;18;29
Speaker 2
It's always like.
00;23;18;29 - 00;23;28;10
Speaker 4
Oh, sorry, guys, my handwriting is not the best. And they're like misspelled. Like, you're not supposed to talk bad about yourself. You have to like your handwriting. And I'm like, Okay, fine.
00;23;28;10 - 00;23;29;10
Speaker 2
Self reflection.
00;23;29;13 - 00;23;47;12
Speaker 4
There. You know, like if I'm, if I say something hard about myself, they'll be like, you know, not supposed to say that about yourself. And so I'm like, okay, fine. I will correct that. I'm sorry. Like, so they like have me correcting myself. So I'm okay. We're teaching them well because they're teaching me. So they've taught me that.
00;23;47;12 - 00;23;58;05
Speaker 4
They've taught me that. Like I was saying earlier, cookie cutter I like I'm a very like I said schedule like I like a very you like.
00;23;58;05 - 00;23;59;18
Speaker 2
A plan plan or.
00;24;01;05 - 00;24;16;29
Speaker 4
Like figure out how to like describe it in a human. And so they've kind of had a breakdown of like, like Jordan, you have to like go to like not every kid can act that way. And so because like I said, that my first time like being with children, so they've like taught me that much of like, like you can't expect our kids to be this way.
00;24;17;06 - 00;24;31;02
Speaker 4
And then I've gotten to like love every aspect of all the different ways they can be. Because like, even though like one of them might be hyper, you get to love, like the things that they're going to do. So it's like, Oh, but I can always count on him to do this. That's kind of like make me smile.
00;24;31;02 - 00;24;40;19
Speaker 4
So it's always just like getting to appreciate the little different habits they all have, I guess. So getting more to like, appreciate the different types of humans we have on the.
00;24;40;19 - 00;24;44;00
Speaker 3
Earth, I should say, appreciating the uniqueness of everyone.
00;24;44;00 - 00;24;44;25
Speaker 2
Mm mm.
00;24;45;17 - 00;25;07;14
Speaker 4
What else have they taught me to still be a kid? That's probably the most important thing. And I'm like, I feel like I never clock out as being a teacher because I'm always goofy and because I'm goofy, like, 8 hours of my day. And so they keep me young and it's it makes me happy. So I'm going to keep cracking jokes and being weird.
00;25;07;14 - 00;25;10;14
Speaker 4
So I like that they keep me young. I feel like.
00;25;11;08 - 00;25;19;13
Speaker 3
You always kind of like the teacher with a good joke or that's going to kind of laugh at themselves a little bit because then that kind of you probably are teaching them that, that it's okay to, you.
00;25;19;18 - 00;25;20;09
Speaker 2
Know, don't be.
00;25;20;09 - 00;25;22;14
Speaker 4
Afraid to do. You don't have to.
00;25;23;03 - 00;25;26;14
Speaker 3
You don't have to be cookie cutter. Yeah. Teaching them to be the cookies. Yes.
00;25;26;23 - 00;25;45;24
Speaker 4
So like, say we had rodeo day, y'all can't see it. But I'm wearing my little boots and my bolo tie for today. And we did dancing today and I was like, Oh, am I allowed to go dance with them? And I was like, I love country dancing. I'm going to go dance with some of them. So I went and I helped them to center and country dance and I'm like, why not?
00;25;45;24 - 00;25;54;13
Speaker 4
Like, I shouldn't show them that you should be ashamed to go have fun. Like they should have a good influence. Like go have fun whenever you want to do as long as you're being good person about it, just go do it now.
00;25;54;14 - 00;25;57;15
Speaker 3
Show them how to step in and exactly be a part of something.
00;25;57;15 - 00;25;58;06
Speaker 4
Exactly.
00;25;59;24 - 00;26;05;25
Speaker 3
So think about your time in CCISD It's been short.
00;26;05;25 - 00;26;06;17
Speaker 2
But still.
00;26;06;27 - 00;26;22;09
Speaker 3
Impactful. Yes. Has there been a moment that has left a permanent footprint on your life? You know, I have to give a lot of details or, you know, it's your story to tell. But a student teaching first year teacher. So far this year.
00;26;23;18 - 00;26;24;06
Speaker 2
Hmm.
00;26;25;10 - 00;26;47;07
Speaker 4
I that's I'm trying to figure how I want to it's what has impacted me the most. I think it might be a little bit different. I don't know if it's fully meets the question, but I think one of the things that I hold dearest to me from the district so far has been my I've went to one of the hour behavior trainings that we offer here.
00;26;47;19 - 00;27;13;15
Speaker 4
And I use all the knowledge I learn from that like so often. And I'm kind of like a brain nerd. I love learning about neuroscience. It's really cool. And so I think just like getting to learn that and just like that's one of those skills that I can like take in. So when there are situations where my, okay, they're behaving this way because this is happening and I think that's one of the skills that is so useful in so many aspects of our life.
00;27;13;15 - 00;27;39;22
Speaker 4
And I'm kind of like, Oh, I wish everybody could go to one of the trainings. And I mean, Tony, he's the one who puts on the trainings. He is phenomenal. Speaker And I just I adore him because he is just I want to go to all the training because he's so knowledgeable. And I think that skill has probably been one of my favorite things that I've taken out of the district, because it teaches me how to handle not only students but like adults to know differently now.
00;27;39;22 - 00;27;54;10
Speaker 4
Yes, no. And then I'm like, I can see like, I don't know. It's just really cool. I want to get into all of I can talk about forever. It's just really cool getting to see that pay off in class and say coworkers like, I don't just work with children, I have to learn how to work with coworkers. Adults, right?
00;27;54;11 - 00;27;59;20
Speaker 4
Yeah. It's, it's a lot of people skills. And so I think that, that has helped me a lot with my people skills.
00;28;00;03 - 00;28;08;16
Speaker 1
So as a first year teacher, I mean, how did you even discover that we had this offering and the courses that you could take as a teacher?
00;28;09;02 - 00;28;21;00
Speaker 4
Well, my principal is amazing. So Jennifer Buckles, she recommended the training to me when I was struggling through some of the behavior stuff last year. And I'm a I'm always like.
00;28;21;00 - 00;28;24;26
Speaker 2
Oh, you help him down this writing, training and that.
00;28;24;27 - 00;28;45;09
Speaker 4
I'm that's why all my things are like, thank you for making me do that. Like, thank you so much. And so she taught me about it. And then through that I had a behavior coach come into so that was awesome and help me with my behavior stuff as well. So it was just a big learning cycle with all of that behavior management last year.
00;28;45;10 - 00;28;46;04
Speaker 4
A lot of pieces.
00;28;46;12 - 00;28;48;18
Speaker 2
Into a school year. Yeah. And it sounds.
00;28;48;27 - 00;29;03;02
Speaker 3
Like you have a growth mindset like you're not like this is the way it's always going to be. You're willing to learn, you're willing to meet new people, learn new things. Because as we talked about earlier, that college theory doesn't always necessarily, yes, work exactly as it's supposed to.
00;29;03;26 - 00;29;20;18
Speaker 4
And I think it's cool. And I think that's kind of why I love CCISD is I feel like how I feel is also home to teach. Like I love growing my brain. I love the growth mindset. And I think every human has a chance to like adjust or like to grow in a way like we never finished growing up or teach the kids.
00;29;21;01 - 00;29;38;04
Speaker 4
So I love that I'm in like you're living it. I'm living it. So it's just like, I don't know how to put into words, but it's just like super awesome in the sense of getting to like, teach what I want to learn about at the same time. So it's cool to just get to apply it to everything at the same time.
00;29;38;29 - 00;29;50;28
Speaker 3
That is a very great depth thought I might say how I know how that's really deep, but it is like, yeah, you are teaching the way you want your students to learn and you're learning the way you want your students to learn. And so it's.
00;29;50;28 - 00;29;55;03
Speaker 4
Really those are very I mean, I don't know if I'm making sense now. You really.
00;29;55;03 - 00;29;55;24
Speaker 2
Do consider.
00;29;56;22 - 00;30;09;07
Speaker 3
Because you're the student still. You're you're yes, you're the student you're still wanting to learn and that you're encouraging others to do that as the adult. And we all as adults are always encouraging our students to do that. So you're leading have to expect.
00;30;09;07 - 00;30;22;17
Speaker 4
Yeah, we have to expect the same thing. I think that's yeah, I mean things I like to tell my kids. So it's just like she was like we're always all still learning. So we got to give everybody chances. Like, we got a lot of great respect, everybody's opinions and everything. And that's just what I just want them to leave.
00;30;22;17 - 00;30;26;10
Speaker 2
Being kind is my main thing and that's what I. Yeah. Hmm.
00;30;26;17 - 00;30;35;29
Speaker 1
So our podcast is about living CCISD to the fullest. So when you hear that, what is it? What does it mean to you?
00;30;36;19 - 00;30;36;29
Speaker 2
Hmm.
00;30;37;24 - 00;30;58;10
Speaker 4
I think it just truly means like being a good human, because we teach all of these core values, like being respectful, being good citizen, being caring to one another, literally just being good human. So this is CCISD Way is just what I clock out. I follow the same things that my students are expected to do in the halls.
00;30;58;20 - 00;31;20;17
Speaker 4
If I see somebody who's in need, I'm going to help them out. Like if one of my teammates is struggling, I'm not going to sit there and say, Well, you should have stayed later and did this. I'm going to say, Hey, I got copies. I know you have to go run and do something. I'll make you copies and put it on your desk like and that's I might be doubling back to something else, but that's another thing that I think is super important, is knowing that like you've got to also give your all your team.
00;31;21;01 - 00;31;52;08
Speaker 4
Like I couldn't do nearly what I do now if I didn't have my team like my coach. I keep saying Coteacher I'm sorry, y'all are planning team like we are like we work so well. Okay, I'm going to go get this. I'm going to send you this. I don't know if you need it, but if you need it, here's this thing I made and it's you rely so heavily on each other, so knowing that even if somebody might not give back to you all the time, giving the resources you make for your classroom, because there might be somebody like me who needed something and I can say, oh, my gosh, thank you so much
00;31;52;08 - 00;32;07;02
Speaker 4
for joining me, that I didn't even think I was going to need that. But anyway, the CCISD way Yeah, yeah. So giving to people who need stuff, just being a good citizen, being kind to others, it is it's just living those core values like out in your everyday life.
00;32;07;05 - 00;32;18;12
Speaker 1
So we didn't have the IP days last year and we had them this year. So it sounds like you like to collaborate and share in your group at parties too. So have you seen a big difference?
00;32;18;16 - 00;32;21;12
Speaker 4
So we've had one IP day so far, right? And it was.
00;32;21;12 - 00;32;22;17
Speaker 2
Lovely. Yeah.
00;32;23;06 - 00;32;44;11
Speaker 4
It was nice. And I'm looking forward to the next one because yeah, we have the wind time now or at least outlook calls it the what I need time or whatever that specialized time you have to work with students. It is a lot of planning and I like I love having differentiated learning for different students and I think that that's awesome and I think it's also awesome.
00;32;44;12 - 00;32;53;20
Speaker 4
The district realizes y'all need time to plan all that because we expect big things from you, so we're going to give you the time to do that. And so I, I love the.
00;32;54;00 - 00;32;54;16
Speaker 2
IP Days.
00;32;54;29 - 00;33;14;25
Speaker 4
They are nice and it allows you because sometimes when you have those half days of planning or the 50 minute blocks, you're kind of like scrambling to get to one way. You're like, you've spent 10 minutes trying to bring all your stuff to one person's classroom or something like that. So it just, it's nice just being able to sit down and do brains and figure out how to organize.
00;33;14;25 - 00;33;16;12
Speaker 4
Yes. And some of it you just need to clean your.
00;33;16;12 - 00;33;18;01
Speaker 2
Room like you need to.
00;33;18;01 - 00;33;34;05
Speaker 4
Organize your room because you leave at the end of the week and you're like, where did these five piles come from? I don't know what's in there. So you need the time to just go through everything and see it again. Because you forget. You forget. So it is a nice balance and chaos.
00;33;34;09 - 00;33;34;20
Speaker 3
Yes.
00;33;35;07 - 00;33;38;12
Speaker 2
Yes, yes. That is a good.
00;33;38;12 - 00;33;43;17
Speaker 4
Wording because I have a lot of stacks right now still that I'm like, I don't know what I threw in that pile. I need to go do that.
00;33;43;25 - 00;33;46;18
Speaker 2
And it's in a pile and I know.
00;33;46;18 - 00;33;47;15
Speaker 3
Where that pile.
00;33;47;15 - 00;33;48;02
Speaker 2
Is.
00;33;48;02 - 00;33;49;21
Speaker 4
Yes, exactly.
00;33;49;22 - 00;34;03;07
Speaker 3
So how so? We've we've asked you a couple of times, what other advice would you give? What would you give? And you can even think outside of just being a teacher or being any member of CCISD what advice would you give others on how to live CCISD to the fullest?
00;34;03;27 - 00;34;04;10
Speaker 4
Give it a.
00;34;04;10 - 00;34;05;01
Speaker 2
Chance.
00;34;06;19 - 00;34;30;21
Speaker 4
I think it's an interesting concept to come into from I don't know, I have no idea. Other districts are like like for example, I think coming into like the positive behavior thing that we have here was interesting for me because it's not how my hometown was, but if you give it a chance and you fully understand it, like I went to a PBIS meeting and I was like, Oh, I do it all in my room anyway.
00;34;30;21 - 00;34;54;26
Speaker 4
But I was like, This is awesome. And it's bringing out neuroscience of everything. And I was like, It all makes sense when you give it a chance. So it's just always keeping your mind open and then using it. Because when you use it and you use that kindness, that caring, you start to notice the good in a lot more stuff and it makes your life a whole lot happier because I also like to live by the rule of like what you notice is how your life is.
00;34;54;26 - 00;35;08;25
Speaker 4
So if you're just this bad thing happened, my life is bad. This is bad, this is bad. We've start to notice, okay, like I help that one person be this. And they said this packing. That was so nice of them. And so then maybe you'll just you'll start to realize the more goods that come on your life cause you're trying to do good.
00;35;08;25 - 00;35;22;22
Speaker 4
So then maybe you'll start to notice more goods. I don't know. That's how it's been for me as I start a little chain reaction. Yes, exactly. Turn to the domino pushed the domino for the good vice.
00;35;22;22 - 00;35;25;09
Speaker 3
Well, Jordan, I've really got and I've loved our conversation
00;35;25;09 - 00;35;27;28
Speaker 2
I think you have been amazing.
00;35;27;28 - 00;35;30;11
Speaker 3
So thank you for joining us. Thank you for bringing us.
00;35;30;11 - 00;35;35;13
Speaker 1
Respective units up first year teacher. It takes a lot of people back.
00;35;35;15 - 00;35;36;17
Speaker 2
Yes, probably.
00;35;37;01 - 00;35;40;29
Speaker 1
And it's probably helping a lot of people that are in similar roles this year. So thank you.
00;35;41;00 - 00;35;45;01
Speaker 4
Yes, thank you all so much for having me and understanding my random thoughts.
00;35;46;01 - 00;35;48;14
Speaker 2
They were actually very well organized. Thank you.
00;35;49;04 - 00;35;49;23
Speaker 3
Know, thanks for being.
00;35;49;23 - 00;35;50;25
Speaker 4
Here. Yes. Thank you.
00;35;50;25 - 00;35;53;15
Speaker 2
All. So much.