Tag Archives: Education

Day Fifteen: Create a New Posting Feature

Posted on by Gertie

It is day 15 of blogging 101 and that means that today is the last day. In all honesty, I am just a wee bit sad that today is the last day. I have met a great deal of bloggers in this course and have gained a lot of insight from them as well as blogging 101 through the assignments we were encouraged to do. I have started following sites that I would have not have been able to find if it weren’t for the blogging 101 course. I would like to dedicate this particular blog post to my fellow blogging 101 students as well as the three WordPress staff that helped all of us “students” in the “class.”

Now on to today’s assignment. Today’s assignment is to create a new blogging feature, such as a recurring event. I’ve decided that I will do an educational piece once a week on mental illness, The educational part of it could be on a particular diagnosis, or the best treatment therapies that best help a particular diagnosis or what is going on in the world of mental health such as various bills that the U.S government is on working to pass or not pass. I will also be looking into various bills that have been passed in regards to mental health in other states and looking at the ones that they are trying to make into law. Some of what I want to do in the means of education, will take some research and am more than willing to do so. I haven’t chosen a particular day that will do the education part yet but will let you all know as soon as I pick a day. Yes, it will be on the same day every week.

I am grateful that todays assignment was creating a new feature because it helps me with refocusing back to what I desire this blog to be, both educational and inspirational. Now that I am done with todays assignment and blogging 101, I want to say thank you all for putting up with me posting about my assignments. It has meant a great deal that all of you have stuck with me especially those who have been following and/or reading me for a while. Lastly, thank you to all my “classmates” and WordPress staff for a great learning experience. Happy Friday!!!!!! Enjoy your weekend and Peace Out!!

Daily Prompt: Progress

Posted on by Gertie

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Progress.” When you look back at your blog a year from now, what would you like to see?

Two weeks down and one week to go with blogging 101. I have learned a great deal over the last two weeks and am looking forward to what the last week brings.

As the last week of blogging 101 quickly approaches, I can’t help but think how my blog will look like in a year from now. I of course hope that the progress, I make in blogging is to have a more of an educational aspect of  mental illnesses. Of course along with the educational aspect of my blog, I will continue doing what I am doing now, when I share my own journey of recovery. I am hoping that I will be more diligent in the education aspect of my blog.

In a year from now, I hope that the progress, I have made in regards to my both in the educational aspect and the sharing of my recovery, I hope that I have not only made progress with my blog but with my recovery. A major part of my blog is being open about my recovery with my mental health diagnosis. I realize that there is a possibility that my with my mental illness might have a few setbacks just like I realize that my blog might not improve as much as I want it to in the next year. Yes, I will be disappointed but Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Of course, recovery is an ongoing and life long process. A process that I will not take for granted because recovery is too precious. I say recovery is precious because not all those who have a mental illness survive. Unfortunately, that means some do die by suicide. I could have been one of many who died by suicide due to multiple attempts of trying to take my own life. I am beyond grateful that I was not successful of  taking my own life because I would not have been able to build a life worth living that I am currently living.

Since I am discussing a life worth living, I need to get going. I am on vacation and am visiting my brother and am going to hang out with him. Have an awesome day and try to enjoy what you have. Peace Out!!

Day Ten: Build a Better Blogroll

Posted on by Gertie

It is day ten of blogging 101 and that means its not only time to do another assignment but the end of the second week. It’s hard to believe how fast the last two weeks have just flown by. That means there is only a week left of blogging 101 and am a little sad that the course is almost over. I have learned a great deal the last couple weeks.

One of the things that I learned was todays assignment of the blogroll and how it is used, using the widgets. In fact, I was just figuring out the widgets just before I started this course and I have been blogging just over a year. There are still a few things I need to learn in regards to both the blogroll and widgets and know over time I will. In fact when I got todays assignment last night I added the blogs I follow. Unfortunately, it will only allow me to put up to 50 and WordPress is the one that decides which blogs to put up in my sidebar. WordPress also repeats some of the blogs I follow in the sidebar and directs them to an empty page. If that happens, I apologize ahead of time. I did notify the “happiness engineers” that WordPress has and am waiting on a response.

As time goes on I am planning on adjusting the blogroll and widgets. That time just isn’t now because I already did the assignment last night for today and I also need to get going. I hope you all have a good weekend. Happy Friday and peace out!!!

Daily Prompt: Blogger With a Cause

Posted on by Gertie

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Blogger With a Cause.” If your day to day responsibilities were taken care of and you could throw yourself completely behind a cause, what would it be?

This daily prompt is an easy one for me and if you regularly read my blog the causes I am would be completely behind would be a no brainer. The causes I would be behind are causes I am currently behind. They are mental health issues, recovery and ending homelessness.

As many of you know I have a passion when it comes to mental health and recovery. Everyone has the right to get the treatment they deserve if they choose to seek out help. The first thing about recovery is that you have to choose to want to be in recovery. Sadly, not everyone decides that recovery is for them and that is their choice. Not only is recovery a choice, it looks differently to each individual.

Another one of my passions is ending homelessness. Everyone deserves to have a home if they choose to accept housing. Again accepting housing is a choice just like choosing recovery. Becoming homeless is as uniquely and circumstantial as the person. As you may know some people who become homeless is because the came on hard times and lost a job. Then their are those individuals who are homeless and have a serious mental illness. Many individual’s who are struggle with both mental illness and homelessness have difficulty keeping housing due to their mental illness. In return if you are struggling with a mental illness while homeless it’s difficult to get to your appointment because you are too busy trying to get shelter for the night.

As you can tell housing can be a major part someone’s recovery. That is why I work at mental health agency that houses those who are the most vulnerable in regards to mental illness. They help house those who have a serious mental illness in hopes that once they get help then they will seek help for their mental illness. Only about have who get housed through the agency agree to seek mental health treatment and we are fine with that. It is their choice to seek treatment. Getting housing is a major deal and if we can get them treatment then that is a major plus.

As you can tell, I am already a blogger with a cause and I don’t need to quit my day job to do so. I love my job and I love blogging. I love the causes that I am involved in. I will call it a day in regards to blogging. Have a good weekend all. Peace out!!

Day Five: Love Your Theme

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning all!!! It is day five of blogging 101. Today’s assignment was to choose a theme you love. As you can see, I changed my theme. I changed it last night when we received our assignment for today. As much as I enjoyed my last theme (The Flounder), I feel like the new theme (Rusty Grunge) is more of a representation of who I am as a person as well as a blogger who coming into their own.

Coming into my own person has not been an easy feat for me. There has been struggle after struggle with various situations that has helped me become the person I have become. If it weren’t for learning how to deal with various struggles in my life especially when it comes having a mental health diagnoses, I wouldn’t be able to have the success I have in my life. That is where blogging comes into play.

Being able to blog about my journey as a person who is recovery with their mental illness has been an experience that I do not regret doing. It has brought me to realize that being about share my recovery story to the world has been quite therapeutic for me. Most importantly having my new theme represents how I have grown as a person over the years as well as a blogger over the last year.

Thank you everyone for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated to have people like you all reading my journey of recovery. Happy Friday and Peace Out!!

Day Four: Identify Your Audience

Posted on by Gertie

Todays assignment is to identify my audience as well as try something new that I haven’t tried yet. I do have to say I would love to add a picture every once in awhile however I am unsure on how to do it. Yes, I’ve looked at WordPress’s “instructions” but they don’t make sense to me for a number of reasons. One of which involves a learning disability. It’s not WordPress’s fault that I have a learning disability. I just wish they would put it into simpler terms to where people who do not understand computers or who may have learning disabilities may be able to comprehend what they are explaining. I do know of people who may be able explain on how to put a picture to my blog at a later time.

Enough of my complaining and back to my assignment of targeting my audience. I think I already have a targeted audience. Well, at least some of my targeted audience. If you have been following and/or reading my blog you know that the focus of my blog is mental health recovery and what it looks like to me as I walk through my recovery. You also know that I want to have more of an educational piece to my blog. Taking blogging 101 is having me think more of the educational piece of my blog and its only the fourth day into the three week course. Now that I have somewhat of an established blogging audience, I need to continue on building that aspect of my blog as well as trying to start building the other half of my audience. That other half are those who do not have a mental illness and wanting to educate them in hopes to lessen the stigma that goes along with having one. It’s always been my goal to give hope to those who have a mental illness that recovery is possible as well as have an educational aspect to those who don’t have a mental illness to lessen the stigma. I hope what I said made sense and didn’t sound repetitive.

I am thrilled that I am taking this course because it is has me refocusing on what I want my blog to be. Granted I wish I was aware of it when I first started blogging but am happy that I am taking it at this point in time of my blogging experience. I have just of year under my belt with blogging and have some experience that is helping with the course. Something is to be said by trial and error learning and am grateful for that. I’m grateful that I am taking this course now.

With all that being said I need to get going for the moment and will blog again tomorrow. Have a wonderful day. Peace out!!!

Day Two: Take Control of Your Title and Tagline

Posted on by Gertie

Today’s assignment doesn’t necessarily have us write a blog. In fact it has us “Take Control” of our Title and Tagline. Since I have already done that, I wanted to blog about why I chose my title and the tagline.

I came up with Gertie’s Journey because I am Gertie and it is my journey. Gertie is not my given name and no it is not short for Gertrude. It is a nickname I received in the third grade. I originally used my nickname in the title because of the stigma that goes with having a mental illness however since I now have a job as a Consumer Advocate, and work with those who struggle with mental illness’s, I use it to protect myself. Not only that Gertie’s Journey sounds much better than if you would use my given name with the word journey.

As for my tagline, it pretty much explains itself. My tagline is: A Journey of Mental Health Recovery. The reason why I chose the tagline I did was because I am sharing my journey of being in recovery with a mental illness. Of course it is my hope that I will add more of an educational twist to my blog. It has always been the hope and the case to include an educational twist. It just hasn’t been as much as a priority as it should be and will be in the future. When the educational twist of my blog comes more into play then I will change my taglines just a wee bit.

Now that I have completed today’s assignment, I need to sign of and head to work. Have a wonderful day everyone. Peace Out!!!

Improving My Skills In Blogging

Posted on by Gertie

As you can tell a number of my post have been Daily Prompts in recent days. I have quite a few reasons why I have done the daily prompts. One of which is, I was having difficulties coming up with ideas to blog about and they are extremely helpful in that way. Another reason why is I’ve been using Daily Prompts is because I noticed I wasn’t blogging as much as I use to, when I started blogging and realized that I had more people reading my blog when I was posting more often.

Another thing I plan on doing starting tomorrow is the Blogging U. 101 class that WordPress puts on for free. Yes, I am aware that the Blogging 101 courses might be a bit trivial and a repetitive blogs due to the assignments they give and for the fact that I have been blogging for just over a year now. I figured it wont hurt if I relearned stuff that I already learned by trial and error. Who knows I might even learn some new stuff. I am hoping that taking the Blogging U. 101 course will help improve my blogging skills. Granted, I realize some of the assignments they give me might have me blog about things or topics that I have already blogged about. It is my hope that you my reader don’t get annoyed with me and remain patient with me and my blogging process.

It is my hope through this process that it will improve my skills to be a better advocate for those with mental illness as well as to better educate those who do not have a mental illness. It is my biggest hope with this blog to help eliminate the stigma those is associated with having a mental illness. Discrimination against those with mental illness is why many people who struggle with one don’t seek out help. It is for them I share my story of recovery and hope that my story can eliminate the stigma that goes along with it.

Now that you are aware of what I am going to be doing, I ask for your patients and understanding. The course will last three weeks and I hope to learn a great deal with it. Peace out and have an awesome day.

Daily Prompt: Thank You

Posted on by Gertie

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Thank You.” The internet is full of rants. Help tip the balance: today, simply be thankful for something (or someone).

As I was searching through the past daily prompts today, I came a crossed this daily prompt. I thought it would be a good one to do just because I have a lot to be thankful for.

First things first I am thankful for my dad. There are so many reasons I am thankful for my dad. Granted he may not have won the father of the year but I’m okay with that. My dad had to take on the role of mom when my own mother abandoned the both of us in the middle of the night. He not only raised me (with the help of my grandparents) in the 80’s and 90’s but showed me what it meant to persevere despite his developmental delays, Traumatic Brain Injury (TPI), mental illness and alcoholism. Most importantly, my dad showed me what recovery looked like. He showed that recovery isn’t an easy process but is well worth it. He also taught me that the road to recovery is uniquely individualized to each person.

Secondly, I am thankful for my grandparents for helping my dad raise me. I was not the easiest of children to raise especially when I was a teenager dealing with an eating disorder, mental illness and self-harm issues. My grandparents weren’t perfect but at least I know they tried to the best of their abilities and most importantly they love me with all their heart.

Another person I am thankful for is my fiancé, Junior. I am thankful for Junior for many different reasons. I am extremely thankful that he not only chose to ask me out and date me but asked me to marry him. The reason being is because he knew what he was getting into when we started dating. He knew how difficult it could and can be with my mental illness and that didn’t scare him. I thankful for Junior’s love for me and his encouragement with my recovery.

I have yet another person I am thankful for. This person has played a significant role in my recovery and am forever grateful to her for it. The person is my own therapist, Diana. (Side Note: Diana is a pseudonym to protect her, her family as well as her past, current and future clients.) Diana has been an incredibly formable person for me in my recovery. She has been in my corner, encouraging me, challenged me (when needed), listening to me and most importantly believing me when I tell her stuff that happened to me as a child. Diana has helped me grow as a person since she is a person who believes that recovery is possible despite how differently it looks to each person.

Last but not least I am thankful for my recovery with my mental illness as well as my eating disorders. I am thankful for my recovery because I am able to enjoy my life despite what difficulties I encounter. If I wasn’t in recovery I wouldn’t haven’t been able to get my certification as a Peer Support Specialist much less have my current job as a Consumer Advocate. I also wouldn’t be able to volunteer at the Warm Line or the young adult homeless shelter I just started volunteering at. Being in recovery means that I am now living a life worth living.

A life worth living also means finding out what you enjoy. That what I am going to do now. I am going to go and enjoy this beautiful summer day. I am going to go and eat at my favorite restaurant on the water front. Yes, that means I am ending this blog post for now. Peace out and enjoy your day.

Daily Prompt: Teacher’s Pet

Posted on by Gertie

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Teacher’s Pet.” Tell us about a teacher who had a real impact on your life, either for the better or the worse. How is your life different today because of him or her?

Here I am again, doing another daily prompt. In fact yesterday was the first time I ever used WordPress’s daily prompt and I like having the option of a specific “topic” ready for me to choose from. In fact I’m loving having the option to not only have a daily prompt but having the option to do todays daily prompt or a past daily prompt. Just like the daily prompt I use yesterday, today, I chose a past daily prompt.

It is an extremely difficult choice for me to pick just one teacher who has had an impact on my life because, there isn’t a teacher that I haven’t had who hasn’t made and impact on my life at one time or another. Since all my teachers have had an impact on my life, I have decided to only discuss three teachers in this particular post. Two of the three teachers happen to be two of my most favorite teachers. I have decided to use their real names due to the fact I want to give them all credit for what they have done. I know maybe that may not be a wise choice on my part but they do deserve credit even if what one teacher angers you (like it does me) they all are worthy of credit.

Before I begin telling you about the three teachers who have had the most impact on my life let me tell you a thing or two first. All through my school years I was a main streamed special education student. That means I was in “normal” classes with other kids in my grade with the exception of one subject and sometimes two subjects. The reason being is because at an early age I was diagnosed with not only ADHD but dyslexia and other reading and writing disabilities. The only subject I was not main streamed in was English and on occasion other subjects when needed.

Now that we are on the topic of both Special Education and English, lets talk about my seventh grade Special Ed English teacher, Ms. Phelps. Ms. Phelps wasn’t the best of teachers nor was she one of my favorite teachers. She was not always the most sensitive of people and unfortunately wasn’t afraid to speak her mind especially when it came to hurting a students feelings. Don’t get me wrong, I actually prefer people to speak their minds but when it could harm someone especially a child then its not always exactly the best thing to do. Ms. Phelps was getting fed up with me because she didn’t think I was putting much effort into my homework.  In all actuality, I was spending two hours a day just doing homework for her class alone. I had six other classes that I needed to do homework for (including marching/concert band). I spent three hours doing homework from my other classes and that includes me practicing my flute for an hour for band. I spent more time doing homework for class than my other classes. Since Ms. Phelps didn’t think I was putting much effort into my homework for her class she kept giving me detention which was nothing new for me since I was always in trouble. It was one of those detentions where she spoke her mind and spouted out her anger on me. She told me “You will never graduate high school much less make it through you freshman year of high school. You most likely will drop out your freshman year. You will be a high school drop-out just like your parents.” It was because of what she said is what made me determined to graduate high school and prove her wrong. If it wasn’t for those words echoing through my head, I think I wouldn’t have cared so much about graduating high school as I did. Yes, I did graduate high school and it made me feel good that I not only proved her wrong but I proved myself wrong as well. I still haven’t been able to show her my high school diploma and I’m okay with it because it doesn’t matter so much to me any more.

The next teacher, I’m about to tell you about was one that inspired me to be the best at what I was able to do despite my disabilities and had him throughout my junior high years. For me the junior high I attended was only seventh and eighth grades. Mr. Hahn was my band teacher. He had a sense a humor that related to every kid he taught. Mr. Hahn taught me how to persevere through difficult sections in a specific piece of  music which could be a potential metaphor for life. Mr. Hahn put a great deal of effort into me and helped me improve playing the flute. He taught me various things in regards to the flute as well as being able to use them in life now and not just in regards to playing the flute. Mr. Hahn’s constant encouragement, sense of humor and love for music is why I continued playing the flute through high school even though I wasn’t exactly the best flute player in the world.

This next teacher I am about to tell you about is one who encouraged me to get help for both my eating disorders as well as the depression I was in. Ms. Casey taught me Earth Science my sophomore year of high school and Biology my junior high of high school. She was also the class advisor for my graduating class. She taught me how to love science and that it was more than okay to be a woman who loves science. Not only did she help me get the help I needed for the eating disorders and mental illness, she helped me with my homework for her class(es) as well as other classes. Ms. Casey put the effort into me to make sure that I graduated high school. Ms. Casey was one of those teachers (just like Mr. Hahn) who put in extra hours to make sure all her students succeeded in school and beyond.

If it wasn’t for the above three teachers, I wouldn’t have graduated high school nor been the success I am today. They all taught me the power of determination in their own way and that once you put your mind to something, stay strong and most importantly keep the determination.

I wish I could write more on this particular post especially about Mr. Hahn and Ms. Casey, I am unable to do so because I have to go to work. I love my job and if it wasn’t for all my teachers throughout my life I would have it. Thank you to all the teacher who have taught me. Well, off to work I go. Peace out!!