#NerdAlert

I am a self-proclaimed nerd. I love to read and write, and I'd rather do that than watch TV. Using new vocabulary words exhilarates me (Geez, the sky looks ominous today!), and silently correcting the grammar of others is a daily occurrence. (Your is possessive; if you mean YOU ARE, then write you're!) I have always wanted to be in a real book club, and about two years ago that dream came true! I get so excited for our monthly meetings, so we can discuss the characters, setting, plot, and themes of our latest read. I've even started typing up questions to bring to book club to deepen our conversations. #SoNerdy

Being nerdy in one of my favorite Harry Potter t-shirts!

A few years ago a couple of my 5th grade students introduced me to the world of Harry Potter. I had refused to read the series for years, thinking that there's no way an adult could enjoy the world of witches and wizards. Then, these boys convinced me that as their reading teacher, I had to read it! OMG. Life changer. And a major increase for me on the nerd scale! As I finished each book, I watched the corresponding movie. I joined the Harry Potter Running Club and took the quiz to find my Hogwarts house. I'm a Hufflepuff, by the way!

Of course, there are so many parts of being a teacher fulfills the nerd in me. But there's nothing that gets me giddy like school supplies. There's nothing better than freshly sharpened pencils, Ink Joy gel pens, and sticky notes of multiple shapes and sizes, lined and unlined, of course.

I began writing regularly this summer and joined a writing camp on Facebook that's hosted by Jennifer Serravallo, a literacy guru. Immersing myself in this kind of work is one of my favorite things to do. I love to get an assignment and then work hard to complete it. It makes me feel like a student again.

Lucy and me - Sperry HS Class of 2000

My nerdiness hasn't always been prominent. I just said prominent... maybe my nerdiness is totally out there! LOL! But in reflecting, I've realized that I've hidden it at times. In college, I wanted to be cool. I was so excited and ready for a new me at Northeastern State University. I didn't share with people that I graduated as the valedictorian of my high school... that was too nerdy. I had my fair share of fun, and for the first time in my life, I didn't make straight As. I even changed my major from Education to Mass Communications because it was a way cooler major. After graduation, I landed a job at a television station in Tulsa and loved editing video for the 5 pm, 6 pm, and 10pm newscasts. While that was a thrilling change for me, I eventually earned my alternative teaching certificate and went back to school to earn my master's in educational leadership, making straight As this time!

I'm grateful to be in a position where I can share my nerdiness with others every day through my work with teachers and students. And I truly love it when I see a little bit of my nerdiness rub off on someone else. Izzy loves to go to the library and check out books with me each week. Greg saw our stack of 14 books, and said, "Whoa. Do people really check out that many books from the library?" I replied with, "Are you serious?! This is the fewest amount of books I've ever checked out from the library!"

Even Greg has started choosing books more often. And even though he sometimes talks to me in a "nerd voice" (think Screech's nerd friends on "Saved By The Bell"), I know that he still enjoys reading. Just this past weekend, Greg recommended a great nonfiction book called Into the Wild. Now, he has to branch out and read a historical fiction book that I've suggested... maybe we can start our own little book club.

Destined to be a nerd - what six-year-old reads the newspaper?!

So why am I calling myself out as a nerd? Well, I've come to realize that it's cool to be a little nerdy. To spend time reading, writing, and learning is something that I enjoy doing, and I feel like it makes me a smarter, better person. It's something that I plan to do on the regular until my last day on this earth. At the age of 36, I've decided that I will be true to who I am. It really doesn't matter what others think. Being nerdy is something that comes natural to me, and I feel like I'm good at it. Isn't it crazy that I'm just now starting to feel comfortable with who I really am? No more feeling the need to be cool; this nerd is pushing her glasses up on her nose, grabbing pack of brand new Ink Joy pens, and writing a plan to lead my own adventure down a path less traveled... maybe it will be like one of those really cool Choose Your Own Adventure books from my childhood... yeah whatever!