Over the past decade or so mobile phones have developed from merely a voice-and-text communication device to the powerful mini-computers we now call “smart” — and for good reason!

Plugged-In

Today, the phone in our pocket has more computing power than the machines that took mankind to the moon. For some, its primary use is for entertainment (aka a serious distraction to students’ attention and focus). For others, it may be to check on stocks, plan a date night, or schedule an upcoming vacation. For most of us, we use our tech for a little bit of everything. Whether we feel comfortable with the advancement of technology into our everyday lives or not, we cannot deny its presence. It is imperative that we prepare our students for our increasingly connected world.

Tech-y Tools

Smartphones and other connected devices in the classroom can be a tool that enables learning. Among other things, mobile phones can:

1. Elevate participation. Smartphone apps can be great for research and for group exercises that boost class participation and cooperative learning. —Glance back at “Game-Based Learning” for some cooperative learning games.
2. Improve literacy.Studies have shown that smartphones play a role in improving literacy rates. Keep in mind that literacy is multi-faceted, and there are many ways of engaging with written text. Younger students may enjoy translating passages into different languages, reading poems together, listening to audiobooks, or creating a classroom newspaper or magazine. Older students may benefit from expressing themselves through blogs and website posts, writing scripts for a classroom play or group home movie, or adapting older-English novels into Modern English. The key is to remember that reading can be fun (much to the surprise of some students). Keep in mind that class assignments are ideally both demanding and accessible. This is to achieve the “+1 zone of proximal development” which keeps students genuinely engaged as they master specific material. This “zone” involves challenge. When students are engaged, they want to learn more.
3. Facilitate communication. Smartphones offer a super-easy solution to the communication challenges teachers face today, and they can be used to provide real-time feedback which furthers class inquiry and participation. Digital classrooms should include discussion forums to elicit student responses. Online tools may also be used to hand out classwork, issue grades, and communicate with students and faculty alike!
4. Facilitate communication. Smartphones offer a super-easy solution to the communication challenges teachers face today, and they can be used to provide real-time feedback which furthers class inquiry and participation. Digital classrooms should include discussion forums to elicit student responses. Online tools may also be used to hand out classwork, issue grades, and communicate with students and faculty alike!

Still skeptical? If you’re wondering about the best ways to incorporate smartphones in the classroom in order to maximize student learning, here is some sound advice:

Smartphones today can be used for many activities helpful to students, such as note-taking, editing, photography, filming, browsing, reading, and research. What else can you imagine a smartphone can do to further learning? (Whatever you’re imagining — there’s an app for that.)

Discuss and develop essential agreements with your students regarding smartphone use in class. Include them in the conversation that determines what’s allowed, what’s not, and what are the consequences for breaching the agreement. This can empower students while instilling a sense of responsibility and ownership.

• Plan ahead and coach properly

When classwork instruction calls for smartphone use, tasks need to be well-planned in advance and students need to know how to use their devices properly. Provide explicit guidelines. Before any projects and reports, you may want to give a lesson on how to find trustworthy primary source material online. (Students need to know how to find articles, scholarly journals, studies, etc, instead of relying solely on secondary sources for their information.)

While many schools have already adopted BYOD (bring your own device), policies allowing mobile phone/tablet use in the classroom is still uncharted territory for many educators. Monitor your students’ usage behavior in relation to their progress, and DO revise your essential agreements as necessary.

• Suggested ways to monitor: ban certain websites, filter search capabilities/search result removals, and block access to sites (like Facebook, Instagram, etc that students will not need at school).

Hall Monitor

Ironically, the very apps that feed our desire for interaction inhibit our ability to do so in the real world. Applications and software such as “app blockers” help us regulate what and who our students see online.

In order for us to take advantage of the good that technology brings, we must acknowledge and address any hindrances. Though social media offers many communicative conveniences, it has prevented social development. Though an aid in the classroom, too much technology may also put our students at a disadvantage when young people lack the ability to deal with social interaction, particularly confrontation. Be sure to balance technological exercises with face to face group activity and collaboration.

Harness the Power of Learning

The constant development of technology is affecting every aspect of our lives, including the way we learn and teach. Today, information is literally one click away.

Harness that power for learning, and grow with your kids. Educate yourself with knowledge and know-how to incorporate technology in your classroom, and always have a specific learning purpose in mind.

When leveraged smartly, smartphones can be a helpful and empowering teaching and learning tool for any educator.

Can Smartphones Help Learning in Class? was originally published in Aimee's Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Cloe Piece: Discovering Kuiper

I think my life would be fulfilled if only I would arrive at an advanced scientific discovery.

Instead, I’m walking directly into 45-year-old-factories taking “rustic” shots for my brother’s art gallery. My dear brother deems himself to be an up-and-coming artist. As such, he excuses his low-budget gallery as an “industrial-chic” environment. Meaning, the gallery can be found immediately hidden in huge warehouses on the abandoned south side of town.

I, on the other hand, am supposed to be great. I am supposed to be the next Luis Alvarez, the second Neil Armstrong, the next great discoverer!

As you can see — I’m not. I’m taking “angsty” photos in deserted warehouses.

What I really want to photograph is the Kuiper Belt — the vast and distant repository of frozen, primitive objects where Pluto resides. But after two hours in the warehouse, I resign myself to my fate of earthly photography.
That is until I hear a small rustle from the copper bins next to me. Suddenly two small eyes shine through the rubble and I hear an almost imperceptible meow. Relieved that I’m not being followed by some mangy beast, I try to coax the small kitten out. After much cooing and bribing with a few pieces of beef jerky that I found at the bottom of my backpack, a small, orange fur ball appears.

I’m enamored.

She’s a little dusty and has a funny bend to her right ear, but without a doubt, Kuiper is coming home with me.
I scoop up my new orange friend and throw the camera in my bag because I have great news to share!

After all, I have discovered something.

The Tony Piece: The Missing Professor

I think my life would be fulfilled when I meet him again. It’s been twenty-one years. You think he’d still be as quirky? As intelligent? As warm? A lot changes when one turns sixty.
I saw him for the first time as a graduate student attending his lecture on Galileo and the Sun Rising from the West. Later that year, I was asked to join his team at an advanced scientific discovery facility north of the city. Right before he mysteriously disappeared.

They say he had discovered something very important; others say that he had invented a time-related apparatus. No one knew if it was true.

Our former research group got the news first. He resurfaced. He has something to show the world.

As soon as I got the encrypted message, I got on my bike and whooshed through the narrow city streets. I rode directly into the 45-year-old factories; the same ones Zenith occupied to manufacture CRTs.I reach the place the very last one. When the seven of us took a seat on the makeshift table in that cold and large space, the professor showed up. His signature smile and quirky face had not changed. He only got greyer.

It turns out that whatever he had invented was immediately hidden in huge warehouses at the location; underground. How could anyone have missed it?

“Follow me,” he said.

From here on, the way we understand physics will change forever.

The Mary Piece: The Best Imperfect Perfection

I used to think my life would be fulfilled when I had achieved the perfect career, relationship and number of Instagram followers. Boy was I wrong. All of that is simply out of reach at the same time. Nothing in life is perfect. And what I’ve come to know instead is that it’s imperfection that brings me the most fulfillment in life!

Imperfection can be like something of an advanced scientific discovery. Few people really know about and appreciate it. Imperfection makes some people nervous, angry, or even makes them just want to cry! Really, how shortsighted! I prefer to marvel at it, dissect it and generally try to laugh through it instead.

Anyway, imperfection is way more interesting than perfection. The kind of interesting that’s even sometimes a bit scary. And scary things are immediately hidden in huge warehouses, whether those warehouses are real or believed to be real (like the alien artifacts in Area 51). Whether those huge warehouses exist exclusively in the millions of neural pathways of our brains!

There is perfection in the imperfection of a self-styled pizza! We can look back directly into the 45-year-old factories of Godfather’s Pizza* and Pizza Express Bar restaurants to be reminded that variety, not perfection, is the spice of life. Who doesn’t love a perfectly gooey, chewy, cheesy, messy pizza!

Who needs the perfect career, relationship, and Instagram fame, when you’ve created your own perfectly imperfect pizza! Laugh, love, learn and live imperfectly in 2019!

The Steph Piece: The Adventures of Little Suzy

In the not-so-far-away village of Grumpilitily, little Suzy had always been considered a little peculiar. One, she was little, among all the gigantic adults; and two, she was all bouncy and giggly and plane right annoying to them.

Noisy Suzy they called her.

On one not-so-bright morning, little noisy — and nosy — Suzy heads directly into the 45-year-old factories that her father had clearly forbidden her to approach. “They’re dangerous” he said. But little noisy nosy Suzy, peculiar as she was, did not believe in danger. She saw colors, magic and, well, candy everywhere. Suzy slowly walks towards the big gray buildings, barbed wire all around with electrical fences and crocodiles guarding the entrances, very secure state-of-the-art security measures the village security committee had proudly installed. Suzy, skips, hums, bounces — as she always does, greets the crocodile and pets him, finds a small hole in the fence and just waltz right into the forbidden factory. And there… she finds….

Unicorns! Loads and loads of unicorns. Yes. Unicorns. Lots of them unicorns.

A little backstory:
On February 20th 1944, a mad scientist moved to the not-so-far-away village of Grumpilitily. Long story short, Edgar the mad scientist of the not-so-far-away village of Grumpilitily, fiddling around the kitchen of a lab, accidentally invents a unicorn. Yup, a unicorn. And there started the stories and rumors all over the village about an advanced scientific discovery. The gigantic adults of the village of Grumpilitily went into a mass panic and the village sheriff, determined to bring things back to normal, demands for “the unicorn” to be immediately hidden in huge warehouses, guarded by barbed wire all around with electrical fences and crocodiles guarding the entrances, very secure state-of-the-art security measures the village security committee was assigned to install. And the village was never to speak of it again. The little girl stands in awe, big eyes just staring at that big pretty thing with a misplaced horn on the forehead.

She thought to herself “I think my life would be fulfilled if I could just pet one”.

So she did.

The John Piece: Abandoning Walls

Whoever said that you can only learn about life through time and age didn’t actually learn much. I can immediately feel everyone disagreeing, and I’m not much of a philosophical writer, but just give it some thought and ask yourself one simple question:

Is life measured in time, or in moments?

One thing’s for sure, life is definitely not an advanced scientific discovery, and it certainly can’t be experienced by locking yourself away from everything and everyone. You need to put yourself out there, meet people, share experience, and make new ones.

Of course, you might disagree, but what’s the point of buying a toy if you’re not going to play with it? What’s the point of having a house if you’re not going to live in it? And what’s the point of having a car if you’re not going to drive it? Yes, I know, I’m pushing more questions than answers, but here’s my point:

Our lives are all made up of moments. Good or bad, they can all teach us something and take us where we want to be. You cannot grow, smile, or say you have a fulfilled life if your experiences are immediately hidden in huge warehouses.

There’s a reason why children love to play. It’s not because they’re still young, or don’t have responsibilities. These are all illusions we like to believe in, all fed directly by the 45-year-old factories of our dulled minds and silenced hearts. Life sure can be tough, but all it takes is to watch these kids play to realize what they can teach us: the world is still our playground.

When anyone asks me when I think my life would be fulfilled, the answer is always the same: it already is. Not because I’ve experienced a lot, or achieved so much; but because I still am, I still want, and I still try.

So, if you’re looking to make a change this year, do yourself a favor and learn from your children, from your students. When you see how few and little walls they have, you’ll begin to tear down yours.

Originally published at web.aimee.bio on December 31, 2018.

Wrapping-up 2018 With a Fun Challenge was originally published in Aimee's Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

We know how hard you work all year long.
As much as we all love educating our unique and quirky kids, it doesn’t come without a few frustrations and challenges!

Remember, humor is sometimes the best way to de-stress and relax. Since the holidays and winter break have sadly ended, we thought you could use some humor to carry on in your quest to inspire these great kids.

No more turkeys to baste or dinners to prepare. Good-bye to celebrating with friends and family or spending a lazy day in bed. It’s back to school time and the kids aren’t the only ones who need to reset their alarms and pack their bags. Yes, we know it’s probably just the parents who are most happy about this.

We know vacations are heaven and you probably deserve a longer break, but it’s going to be alright!

No no, don’t get frustrated! And don’t you dare hit that snooze button…again! It’s time to get up. Get yourself some breakfast, a nice cup of coffee and just see how quickly you’ll feel better.

We know what you’re thinking though, “as soon as I get to class everyone’s going to be sleepy.” Err, you could be right.

Or… maybe not. Hey, what do we expect? They’ve been hyped up on sugar for weeks, and it’s only natural. Just give them a little time… and they’ll calm down eventually.

Wooh, not that that’s over, you can finally settle down and start your class. You might see some eager faces, with some even downright excited to give you their homework!

Of course, there’s always the one or two, whose homework gets forgotten, lost in the Bermuda Triangle, or eaten by the dog, the hamster, or an imaginary friend. In their defense though, holiday homework? Seriously?!

You realize that you enjoyed your break, and why shouldn’t they?
Yes, cut them some slack. You might even consider postponing the lesson for a few minutes to just talk with them about how they spent their winter break.

Sure, you might have some sleepy-heads in class, a few wall bouncers, or maybe even a few trouble-makers, but that’s what keeps you coming back. It’s always your students who make you love being a teacher.

So, keep up the great work you’re doing, and always remember how important it is. Inspire your students, laugh with them, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Students STILL aren’t the only ones with a sense of humor! was originally published in Aimee's Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Ask any teacher: “What are your biggest challenges?” Most will say: “STRESS and TIME management.”

All educators know that leading a class requires dedication and a lot of hard work. A teacher’s workday begins the moment they open their eyes each morning:

Preparing the learning material
Motivating your students
Helping them through their difficulties
Facilitating group work and projects
Coaching them after hours
Assessing their efforts to improve and learn

And of course, it doesn’t end there. So how can teachers maintain their own peace and happiness throughout the school year?

We found a handful of happy full-time teachers, and asked them: “How do YOU balance work, family, and friendships, and maintain a positive healthy attitude?” Here are the top 5 responses:

1. “A friendly class is an easier class”
You are a great teacher, but it’s the friendly, kind teachers students remember most. So use your instincts, listen to them, and use a great weapon, humor, whenever possible.

2. “Trust and encouragement”
One of the easiest ways to establish a connection with your students is to praise their efforts and talk to them in a non-judgmental way. Nothing breeds trust more than an inspiring solid two-way communication.

3. “Assist your colleagues”
Extend your great classroom attitude to your staff room. Communicate with your fellow educators and offer to help. Strive to be supportive and positive, and avoid “workplace gossip” like the plague.

4. “Carve out some ‘school-free’ time”
This is probably the most common answer we received. Teachers rarely finish all their work at school; most bring some home with them. While that may be “part of the job,” it’s essential to designate some “school-free” time, where talking shop is simply off-limits.

5. “Take a nice vacation”
Your job is to constantly give and nurture. You work hard all year, so you are entitled to play hard too! Take the time necessary to get back in touch with friends and family, and make sure to use the summer to travel and explore.

“A very wise old teacher once said: I consider a day’s teaching wasted if we do not all have one hearty laugh.” — Gilbert Highet

Originally published at web.aimee.bio on August 22, 2018.

The Habits of a Happy Teacher was originally published in Aimee's Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In our fast-paced connected digital world, we sometimes find our students more disconnected from each other, allowing bias and prejudice some room to creep in. Inspiring students to appreciate one another, and understand that everyone has different experiences and beliefs to be valued, can be a tough challenge.

Some believe that an educator’s main goal isn’t only to teach his or her subject matter, but maybe more importantly, to prepare students for life beyond school. Inspiring students to love learning, connect with others, and move beyond their own perspective, creates the space for truly great future leaders to emerge.

With the rise of globalization, it’s a fact that classrooms today are extremely diverse. The need is greater than ever for teachers to instill positive classroom values by practicing and promoting empathy among their students.

Incorporating empathy into the daily discourse and classroom norms can have some truly positive results, both inside and outside the classroom.

1. Empathy builds trust
By empathizing with one another, students better understand each other and build solid friendships based on trust and shared experiences. By demonstrating and practicing empathy, educators also improve their own student-teacher relationships.

2. Empathy builds community
The more students experience and practice empathy, the narrower the space remains for bias and prejudice. As they practice it with their classmates and teachers, they transfer those qualities to their lives outside the classroom and into their community.

3. Empathy generates better grades
John Converse Townsend argued that students enrolled in schools who incorporate empathy in their pedagogy achieved better test scores. In his article, Townsend highlights how a lack of empathy creates stress that negatively affects learning and brain development.

Encouraging and embracing empathy, as a valued practice in school, has a lot of upside for something so simple, yet crucial. It’s not about pats on the back, it’s a learned skill that helps students become more productive, compassionate, tolerant, and trusting. Everything we need from our future leaders.

Originally published at web.aimee.bio on September 17, 2018.

Why Cultivate Empathy in the Classroom? was originally published in Aimee's Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

High school graduation day fills the graduates with a triumphant sense of achievement and for most, an eagerness to experience a whole new world of opportunity and freedom. Unfortunately, their confidence and optimism are soon to be deeply challenged and shaken.

Far from the safety of the high school bubble, students may quickly find themselves at risk for succumbing to new pressures presented at university, such as:

• Assimilating to a new world that is unfamiliar and often intimidating
• Being alone and for the first time solely accountable and self-directed
• Choosing their own classes versus the predetermined schedules they’ve always known
• Stricter timetables and deadlines, with harsher consequences for falling behind
• Tough professors, who demand more, and often have less time for individual guidance.

What can YOU do to help them prepare?
It could be as simple as listening to their fears, sharing some of your own experience, and reassuring them with some practical advice to consider:

1. You don’t have to choose your career path on the first day! Most freshman who have already chosen a major end up changing it, at least once. Tell your students it’s OKAY; If they take their time and follow their passion, they WILL find their path.
2. Adopt time management and study habits that work for YOU. Doesn’t matter if your system is different, but just HAVE a system, and follow it! Discuss what kind of learner they are, and help them brainstorm potential systems that will fit with their personality. Remember: a good time management system is only good — if it is FOLLOWED.
3. Prioritizing strategies are crucial to college survival, and success! A great example is understanding the difference between one-credit and three-credit courses in terms of GPA calculation. Thinking strategically about how to allocate your time/effort for each course, can save both your sanity and your GPA! Assure students that “asking for help” when they feel they need it is an excellent prioritizing strategy.
4. Work hard, and play hard. One bad grade is not the end of the world. Revisit #2 and #3 above to get back on track! Recognize that it’s actually necessary to take a break from the academic pressure zone to recharge your batteries! University life offers so many new experiences, new friendships, and new discoveries about yourself. It’s ok to enjoy the ride, which can make the work even more worthwhile.

Helping high school students transition to university was originally published in Aimee's Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Watching students grow up, as they graduate from one grade to the next, you witness the unceasing cycle of adaptation and transition. The path is natural, yet the pace and drama of the changes can be quite stressful, causing students a range of issues including:

• Relationship drama with friends or family
• Bullying and/or peer-pressure on campus
• Low self-esteem
• Problems at home
• Time management difficulties
• Stress over grades, exams, success

These affect a student’s performance, attitude, how they are able to respond to change, and ultimately their transition to adult life. But fortunately educators can offer some guidance, by helping them build these basic yet crucial skills:

#1 Patience and Persistence
Chasing high grades is a primary focus for many students, and certainly a desirable goal for most parents. But struggling students can easily get demotivated and the constant pressure over their results can be debilitating. This is where teachers could highlight the importance of patience and persistence. Simply recognizing the value of their efforts and ideas, motivates them to keep going, and teaches them persistence and patience with both themselves and with others.

#2 Communication
Aim for a classroom environment that promotes open communication and understanding. Encourage conversation by asking open-ended questions. A healthy exchange of ideas will make students more comfortable to speak up, ask questions, and debate any topic. This gives them the confidence to do the same outside of class, and helps them deal with conflict, at home, or in school.

#3 Reflection Time
Reflection keeps priorities and behavior in check. It helps students understand where they are now, what goals they want to reach, and what action they need to take to get there. As a teacher, you might try dedicating 30 minutes a week outside of class to connect with students who need advice or help in processing their own self-reflection. This self-reflection skill teaches them to focus and keep track of their personal progress, grades, and how they are managing their time.

Change is hard to handle, especially for students. As educators, developing these simple skills in your students can help them adapt to new environments with confidence. Exhibiting this kind of poise and sense of accomplishment will motivate students toward making a difference in their own lives.

How do you help your stressed-out students? was originally published in Aimee's Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

An educator’s job is not an easy one. By the end of the school year, most of us are looking for ways to de-stress, relax, and just recharge our batteries.

Laughter is an incredible stress reliever and a natural feel-good way to recharge. After all, humor and laughter:

• Causes people to listen
• Increases long-term memory retention
• Improves understanding
• Aids in learning
• Helps communicate a message

With that in mind, here are a few “teacher jokes”, just to lighten up your day and re-ignite your smile:

Stay in bed, it’s safer

“Wake up. It’s time to go to school son!”
“But why? I don’t want to go mother.”
“Give me two reasons why you don’t want to go.”
“Well, the kids hate me, and the teachers hate me too!”
“That’s no reason not to go to school. Come on now, get up.”
“Give me two reasons why I should go.”
“Well, for one, you’re 52 years old. And for another, you’re the Principal!”

Prank call, many have tried

A student called his school pretending to be his father in the hopes of getting out of school that day.
“My son has the flu and can’t make it to school today,” he said.
“Who is this speaking?” asked the secretary.
“This is my father!”

Oh, no he didn’t

It’s the beginning of the school year, the first lesson.
Teacher: “Please sit quietly, if you want to ask something raise your hand.”
Peter immediately raises his hand.
“You want to ask something Peter?”
“No. Just checking how the system works.”

Yup. He got kicked out for sure

Teacher: “Why are you late, Jay?”
Jay: “Because the bell rang before I could get here.”

Payback feels good

Teacher: “Class, we will only have half a day of school this morning.”
Class: “Woohoo!”
Teacher: “However, we will have the other half this afternoon.”

You don’t always have to be serious. Sometimes a joke and a good laugh are exactly what you need to de-stress, or grab a class’s attention!

Students aren’t the only ones with a sense of humor was originally published in Aimee's Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” — Saint Augustine

Do you remember the sense of adventure you felt the first time you went on a big trip to somewhere far away?

The excitement of planning and imagining a vacation abroad.
The butterflies in your stomach, counting down the days.
The rush of grabbing your bags and heading toward a brand new experience.

It’s easy to grow up and become a “cynical traveler,” but the truth is, traveling remains one of the most exhilarating things you can experience, and its benefits seem boundless. But before listing a few, let’s first ask: What are the QUALITIES of a great teacher?

• Educated? Surely. You can’t teach something you do not know.
• Kind and congenial? Absolutely. It is very hard to demonstrate kindness to a disruptive student, but it is impossible for an uncaring teacher to make a difference.
• Communicates well? Yes, a teacher with great communication skills will more effectively convey their lessons with greater ease, triggering their student’s curiosity and enthusiasm.
• A good listener? It is what transforms a decent teacher into a great one. As the old proverb says: “If speaking is silver, then listening is GOLD.”

So with these few traits in mind, we return to our theme and ask: How can travel strengthen you as a teacher?

1. Improves your communication & creativity
   Traveling to countries where you don’t speak the language can help you learn how to communicate creatively. This is a shockingly-powerful skill, especially when trying to explain something to a student struggling to understand.
2. Broadens your perspective
   Talking to people from different origins has a uniquely beneficial side-effect: It often reveals and expels all our little prejudices and assumptions. It can give you different lenses through which to view and resolve all manner of classroom challenges.
3. Increases your sense of well-being
   No matter how much you love your life, traveling forces you into a break from routine. This can be refreshing, and inspire new thoughts. At the very least, it’ll help you appreciate what you have back home in a new way! In either case, you return to the job with recharged passion and renewed patience.
4. Strengthens your confidence
   Beyond books and past academic understanding, traveling requires you to step outside of your world, to engage in a different way with different people, a different culture and geography; This can be a profound catalyst to personal growth, and thus to your confidence and power as an educator.

How Traveling Can Improve Your Teaching was originally published in Aimee's Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I moved to Lebanon on July 13, 2008. I still remember the warm tears that were shed as I said my goodbyes, while I tried to hide the tingling excitement inside me. Moving abroad gave me butterflies in my gut… An overwhelming wave of anxiety and adrenaline for the unknown ahead.

Change isn’t easy. When my father decided to move our family to the Middle East in Summer 2008, my mother didn’t like it much. Change was hard on me, but even harder on her. By 2010 they were divorced.

Change is inevitable either way. I had just graduated from a private middle school in Silicon Valley, California. With eighth grade coming to an end, my friends and I understood we’d have to enroll as freshman students in new high schools. Except they were still in California, and I was halfway across the world.

High School Years

When my glorious summer vacation of Lebanese beaches and mountain ranges ended, there was no hopping on a flight back home like we regularly did. That’s when reality struck: we had actually moved.

At high school, people were not as welcoming as I’d anticipated. For some reason, me being an American was intimidating. Maybe they thought I was a spoiled brat from the USA. The kind who has her father’s bank accounts at her disposal. I was far from that.

• Lesson Learned: Wherever you go and whatever you do just remember that people may have a tendency to make assumptions, and be judgmental.
• Advice: Pay no attention to what people think of you.

A big help to my transition was that I met some foreign students, like me, who understood the trauma of culture shock and of shifting your entire life to a new country. These friends took me around the city and showed me that life in my new country was a lot more fun than I expected, even more than my life in California. Luckily, by the end of the first school year, the rest of my classmates admitted that their perception of me had changed 180 degrees.

• Lesson Learned: You can make unexpected new friends even when you least expect it.
• Advice: Be true to who you are, that’s all you have to do.

Attending University

There was no lack of expats on my campus, whether it was students or professors. However, like any student, I wished I was more prepared for the independent nature required at this stage in my life.

With my mother back in the States, and my father busy at work, I was actually on my own for the first time. Okay, it wasn’t as bad as when your parents left you on your first day of 1st grade, but it did have a ‘rip-off-the-bandage’ feel to it.

• Lesson Learned: Although it could feel a little embarrassing, there’s no shame in asking for help around your new campus.
• Advice: Don’t be afraid to seek counsel from an adviser (it’s their job), or ask for directions or instructions. However, you don’t need to ask your lecturer for permission to the toilet!

Final Thoughts…

I look back now, proudly.

10 years ago, my life was a chaotic mess.

I had to adapt to a new language, new people and customs, and a complicated educational system. Amidst it all, I also had to take on the role of the brave older sister when my parents left my siblings and I between relatives, as they settled with their dramatic divorce.

Despite all that, I’ve made unforgettable friends and memories along the way.

Seven years ago, I joined Fayha Choir with whom I’ve traveled to over a dozen different countries, sang on renowned stages, participated in international festivals, performed for private galas, and won many competitions. I also got the opportunity to sing with refugees in an attempt at psychological therapy.

I also met the love of my life, whom I was introduced back when I first moved to Lebanon. I’m not gonna lie, getting married is a whole new transition to experience. However, with all the changes I’ve adapted to, I now look forward to any exciting challenge that comes my way.

• Lesson Learned: Life is a roller-coaster and there can’t be good times without the bad ones.
• Advice: You can’t force things to be perfect, but you can accept what you can’t change to overcome your obstacles.

10 Years Ago I Moved Overseas & I’d Do It Again was originally published in Aimee's Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.