“When you write the story of your life, don’t let anyone else hold the pen.” ~Unknown

Sense of self is defined as “one’s perception of oneself. A character may not truly know who she is but she always knows who she thinks she is. This inward-view may be rights on the mark or not even close”! So here I shall attempt to describe myself as I believe it to be true!

I am Leslie Williams. As a very broad description I would describe myself as a mother, wife, and teacher. These descriptions are what I do and are deeply affiliated with me but don’t go into the person I am as I interact in this world. I will begin with a deeper belief of what I do and end with who I believe I am- as far as my interaction and connection in life, which ultimately to me is really the foundation and what matters!

I am a mother to four children ranging from 14 down to 3. My house is alive with movement, laughter, tears, screaming, fighting, and lots and lots of forgiveness. I get to be a mother to 2 boys and 2 girls who my ultimate goal for them are to be happy, as I would say most mothers dream for their children. I am beyond busy and strive to do the best I can for them which is far, far from perfect but I do hope they see that I give it a good effort at giving them the best I have.
I am a teacher – my profession! I went to school for elementary education and taught 5th grade and h-a-t-e-d it. It came down to - I was not good at educating (if that is how you would describe it) 25 kids in the traditional school environment. I would describe it as controlling 25 kids to the point they were so well programmed they didn’t even have the independence to take out their pencil without my command. As far as my sense of self this “dictator of a teacher” is NOT ME! I whole heartedly believe in the capabilities of others, whether they are 100 years of age or 2! I am GOOD at educating and respecting children in a Montessori classroom and because of my personal success I find a great sense of self that can be described simply as…joy! I take great pride in the way I conduct myself within the classroom, the way I create a community of peace, patience, respect, and self-confidence for all my children and to be the person who gets to introduce children to a way of learning that is truly hands on and concrete – that leads to their success now and in the future! Because my profession is somewhere I succeed I certainly do connect it with my sense of self unlike I would if I were working in a job that did not require that much of who I am.
Going further into connecting profession to who I am. There are some fundamental characteristics that I believe I possess that don’t change related to the job at hand – for example, hard work, kindness, etc. These aspects of sense of self are where I believe hold the truth and inner connectedness to the broader sense of self. I am patient, accepting, positive, understanding but can also be impatient, unaccepting, pessimistic, and harsh but to a much lesser degree! Overall I would say I am very introspective and know I have a lot to offer and a lot to work on!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am a part of couchsurfing to connect with as many people as I can! Our world is big. I want to be exposed to as much diversity and beliefs as I can. There is beauty in every person and I love to discover it.

Interests

I love my career - Montessori Education and much of my time is spent with it.
I also enjoy hiking, and always turning to nature for what I need. For me nature is an integral part of my well-being - physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Music, Movies, and Books

Currently - contemplating the Tao Te Cheng and the Tao Te Montessori

What I Can Share with Hosts

Definitely a place to crash and hopefully a little time to get to share stories. I have 2 dogs and a cat so fur will also be shared.