handwritten on February 15, 2020
My uncle proposed tonight to his (soon-to-be) future wife. And it was quite evident in his excitement that the following is true about love...
1. Love can always be found in the most unlikely places
2. There is no expiration date on love
3. Even after life challenges, it is absolutely possible to love again and to find a renewed sense of life in another
4. Sometimes the love you find is better than the love you ever thought imaginable
5. Every individual deserves to love and to be loved
6. Having a drive to lift yourself up in the midst of hardship is half the battle
7. You must begin to love yourself before you begin to love another
8. Adventure is out there and everyone deserves such an...
handwritten on February 14, 2020
3.5 miles: If there is any single phrase I can tell someone who may be considering moving into the education profession I would say this: all beautiful moments begin with the smallest connections. If you aren't willing to connect to the soul of a child, then you should not find yourself in this field. If you aren't willing to work towards a connection, you are teaching with emptiness. You would inspire but you will create a culture where the students feel disconnected. Because a lot of what life is-is through the connections we make with people, and I think one does not need to conduct a study to know and see and feel a connected child, a connect adult, a connected human when they see one....
handwritten on February 13, 2020
2 miles: I always marvel when I connect with my fourth and fifth grade students in other school related activities...just how fast time goes by and just how fast a soul blossoms.
A lot of the reason why I do what I do through writing and speech making and poetry and student council is simply to stay connect to the student as they begin to make their way up through elementary school and eventually transition to middle school.
As I was talking to a few of my third graders from last year, I took a minute to marvel in the amount of changes I saw within those hearts that first entered my classroom precisely one and a half years ago. And the difference is simply unbelievable. Personalities...
handwritten on February 12, 2020
3 miles: My principal did a lovely job with professional development this week. In fact, I do believe it was the first time in a long time where the staff came together to talk about the emotional demands of what we do, while also putting into perspective what other teachers have to deal with whilst also thinking about the difficulty in raising children and work-life balance, finding joy in difficult times and then taking our own feelings into account.
There were certainly some tears, a few triumphant moments and feelings of understanding. There were other teachers who added in perspective about being different places and the challenges faced there as well. Our newest phrase as a faculty...
handwritten on February 11, 2020
3.5 miles: As adults, many of us loath the fluff surround and around Valentine's Day. Many of us see it as a single day where surface level "loves" are faked and bought like chocolates or necklaces or materialistic items. And I have to say, up until I became a teacher, I really could have passed on this day as well until I realized that in an eight year old's mind-this holiday is in fact the most beautiful day in the world.
Have you ever seen a child pass out cards with a smile so large it could light up the world?
Or make sure that the individual they gave the gift to actually does like it?
Or help another navigate the bags in the classroom because that individual is having a hard time...
