Snapshots of a blogger

Just for fun...I wanted to post a few pictures.  I am not an overly abundant picture post-er...but I thought a few fun photos might let you get a better picture of who I am.  So...fasten your seatbelts. :)

One of my favorite pastimes is playing dress-up in the toy aisle at my local Wal-Mart.  I happen to feel I missed my calling to be a superhero.

     Dress-up is also fun in antique stores. :)

    Thankfully, I have an equally playful husband...who is also cute. :)

  I also come by that playfulness honestly...just your average family photo. :)

That is me in a nutshell...silly, blessed, and easily entertained. :)  Hope you enjoy!!

                         

Responsibility is not a dirty word

As I have shared before...I spend my day with young people.  I work every single day to help educate them and help to shape their character.  I am also a sports fan...especially basketball and football (primarily college football...though I will watch the NFL from time to time).  On a regular basis, my students come into class asking "Mrs S! Did you see the __________ game last night?!?! It was awesome!" "Mrs S, who is your favorite team/player/coach? Mine is ______."  I happily spend what little, if any, free time before the tardy bell rings/at lunch discussing these things with them.  Many of those same kids call those athletes their heroes.  When I ask them "What makes someone a hero?" they reply "It has to be someone you look up to because of the cool things they do...or what their job is...or how much money they make...or someone you just want to be like."  Fair enough.  Based on that definition of hero, it is logical that 13/14 year-olds with dreams of being professional athletes would select current athletes as their heroes.  Some of the players they talk about are excellent heroes...others are not.  When I think about what I want "my kids" to be, one of the biggest things that comes to mind is responsible...I want them to be responsible teens that grow into responsible adults...both in their actions and in their character.  This is why I spend so much time teaching the things that others consider "unimportant."  So, here I am trying to teach my students to be responsible for their words and actions....and those that they admire so much do not always paint a good picture of that responsibility...and often seem to be rewarded for that lack of responsibility.  Whether their heroes are athletes, movie stars, musicians, teachers (no pressure here...yikes!), or their parents it is important for those people to be good examples of responsibility.  That does not mean you won't ever make mistakes...we're human and hopelessly flawed...mistakes are to be expected.  It means that when you do make a mistake, own it...apologize when appropriate...and do your best not to make the same mistake twice.  Don't make excuses or blame others for your actions...that is the opposite of responsible.  Responsibility is not a dirty word...it is perfectly acceptable for use with all ages...so feel free to not only use it but demonsrate it whenever possible.

Tests Schmests

I have been showing a group of my students the recent PBS special about the Freedom Riders.  We were reading the Inaugural Address from JFK and a piece of the "Letter from the Birmingham County Jail" by MLK Jr.  I was attempting to draw parallels between these two men and my students had no knowledge of the significant connection these two men shared.  I am supposed to be in the final push toward our state mandated testing--the tests that determine the success not only of my students but also the public school they attend--reviewing what we have learned and making sure they are prepared for the exams.  I chose, instead, to try and get them ready for the world.  I stopped what I was doing, changed the plans, and spent two days discussing the remarkable individuals...many of whom were students...who risked their lives for equality.  We talked about how inhuman it was for law enforcement to stand by while people were brutally beaten...one bus was even set on fire with Freedom Riders and innocent passengers alike trapped inside.  We talked about how government officials refused to intervene in the midst of complete and total chaos.  Of course, since we were in English class, we wrote about what we saw and heard from the people who lived it.  History took on flesh and blood, and, because they watched those brave souls have their flesh torn and their blood shed, it took root.  THAT is what I get up every morning to do.  I don't just teach academics...I teach life.  It is the most difficult and rewarding profession that I can imagine...and I cannot fathom doing anything else. 

Put your happy pants on

Life is difficult...all by itself.  I do not need to add to that difficulty with a sour and unfortunate disposition.  Believe me, I have faced many, MANY challenges in my life...some that would prompt others to adopt the life of a hermit in a fallout shelter somewhere deep in the earth.  I just refuse to let things get me down...at least not for long.  Don't get me wrong, I certainly feel sad or angry or lonely from time to time...but I don't dwell in those emotions. When we allow ourselves to become bitter and negative, the world around us will also become bitter and negative.  Negativity is one of the most contagious illnesses that exists in our world today.  Allow me to give you an example from my everyday life.

I get up and the day automatically starts out badly.  I stub my toe on the way to the bathroom...can't find anything to wear...burn myself with the curling iron...spill my coffee...car won't start...you name it.  I get to school and there are kids lined up at my door needing me for one thing or another and they are all talking at once.  I can barely get my things put away...getting ready for 1st hour is not even on the radar.  The first bell rings and I am flustered because the morning has been so crazy.  My class is rowdy and won't cooperate...so I snap at them.  They were in perfectly fine moods...until I came along.  Now, each of them is having (at the very least) a terrible 1st hour.  They take their upset attitudes that I gave them to their 2nd hour class...thus sharing my negative attitude with other faculty...and so on and so on throughout the day.  I get home and I am just as unhappy as I was when I left at 7:00am.  My husband then begins to feel the impact of my stinky attitude.  I could go on and on and on. 

When things started to go all wonky, I had a choice.  I chose to let those little instances influence my entire day.  I chose to take my frustrations out on others instead of choosing to be as positive as possible.  I recently rewatched the movie Pollyanna.  In this movie, the title character takes a negative town and turns it upside down with gladness.  She plays the "Glad Game."  I think we all would benefit from playing the "Glad Game" every now and again.  When something negative happens, think of something to be glad of.  For example, when I stubbed my toe I could have stopped and been glad that I didn't break my foot...or that I was even blessed to wake up in the first place. 

Life is all about choices. Choose to put your happy pants on. :)