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Christmas – A Few of My Favorite Things

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

The hustle and bustle of the holidays can create a feeling of anxiety and despair. At times we forget the purpose of the holiday. What does Christmas mean to you?
Here is a list of my top 10 favorite things about Christmas!
1. Christmas, first and foremost, celebrates the birth of baby Jesus!

2. It is about spending time with FAMILY and friends. I love playing Christmas music, lots and lots of Christmas music.

3. It's about counting your blessings and being grateful for what you have!

4. It's about loading the kids in the car and getting the perfect tree and decorating it together.

5. It is a day of laughter and fun. There is a peacefulness to the season.

6. It is a time to forgive. Say a prayer for those who have been unkind to you, (whether they realize it or not). Maybe they need it!

7. It is a day about giving, not receiving! (But, I would really like to get that zebra print chair at Pier One.) Santa, I have been really good this year!

8. It is the season where everyone is a little nicer and kinder. "Peace on earth and good will toward men!" Yes, that about says it all!

9. I love seeing the look on my kids face as they open their presents! Priceless!

10. I love listening to them when they first wake up Christmas morning. They run down the hall and wake each other up! They run down the stairs to make sure Santa arrived and then run up the stairs to wake my husband and me. We are already awake, but never let them know! If only I could bottle that excitement. I replay the morning over and over in my mind, understanding that someday my children will be living away, perhaps at college or married. I understand that each and every moment counts and the beauty of my family is an awesome thing to behold!

Merry Christmas Everyone and a Happy New Year!

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The Learning Process

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

My passion has always been in the Learning Process. I love those "a-ha" moments where a light bulb goes off in a child's head and you can see in their eyes when they finally understand that difficult concept. That understanding gives new meaning to the world around them, and brings an awareness of how this concept interrelates to other concepts, because after all, as teachers we understand that "knowledge builds upon knowledge."

Children learn through consistency, repetition and imitation. Each day a child must go over and over the concepts being taught. I basically accomplish this without the child even knowing. I create a fun, engaging, hands-on environment. A hands-on environment is one that encourages and provides opportunities for learning by doing. It gives meaning to a concept and helps to apply this learning to real life situations. My classroom is a place where real learning takes place. (Not a lot of rote memorization - only when necessary. i.e multiplication tables, etc.) Children are exploring, they are inquiring, they are curious, but most importantly, they are excited about learning.

It is important for children to learn at his or her own pace. I strive for each student to feel that even their smallest victory was acknowledged. I find that praise works wonders in accomplishing any part of learning. It is when a child feels a sense of belonging, a sense of worth, and a sense of "I can do this," that children thrive and grow in the learning process.

Also, equally important, children need to understand the rules of the classroom. The most important rule is that each member of the classroom community will be respected. Respect will be given, and respect will be received. I am empathetic to students, but I am also tough. I have high expectations and if children aren't giving me 110% I will let them know in a nice way! I am respected within the community, not simply because I have been doing this a long time, but because I know what children are capable of and I create an atmosphere that encourages them to excel to their fullest potential. We work together as a team, and as a team we have triumphs, but we also sometimes hit road blocks and have small hurdles to overcome. As a teacher, I know that we must go back to the drawing board, regroup, and continue to work hard until my students have mastered that concept and I feel they are confident enough to move on to the next!

Enjoy your day!

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DOES YOUR CHILD SUFFER FROM SUMMER BRAIN DRAIN?

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

Summer is here and children are ready to have some fun! I know, I know. The last thing your child wants to do is academics, but actually, they should. Don't let your their education suffer because of summer brain drain. Recent studies have found that when students return to school after a long summer vacation, they've lost 1-3 months worth of learning. The decline is more detrimental for Math than it is for Reading. 75% of students will not attend summer learning programs, creating a potential brain drain that could drag down achievement when classes start in the fall. Parents are becoming more concerned about how much knowledge their children lose over the summer.

Educators call it the “Summer Slide”. Because of the summer slide teachers often spend the first two months of every school year focusing on lesson plans that help students regain skills they lost over the summer. The power to help them achieve their academic potential is in your hands. The summer slide doesn't need to happen in your family. You can provide high quality learning opportunities for your children during the summer months.

With just a few clicks of your mouse, you can provide fun, engaging educational activities for your children all summer long. Not only will they will be entertained for hours at a time, but your children will also have a significant edge when school begins again because they never stopped learning. If you have a child that is 2 – 6 years of age, visit the Adventures of Scuba Jack at http://www.adventuresofscubajack.com Here you will find crafts, worksheets, learning activities, thematic units, online games, a Preschool Assessment tool, and articles for parents. The activities are fun and entertaining so your kids will be happy and you’ll be able to stop the summer brain drain.

Kids Painting

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Courage

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

A wise man once said, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."

Courage and bravery are the qualities of mind or spirit that enable a person to face difficulty without fear. Bravery and courage takes many forms. Without courage you cannot love, believe, forgive, be charitable, or have hopes. You must be true to your vision that has been assigned by God, or whatever name you call your higher power. It has been said that the brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all. As we see in the news on a daily basis, moral bravery is much more difficult and a truer courage.

The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it. -- Thucydides

Come out of your comfort zone. Take a deep breath and jump! Just do it! Don't have any regrets. It is better to have tried and failed, then to never have tried at all. The anticipation is always worse than the actual event. Read that sentence again, because it resonates with many as the reason why they decide NOT to do something. The worry gets the best of them. Everything happens to you for a reason. The hard times that you go through build character, making you a much stronger person. "If only," must be the two saddest words in the world. Keep in mind, when one door closes another door opens. For some, they can only focus on the closed door and never embrace the door that has just opened in front of them. Believe that everything contributes to your success and use everything as a learning experience. Focus on solutions, not problems. Trust your feelings and intuitions and things will fall into place as surely as a new day will dawn. Lucille Ball once said, "I'm not funny. What I am is brave!” Think about that. I think of her episodes, one in particular, where she and Ethel are working at the chocolate factory. I still laugh out loud and believe she was funny, but I do agree with her, she was extremely brave. It took a lot of bravery to accomplish what she did. She had her ups and her downs but in the end, she triumphed.

I try to live my life embodying the values of family, courage, determination and grace. Each smile, each touch, each kindness offered, always trying to mirror the grace of god. I always say looking up at the sky, "God if you want this, just tell me, and I will oblige." God has blessed me and I am thankful for this! I have learned that you can overcome all problems if you simply learn to have confidence in yourself. A hard lesson for me has been to love myself. This life lesson has ultimately led me into trusting in myself. I am not always the most popular person, but I am often forced into a position where I need to make the tough decisions. These decisions I struggle with, but know I do it to benefit the situation. Yes, it would be much easier to work for someone else, but ultimately, I don't think that I would be happy in that scenario. My advice is to risk all. If it is something that you want to do, then dare to try. Have the courage to try. I can't emphasize that enough, because It always comes back to courage. Courage is the power to let go of the familiar. To live with fear and not be afraid is the final test of maturity. This is the stage of life that I am entering. I say to myself, "If you made it through the last year and a half, you can live through anything!" In life you must take chances or you'll miss out on a lot of opportunities. In closing, this is a quote from one of my father's favorite heroes of his time - John Wayne. "Courage is being scared to death....and saddling up anyway."

Namaste

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What do you see when you look in the mirror?

Friday, January 14th, 2011

I have been watching the news this past week and have been so greatly disheartened with the incomprehensible events that have occurred across the country. In Tucson, Arizona, Congress woman Gabrielle Giffords and 18 other people were shot at a meet and greet she was holding outside a local supermarket. Six of the shooting victims died. In Washington, D.C., a man was attacked by a gang of kids in a subway station. A group of people stood by watching, and even filming the brutal attack and posting it to Facebook, but never calling 911. This behavior is known as the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility.

I sometimes wonder if the violent video games and the movies we watch desensitize children to think that if we kill someone, it doesn't matter. We watch TV shows that don't have morals and are filled with dysfunctional behavior and attitudes. As adults, we laugh at these shows, but it seems that the young minds of our society are finding the behaviors they see on TV to be the norm and totally appropriate.

We are becoming a nation that loves watching people and reveling in their trials and tribulations. We can view reality TV all day long. The lives of others are open to the viewing of the entire world. Have we become unaffected by death, by the horrors that some poor souls endure? Apathy has been felt after witnessing horrific acts, such as the killing or maiming of people during war. It is the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement or motivation. If this is the case, then we need to take a good look in the mirror and think about our lives and what we have become.

Shouldn’t we all do a little soul searching? Examine our motives, convictions and attitudes? There comes a time in everyone's life when they should take a step back and look at themselves. Some people actually do this, and others never do. Count your blessings and create a meaningful life for yourself. Have you ever noticed how some people stay in the same circle, but never move forward? It is a New Year, so be the person that you want to be. You must take control of your life. If need be, then change the course of your life! I know change is scary, but if you’re going to start making changes, start today. Write the things that you want to change and do it. Be positive and be brave.

I believe in Karma. Basically, Karma is the law of cause and effect. If you do a good deed, then someone will do a good deed for you. If you do something bad to someone, then someone will do something bad to you. I know the world can be scary, and I know it is difficult to trust. But there are times that we can be kind to others. We can have compassion and empathy for those who are in need. The elderly are a prime example of those who are in need. They are frail, they have limited funds and they trust people who sometimes take advantage of them. If an elderly person lives next door to you, stop by and see if they need anything. Shovel their walkway, and help them carry their groceries. They deserve our kindness and our respect.

Little children also need our kindness. If you see a lost child, help that child. Don't let them get in the hands of someone who might take advantage. Don’t turn away and assume someone else will help.

I am not saying pick up that creepy hitch hiker on the highway, because not even I would take a chance like that. But, if you see someone in need of help, at least call 911 for them. You never know, someday, that could be you.

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