Q: What is sure confidence?
A: Solving crossword puzzles with a fountain pen.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Problems
“We only think we are confronted with a problem,” - John Dewey, philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer
Friday, June 27, 2008
Hunting for fools
A big group of hunters were in the middle of the jungle and decided to split into smaller groups. Four fools decided to form one of the smaller groups and started walking.
After a while, one of them realized they were quite far away from the main group, and that they couldn't possibly find the way back. One of the other fools says to the other three: "I've heard that whenever you can't find your group, what you have to do is to shoot three times to the air and wait for someone to find you" They shoot three times to the air, wait a while, but nothing happens. So they shoot three more times to the air but, again, no one comes to help them. After trying three shots more the fool says: "I hope this time someone can find us... that was my last arrow"
After a while, one of them realized they were quite far away from the main group, and that they couldn't possibly find the way back. One of the other fools says to the other three: "I've heard that whenever you can't find your group, what you have to do is to shoot three times to the air and wait for someone to find you" They shoot three times to the air, wait a while, but nothing happens. So they shoot three more times to the air but, again, no one comes to help them. After trying three shots more the fool says: "I hope this time someone can find us... that was my last arrow"
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Creating Readers
Creating Readers: Part I, Teacher Magazine, September 5, 2007 by Donalyn Miller
The Mentor
A self-proclaimed “book whisperer,” 6th grade language arts and social studies teacher Donalyn Miller says she has yet to meet a child she couldn’t turn into a reader. On average, her students at Trinity Meadow Intermediate School in Keller, Texas, read between 50 and 60 books a year; last year, one of her students read 300 books. According to school lore, Miller's 6th graders have been known to become so engrossed in books that they walk into walls and insist on being photographed with their favourite books in class pictures. Even her former students return to borrow from her library, which has more than 2,000 titles and extends beyond her classroom into a storage closet across the hall.
What is your secret? I would love to turn my non-readers into readers! How do you find the right book for your students?
We teachers must be at the top of our game about what the most current research has to say about best practices. Don't overwhelm yourself, though! I would pick one book or one workshop on a literacy topic that you feel you need help with teaching, look at ways to implement the new ideas into your class, and build on it. Your needs and the needs of your students are unique.
As for finding the right books, I read tons of children's literature and am familiar with most of the big name authors. I can usually read one or two children's books a week and still have a life! This provides me with a large pool of books that I can recommend to students. Often if I have not read a certain book, I have at least read something by the same author.
Please give us a list of the top 5 things that you do to inspire children to read.
1. Assume all children are readers and that they can be successful as readers from the first day. I communicate this to my students. I think many developing or dormant readers—I prefer these terms to "struggling" or "reluctant"—do not understand that reading is a skill that everyone can acquire. They see reading as a talent that they just don't have.
2. I share my personal love of reading, model my reading, and talk about the books. I read the books the children want to share with me. I let my students know that I am a reader, like they are, and that I am just a more experienced reader, not an innately better one. When I encounter challenges as a reader, I share this with them, too.
3. Choice is a powerful motivator for students! Although I do have genre requirements for the reading in my class, students get to choose which books they would like to read in order to meet these requirements. By providing this choice, I demonstrate that I value each student’s personal taste. This also shows students how we can each take a different reading road to meet our shared goal.
4. In addition to regular readers' workshop time, I give students time to read their independent books in class. There is evidence to support that children are more likely to read a book outside of school, if they have been reading it in school. I do not do "warm-ups" or "bell ringers." These activities do not contribute to kids’ reading habits.
5. When students come into to my room, they know that they have to get out their books and read until I start the instruction for the day. If they finish an assignment, they read. If the projector breaks, they read. If a teacher or parent comes to speak to me, they read. There are no "free” time or “when you are done” activities, only their books.
Do you use special books that you know will catch students' interest? If so, what are they? I would love to elevate myself to "book whisperer" also!
I teach 6th graders, so many of the books I use are particular to this age and their concerns about becoming middle schoolers. The first book I read out loud to them every year is the anthology of school stories, Tripping Over the Lunch Lady, edited by Nancy Mercado. This book is full of short stories, by well-known authors, which address topics such as being the new kid or having dyslexia, but most have a humorous tone. Our first shared novel is Sixth Grade Nickname Game by Gordon Korman. He is one of our favourite authors, by the way! This book tells the story of a group of students who are not the best readers, but manage to ace the state's reading exam by power-reading tons of books. (No need to explain why I use this one!)
We also have a fondness for the memoirs of Gary Paulsen. His fiction is superb, of course, but his personal stories, including Guts (which I also read aloud), My Life in Dog Years, and How Angel Peterson Got His Name are class favourites year after year.
By reading these three texts, students are exposed to about 15 authors who are prolific and write high-interest fiction. I can then make recommendations by reminding students how much they enjoyed these stories in class and lead them to more books by the same authors.
Do you begin this journey with your students by requiring they read a book? Some of my students would never pick a book up willingly! How do you get them started?
No matter what else we accomplish, all of my students pick a book to read the first day. I turn them loose in my class library and we all grab books and talk about the ones we have read. Everyone gets a library card. (I bought those lined cards that librarians use and keep them in a file box.) It never occurs to me, nor is it expressed to the students that not reading is an option. There is never a discussion about not liking to read or waiting for a better time. By making this priority one, I think that students understand reading is the most important thing for them to do.
As for requirements, I require all students to read 40 books in a variety of genres such as realistic fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, and non-fiction. I am vague about what happens if they do not meet this goal (which is really nothing), but I explain that every single reading lesson will circle back to some sort of application that involves the book they are reading. If I teach a lesson on conflict, eventually students will be asked to identify the conflict in their own book and provide evidence to support their observations.
Do you have special strategies for helping students with learning disabilities “meet the right book,” when they find reading to be such a chore?
The first thing for these developing readers is to get them to feel success as readers as soon as possible. Giving students choice in what they read and allowing them to abandon books—this does not mean, leave them in the hall—that are not working for them takes some of the pressure off these students and allows them to feel more in control of their reading. Many students have never been allowed by a parent or teacher to put a book down and walk away from it. This is certainly a right that adult readers exercise!
I would look for a short, easy-to-read book that taps into a personal interest. I often slip kids a new book that no one has read yet (except me, of course) so they can be the “first” or give them the first book in a high-interest series such as On the Run by Gordon Korman. Don’t attach any “teacher strings” to the book, no report, no comprehension questions, just a conference perhaps to see how it is going. After all, the last time I shared a book with a friend that I had just read, I did not whip a diorama out of my pocket!
The only goal is for the child to finish the book. Make a big, public deal when students start to finish books on their own. I have had the rest of the class drop everything and listen to the successful reader give a brief recommendation. I cannot describe the weight that is lifted off a student when they have successfully finished one book on their own. A lot of walls come down at that point.
How do you get reluctant and low-level readers to become interested in reading out loud in class?
We never, never read out loud in "round robin" or "popcorn" style in my room. Let’s think about our goal, which is comprehension. If half of your students are reading ahead and the other half are sitting in agony waiting to be called on, what purpose is being served? Comprehension breaks down for everyone. I consider reading out loud in this way analogous to standing at the board in front of the class to solve math problems. Children have told me that this is one of the main reasons that they hate to read in school.
The Mentor
A self-proclaimed “book whisperer,” 6th grade language arts and social studies teacher Donalyn Miller says she has yet to meet a child she couldn’t turn into a reader. On average, her students at Trinity Meadow Intermediate School in Keller, Texas, read between 50 and 60 books a year; last year, one of her students read 300 books. According to school lore, Miller's 6th graders have been known to become so engrossed in books that they walk into walls and insist on being photographed with their favourite books in class pictures. Even her former students return to borrow from her library, which has more than 2,000 titles and extends beyond her classroom into a storage closet across the hall.
What is your secret? I would love to turn my non-readers into readers! How do you find the right book for your students?
We teachers must be at the top of our game about what the most current research has to say about best practices. Don't overwhelm yourself, though! I would pick one book or one workshop on a literacy topic that you feel you need help with teaching, look at ways to implement the new ideas into your class, and build on it. Your needs and the needs of your students are unique.
As for finding the right books, I read tons of children's literature and am familiar with most of the big name authors. I can usually read one or two children's books a week and still have a life! This provides me with a large pool of books that I can recommend to students. Often if I have not read a certain book, I have at least read something by the same author.
Please give us a list of the top 5 things that you do to inspire children to read.
1. Assume all children are readers and that they can be successful as readers from the first day. I communicate this to my students. I think many developing or dormant readers—I prefer these terms to "struggling" or "reluctant"—do not understand that reading is a skill that everyone can acquire. They see reading as a talent that they just don't have.
2. I share my personal love of reading, model my reading, and talk about the books. I read the books the children want to share with me. I let my students know that I am a reader, like they are, and that I am just a more experienced reader, not an innately better one. When I encounter challenges as a reader, I share this with them, too.
3. Choice is a powerful motivator for students! Although I do have genre requirements for the reading in my class, students get to choose which books they would like to read in order to meet these requirements. By providing this choice, I demonstrate that I value each student’s personal taste. This also shows students how we can each take a different reading road to meet our shared goal.
4. In addition to regular readers' workshop time, I give students time to read their independent books in class. There is evidence to support that children are more likely to read a book outside of school, if they have been reading it in school. I do not do "warm-ups" or "bell ringers." These activities do not contribute to kids’ reading habits.
5. When students come into to my room, they know that they have to get out their books and read until I start the instruction for the day. If they finish an assignment, they read. If the projector breaks, they read. If a teacher or parent comes to speak to me, they read. There are no "free” time or “when you are done” activities, only their books.
Do you use special books that you know will catch students' interest? If so, what are they? I would love to elevate myself to "book whisperer" also!
I teach 6th graders, so many of the books I use are particular to this age and their concerns about becoming middle schoolers. The first book I read out loud to them every year is the anthology of school stories, Tripping Over the Lunch Lady, edited by Nancy Mercado. This book is full of short stories, by well-known authors, which address topics such as being the new kid or having dyslexia, but most have a humorous tone. Our first shared novel is Sixth Grade Nickname Game by Gordon Korman. He is one of our favourite authors, by the way! This book tells the story of a group of students who are not the best readers, but manage to ace the state's reading exam by power-reading tons of books. (No need to explain why I use this one!)
We also have a fondness for the memoirs of Gary Paulsen. His fiction is superb, of course, but his personal stories, including Guts (which I also read aloud), My Life in Dog Years, and How Angel Peterson Got His Name are class favourites year after year.
By reading these three texts, students are exposed to about 15 authors who are prolific and write high-interest fiction. I can then make recommendations by reminding students how much they enjoyed these stories in class and lead them to more books by the same authors.
Do you begin this journey with your students by requiring they read a book? Some of my students would never pick a book up willingly! How do you get them started?
No matter what else we accomplish, all of my students pick a book to read the first day. I turn them loose in my class library and we all grab books and talk about the ones we have read. Everyone gets a library card. (I bought those lined cards that librarians use and keep them in a file box.) It never occurs to me, nor is it expressed to the students that not reading is an option. There is never a discussion about not liking to read or waiting for a better time. By making this priority one, I think that students understand reading is the most important thing for them to do.
As for requirements, I require all students to read 40 books in a variety of genres such as realistic fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, and non-fiction. I am vague about what happens if they do not meet this goal (which is really nothing), but I explain that every single reading lesson will circle back to some sort of application that involves the book they are reading. If I teach a lesson on conflict, eventually students will be asked to identify the conflict in their own book and provide evidence to support their observations.
Do you have special strategies for helping students with learning disabilities “meet the right book,” when they find reading to be such a chore?
The first thing for these developing readers is to get them to feel success as readers as soon as possible. Giving students choice in what they read and allowing them to abandon books—this does not mean, leave them in the hall—that are not working for them takes some of the pressure off these students and allows them to feel more in control of their reading. Many students have never been allowed by a parent or teacher to put a book down and walk away from it. This is certainly a right that adult readers exercise!
I would look for a short, easy-to-read book that taps into a personal interest. I often slip kids a new book that no one has read yet (except me, of course) so they can be the “first” or give them the first book in a high-interest series such as On the Run by Gordon Korman. Don’t attach any “teacher strings” to the book, no report, no comprehension questions, just a conference perhaps to see how it is going. After all, the last time I shared a book with a friend that I had just read, I did not whip a diorama out of my pocket!
The only goal is for the child to finish the book. Make a big, public deal when students start to finish books on their own. I have had the rest of the class drop everything and listen to the successful reader give a brief recommendation. I cannot describe the weight that is lifted off a student when they have successfully finished one book on their own. A lot of walls come down at that point.
How do you get reluctant and low-level readers to become interested in reading out loud in class?
We never, never read out loud in "round robin" or "popcorn" style in my room. Let’s think about our goal, which is comprehension. If half of your students are reading ahead and the other half are sitting in agony waiting to be called on, what purpose is being served? Comprehension breaks down for everyone. I consider reading out loud in this way analogous to standing at the board in front of the class to solve math problems. Children have told me that this is one of the main reasons that they hate to read in school.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Rabbit tales
A rabbit walked into a restaurant with a lion. The waiter seats them and asks the rabbit, "What will you have?" The rabbit says bring me a half a head of lettuce. The waiter looks at the lion and says; and what will he have? The rabbit says "The lion?" he's not eating". The waiter says "why? Isn’t he hungry?" Then the rabbit says "if he was hungry do you think I'd be here?"
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Perspective
"Know that although in the eternal scheme of things you are small, you are also unique and irreplaceable, as are all your fellow humans everywhere in the world." --Margaret Laurence, Canadian novelist and short story writer
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Anything else?
The old man approached a young stranger in the post office and asked, "Sir, would you address this postcard for me?" The man gladly did so, and then offered to write a short note for the old fellow. Finally the stranger asked, "Now, is there anything else I can do for you?" The old man thought a moment and said, "Yes, at the end could you add, Please excuse the sloppy handwriting."
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Preventing Gridlock: The “Principal” Traffic Cop’s Job
by Paul Young
The job of a principal is not all that different from the job of a traffic cop. When gridlock forms in our schools, it is the principal -- the school’s traffic controller -- who must make the quick decisions that “drive” achievement and remove barriers to improvement.
Have you ever driven through a city where the traffic lights seem to be out of sync? Your car inches along, barely moving with each signal change from green to yellow to red. Soon cars are stuck in the middle of intersections, and gridlock ensues. You swear you can see the needle on your gas gauge moving down, down, down. Maybe tempers flare. And you wonder who the heck is in charge and why traffic flow seems to be so poorly managed. In an ideal world, the gridlock is short-lived. An alert traffic cop arrives on the scene, evaluates the situation, makes some quick decisions and soon the congestion has eased, drivers’ nerves have been calmed, and traffic flows smoothly again.
GRIDLOCK IN SCHOOLS
The business of public schools can be as susceptible to gridlock as traffic on city streets. And, as principal, you can often find yourself stuck in the middle of that gridlock. Because you’re a “middle manager” in your district’s bureaucracy, you don’t have control over every problem - or opportunity - that arises. Yet, as often as not, you can make things happen. You can fall victim to the gridlock, or you can respond like a traffic cop who is able to maintain an even flow of traffic at a busy intersection. You can positively affect customer service at the school level just as that traffic cop does on the street. You can make quick decisions and keep things moving. You can provide clear direction that is responsive to your constituencies. And, if things are not working, you can re-evaluate a situation, adjust, and quickly redirect. You can even enlist capable individuals to assist, then delegate and empower them to follow through with assigned tasks.
Or you can procrastinate, bringing movement and productivity to a standstill.
When you are unresponsive and unable to make decisions, your staff stops knowing what to do or even how to do their jobs. As they wait for direction, answers to their questions, and fixes for their problems, frustration builds. Tempers might even flare. Time gets wasted. Student learning suffers. You have school-wide gridlock.
KEEPING TRAFFIC FLOWING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Away from the busy intersection of the principal’s office, a feeling of gridlock can also develop when staff members ineffectively perform their jobs. Just as a traffic cop must deal with stalled cars, principals need to seize and tow their deadbeat staffers. Doing so creates opportunities and frees the flow for those who are able to get the job done.
As the chief traffic cop in your school, you have to make quick decisions about what to do with “broken down” teachers who can impact the flow of student learning and achievement, the smooth workings of a teaching team, and even the morale of the entire school. You have the power to impound those teachers who have given up and deserted their students. You have the power to get traffic and morale back on track. But you must possess the desire to do that.
At the same time, you can provide fuel for those in need and recharge those whose batteries might be faltering. Or you can pass the blame along to someone up the district chain of command.
A SCHOOL IN SYNC
It’s not easy to make things happen in a busy school. There is always stress. There is always the fear and the possibility that there will be a breakdown. But the teachers and others in your school who are driving achievement shouldn’t have to tolerate problem build-up. When you establish positive structures, provide clear signals, and clear the way for unobstructed movement, you have created a school environment where good drivers are free to do their jobs.
Busy schools can work when you - the chief of traffic control in your school - make sure the traffic lights are synchronized. When you constantly monitor progress, remain ever alert to potential problems, and remove barriers that might impede progress, you are paving the road to student achievement and teacher commitment and contentment.
The job of a principal is not all that different from the job of a traffic cop. When gridlock forms in our schools, it is the principal -- the school’s traffic controller -- who must make the quick decisions that “drive” achievement and remove barriers to improvement.
Have you ever driven through a city where the traffic lights seem to be out of sync? Your car inches along, barely moving with each signal change from green to yellow to red. Soon cars are stuck in the middle of intersections, and gridlock ensues. You swear you can see the needle on your gas gauge moving down, down, down. Maybe tempers flare. And you wonder who the heck is in charge and why traffic flow seems to be so poorly managed. In an ideal world, the gridlock is short-lived. An alert traffic cop arrives on the scene, evaluates the situation, makes some quick decisions and soon the congestion has eased, drivers’ nerves have been calmed, and traffic flows smoothly again.
GRIDLOCK IN SCHOOLS
The business of public schools can be as susceptible to gridlock as traffic on city streets. And, as principal, you can often find yourself stuck in the middle of that gridlock. Because you’re a “middle manager” in your district’s bureaucracy, you don’t have control over every problem - or opportunity - that arises. Yet, as often as not, you can make things happen. You can fall victim to the gridlock, or you can respond like a traffic cop who is able to maintain an even flow of traffic at a busy intersection. You can positively affect customer service at the school level just as that traffic cop does on the street. You can make quick decisions and keep things moving. You can provide clear direction that is responsive to your constituencies. And, if things are not working, you can re-evaluate a situation, adjust, and quickly redirect. You can even enlist capable individuals to assist, then delegate and empower them to follow through with assigned tasks.
Or you can procrastinate, bringing movement and productivity to a standstill.
When you are unresponsive and unable to make decisions, your staff stops knowing what to do or even how to do their jobs. As they wait for direction, answers to their questions, and fixes for their problems, frustration builds. Tempers might even flare. Time gets wasted. Student learning suffers. You have school-wide gridlock.
KEEPING TRAFFIC FLOWING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Away from the busy intersection of the principal’s office, a feeling of gridlock can also develop when staff members ineffectively perform their jobs. Just as a traffic cop must deal with stalled cars, principals need to seize and tow their deadbeat staffers. Doing so creates opportunities and frees the flow for those who are able to get the job done.
As the chief traffic cop in your school, you have to make quick decisions about what to do with “broken down” teachers who can impact the flow of student learning and achievement, the smooth workings of a teaching team, and even the morale of the entire school. You have the power to impound those teachers who have given up and deserted their students. You have the power to get traffic and morale back on track. But you must possess the desire to do that.
At the same time, you can provide fuel for those in need and recharge those whose batteries might be faltering. Or you can pass the blame along to someone up the district chain of command.
A SCHOOL IN SYNC
It’s not easy to make things happen in a busy school. There is always stress. There is always the fear and the possibility that there will be a breakdown. But the teachers and others in your school who are driving achievement shouldn’t have to tolerate problem build-up. When you establish positive structures, provide clear signals, and clear the way for unobstructed movement, you have created a school environment where good drivers are free to do their jobs.
Busy schools can work when you - the chief of traffic control in your school - make sure the traffic lights are synchronized. When you constantly monitor progress, remain ever alert to potential problems, and remove barriers that might impede progress, you are paving the road to student achievement and teacher commitment and contentment.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Pancake argument
A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, Ryan, 3.
The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
Mom saw the opportunity for a moral lesson and said; "If Jesus was sitting here, He would say, "Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait. "Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you can have the first chance at being Jesus!"
The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
Mom saw the opportunity for a moral lesson and said; "If Jesus was sitting here, He would say, "Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait. "Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you can have the first chance at being Jesus!"
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
You're Evolving Definition
by Matthew Horne
"There are moments that, when captured, will redefine who you are forever."
We must never downplay the significance of dreams and aspirations. Of all the things that you could possibly become, why does your heart pull you in specific directions? As one mark is achieved in life there always seems to be another which tattoos itself on your heart and harasses you until it is entertained.
This is because your life was not crafted with one concrete definition. There are many definitions that encompass you, so the need to identify with any defining thing that you've accomplished is to create a ceiling to your limitless human potential and ever-evolving nature. Every true desire of the heart is accompanied with a moment. This moment is a point in time that, when captured, will redefine the definition of who you are.
The key to being able to capture the moment is to be encompassed in the desire that overwhelms your heart... not too far behind or ahead, but in the NOW of the desire. Every one will collide head on with the moment that will
bring your hearts desires to pass, but a blind preparation must take place in order to capture the moment, or have it pass you by. Moments are precious gifts from spirit that you will either capture or have them pass you by.
"There are moments that, when captured, will redefine who you are forever."
We must never downplay the significance of dreams and aspirations. Of all the things that you could possibly become, why does your heart pull you in specific directions? As one mark is achieved in life there always seems to be another which tattoos itself on your heart and harasses you until it is entertained.
This is because your life was not crafted with one concrete definition. There are many definitions that encompass you, so the need to identify with any defining thing that you've accomplished is to create a ceiling to your limitless human potential and ever-evolving nature. Every true desire of the heart is accompanied with a moment. This moment is a point in time that, when captured, will redefine the definition of who you are.
The key to being able to capture the moment is to be encompassed in the desire that overwhelms your heart... not too far behind or ahead, but in the NOW of the desire. Every one will collide head on with the moment that will
bring your hearts desires to pass, but a blind preparation must take place in order to capture the moment, or have it pass you by. Moments are precious gifts from spirit that you will either capture or have them pass you by.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Help!
A man walked up to a school and said "can you teach me to read and write"
The administrator said, "Yes we can"! Just fill out this form."
The administrator said, "Yes we can"! Just fill out this form."
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Imagine your ideal future
"Your imagination is your preview to life’s coming attractions." -- Albert Einstein
If you were to create an ideal future for yourself, what would it be like?
All things that now exist in form were once simply ideas in consciousness. We each hold the power to manifest different circumstances for our lives. If we wish to manifest a new reality for ourselves, we need to consistently focus our imagination on the ideals we seek to realize.
Remember to explore your ideal in terms of qualities, not people or things. What qualities do you most want in life? Freedom? Respect? Playfulness? Abundance? Whatever qualities you seek, imagine experiencing them now and be open to new ways to discover those qualities appearing in your life.
"Change is created by those whose imaginations are bigger than their circumstances" -- Unknown source
If you were to create an ideal future for yourself, what would it be like?
All things that now exist in form were once simply ideas in consciousness. We each hold the power to manifest different circumstances for our lives. If we wish to manifest a new reality for ourselves, we need to consistently focus our imagination on the ideals we seek to realize.
Remember to explore your ideal in terms of qualities, not people or things. What qualities do you most want in life? Freedom? Respect? Playfulness? Abundance? Whatever qualities you seek, imagine experiencing them now and be open to new ways to discover those qualities appearing in your life.
"Change is created by those whose imaginations are bigger than their circumstances" -- Unknown source
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Little Emily
Little Emily was complaining to her mother that her stomach hurt. Her mother replied, “That’s because it's empty. Maybe you should try putting something in it."
The next day, the pastor was over at Emily's family's house for lunch. He mentioned having his head hurt, to which Emily immediately replied, "That's because it's empty. Maybe you should try putting something in it."
The next day, the pastor was over at Emily's family's house for lunch. He mentioned having his head hurt, to which Emily immediately replied, "That's because it's empty. Maybe you should try putting something in it."
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Seeing Through Change
by Ian Percy
During a consultation with an optometrist you will put your face against a machine called an auto-refractor. The doctor will flip various lenses in front of each eye asking constantly, "Does this make it clearer or worse?"
The application of the metaphor comes easily. We'll just use a Life Chart instead of an eye chart. Does your job make your ability to see what is really important, clearer or worse? Flip. Did your parents make your vision of the world clearer or worse? Flip. How about the lens of education? Flip. What contribution has your marriage made to your vision? Flip. How about the promotion you got last year? Flip. Your own heart attack? Flip. What did going through the re-engineering project do to you? Flip.
Change is simply a combination of such lenses. These change lenses are positive factors in our lives only if we can see through them to something beyond the lens itself. If the lenses are smudged and dirty we start to focus on them rather than on what they were meant to reveal to us. We start to look at the lens rather than through it and end up in a lot of stress.
Many lenses are available to you. Accounting lenses and medical lenses. Lenses for artists and homemakers. A being laid off lens and a being hired lens. Another if you're a man and another if you are a woman. There is one for poverty and one for wealth. Not one of these lenses is an end in itself. Each is simply a viewpoint through which to get a glimpse of the landscape beyond. Change always reveals something beyond itself.
Some of the lenses of our lives make things clearer in the spiritual sense, while others fog and cloud both our out- sight and in-sight. We need to learn how to positively impact the ratio of the two.
It's a spiritual version of what the Endeavour astronauts had to do for the ailing Hubbell space telescope. In addition to installing gyroscopes to keep things in balance, they replaced the Wide Field Planetary Camera so the telescope could see and record things more clearly. That's what we need -- a Wide Field Planetary Camera for our personal and corporate souls. Come to think of it, we may need a gyroscope too.
Change is the opportunity of a lifetime, learn to see through it.
During a consultation with an optometrist you will put your face against a machine called an auto-refractor. The doctor will flip various lenses in front of each eye asking constantly, "Does this make it clearer or worse?"
The application of the metaphor comes easily. We'll just use a Life Chart instead of an eye chart. Does your job make your ability to see what is really important, clearer or worse? Flip. Did your parents make your vision of the world clearer or worse? Flip. How about the lens of education? Flip. What contribution has your marriage made to your vision? Flip. How about the promotion you got last year? Flip. Your own heart attack? Flip. What did going through the re-engineering project do to you? Flip.
Change is simply a combination of such lenses. These change lenses are positive factors in our lives only if we can see through them to something beyond the lens itself. If the lenses are smudged and dirty we start to focus on them rather than on what they were meant to reveal to us. We start to look at the lens rather than through it and end up in a lot of stress.
Many lenses are available to you. Accounting lenses and medical lenses. Lenses for artists and homemakers. A being laid off lens and a being hired lens. Another if you're a man and another if you are a woman. There is one for poverty and one for wealth. Not one of these lenses is an end in itself. Each is simply a viewpoint through which to get a glimpse of the landscape beyond. Change always reveals something beyond itself.
Some of the lenses of our lives make things clearer in the spiritual sense, while others fog and cloud both our out- sight and in-sight. We need to learn how to positively impact the ratio of the two.
It's a spiritual version of what the Endeavour astronauts had to do for the ailing Hubbell space telescope. In addition to installing gyroscopes to keep things in balance, they replaced the Wide Field Planetary Camera so the telescope could see and record things more clearly. That's what we need -- a Wide Field Planetary Camera for our personal and corporate souls. Come to think of it, we may need a gyroscope too.
Change is the opportunity of a lifetime, learn to see through it.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Fishing
Having arrived at the edge of the river, the fisherman soon realized he had forgotten to bring any bait. Just then he happened to see a little snake passing by who had caught a worm. The fisherman snatched up the snake and robbed him of his worm. Feeling sorry for the little snake with no lunch, he snatched him up again and poured a little beer down his throat. Then he went about his fishing.
An hour or so later the fisherman felt a tug at his pant leg. Looking down, he saw the same snake with three more worms in his mouth...
An hour or so later the fisherman felt a tug at his pant leg. Looking down, he saw the same snake with three more worms in his mouth...
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Educator called 'a difference maker'
Helping pupils reach their potential is 16-year veteran's passion
By Leonel Sanchez San Diego UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER October 11, 2007
San Altos Elementary School teacher Andee Aceves wouldn't give up on Joey Melendez. It never even entered her mind. The boy, who has autism, became discouraged last year after the special-education aide who helped him in the classroom became ill. “I can't do it. I have a disability. I'm different, you know,” were his usual responses to any difficult assignment, Aceves said. The high-energy teacher kept working with him. By year's end, Joey had been rated proficient in the annual state testing and won an academic medal. He made friends and even participated in a school play. “She's a difference maker,” said Joey's mother, Eva Melendez. “Her students really have an advantage because of her passion and commitment to (helping them) reach their potential every single day.”
Aceves, 51, has been teaching for 16 years at the Lemon Grove school and credits her success to never underestimating her students' potential to learn. “I entered this profession with a desire to reach students who might otherwise be lost in the education process,” Aceves wrote in her application. Colleagues who recommended her for the county award described her as a role model for students and their parents. Aceves, who grew up in National City, is the first in her family to graduate from college and, for that matter, high school. “They can see her as a sign of hope for themselves,” San Altos principal Donn Griffitts said.
Aceves works in a school where nearly three-quarters of the students are Latino or African-American, and more than half of the students get free or reduced lunch. Aceves, who is also president of the district's teachers union, said she is exactly where she wants to be. “I chose this district because it had the demographics I wanted,” she said during a classroom break Tuesday. “I wanted to reach kids who have needs.” Her colleagues also noted the lengths she goes to get to know her students and their families. Aceves is a frequent guest at quinceañeras, baptisms, birthdays and soccer games. Four years ago, she and her husband, Manuel, who is also a teacher, were foster parents to one of her former students and the girl's three sisters.
She also does charity work and encourages her students to collect canned goods for the needy and to write letters to soldiers in Iraq. She credits her grandparents, who raised her, for encouraging her to work hard and get an education. A photo of her grandmother, who died in 1994, is one of many that grace the “inspiration bulletin board” in her classroom. “She got to see me become a teacher,” Aceves said proudly. Aceves was in her 30s when she decided to pursue a teaching career. She had worked in a probation department and in retail, but found greater satisfaction volunteering in her daughters' classrooms. “I remember telling myself (that) I want my own class,” Aceves said. Now that she has one, “Every day is a big deal,” she said.
By Leonel Sanchez San Diego UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER October 11, 2007
San Altos Elementary School teacher Andee Aceves wouldn't give up on Joey Melendez. It never even entered her mind. The boy, who has autism, became discouraged last year after the special-education aide who helped him in the classroom became ill. “I can't do it. I have a disability. I'm different, you know,” were his usual responses to any difficult assignment, Aceves said. The high-energy teacher kept working with him. By year's end, Joey had been rated proficient in the annual state testing and won an academic medal. He made friends and even participated in a school play. “She's a difference maker,” said Joey's mother, Eva Melendez. “Her students really have an advantage because of her passion and commitment to (helping them) reach their potential every single day.”
Aceves, 51, has been teaching for 16 years at the Lemon Grove school and credits her success to never underestimating her students' potential to learn. “I entered this profession with a desire to reach students who might otherwise be lost in the education process,” Aceves wrote in her application. Colleagues who recommended her for the county award described her as a role model for students and their parents. Aceves, who grew up in National City, is the first in her family to graduate from college and, for that matter, high school. “They can see her as a sign of hope for themselves,” San Altos principal Donn Griffitts said.
Aceves works in a school where nearly three-quarters of the students are Latino or African-American, and more than half of the students get free or reduced lunch. Aceves, who is also president of the district's teachers union, said she is exactly where she wants to be. “I chose this district because it had the demographics I wanted,” she said during a classroom break Tuesday. “I wanted to reach kids who have needs.” Her colleagues also noted the lengths she goes to get to know her students and their families. Aceves is a frequent guest at quinceañeras, baptisms, birthdays and soccer games. Four years ago, she and her husband, Manuel, who is also a teacher, were foster parents to one of her former students and the girl's three sisters.
She also does charity work and encourages her students to collect canned goods for the needy and to write letters to soldiers in Iraq. She credits her grandparents, who raised her, for encouraging her to work hard and get an education. A photo of her grandmother, who died in 1994, is one of many that grace the “inspiration bulletin board” in her classroom. “She got to see me become a teacher,” Aceves said proudly. Aceves was in her 30s when she decided to pursue a teaching career. She had worked in a probation department and in retail, but found greater satisfaction volunteering in her daughters' classrooms. “I remember telling myself (that) I want my own class,” Aceves said. Now that she has one, “Every day is a big deal,” she said.
Cool
I saw this on the Ford Forms and thought that it was awesome!
http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?p=2172327#post2172327
Friday, June 06, 2008
Loan
Before going to Europe on business, a man drives his Rolls-Royce to a downtown New York City bank and asks for an immediate loan of $5,000. The loan officer, taken aback, requests collateral. "Well then, here are the keys to my Rolls-Royce," the man says.
The loan officer promptly has the car driven into the bank's underground parking for safe keeping and gives the man the $5,000.
Two weeks later, the man walks through the bank's doors and asks to settle up his loan and get his car back. "That will be $5,000 in principal, and $15.40 in interest," the loan officer says.
The man writes out a check and starts to walk away. "Wait, sir," the loan officer says. "You are a millionaire. Why in the world would you need to borrow $5,000?" The man smiles, "Where else could I find a safer place to park my Rolls-Royce in Manhattan for two weeks and pay only $15.40?"
The loan officer promptly has the car driven into the bank's underground parking for safe keeping and gives the man the $5,000.
Two weeks later, the man walks through the bank's doors and asks to settle up his loan and get his car back. "That will be $5,000 in principal, and $15.40 in interest," the loan officer says.
The man writes out a check and starts to walk away. "Wait, sir," the loan officer says. "You are a millionaire. Why in the world would you need to borrow $5,000?" The man smiles, "Where else could I find a safer place to park my Rolls-Royce in Manhattan for two weeks and pay only $15.40?"
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Dog Logic
The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. -Anonymous
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
-Ben Williams
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. -Josh Billings
The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. -Andy
Rooney
Dogs love their friends & bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love & always have to mix love & hate. -Anonymous
Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.
-Franklin P. Jones
If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise -Unknown
My dog is worried about the economy because Pal is up to $3.00 a can.
That's almost $21.00 in dog money. -Joe Weinstein
Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.-Mark Twain
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. -Roger Caras
If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them. -Phil Pastoret
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
-Ben Williams
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. -Josh Billings
The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. -Andy
Rooney
Dogs love their friends & bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love & always have to mix love & hate. -Anonymous
Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.
-Franklin P. Jones
If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise -Unknown
My dog is worried about the economy because Pal is up to $3.00 a can.
That's almost $21.00 in dog money. -Joe Weinstein
Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.-Mark Twain
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. -Roger Caras
If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them. -Phil Pastoret
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Animals
On your left are 3 Ostriches. On your right is a herd of gazelles being chased by a lion.
In front of you are 4 deer. Behind you are 5 stampeding horses.
What must you do to get out of this highly dangerous situation?
Get off the Merry-Go-Round!
In front of you are 4 deer. Behind you are 5 stampeding horses.
What must you do to get out of this highly dangerous situation?
Get off the Merry-Go-Round!
Monday, June 02, 2008
Sunday, June 01, 2008
The complexities of a school principal’s day
[ The University of Melbourne Voice Vol. 1, No. 16 15 - 29 October 2007 ] By Katherine Smith
Leaders from across industry have an opportunity every year to taste the reality of school leadership and management by participating in the Principal for a Day program run by the Australian Council for Education Research.
Most come away very respectful of the energy and commitment needed to run a complex organisation subject to a huge variety of expectations. Two University of Melbourne academics – microbiologist Dr Rosa Gualano and public health expert Professor Rob Moodie – participated in this year’s program, along with such wellknown identities as John Denton, Jon Faine, Gabriel Gaté and Bronwyn Pike. Dr Gualano, of the Lung Disease Research Facility in the Department of Pharmacology, went back to her old school, Koonung Secondary College in North Box Hill.
Dr Gualano says her old school has grown a lot (with 830 students in 2007 almost doubling the student population since she was at school in the late 1980s), is more multicultural, and has become “more serious” about how it goes about business; from a stricter, more formal uniform code to developing a niche position as a great school for science. She says she was impressed with the energy and constant vigilance of the principal she shadowed. “He never seemed to switch off, and was constantly monitoring what was going on in the school environment, even in a casual walk through the playground or corridors.”
Dr Gualano's impression was that many parents have greater expectations of schools, and teachers, than when she was a student, but they were very positive about various student-led initiatives – like a recent weekend sleepover at school to raise money for homeless people in the area. “Those sorts of activities were not around when I was at Koonung, and the students seemed to be really engaged with the school beyond the classroom”. Dr Gualano spoke with many of the students about life as a research scientist, and science in general, and says information about the practical side of science seemed to really make sense to year 8 girls who had just been vaccinated against cervical cancer. “Though not involved in research in that area in any way, I talked with them about how those sorts of vaccines are developed and the role they play in public health, to which they were very responsive. Learning like that just seemed to make sense.”
Professor Moodie, of the University of Melbourne-based Nossal Institute for Global Health, is something of a veteran of the program, having been ‘principal for a day’ this year at University High School, following previous stints at Diamond Creek and Noble Park primary schools, and Essendon Keilor College. Professor Moodie was amazed at the complexity of managing Southvale Primary School in Noble Park, where students of more than 30 nationalities and many faiths attend.
“Most of the families in the school are very new to Australia and the school plays a great role in educating parents through a Wednesday Parents Learning Session, getting the children to school through several ‘Walking School Buses’, providing community liaison workers to communicate with families, and giving students a good start to the day with a Breakfast Café. They even have built their own interfaith pagoda where students can take time out if they need to. “Southvale Primary is in an area that didn’t rate too highly in The Age’s livable suburbs league table,” he says. “But in my short visit I was mightily impressed with this gem. I thought how very happy I would be if I could do my job as well as Principal Sue Barford seems to do hers.”
Leaders from across industry have an opportunity every year to taste the reality of school leadership and management by participating in the Principal for a Day program run by the Australian Council for Education Research.
Most come away very respectful of the energy and commitment needed to run a complex organisation subject to a huge variety of expectations. Two University of Melbourne academics – microbiologist Dr Rosa Gualano and public health expert Professor Rob Moodie – participated in this year’s program, along with such wellknown identities as John Denton, Jon Faine, Gabriel Gaté and Bronwyn Pike. Dr Gualano, of the Lung Disease Research Facility in the Department of Pharmacology, went back to her old school, Koonung Secondary College in North Box Hill.
Dr Gualano says her old school has grown a lot (with 830 students in 2007 almost doubling the student population since she was at school in the late 1980s), is more multicultural, and has become “more serious” about how it goes about business; from a stricter, more formal uniform code to developing a niche position as a great school for science. She says she was impressed with the energy and constant vigilance of the principal she shadowed. “He never seemed to switch off, and was constantly monitoring what was going on in the school environment, even in a casual walk through the playground or corridors.”
Dr Gualano's impression was that many parents have greater expectations of schools, and teachers, than when she was a student, but they were very positive about various student-led initiatives – like a recent weekend sleepover at school to raise money for homeless people in the area. “Those sorts of activities were not around when I was at Koonung, and the students seemed to be really engaged with the school beyond the classroom”. Dr Gualano spoke with many of the students about life as a research scientist, and science in general, and says information about the practical side of science seemed to really make sense to year 8 girls who had just been vaccinated against cervical cancer. “Though not involved in research in that area in any way, I talked with them about how those sorts of vaccines are developed and the role they play in public health, to which they were very responsive. Learning like that just seemed to make sense.”
Professor Moodie, of the University of Melbourne-based Nossal Institute for Global Health, is something of a veteran of the program, having been ‘principal for a day’ this year at University High School, following previous stints at Diamond Creek and Noble Park primary schools, and Essendon Keilor College. Professor Moodie was amazed at the complexity of managing Southvale Primary School in Noble Park, where students of more than 30 nationalities and many faiths attend.
“Most of the families in the school are very new to Australia and the school plays a great role in educating parents through a Wednesday Parents Learning Session, getting the children to school through several ‘Walking School Buses’, providing community liaison workers to communicate with families, and giving students a good start to the day with a Breakfast Café. They even have built their own interfaith pagoda where students can take time out if they need to. “Southvale Primary is in an area that didn’t rate too highly in The Age’s livable suburbs league table,” he says. “But in my short visit I was mightily impressed with this gem. I thought how very happy I would be if I could do my job as well as Principal Sue Barford seems to do hers.”
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