Attitude Makes the Difference

I tell my students constantly that they have to choose their attitude. I will march them out the door and tell them when they can have a better attitude about my class they are welcome to return.  I need to take note.

I have been moping around this year from the beginning because life has taken its toll on me. A seemingly constant stream of small negative things has shaped my vision of the year to be that it sucks and nothing good is going to happen.  It's time to change the attitude.

It's more difficult than I've thought before when using the phrase with my students. It seems so easy. You walk back in and instead of thinking you can't do algebra, you think you can and magically it all makes sense then right? Wrong. 

Upon deciding last week that I needed to count my blessings and change my attitude a series of more small, negative things occurred and I spent my Sunday having a breakdown.

I feel I'm being tested here. Can I overcome all these trials the way I expect my students, my children and my husband to overcome theirs?  Right now I'm failing and tonight that stops. I am a woman of strength and tremendous faith. I don't back away from challenges and I trust God in all I do. I am a woman of passion and grace and tonight I return to that woman. I have been lost but now am found. 

Framing Peace

This morning as I was scanning my Facebook feed, I saw a picture that gave me one of my ah-ha moments.

I am a person constantly striving to find peace. I pray, meditate, yoga, read...anything I can think of that might bring me peace.  And on a few occasions I've found it. That feeling that all is right with the world and that my heart can relax and just be happy.  

This is the picture I saw. My brain immediately said, "exactly." I am constantly saying, "that's not how it's supposed to work" or "life isn't supposed to be like this". While all of my "it's not supposed to" statements might be true in any number of unjust situations in the world, it isn't a peaceful way to think. 

I don't know that I have a grasp on what it means to process the world as it is yet; but, I do know that I need to begin to retrain my mind. I don't want to just sit back and let unjustly acts continue, however I believe I can process those better. Maybe by looking at life a little differently my mind will be open to creative thinking about how to solve some of the issues that we face instead of just being in a state of unrest with them.

"Go in peace and the peace of God be with you always."

Busy-ness

The start of school is always hectic for anyone with children. It's especially busy for those teachers that are also coaching.   It is also especially busy for those families that have placed their kids in extra-curricular activities. This year The Rev. and I are trying to manage my softball games and practices, Little Man's soccer games and practices, Little Man's Cub Scouts, Little Miss' dance, and The Rev.'s Wednesday night youth group. It's a lot! Planning out my weeks through September made me start to think about why we get our kids involved in so many activities and when do we draw the line. As an educator this also made me question what is more valuable...extra-curricular activities or homework to practice academic skills.

Why do we stick our children in extra-curricular activities? For some of us, it's because we were involved in dance, or cub scouts or gymnastics or basketball and we want our children to have those same experiences. For some of us, it's to help our kids make friends and maybe we can meet some new people along the way also. For some of us, it's the hope that our child might turn into the next "big deal." For some of us, it's to teach our kids teamwork.  

Research has shown time and time again that students involved in extra-curricular activities get in trouble with the law less frequently than their free after school counterparts but why is that? Is it truly because those students are learning an instrument or hitting a baseball? Or, is it simply the fact that they are under adult supervision when maybe at home they aren't? Isn't spending time showing your kids that you love them just as important?

Along those lines, students involved in extra-curricular events often do better in school. They realize that people depend on them so they can't be ineligible. These kids are practicing things they love or want to know about after school and then as an educator I (along with the other 6 teachers that kid has) send them home with 3-4 hours of homework each night and expect them to have mastered the concept overnight? I should be embracing the fact that these kids are developing passions and skills in things they are interested in, not burdening their life with extra work.

It's a delicate balancing act for me as a mom. I'm trying to build a strong family unit and allow my kids to learn things I can't teach them at home. I need to keep my purpose for extra-curricular activities in the fore-front of my mind for each time we are thinking about starting something. Is the time and learning involved in doing this activity more valuable than spending time together? Will I teach my child the same skills taught by this activity? What am I wanting my child to learn by participating?

There has to be balance. There has to be opportunity to do things outside the home and opportunity to grow as a family inside the home. We can't get so wrapped up in the busy-ness of letting our children get involved in EVERYTHING that we forget to teach them the value of family.