One Degree of Change

It Doesn’t Take Much, But It Does Take Something!
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Although its a New Year, and we start with the best resolutions that will make our lives so much better! But even the best of intention resolutions go by the way side, and often become lost in the miasma of life. Why?

Well, because more often than not, we feel in order to make a change in our lives, we feel we have to change the course of our ship 180 degrees….turn it around completely for that new goal, that new life, in order to achieve our new life.

There is one rule of life that I remember learning when I first became a teacher. It had more to do with helping students, or improving my classroom in some way, or my teaching strategies….something like that. BUT, this rule actually applies to more than that. It applies to the universe…the very core of our existence. READY FOR IT? Here is goes:

CHANGE IS CONSTANT

The only thing constant in our lives, IS change. We can not stop change, it happens on a universe level, in happens on a cellular level, or even smaller, atomic level. As long as time moves on, CHANGE happens. Even if we stand still, we breath, changing or exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide. The very root of BREATHING is change. Okay, I think you got the idea!

So what does that do with my New Year resolution? Everything!

If you want something to change this New Year, or don’t worry, it will. You’ll get older, your children, your pets. Your job will change, new clients, new people to interact with, new rules, new clients. What if you don’t have a job, a stay at home parent….oh, things will change there too! House gets dirtier, clothes get dirtier, yard grass and plants grow. Family changes too, as parents get older, babies are born, relatives move away or closer. There really isn’t a way to get away with change. It is how we adapt to the change that makes the difference.

Adapting to change: You get older….looking in the mirror, wow you’ve changed! Do I put on makeup to hide the change, the wrinkles, the puffy eyes, the sagging jawline? Children…oh, children change so much more quickly. Time to buy new clothes, new shoes, haircuts, braces! The job, what you do for a living, to earn a wage, to support your family….maybe it is time to make a change there too? Not meaning quit, but refocus, re-frame, set different priorities.

So from the title of this article, I think by now you might be saying….okay, what is one degree of change then? Well, let’s go back to the course of the ship. First it takes a long time to change the course of a large ship, so much slower than changing the course of a car! Picture a ship leaving from New York, heading to Europe. The captain sets course, due East. At first, the ship pulls out of the harbor and gets lined up on the destination. Ships have specific headings as they travel the seas, routes is a better word. As they move along their route, seas may be calm, but a storm in the distance may be challenging. The captain changes course to avoid the brunt of the storm. Because they are looking ahead, changes don’t have to be drastic, the change just a little, because by time they get into the area where the ship will be affected by the storm, the ship has moved away from the area by many, many miles.

You and I are a lot like that captain, but we are captains of our own ships. When we see storms ahead, or events that we don’t think are good for us, we begin to change course. A super simple example in your own home. The dirt dishes are piling up. We see, if we don’t wash them, several things may happen: 1. We run out of clean dishes to eat on, cook on or bake with. 2. Food scrapes begin to attract flies and other insects that aren’t good for our health. 3. Large mammals, ie rats, begin finding their way into our homes, and spread diseases. 4….well, you get the idea. SO, to change course, for #1-4 not to happen, we wash the dishes. If we wash dishes immediately after we dine, the change isn’t dramatic….less than 10 min, all is clean. If we wait until the next meal or the next day, change must be larger, 30 minutes or more, to stop #1-4.

Let’s move to a larger scale of change and possibly more difficult or complex. One very popular course is to STOP ______________ (fill in the blank). In our example, I will choose smoking. Smoking is an activity that may people do and many people want to change. If one smokes, then there are consequences (or results). (Just letting you know, I don’t smoke. I once did when I was younger, and mom found out, and she made me change with one slap…that was my change!). But another family member does, and that is their choice, not mine to change them, but they have a lot to think about. 1. They don’t like the way their breath feels/smells. The breath mints or gum proves that. 2. Their clothes have an unpleasant odor that often they themselves can’t detect, but people around them certain can. 3. Laws or becoming more and more restrictive on where you can smoke in our society. 4. Housing landlords, hotels, prohibit smoking in the buildings which reduces that housing opportunities, or many cold nights standing on the porch for the “last smoke” before heading inside. 5. I won’t even get into the health aspects of smoking, as I would like you to be able to read this post in under 15 days, but ultimately, the smokers health effects all the family members around them, either indirectly, or after the smokers untimely illness and death, directly, as they deal with not having that loved on in their lives anymore. And I won’t even get into the financial impact this activity. To say the least, it is one that I have heard many want to stop. An entire billion dollar industry is based on the notion, that their “product/alternate activity” will help them STOP. But who really has the ability to make the change? Ultimately, only you. Many try a 180 degree change. They stop, as we call it, cold turkey. I have know someone who has succeeded by changing this way, and he was more determined to continue not smoking, every time he looked at his daughter. But many aren’t able to make 180 degree change and stay the course.

A personal example that I made a one degree of change in my life, that has completely changed me physically and mentally, is my weight loss. Two years after having my last child, I noticed my weight had not gone back to where I started before I became pregnant. For two years I said it was “baby weight”, and I had to eat well (alot) to continue nursing. Well, that was a year after I stopped nursing….do you get the idea? I was using my children as a reason for not making a change. I decided to make a change, a small change, a one degree of change. And this is what the change was: When my children wouldn’t finish their food that I had prepared for them to eat, I would finish it, as I didn’t want it to go to waste. Well, in a way, it went to waist…get it? Sorry, couldn’t resist! I decided my change was going to be, stop eating the children’s left overs. That one degree of change, made me aware of what other things I was putting into my mouth. And it was much more than I had originally thought. In less than 6 months, after that one degree of change….that one decision….I lost 40 pounds. I then became more excited about the change, and made several more “one degree” changes in my life. For example, I began taking my dog for a LONG walk, once a week. The chain reaction of one degree of change, increased to nearly 45 degrees, then 90 degrees! That was nearly 10 years ago. I have kept the weight off, because I haven’t made the one degree of change BACK to the original path I was on, of eating my children’s leftover food.

Again, lets go back to the ship.

Ships can’t make a 180 degree turn. Titanic tried….

image credit: NOAA.gov

best example yet, huh? SO what is a captain, you, to do? Make a small degree of change. Make a one degree of change. If you change your course, that you are one, by just a very small amount, by time you reach your destination, you will have put yourself in a very different place then when you started. You won’t even end up close to where you were originally headed, in fact, over the course of many days, years, or life time, your destination will be the new goal you were seeking, and you will have arrived there.

What does a one degree change look like? It starts with a decision of looking down the road, on the radar, on the map of life (sorry, I know that sounds corny), but it is true. Where are you headed? What do you want to achieve? Where do you want to be at the end of this New Year? Don’t make several goals for yourself….just one…..you can take on the others when you are on the right course of this one. Where can you find your inspiration? Who else has achieved what you would like to achieve? How did they do it? Connect with others, learn from others, then take on your own goal, by making a one degree of change, one decision, one small habit, that will grow into a completely new life.

Photo credit: NPS.gov

The Chicken in the Truck: A Reflection

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Many years ago, my husband and I were driving on the freeway (highway), and we saw several chickens dead on the road. They obviously came out of a semi-truck that was probably on it’s way to the processing plant because they were pure white, (the kind used for eggs and meat).

The discussion of the question continues to this day: Would you rather be the chicken on the truck or the chicken that jumps from the truck? One choice, you surrender to your fate not knowing what will happen but maybe you will live, and the other choice, you try to change your course, not knowing if you will be killed instantly or survive and find freedom and your own choice of future.

I made a big decision last month, and am ready to begin my new path, (in a few weeks). I haven’t thought about this questions for a few years, and it seems everytime I make or am faced with making a big decision or have made a big decision, I think about this question.

Upon reflection I am identifying myself as the chicken who jumps from the truck.  Reflecting on the current path I am on, I don’t like where I am going, soI concluded that I needed to take that “leap of faith” and try for something different.  It maybe worse (in which I will jump again) or it may be better, (inwhich I will stay until it becomes worse then I will jump again). 

I may be viewed as someone who won’t settle….but why do we have to settle?  Why do we tell ourselves, “This is as good as I’m going to get, so what use is trying to change things?”  As long as I am trying to get out, to change my life for the better, to improve my situation, to make a better life for myself, then I know that I haven’t given up.  Some people have made this “leap of faith” in their mind, as did Viktor Frankle wrote about in “Man’s Search for Meaning” about his experiences in Nazi death camp, in Aschwitz, Germany. And others take a physically leap, as did the people escaping the burning buildings of 9/11.  Being the master of your future, regardless of the outcome, is what gives you hope, inspiration, motivation and focus of your life.

Who do you identify with?  The chicken on the truck, or the chicken who escaped?

Please feel free to leave a comment…

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Am I Making the Right Decision?

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Sometimes when faced with two clear paths (or more), a pause is most valuable. The roads are before you, and you cannot see where the roads lead, because further down each path, there may be more crossroads. When we are faced with a decision, we assume several things: 1. The decision is permenant, as if there will be no more alternatives down the line. 2. The future you are picturing (picking) will come true the way you think it will, (as if you can see the future). 3. The choice you pick is the right decision. But we wont know until we are able to look back and see more clearly where that decision put us.

To rephrase your directive, do not think “am I making the RIGHT decision”, think “am I making a good choice”.

To make a good choice, you need to consider 5 things:
1. Your gut (intuition)
2. Your mind (logical)
3. Your loved ones (affecting others)
4. Your alternatives (other choices)
5. Your time (no hasty decisions)

Do not consider your emotions. Making decisions when emotions are raw or fresh, regardless if they are happy emotions, (Oh he is so wonderful I will leave my whole life for him….popular in movies, because the movie ends, and your life doesn’t) or angry emotions, (my wife got me so mad, I am leaving, permenantly).

Listening to your gut, ask yourself: Does the new situation feel good, will I be comfortable and relaxed?
Listening to your mind, ask yourself: Does this make sense? Think about all the possible outcomes, and the obstacles you will face with both choices.
Thinking of your loved ones, ask yourself: What will they gain/lose from my decision? Am I willing to put them through the pain or will their joy overcome the pain.
Thinking of alternatives, ask yourself: Is this your only choice? Are their other options? Staying in your current situation is an alternative, is that a choice?
Thinking of time, ask yourself: Must I make the decision right now, or can I wait a week or a month? When MUST the decision need to be made?

Be aware of your pitfalls, that may stop you from making the right decision: Fear, uncertainty, lack of confidence, previous decisions that went wrong, or just not making a decision. As said by the great rock band RUSH, “you are making a decision, by not making a decision”.

My best friend (my husband) always says, when you are a pilot, and you are heading down the runway, at some point, it is up to you to take off, or abort. Once you made the decision to fly, you got to go, or you’ll crash.

So, take it slow down the runway, take your skill, plane and environment into account, make the decision to fly or abort. If you abort, there will be another day to fly. If you decide to fly, focus well, throttle up your engines and fly! Once you have made it, face it with all your energy and enthusiasm, you’ll be airborne. Enjoy the flight.

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A Bike Ride?

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After a long day working, and school, many look forward to coming home and “collapsing” in front of the “entertainment -de jour”. That is how I felt today. Unfortunately, we noticed our “exercise” routine has greatly wained during the winter months, and we are feeling (and seeing) the results. To get motivated, we went down and joined the health club, (we were members last summer because of the swimming pools…less expensive than monthly pool service). Being excited to begin, the very next day the weather turns rainy, cold, cloudy, and windy….not condusive to swimming. Trying to ride the waves of motivation of joining the club, we watch the weather for improvements “tommorow”.

Isn’t it always “tomorrow” when one plans to begin a new routine…? Well, today, coming home (no pool only entertainment -de jour” waiting for us)..So I quickly throw out “why don’t we go for a walk?!” GRUMBLE>>>>>>>>is echoed…… “Oh come on….a short walk”….One child says “okay”, husband says “okay”, and it forces the other child to say…”okay-fine”!

By the time I turned around, bikes were pulled out, and the dog was leashed! We all headed down the road, like we had a mission. A few quick turns, and several blocks later, we were heading home. Nothing too long, we were back home in 25 minutes. The reluctant child said “that was actually fun!”.

I’m still waiting for the weather to be better tomorrow….maybe? But at least we didn’t sit around waiting for it to come.

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A Reflection of 50

I was born on an interesting day. Not only did my parents celebrate Easter that day, they celebrated my birth. But what of other anniversaries on the day of my birth, April 14th? Well, they include the day Abraham Lincoln was shot, the Titanic struke an iceberg, the 1 billionth Chinese person to be born (in 1989), the French Revolution begun, and Les Miserables opened on Broadway.

From a scientific perspective, it is the recognition of a day the Earth is in the same location in relation to the sun in space. On Jupiter, I would be a lot younger, and on Mercury I would be a lot older. Some say the placement of the stars influences the person’s personality. I have many characteristics of an “Aries”, but I have found more in common with other people named Mary, than with other Aries.

But what about the day for me? My first vivid memory of a birthday celebration, my 5th, was me sitting at the head of the table, with my family and friends around it, singing Happy Birthday, and me, I was crying. Looking back at it, I think I was happy, but the attention was overwhelming. Other birthday celebrations included parties, outings to special places and being spoiled by family. The past several years, I have celebrated with one of God’s greatest gifts, a loving and amazing husband, and two beautiful and healthy children. Today, I was served a delicious breakfast, and will be treated to a “home spa” by my family. They tell me it’s an oatmeal day (which explains the oatmeal pancakes).

As I look in the mirror, I can’t think of what I thought I would look like, on this monumental benchmark. I know others who look younger than I at my age, but most look older, or at least act older. I credit being a teacher and having young children, for why I am active and energetic, (I have to be to keep up). I am healthy, with no health problems that I can even think of. A few gray hairs are shining in the sun, but I don’t need to color my hair to hide my years. Some wrinkles on my face are moisturized nightly, but still accent the edges that frame my smile.

Of all the things I reflect on this year, and lately every year, is the true appreciation of my age. So many people were not as fortunate as I, to make it to this number. For whatever reason, they passed on at a much earlier age. I think of my friend in high school who died from a motorcycle accident, he didn’t get to graduate. I think of the baby who died in the hospital room down the hall who won’t have any birthdays, yet my baby was born alive and healthy. I think of the college student who enlists in the army, doing what he felt was right, and is killed a month later.

There are many people, who don’t and will never have the pleasure of seeing the wrinkles, the gray hair, and to look deep into the eyes of the reflection of a person staring back at them, that hold the memories of a life time, ready to document more. I can’t and won’t ever complain about how old I am, for I am blessed to have made it as long as I have.

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Greet…Each Other Well

The other day I came home from working all day, as millions of others in our world do. But I came home to my home….Think about that for a minute. Everyone person goes home to their home….no one elses. There in “your” home, you have family, loved ones, people you are glad to be around, and people who you like to be around, people who are glad to see you…I can’t wait to be greeted!

I pull up to my house, opened the garage door with my automatic door opener, and before my car wheels roll to a stop, my dog is running out to greet me…running around the car, jumping up to see my face….she is ready to tell me that she missed me soooo much….after petting her, and getting passed her enthusiasm, I enter the house, with full arms, ready to be greeted by my family….what do I see running towards me…my cat! He is meowing, he is rubbing on me, the dog is eagerly interrupts, competing for my attention. I stammer past my animals, no one else is in the house….

Oh, there is my husband, with his hands in the sink, washing the dishes and baking cookies….he turns warmly and says, “Hi Sweety”, obviously I don’t want him walking with drippy hands, so I greet him equally with a peck on the cheek. I don’t see anyone else….”where are the kids?” Neither child (I have two) noticed I walked through the door. Both watching their version of electronic entertainment, they are interrupted by a stern, “Come say ‘Hi’ to your mother”…

I am hurt, I need to do some reflecting on what I am teaching my children. I begin researching animal’s greetings….What I learned, is nearly every animal that has a “family unit” has a specific, understood greeting of loved ones when they re-unite to the family unit. Dogs lick each other’s faces, in submissive body language, wagging tails and yipping sounds. Cats touch noses gently. Bees dance around and learn what the incomming bee has learned about their environment. A most amazing comparison is that of chimpanzees, who greet each other by hugs, shaking hands, even kissing each other’s hands.

As a society, we teach our children, as they begin to understand their world, that they need to be cautious of strangers. But within a family unit, we need to teach children to show true appreciation of each family member. That when a loved one goes out of the house into the world, that upon their return, the utmost appreciation of their return must be displayed. I need to teach my children better, because in life, there is always a chance that the loved one may not come back, at all.

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What April Fools Does For A Child…

…actually there is only one word to use….. “nothing”

Children are often subjected to the whimsical humor of adults by being the “butt” of a joke. Children’s sense of humor is much different than an adults. Unfortunately, you would think that everyone would say “well, duh, of course it is”, but yet, on “funny days” like April Fool’s, children don’t laugh when they are made fools of, only the adult laughs.

Case in point, a kindergarten teacher thought it would be fun to spray paint some ordinary rocks, “gold”. Then she handed the “gold nuggets” out to her children and told them she found gold and wanted to share it with her class. My son came home (we had been gold panning, and he knew what gold nuggets meant) and was SOOOO VERYYY excited that his teacher gave him gold nuggets, and we were rich now. The heartbreak when we had to tell him, that his teacher was playing a trick on him, was horrific. He was 5 years old. He trusted his Kindergarten teacher….his FIRST teacher! He didn’t understand her “joke”.

Fast forward to 2013, now he is ten. The first day back to school after the spring break. Excited to see his teacher, his friends and to be back at school. His teacher told the class that they would get brownies today. Big brownies…each student. Oh, they were excited. But they had to wait a little bit, after another subject, of course, the anticipation grew. Later in the day, when the teacher began handing out the “brownies” it turned out to be brown construction paper cut out in the shape of the letter ‘e’ (brown – ees), the children’s heart’s sank. My son said, she just stood there “cackling at us”. All the students were upset, and none of them understood why she would have done that to them.

The humor of practical jokes, is a sense of humor that is developed over time. As we mature, and begin to understand that “no harm is intended”, we begin to accept that sometimes it’s okay to laugh at ourselves. Some adults, and we all know many, who still cannot ‘laugh’ at themselves.

But children are different. They trust us to guide them, support them and most of all be honest with them. And when we break that trust, we take away a little bit of their childhood, and force them to grow up faster and face the “reality”.

Some people might argue that stories of Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, little green elves and tooth fairies is the same thing, that we are playing a practical joke on the children when we tell them these stories of fantasy. My arguement is this: Once the child figures out there is no Easter Bunny, adults don’t stand and cackle at the child because they believed, and thus the child can grow up at their own pace when they are ready to face reality.

IF you want to play a practical joke, play it on an adult who understands that a practical joke is just for fun. You wouldn’t do a practical joke on an adult who “couldn’t take it”, why are you doing them on children who don’t know “how to take it”. It teaches them nothing by cynasism.

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5 Reasons to enroll your child into public school

In yesterday’s post I promised I would give the other side of the coin to the debate, public or private school. If you missed yesterday’s blog, please take a moment and read it. But basically, I have experienced both worlds as a teacher and a parent, and see the positives and negatives of both choices. Since I focus on the positive, I want to give my 5 reasons to choose a public school. Maybe the private school’s can learn a little from them too.

1. It’s Free. That is the bottom line in many parent’s decision. The fact is ‘I can’ or ‘I can’t’ afford it. Through our tax system, our society supports and education system that offers learning to every child. We as a society, want an educated public. I will not be able to work very well past 60’s/70’s, so I want the younger generation working, helping support me in my golden years through work and taxes, instead of going into the criminal system. Do I like the public system? Of course, it has a very important place in our society.

2. Teachers as well as administrators are educated to specific standards. They must go through schooling, rigorous testing, continued professional development to not only gain their positions, but to keep their positions (up until tenure). Public school teachers are required to be abreast of the education systems’ standards, implementation of these standards, state adopted (approved) curriculum and testing of students.

3. Facilities are more condusive to a learning environment. This is an interesting point that I never thought about as a public school teacher. The facilities are required by law to accomodate ADA, updated safety features, and security. Now that doesn’t mean that private schools aren’t held up to fire safety codes, on the contrary, they are inspected and specific laws (room occupation etc) must be obeyed. But more and more private schools (and public charter schools) are being established in strip malls, business buildings (complexes) and older school buildings and grounds that have been abandoned by public schools. Play areas (playground and athletic fields) are smaller, sometimes non-existant, and buildings are subpar (in need of paint and windows). A charter school with a local public school was offered an old school grounds that was abandoned for use with children, and turned into a storage facility. The charter group and parents wanted success so badly, that they went on their own time to clean the facilities, fix up the grounds and try to restore order to the facility. Needless to say it wasn’t longer than 2 years that the charter group dismantled.

4. Transportation. More often than not, even if parents have to pay a dollar or two a day for the convenience, public schools have the ability to transport the children to and from school. Some children, depending on the needs of the students and requirements of federal laws, have buses that will take them miles and miles and miles, just to get them to the ‘correct’ school to give them the education they are guarenteed by law. One district I personally knows will spend an excess of $35,000 just for transportation to take a special needs child to a school 20 miles away from his home to the school that can meet his individual needs.

5. If parents are STRONG advocates for their children, and know their child’s rights, they can get the public school to jump through hoops! The school district won’t like it, admininstrators and teachers will grumble and talk, but they must comply. This is one thing, considering you are paying taxes to support this system, if you know how to use the system, you can get them to provide MANY services for your child. One parent used to call meetings and bring a tape recorder to play for his lawyer everytime we met. Was it upsetting as a teacher?….of course, was it smart on the parent’s part? Absolutely, because if this parent wanted something done for his special needs child, it was done. But your child isn’t a special needs student? You would be surprised how easy it is to get them “designated” and then have the law on your side. One parent I know had the district buy her child a laptop (way before laptops were inexpensive and easy to come by), because she had a medical doctor diagnose him with a condition that he couldn’t write fast enough to keep up with lecture to take notes by hand. Yeah….

So if you have the “fight” in you, and the deligence to stay on top of the system, it can be quite advantages. Is this a good thing?….I don’t know, it is your child, you decide what is best for you and your child.

Now you have both sides of the private/public school debate from someone who has worked and parented in both worlds, with 20+ years of experience in the public schools and private schools,(including public and private university level courses), hope I gave you some insight.

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5 Reasons To Enroll Your Child Into Private School

The other day I was reading a post from a fellow blogger, and as I do respect her/his opinion, I am glad that we live in America, where we still have academic choice for our children.  She/he advocated that just because someone has money, they shouldn’t have the option of their child getting a different education than “all the rest” of the children, because it isn’t ‘fair’.  That is like saying we all have to drive the same cars, because the guy with more money shouldn’t be able to drive a more expensive car (Porsche, Mercedes Benz etc), because that wouldn’t be ‘fair’.  Now of course, you can argue that children are different than cars, and every child deserves an equal opportunity in life.  To me this sounds like a debate between “getting an education and not getting an education” as many other parts of the world experience (especially girls, special needs children or children of low economic/social status) a complete LACK of education to the point they seek education under the threat of death.  Fortunately here in America, that debate is mute, everyone can get an education.  But why, when someone can afford to give their children a different option, it is looked upon as they are evil, and they hate (insert group name here).  For now we will leave the debate on the fairness of education in our society for another time.

I have worked in public school and in private school and I have seen both worlds.  I came up with 5 reasons to enroll your child into private school.  Public schools should take a look at these 5 points, and maybe implement them?

1.  They COMPETE for your business.  When a private school forms, it needs to attract clients to it’s school.  As other great businesses do, they most successful businesses are those with great customer service.  A parent can take their child out of the school at anytime, and save lots of money, so it behooves the school to cater to the parents to keep their business.  This desire to keep clients is lacking in public schools, and I personally have witnessed MANY times when a principal says, “well, if you don’t like it, take them to another school”.  This doesn’t mean catering to the money, it means you need to listen to the ones making you successful.

2.  Better contact with the teachers.  This is an extension of the customer service.  I will venture to say that ALL parents want their children to succeed, be happy and enjoy learning.  Because of this reason, parents want to hear when their child is learning well, where they are successful, and when they are struggling and need extra support.  At  a local public middle school, a parent said she needs to make an appointment with the teacher, several weeks in advance sometimes, just to have a conversation.  They are lucky if they hear anything, and the only way they know of successes or struggles is what is on the report card, or if their child tells them.  Private schools expect teachers to communicate often, to keep their clients informed.

3.  Teachers are responsive to parent concerns.  Another extension of #1.  Private schools often have committes of parent involvement, advisories and information meetings.  They tend to be more active in the school volunteering time, money and other needs of their children.  One might argue, well the rich parents don’t have to work.  On the contrary, most parents in the private schools work to earn a dual income to be able to afford the school, even taking side jobs or building a small business for extra income.  (I don’t have statistics here, strickly my personal experiences and speaking with parents who’s children attend private school that I have been involved in across California).  I am not saying that public school parents don’t volunteer, or donate time and money, they do, (so don’t get mad!), but the percentage of parents is greater at a private school.

4.  Curriculum is more flexible for individual students needs, including advanced skilled and low skilled students.  Often, (not all the time), class sizes are smaller and longer instructional minutes (day) mean students with individual needs can be addressed much easier.  I teach 85 students per day in my science class, where the local public school teacher teaches 180+ per day (average 40 x 5 periods).  With such a large number of students it is nearly impossible to cater to academically advanced students as well as academically challenged, often leaving the task to tutors or academic camps (Lego camps/ competitions, space camps, museum art camps) to help enrich the child’s learning.  Most if not all private schools have become more focused on state standards, and now with Common Core Standards, the entire nation is getting aligning on an agreed upon learning focus that all students must achieve by their grade’s end. And with job shortages, the agruement of “non-credentialled teachers is nearly non-existant.

5.  Additional Activites.  Often, private schools are stepping up to “compete” with public schools in afterschool care, extra-curricular activities (clubs, music lessons, sports) and homework help, (all part of tuition or a little extra), that students are able to stay “in a safe school setting” much easier.

This is a quick list of 5 Reasons to enroll you child into private school….all private schools aren’t the same, and just as public schools, parents should shop around, visit schools, meet the administration, meet the teachers, and ask LOTS AND LOTS of questions.  Good luck in your decision. 

I will soon post “5 reasons to enroll your child into public schools”

Photo: copyright Affective-Learning.com

Those who can do, because….

It is amazing job, being a teacher…..

The other day, I was instructing my students how to go online, find a website, enter a passcode, to find more information about a concept we were learning. I suddenly realized I was teaching my students how to use a technology that didn’t exist when I was their age. What is amazing, I haven’t even made it to the 1/2 century mark yet. The technology has moved at lightning speeds, leaving behind those who blink.

Winston Churchill, arguable the one man who changed history. I’ve taken an interest in him lately because not only did he accomplish an incredible feat (for all of those of you who missed it, he challenged Hitler, and won) but he had such a timeless philosophy, it can be easily applied to today’s world.

Consider this quote: “Where my reason, imagination and interest where not engaged, I would not or I could not learn”.

How to catch the interest and imagination of our children or students is a daily challenge. I am teaching students to be ready for a (their) world that probably doesn’t exist today, by using today’s technology (that didn’t exist in my world), with yesterday’s (my grandfather’s) philosophy.

When we ignore today’s world, and teach them ours, we are missing an opportunity to use their interest and reason.

So what do we teach them from our world? Love, understanding, respect, compassion, trust, honesty, loyalty. To stand for what you believe in using a moral compass that guides them through a world of amazement and confusion. It is a challenge to teach. It is not for the weak hearted. People joke “that those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach….I have a different thought…Those who can do, because they can’t teach.

photo credit: InSapphoWeTrust via photopin cc

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