Giving up to gain

I realize I started this blog about teaching but as I sit in a small coffee shop in far west Texas, I realize that as the teacher, I am the most important tool. That being said, it is time to be self reflective and selfish.

2011 was a crazy year in our world and I feel a little out of place and confused, so I've begun seeking help and wisdom from others. I bought a book called "Give It Up" that talks about giving something you feel is necessary and important up each month to really examine what you need and want in life. I'm only on chapter three but I can already feel the wheels turning on how to change and simplify my life.

My goal as a teacher is to change the world for my students, but I feel I've lost the art of changing the world for myself. I rarely sit down and write a story for myself or take an entire weekend to read a book any longer. Those may seem simple but in reality they help change my perspectives and focus. I no longer seek ways to help those less fortunate than I and I hate that. In 2012, not only will I need to work harder to find the positive in life but I will also work to simplify my life and make a difference in the world, no matter how small that difference may seem.

As teachers and people, I encourage you to do the same thing. Find your joy if it has gotten away from you. Write a poem or a song, sing and dance with the dogs or the kids, clean out your closets and bookshelves and donate those to people who need them more than you. Make 2012 a year to really be proud of yourselves!

Above all else, remember that you the teacher are the biggest and best tool on the classroom. With all the politics in the world we cannot afford to take ourselves for granted any longer.

Exercise

I realize this is sort of an evil word, especially this time of year when we all eat too much and the stress of the past year shows up in all sorts of places. I for one, have been trying to make myself exercise on a nightly basis - mostly because I feel like a tub of lard and I know exercise makes me feel better about myself and how I do things. Getting back into it however is super hard but I do love the way my muscles feel the day after. I also realize that my eating habits have got to change. The past few months I have not been eating as well as I should because I've been having a tough time adjusting to my new surroundings and position. Adjustment is just what it is, an adjustment and some take us longer to work through than others.

I hope you don't feel like this is me complaining, it really is not - it is a reminder, for me and possibly you, that adjustments are an exercise in life. For me, I need the physical exercise as well as the mental exercise in order to be at my best in my home and my classroom. I know I am a better teacher when I exercise my body at home. Perhaps that is because I sleep better, perhaps it is because I feel more confident in my own skin, perhaps it is because I don't have a nagging feeling in the back of my head during the day that my pants are too tight or I feel uncomfortable in the clothing I've got on. No matter what, exercise yourself, it will help you as a person and ultimately as a teacher.

Thank you for changing the world one kid at a time. Remember that changes are not bad things but they do take time.