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.
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