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Give first, no matter what

Today and this season is a time that more than ever people give to family, friends and to charity. Everyone is moved by the generosity not only to themselves but the stories we hear about caring for others.

There is a mentality though that leads people to that happiness throughout the year. It is a mentality of abundance. This attitude that there is more than enough for us to share with others, that the more we share the more we will have, that whatever it is that we give we receive in return in abundance. When we give with generosity with this abundance mentality, what we give away will multiply.

What we give may be in physical gifts, especially for those in need of the basics, but they may also be in an attitude of gratitude. The simple smile, verbal or written thank you note, an act of kindness are all gifts that we can make and teach our children about.

There is more than enough for all of us. Stephen Covey wrote about recognizing that we should think about making the pie bigger by giving more, rather than being worried about us getting a bigger piece of the pie.

Do you believe like I do that if we are generous with our resources, that we will not run out of resources? Practice giving – no matter what your circumstances may be.

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8 Steps to Prevent Bullying in the Classroom for Teachers

Every teacher has their own classroom management procedures and they no doubt will fit their particular personality.  The skills listed below are very general principles that apply to any method that you may choose and will have beneficial affects on the classroom and the students as well as the teachers morale.

Rearranging the Environment: There are some personalities that should not sit next to each other in a learning environment.  There may be, depending on the age other arrangements that can be made too, like sitting in a circle or huddled up with the teacher that may be affective.  How we line the kids up or transitions in the class can all be looked at to see if there may be another way for them to be done to reduce bullying.

Establishing Clear Classroom Rules: Setting expectations for students is important so there is no doubt in their mind of what their conduct should be in this environment.   Some may choose to have a set of rules and others may have a single principle that they attempt to live by like, “Do unto others……,  In my classroom I use single words.  Respect, Discipline, Control and Focus are my favorite. They can be asked simply by saying “Does that show respect?”

Being Consistent: Consistencies take on two aspects.  The first is, if you have a rule it must apply to all the children.  That does not mean that you are not sensitive to students who may have special needs.  But in a kind manner the rules and the consequences should be meted out equally.  Second is our own behavior.  As instructors we should demonstrate for our students how to treat others with respect.   We must demonstrate the discipline and control we want them to show.  Students will look at our example to see if we bully or not. Continue reading “8 Steps to Prevent Bullying in the Classroom for Teachers”

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Do Not Neglect Your Family in the Name of Success

Developing our personal meaning of success and then planning and acting on those plans is something that happens for individuals at different times in their lives.  For me I knew what success would mean, helping others and especially young people.  In so doing, as I got older I realized that it meant helping young parents too.

One thing I have learned on this journey though is that most important while on our path is our family.   I have seen some who have sacrificed their own family for reaching personal goals, and quite frankly it is never for the best.  There have been very few people in the world who have been successful without the support of a strong and close family.

Having those strong relationships continue to remind you what is really important.  It was when having our first child that I really started to develop my present idea of what my goals in life were and what success looked like for me.  It is with those relationships that I am really able to enjoy the journey and share the benefits with them.  So if you have a family, be sure that you are not neglecting them as you pursue your goals, career and service to others.

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Parents and Teacher Can Correct the Bully Problem in School and at Home

Setting ourselves up for success both as parents and a teachers requires first that we recognized the A,B, C’s of both the good and bad behaviors that we want to either change or continue.  Lets look at what that means:

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2011: Success is not perfection

As we draw near to the end of this year many of us are looking back at the year to see where we succeeded and reached the goals we set for ourselves and where we failed to do so.  Lester Thurlow once said, ” You can lose, or, if you want to win, you can change.”

As we make plans for this new year, as we set goals, one of the goals we should avoid is creating the perfect plan or even trying to reach that ultimate goal.  I once had a business coach that kept telling me that if I had the product 70% ready I should roll it out.  Don’t wait till you have it perfect.  I think I understand that now.  If you want to succeed, you are never finished.  Success is in the journey, it is in the process.

Every time you fail, it simply gives you another opportunity to begin again, to be better than last time.  It is simply a milestone on your road to success.  We do not have to be perfect, we simply have to continue to adjust and keep moving.  If we surround ourselves with those that expect more of you than you do yourself we will stay on the success journey.

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Lunar Eclipse Reminds Us To Appreciate Our Lives

Last night one of the most interesting solar events took place.  It was a lunar eclipse, which in and of itself is not that unusual, but becomes more unusual when you realize that it fell on the winter solstice.  The last time that happened was hundreds of years ago, say 372 years to be exact and will not happen again till 2094.  I am pretty sure I will not be here in the flesh at that time so……

At 3 AM I was awakened to go out in the cold and observe.  Though I stayed only for a few minutes, the photo I have featured here is what I saw. (I did not take this photo)  It was amazing and inspiring.  I would have liked to have stayed up to watch the entire event, as the sky was clear and the stars bright, but it was not happening that morning.  (There are many mornings that 3:30 is my wake up time)

Observing the solar system in this manner, or nature in general, has always inspired me to think Continue reading “Lunar Eclipse Reminds Us To Appreciate Our Lives”