Sometimes being vulnerable and taking a risk in front of our students is the best thing educators can do. I have decided to go on a writing journey with my students through the use of this blog. They each have a blog, and we will all post a weekly blog to tell stories, communicate ideas, make arguments, and expand our horizons. One of the questions I ask myself on a daily basis is, how can I make myself better today? No, I’m not upset with who I am as a husband, father, teacher, and friend, but it’s about being the best that I can be. It’s about embracing the process, working doggedly toward our goals and our passions and developing strong relationships along the way. My students and I will share our passions, goals, successes, and failures through our blogs. We will continue to work toward developing higher character, which means demonstrating more kindness, more gratitude, and more persistence. We will work toward developing these qualities while chasing our passions and developing a keener sense of our purpose.
My goals for the blog posts will be to give students a glimpse into my writing and thinking process, as well as a glimpse into what drives me. It may be a narrative of a trip I’ve taken, a goal I have, a sporting event, movie, or book that stirred my emotions. Please join me on this journey as I learn to grown every day. In the meantime, while I’m excited for the next school year, I am relishing the opportunity to spend time with my family this summer, play some golf, relax, read, and recharge for what I know is going to be an amazing 2018-2019 school year!
I gave my class the following prompt this week: Is it better to say the right thing or do the right thing? Or, in other words, do actions speak louder than words? Many times during our class discussions students have brought up that it is so hard to be kind and do the right thing sometimes. However, they do not give themselves enough credit. The field trip last Friday illustrated this beautifully. Last Friday, all of the seniors took a trip to Lorain County Community College for some climbing, high ropes, and team building. There were nerves, fear of heights (including yours truly), and excitement to get out of the classroom. Some students were literally shaking at the thought of climbing to high heights in front of their peers. Some resisted participation at first. Even I was not eager to give it a go. However, something magical began to happen as the students were taking on the various challenges. They began to cheer for, encourage, and motivate each other to higher heights. You coul...
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