Cherie's Random Thoughts

Have you every met a soul that has transformed your life? Your way of thinking? In one of my latest reads, "The Inspired Teacher-How to Know One, Grow One, or Be One" by Carol Frederick Steele, the author does just that.  Millions of teachers every day inspire GREATNESS in their students. Although they are often buried among the teachers who only view their profession as just as job, they often shine like the blazing sun.  In Steele's book, the author describes 13 key things inspired teachers do to help the students they work with and teach. Throughout each chapter she describes four types of teachers who exist in today's schools:  The Unaware Teacher-Self explanatory The Aware Teacher-At the starting gate  The Capable Teacher-Has moved through half the track  The Inspired Teacher-The one that move beyond the finish line long after the race is done Steele provides teachers with thought provoking questions to help guide them towards the pinnacle of teaching

2013 will mark a huge milestone for me: I will turn 40. This video reminds me of a very fact that I have observed over the past decade, we do become happier or content with our lives as we age. I see this every time a speak with my aunt who has reached her "wisdom" years and seems quite content with live.  It's amazing how the more you live, the more you survive, the more you overcome, the more happier you become.  I am not fearful of my years beyond forty as as I get hold, I am embracing all that comes. I joke that every decade you get a new ailment to remind you of your age. This is true but you also gain one more year of wisdom. As we age we hopefully embrace change, handle disappointment gracefully, and understand that passion is necessary for long and fruitful life.  I definitely will live my last year in my third decade on earth with grace and as I cross into the fourth I will do so with spunk, joy, and passion! 

http://www.tietzessyndrome.com/articles/how-to-tell-if-you-have-tietzes-syndrome/ Looking back I have had all of these symptoms on and off for about 5 five year-luckily sporadically. Makes sense and the why does not matter. If the pain does not go away in the next couple of days I will use the x-ray referral the doctor gave me just in case. Caution beware DO NOT ignore your pain, even if   you can still function through it. It's funny just last week I had severe aching in my shoulders and brushed it off as a rough night of sleep, a week later the pain in under my breast began and hence my visit to the doctor. Maybe those two visits to the ER between 2007-2008 for chest pain were the beginnings of this. Makes sense: three deaths, losing your passion for your work (temporarily), and a body that is always busy could do it. In addition, to a cat who insist in walking across your chest. Either way I will keep a key on it and be more mindful of the signals my body gives me.

Ben Dunlap talks about a passionate life Isabel Allende tells tales of passion Passionate living both in work and play is necessary to live a full life. Without passion people often just go through the motions in life, never truly finding true happiness along the life. The passionate individual is a life-long learner who continually seeks to learn new things, meet new people, and at times move outside their box. When we live passionately we understand that every day is a gift and we rarely waste it (unless it is time for our routine tune-up called "rest".) Passionately living requires that you love to tell and hear a great story. Although life will often send us HUGE WRENCHES that often DETOUR us from "passionate living", it is the passionate one who bounces back! Those that do not often never do!

P rofessional Capital-Transforming Teaching in Every School by Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan is one of the best educational books I have read in the past10 years. Professional Capital brings professionalism in the field of education to the forefront. The authors introduce the reader to the concept of professional capital and how teachers are at the heart of this type of capital. Competing views of teachers are discussed in great detail. Within the discussion of competing views, the authors discuss how business capital and professional capital differ in their views of teaching.  In addition, the authors discuss the concept of "Teaching Like a Pro". The following excerpt from the book sums up what is the heart of being a pro in education: "Teaching like a pro is about improving as an individual, raising the performance of the team, and increasing quality across the whole profession" (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012, p. 23). Stereotypes of teaching are discuss

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