Cherie's Random Thoughts

In a Mark and Angel Hack Life article entitled, "18 Great Reminders When You're Having a Bad Day"  the authors reminds us what can be born out of our frustration or bad days. As an educator who finds themselves between three worlds, the fall season tends to be a "season of frustration." Unmet expectations, whining, illness, and life stuff can take its toll and make a person wonder what is the point. Then I am reminded by articles like this what matters most to an educator: Improving the lives of their students and making the world a better place in the process. This article makes some great points about what we should reflect on when we have a bad day. They are absolutely right-it begins with our attitude. If your attitude is one of fear and looking over shoulder you will most likely do this through many of your bad days. If your attitude is one where you believe change will occur, you will mostly receive the change you seek. Bad days are back door blessings...

Re-envisioning Career and Technical Education | American Federation of Teachers The above article brings light the importance of career and technical education programs. As an early childhood professor, I know all too well how effective these programs can be. CTE programs allow students to come out of high school ready to enter the workforce at entry level. In today's economy, this is extremely important for students. In addition, CTE students often can receive college credit for the some of their coursework done in high school. This can be anywhere from 6-9 credits, which the equivalent of three credit college level courses or half of a full-time semester. I hope the federal and state governments continue to fund these programs as well as help build a bridge between high school, work, and college. I fondly remember the opportunity I had in high school to participate in a CTE inspired program in high school. During my last year of high school, I was able to spend one semeste...

Taking a Me-Day | Psychology Today : Over the past two decades, I have learned how important "Me-Days" are to maintaining our overall wellbeing. Religiously I begin and end my day with me day. Each day's ritual may vary but usually includes reading, listening to music, viewing inspirational videos, or simply being still. When I fail to incorporate "Me-Days" into my weekly routine, I find that my normally healthy body begins to exhibit signs of acute or chronic stress. As an educator and woman, it is essential that I master the art of a Me-Day and would encourage all who not only care about their wellbeing, but others to do the same. 'via Blog this'

The ten top habits of those that live a long life are simple and true, yet we tend to resist making them a reality in our lives. As I reviewed this list, I saw that currently I have eight pretty much down and I am hunting down #1 as we speak. What is number one you ask? Avoiding Stress. Yes, avoiding stress when it is possible is key to a longer life. Over the past 20 years of my life, I have learned how stress can affect your life in very negative ways. Many of which can lead to a premature death, such as increased blood pressure and increase in your weight. Since July I have committed myself to find ways to lower my stress, avoid stress when at all possible, and put into place a plan to make me resilient against the effects of stress. At 41, I aspire to live to 100. I have 50/50 percent chance of doing so but it will depend on what I do with the next 20 years of my life.

This article,  Gallup Poll Finds 70 Percent of Americans Favor More Federal Funding for Pre-K , signifies the importance of having more funding for Pre-K. 70% percent want it according to the poll, yet we continue to struggle to obtain funding that will make quality pre-k a reality for all children in the U.S. The 70 percent should ask the following questions of those that make the decisions about funding: 1) Why hasn't full funding become a reality? 2) Are we in the business of building a society that is destined to be incarcerated either in prison, a hospital, or poverty or would we much rather invest making sure the young children of today become productive citizens of the future?

Corporate eLearning Strategies and Development: 21st Century Learning - Let's Leave 20th Century E... : I'd like to restate something I've learned over the years living through and participating in the latest significant historical,... Great blog on the importance of letting go and learning from the past. As we are past the mid-point of 14th year into the 21st Century, I am amazed at the resistance of some educators to hold on to old ways of thinking. True education occurs through our ability to embrace change and create new opportunities. It is difficult to place a square peg (20th century) into a circle (21st Century). Resist the urge to hold on and purge.

Are Healthier School Lunches Winning Over Students? - Education Week The above article shows that students will eat healthier lunches. It just takes time. I remember when the debate began regarding purging student lunches of unhealthy foods, many believed that it could not be done. They believe that students would never eat the lunches. We must remember building healthy eating habits takes time and does not happen overnight. We can no longer afford giving students foods that will potentially lead to health issues that will shorten their life.