As I have mentioned in a previous post, I am a science teacher 187+ days of the year. I do it because I want to. Most days are fun and challenging. However, many days may go before you know that you have made any progress. Today was a validation day of some things I have taught my students.

I do love my students and enjoy their banter but I am a pretty structured teacher. My boundaries with my students are very clear and most students do not cross them.

Today my students were taking their last test for me. It was a short vocabulary test and should have been a snap for these almost 6th graders.

During one of my classes, while the students were reviewing, a 4th grade teacher asked if I would come to the hall to talk to her. It seemed one of her boys was not being the most pleasant person that day. You might say he wasn’t making good choices. The teacher asked if Johnny could sit in my class a while and do his work.

This was going to be my student next year and I saw a chance to teach a boundary early. Also, this may have allowed me to establish a productive bond with an incoming student. I invited Johnny into my room and sat him down. I introduced him to my students and explained that he was visiting us for a while. Johnny looked awfully small compared to my almost 6th graders but his eyes were huge.

Then I asked my almost 6th graders to tell Johnny some things about my class and what to expect next year. What I heard almost floored me.

My almost 6th graders began respectfully taking turns describing their experience in my class this year. Adjectives like tough and fair were used. The almost 6th graders elaborated on our rhythms and routines and how I didn’t tolerate misbehavior. They told a few tales of figuratively head butting with me and I ALWAYS won. They talked about the different consequences of crossing the boundaries. Little Johnny was wide eyed and soaking it in.

My point was made but I didn’t want to leave a negative impression in little Johnny’s head.

Then I asked my almost 6th graders to tell Johnny about the things we have done and are going to do in the next few weeks. My students told stories of our past lab experiences with amazing detail and clarity. They also talked about our Cardboard Regatta next week and the Egg Drop the week after that. The almost 6th graders were having a hard time restraining their excitement. Little Johnny soaked this in as well.

After a while of Johnny working and my kids finishing their test I escorted Johnny back to his teacher. While we walked I explained my expectations for next year and I wanted him to share with his classmates. He agreed to.

On my way back to my group I was rehashing what had just happened. I spent 8 months teaching these almost 6th graders. Somehow, somewhere they grew up. They came in as small and meek as Johnny and now they are big kids. Not only that, but, these grown up kids were saying the exact things to Johnny that I had taught them and they were doing it well. They were teaching another student. Today I am a proud teacher. Mission accomplished.

Very frustrating. I don’t usually loose things. In my house there is a place for everything. We de-cluttered several years ago so there is no problem with loosing things in the junk. I do admit to having specific stacks of paperwork but no trinkets and stuff around the house.

However, now, I have really lost something I want back and I can’t find it.

The item in question is my MP3 player. This past Christmas my wife got me some great ear buds for it. I love to listen to some heavy Jim Rohn or Denis Waitley on my way to work. Those guys get my blood rushing and ready for another day with the kids.

Ok, I will admit that, occasionally, I will crank up some old school Boston or AC-DC on the player but I do try to save that until the end of the day.

It doesn’t matter what is on it now, I just can’t find the thing. I wish it had a GPS or a clapper on it, or something similar.

I am sure I will find it someday, but I sure need my fix of motivation and inspiration before my perspiration these days.

Any suggestions on how to find it?

I teach science to kids 10-12 years old. Our school year is 187 days. Towards the end of the year I have to administer the state mandated test to them to prove that I have done my job and my students have learned what we all worked so hard for.

Some of our days I spend time motivating my students and providing more reasons it is important to learn science concepts and how this may help them in their future. When I have to give those lessons it is a reminder to me as well of how important science is to all of our lives.

Just about everything you touch, use, and consume all day is due to science. Your house and where you lay your head at night has been improved through science. The safety of your car and neighborhood is due to science discoveries and improvements. The food you eat and the medicines you take are also due to science.

It is true that most of my students will not have future employment in a science field but I cannot impress on them enough that their lives will always be dramatically affected by science. I believe the more they understand about basic science concepts the easier their life will be. I also believe this applies to all of us as well.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my corner of the World Wide Web.

Cleburne Springfest 2012 is scheduled for April 28 at the town square. The Springfest is sponsored by the Downtown Cleburne Association. It’s a great family event in a very scenic downtown setting.

The Crud Cruiser will return to Cleburne, TX on May 12. The Crud Cruiser is where residents can take their household chemicals for safe disposal.

Frank Kent Honda is giving a free Honda Civic LX away to some lucky senior at a Ft. Worth ISD high school. In a program they call Words for Wheels they will accept essays from eligible 2012 graduates. Then they will decide which writer has earned the car and the lucky writer will win a free Honda. Deadline is April 30. Better get to writing!

http://wordsforwheels.com/

I only recently decided to give Toastmasters a try. I like to challenge myself in personal development. I hold no aspirations of becoming a nationally known speaker but I do wish to improve my communication skills. I have been a member of this group about 3 months and they are a great group of people. We are called Top Notch Toastmasters 825. Right now we have about 15 members. We have added about 6 new members since January 1. This may be something that you included in your New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe it is something that you need to advance your career. Come on out on March 14, 2012 and try out a meeting. You may be pleasantly surprised.

You can see more about our group here: Top-Notch-Toastmasters

Eric Thomas tells it like it is.

A word I have been using for the last several months has been recently shot back at me. The word is discipline. Discipline, to me, means self-control. This is something I taught to my child and I teach to my students. Sure, there is a time for letting loose just as there is a time for self-control.

I have to admit, I don’t have the discipline I used to. Not sure if it’s because of age or achieving levels of comfort or a combination of both. I used to work many days 12-16 hours a day. I would work 10 hours at my job and come home and work 4 hours on my project car of the day. The pace kept me in shape and out of trouble.

Now, due to discipline, I have obtained possessions that provide me comfort. Maybe even too much comfort. The comfort makes me lazy and, most days, I don’t like it.

So I seem to have lost discipline to get up and out of the easy chair. I have lost the self-control that makes me driven, hungry for more success. Now, the type of self-control I am struggling with is very similar to what our nation is struggling with.

Our society has worked hard and achieved global success. We LOVE success. However, that success breeds contentment. That contentment makes us desire the status quo and to become lazy.

I teach my kids that, in life, if you don’t control yourself you give up control of your life to someone else. If you don’t have the self-discipline to get up out of the chair and work hard for something then you get what life gives you.

Ahh, therein lies the problem. We don’t want to get up and work for something but we don’t like what life is giving us. Waaaahhh. I can hear the crying now.

“We don’t have any more success coming our way, it must be someone else’s fault.”

“Let me see who I can blame for where I am in life right now.”

“I think I will write a blog or tweet about how wronged I am.”

We, me included, need to grow up and pull up our britches. We need to quit bitching and get to work. If you are busy working you don’t have time to look around at what you don’t have, you learn to make the best of what you do have.

Good luck to all.

It’s the season to be thankful and I do believe we should pause and count our blessings.  Things that I am thankful for:

My fantastic wife of 26 years.  It has been a great 26 years.

My amazing daughter.  It was fun raising her and i love the young lady she has grown into.

My kids at school.  They give me the motivation to get up everyday and really look forward to the day.

The friends in my life.  Each one of you bless me in ways you cannot imagine.

I am thankful to be healthy and productive.  I am thankful that my dad is getting past his health challenges.  I am thankful for the internet, it has allowed me to find old friends and keep up with current ones.  I am thankful for another year of opportunities.  I am thankful for lessons learned and lessons yet to be learned.

I am thankful for living in the greatest country in the world and the best state in the USA.

I am sure there are things I have forgotten.  It’s been a great run and I can’t hardly wait to see what tomorrow brings.