10-26-2018

Mary’s Minute

“Live your life and forget your age.”

                                                           ~ Norman Vincent Peale

I just finished reading Ed Whitcomb’s third book that he wrote about sailing solo around the world.  He began the journey in his 70s and completed the goal 10 years later right before he settled in Perry County.  (I highly recommend Cilin II: A solo Sailing Odyssey: The Closest Point to Heaven.)

He began the journey after he had served as Governor of Indiana and retired from a successful career as an attorney.  He was feeling lost in life when he decided to sail the Greek Islands. Circumferencing the earth became a goal shortly after he began sailing in the Mediterranean and met others who were on such a journey.

I was inspired by his story.  Although I loved reading about his adventures, most of what I appreciated is that age was not a factor in his decision or his drive. 

I had a similar reaction when I read an autobiography of my great aunt.  In her 50s she retired and moved across the country.  Her “retirement” didn’t last long, as she soon started a booming business.

Ed Whitcomb and my Aunt Eleanore didn’t focus on their age, but rather on living.  Maybe not so coincidentally, they both lived into their late nineties. Age is just a number, and life is a wonderful adventure regardless of our number.

        

                                                                         Have a great week!

                                                                                           Mary

10-12-2018

Mary’s Minute

“Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going.”

                                                                 ~ Tennessee Williams

Have you ever thought about the difference between memory and memories?  On Bloom’s Taxonomy remembering is considered a very low level skill.  We strive to push our students to higher order thinking, going beyond simply remembering to analyzing and creating.  Memories can be so rich that they go beyond simple low-level remembering of facts, evoking emotions that push us to higher levels of thinking.

I remember a lot from my days in school, at least I assume that is where I learned many basic skills I use today.  Memories from my school days are different.  I don’t have many, but the ones I have are powerful.  One of my memories is of my senior English teacher, Mrs. Gondring doing a scene for the class as Lady MacBeth.  It is a memory that far exceeds anything I could have been asked to remember by spewing facts on a test. 

A keen memory is nice – it can be helpful for high stakes tests, trivia games and being thoughtful on special dates. I think what is more important than memory is memories.  In our own life and with our students, our real success may come not in remembering, but in creating memories that bridge the emotional and intellectual.

                                                  Have a great fall break!

                                                                                      Mary

10-5-2018

Mary’s Minute

“There is no truth. There is only perception.”  

                                                                          ~ Gustave Flaubert

We often say and do things with one intent, but ultimately what counts is how what we say or do is interpreted.  If we have love in our hearts, but the person we are talking to interprets what we say as being negative, the negativity is what is spread.  I was giving my son some advice about how what he says comes across to people, he asked, “Is that what it means or what they interpret it to mean?”  My response was that it doesn’t matter. 

We may have the best lesson planned and think we are saying all the right things to our students, but ultimately what counts is their interpretation.

We care deeply about our students and people around us, but sometimes what we say or do can be interpreted differently. In the end, perception is reality. 

The lesson in this phenomena of understanding is two-fold. First, we when we express ourselves we need to not only consider what we are saying but consider how what we say is interpreted. Second, as receivers of information, we need to strive to seek true understanding which can beyond initial perceptions to a deeper understanding of the person’s intent. My hope is that we always give each other the benefit of the doubt by assuming the intention was a positive one. 

                                                                  Have a great week!

                                                                                         Mary

9-28-2018

Mary’s Minute

“The more you know about yourself, the more patience you have for what you see in others.”

                                                                                        ~ Erik Erikson

The act of empathy is a powerful lens to see the world.  When we understand how others are feeling, we are better able to help.  A giant step in being empathetic is knowing ourselves.    We live with ourselves 24-7, and some of us having been living with ourselves for many years!  Still, how much time do we take to think about who we are, what makes us happy, how we relate to others, what are our strengths, what are our weaknesses? 

We can get to know ourselves by allowing some quiet time to reflect on questions and maybe time to just be.  Time spent in reflection will pay off as we learn about ourselves, and then translate that into patience with others. 

For instance, if we discover that it makes us happy when people compliment us, we will be more likely to compliment others.  When we realize that we learn better when we are given quiet time, we are more likely to give our students the space they need. 

We are all connected.  Our actions affect others, whether we like it or not.  We want to be patient with others, and the first step to that is knowing ourselves.

                                                          Have a great week!

                                                                                           Mary

9-24-2018

Mary’s Minute

"80 percent of success is just showing up"

                                                            —Woody Allen

The best advice I try to give students heading off to college is, “Go to class.”  College can be a pretty tough adjustment, and university level coursework is difficult, not to mention the challenges of newfound freedom.  College students who simply show up are well on their way to success – Woody Allen would say 80% there. 

The Department of Education and the Perry Central School Board have declared September as Attendance Awareness Month.  Showing up matters.  Teachers know that students who often struggle the most are the ones who are not present.  We know that habits formed early carry over to adulthood, and employers tell us that attendance is one of their top challenges.

Just like our students, we all have reasons why we need to miss work, but just like our students it is important that we remember showing up matters.  Students learn more when they are in school.  As employees we have a greater impact when we are here.  When students miss class, it not only hurts them, but it hurts their classmates as the teacher is forced to spend time catching up.  The same is true for employees; when we miss work, it puts a burden on our co-workers. 

Life is not always easy.  Our work with our students is challenging.  It is reassuring to know that we are well on our way to success, simply by showing up.  Thanks for all you do!

                                          

                                                            Have a great week!

                                                                         Mary

        

                                

9-14-2018

Mary’s Minute

“When you spend your time worrying, you’re simply using your imagination to create things you don’t want.”

                                                                       ~ Shannon L. Adler

The Boy Scout motto is to be prepared, and part of that means anticipating what can go wrong.  How do we balance, anticipating the bad that can be possible in order to avoid it, and filling our mind with negativity?  Worry is dwelling on the things we don’t want to happen and that are often out of our control.

Our imaginations are powerful tools for creating possibilities.  The talk inside our heads becomes the fodder for what we believe and how we behave.

When worry fills our minds, with the wheels spinning about all that can go wrong, we are wasting powerful thought that could be creating new ideas and events. 

We often say to ourselves or others, “Don’t worry,” but in reality it isn’t a switch we can turn off.  We can, however, fill our minds with possibilities of good whether than defeatist options.  When you find yourself, sleepless imagining the worst case scenario, instead imagine the best case scenario and envision what that would look like.  Focus on the things we can control and imagine the very best.

There are times when we need to put on our Scout hat in order to think of the negative possibilities in order to prepare, but it is important to trade that cap for our thinking caps most of the time, as we imagine all the great things that are possible when we let our imaginations take over.

                                                                    Have a great week!

                                                                                     Mary

9-7-2018

Mary’s Minute

“When I am an old woman I shall wear purple.”

                                                                ~ Jenny Joseph

People who know me, know that purple is probably my least favorite color, but I love this excerpt from the Jenny Joseph poem, that expresses how as we get older we are better able to express ourselves. 

As we become older we are less concerned about what people think and are able to live life without worry of judgment.  Part of that is maturity, and maybe part of it is gaining courage. 

Courage to take risks without a fear of failure is the kind of courage that we have as babies learning to walk and talk, not fearful of making mistakes.  During our middle years we lose that sense of bravery, fearing judgment of others. 

The older we get perhaps the more comfortable we become in our own skin, less fearful of making mistakes. 

I doubt I my closet becomes filled with shades of lavender, but I do know that with age I am okay being me.  I have come to grips with what is important to me and how I can influence others to in some tiny way make the world a better place.  I know I will continue to stumble, but my blunders don’t hurt my feelings nearly as much as they once did.  Whatever age you are, I hope that you can “wear purple.”

           

                                                                 Have a great week!

                                                                                       Mary