Thanksgiving

Today in class I asked students to give thanks for the teachers that have made a difference in their lives.  They were given some stationary and asked to write a thank you letter (or two) to one of their teachers.  Based on the reaction I saw upon delivering these letters...this is a very valuable activity.  Teachers work HARD!  They invest themselves, intellectually, emotionally, even spiritually to help the youth of our nation grow.  It is so nice to know that our efforts are appreciated.  I have kept every note, card, letter that I have ever received from a student and in my darkest moments - when I wonder if I'm having any impact at all - I look through these treasures and it refuels the passion that I have for my work. 

Take a moment today to give thanks - for all the people who have supported you!!  It will make their day!

What would you take...

After hearing about the terrible typhoon in the Philippines last week I got to thinking...what possessions would I want to take with me if I had to flee my home?  I thought it would be an interesting question to pose to the students...

In an impending natural disaster (assuming that family members and pets are all going to be fine), what is the one thing you would grab on your way out the door...

My first thought is my personal identification (birth certificate, social security card), my next thought is my guitar or a deck of cards to help pass the time and bond with strangers...

My favorite student responses...

• A chainsaw (for the zombies or firewood or whatever)
• Money
• Food
• My Bible
• Family photos
• My piano?
• A phone charger (I wouldn't have to grab my phone cause it's physically attached to my body at all times!)
• My Nintendo DS
• Mac 'n' Cheese
• A blanket
• My survival kit (a prepackaged stash with food, water, emergency first aid kit...)
• My bike (so I could get around after all the cars run out of gas)
• My sword! (?) (Me - Do you really have a sword?  Student - Yeah.)
• A bear trap (Me - Do you really have a bear trap?  Student - Yeah.)
• My pants! (Me - good idea!)

If your home and all of your possessions would be gone the next day, what's the one thing YOU would grab on your way out the door??

100 words every freshman should know

I stumbled on a blog the other day that had lists of words... the one that caught me eye, since I work with a lot of high school freshmen was 100 Words Every Freshman Should Know. I thought it would be interesting to see how many of these words my freshmen actually know...
 Words like...

• marsupial
• nocturnal
• immune
• decorum
• particle
• fallacy

How many of these words do you know?

The more words you know, the easier it is to comprehend written language.  Many high school textbooks are written at a college reading level!!  School can be very challenging if you don't have the academic vocabulary to succeed.  We may start having a word of the day - from this list... Or maybe we'll save that for the English teacher!!  :-)

Choosing Positive Influences

Think about the people that you are closest to...

Maybe it's your best friend, your boyfriend/girlfriend, a sibling, a parent...

Choose two or three people in your life and, on a piece of paper, answer these questions...

1) Is this person a good influence in your life - how?

2) Is this person a bad influence in your life - how?

It is entirely possible for someone to be both!

 Discussion:  Do you have "friends" that you sometimes wish you weren't friends with?  Do you have friends that might not really care much about you?  Do you have friends that bring nothing but chaos and drama to your life?  Why are you friends with them??

Why are you friends with the people you are friends with?  Did you get to know them, realize you had a lot in common and choose to become friends?  Have you known them so long you don't even remember how you became friends?  Do you participate in the same activities?  Do you have friends in common, which automatically makes you friends by association?  Are your friends a positive or negative factor in your life?

We all have positive influences and negative influences in our lives...

It can be very difficult to sever relationships with people, even when you know it is not a healthy relationship.  Especially when you are young, if you see them all the time, or if they are friends with other people you spend time with.  The older you get, the easier it becomes to choose who will be present in your life and who you will spend time with.

In the mean time - you don't have to turn your back on these people.  Just BE AWARE.  Know who the positive influences are.  Who helps you make good decision, who supports you and will be there for you?  Who brings stress and anxiety into your life?  Who encourages you to make bad decisions?  Pay attention to these influences and be aware of the people in your life.