You Say You "Want It", But What Are You Going to "Do" About It?

As a middle school teacher and father of four, I hear all too often the phrase, "I want to...". Wether it's "be a pop star" or "get an A in a class", "be in the NBA" or "be a video game designer", it doesn't matter what you "want" to do, what matters is, are you going to do the work it takes to reach your goal(s). It is so easy to imagine the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but to get there, there is a long, tough journey with hard work and determination as the only map to go by. Skill along with some natural ability is usually the formula for success, i.e. Michael Jordan. We can't change what we are born with or without, however, we can improve our skill through regular practice and effort. If you really want something, then make sure you are spending time to work towards your goal(s), daily!

Coming Down the Home Stretch

As the fourth quarter of yet another successful school year is beginning, it is time to pull up those education boot straps, dig in, and knock it out of the park! What? "home stretch", "boot straps", "knock it out"... What does all that really mean. Well, with 3 quarters of the year gone, it's almost time to take all of that learning that we've accomplished and "show 'em what you know". With State Testing around the corner, millions of hard working students will be grinding out a bunch of multiple choice questions in the never ending quest to assess our successes or failures. Whether you think our education system is broken or just fine, it is important to take a moment to recognize that our young people do work hard and considering the challenges many of them face, it is important to see that there is a lot of positive learning  and success on a daily basis throughout our public and private schools. Too often we focus on the negative... So with about two months to go my message to our students is; good job and keep up the good work!!! Hopefully you realize that what you are doing now is as much for your future as it is the future of the society you live in.

Opportunities

As a middle school teacher, I have the opportunity to see a slice of society in its raw form. Young people are definitely not all the same... Being that I am a project based computer teacher, my students work on their projects during class. During those days that I am not instructing, they have the opportunity to get their work done. I often take advantage of the time to grade projects or work with students individually and at the same time I am observing my class. It's interesting, because about half of the students are locked in and focused and half are easily distracted and become overly social. Those students just don't understand that they are wasting their time and their opportunity to get their work done is slipping away. Those are the same students that usually don't get a decent grade on their projects. I am hoping that through direction and conversation, they will begin to learn that every opportunity that they don't take advantage of, somebody else is and that somebody is getting ahead... Life is very competitive... If you want to be successful and live a good life, take advantage of your opportunities while they last.

Here We Go Again...

So it's been awhile, again... OK, OK, I know, I need to be more consistent. Well do I? Either way, I am writing now and that's all that matters. Why? What's on my mind you might ask... Way too much to express in a blog, but I will say, that just getting something down matters. This is what leads to more productivity and creativity. I guess the topic for today is to push through and get the job done with the best attitude and effort possible, despite what ever it is that may be holding you back. This is a theme I've been dealing with on a personal level as well as a professional level. Especially with the basketball teams that I coach. The bottom line is, in relationships, jobs, teams, etc. nobody is going to keep giving you breaks if you let the troubles in your life affect your effort and attitude. If you can't solve or deal with your personal problems before you get to work, you may not have a job to work at. If you can't take care of it before you step on the court, you may not get to step out onto the court. If you can't take care of it before you hang out with somebody you care about, you may not have someone to hang out with...

Sometimes we just have to suck it up and make the most of things!!!

OK, I'm back and I'm motivated... Hopefully that lasts!