Can't Control Everything

No, you can't control everything, but some of us sure do try... Being a husband and a father of four I am constantly in a battle for control. Whether it is my two boys dragging me into their arguments or my three year old telling me "No, I don't want to", with more attitude then should be humanly possible for a person of such a small stature, I am surrounded by a constant tug of war for control. As a middle school teacher, you better believe I am constantly being challenged for control of the classroom. It is apparent that self control is an ongoing challenge for young people... most adults too! So in my quest to maintain control over my life and the lives of people around me, I find that the harder I try the harder it is to keep control. It's like a big blob that I am able to grab, but inevitably, a piece of the blob squeezes out and when I go to grab that piece another piece oozes out somewhere else. So, does that mean we quit trying to direct our lives and the lives of the young people we are responsible for the way we want them to go? No! But I do suggest that you pick your battles and realize that all you can do is focus on the things you have control over. What are some examples in your life? How you do on a test? Your pet dog? How clean your room is? Etc. When the title wave of life is not going your way, find one little thing you can hold onto that is yours that you have control over to get you through storm and in regards to the rest of it, learn to go with the flow and that life is not always about doing what you want to do. And with almost any situation, there is a silver lining, something positive that comes out of a negative situation.

Making Choices

Every waking day we are forced to make choices. What to eat for breakfast, what to wear for the day, how much effort we are going to put into our work, and how we will treat the people around us are just a few of the common choices we make on a regular basis. As an educator of middle school aged children, I am constantly trying to help my students understand that their choices today will affect their future, their future well being and level of success. Like anything, there are some that get it, some that don't and the rest are somewhere between the two. Of course, we are all presented with different choices and opportunities in life, but what we do with those choices and opportunities is up to the individual. Some people have a lot of support, which can help one make good choices and to take advantage of those opportunities. Some people don't have much support at all. Either way, ultimately, your life comes down to you! What are you going to do with the choices you must make? What happens when you make the wrong choice? Are you able to bounce back? Or do you let it get in your way, causing you to continue to make more bad choices? Remember, nobody gets it right 100% of the time. Just try your best and seek out people in your life that can help! Especially on the big choices that come your way.

Hashtags, Following, Likeing, Subscribing... What Does This All Mean?

I know I've written about social media before, but as I have gained more understanding and reasons for using it, I've learned a few things and expanded my use of the various social media outlets. By nature, I am not the most social person in the world, so for me, the use of social media has to be anchored in something a bit more concrete then what I'm up to and my latest random thoughts... Yes, I jumped on the Facebook bandwagon early on. It was fun to "find" friends and old acquaintances that I haven't seen for a long time. It's a great way for me to see what's going on in their lives and to share the big moments of mine. It didn't take long, however, for me to realize that it could also be a way to promote various projects that you are involved in. Whether it be a business or a band, Facebook can be a great place to collect customers or fans, share your latest news and events, and reach mass amounts of people in an instant. My first Facebook "Page" was Multimedia Projects and Designs, which is a page that promotes my own work as a freelance graphics and multimedia designer. I have also started a Balboa Yearbook and Balboa Basketball page, which serve as a way to reach the Balboa Middle School population, keeping them in the loop with our yearbook class and basketball program. We have also created Instagram accounts (@balboayearbook and @balboa_basketball), which I have found to be the most popular social media outlet for the middle school students. Recently, our yearbook class has created The BMS Channel on Youtube as a way to further promote all the great things we are doing in the class... It's really more of a media class, with our Yearbook as our main focus. We also do a DVD Yearbook, a weekly newscast, a monthly video newscast, two newspapers a year, and our "Get Inspired" project. Anyway, in regards to the social media, my newest endeavor is to wrap my head around and use the "hashtags". On Facebook and Instagram, I have started adding the # sign whenever I use the word #BalboaBasketball. When I click on the link it makes, it takes me to all the other posts that have that word and hashtag in it. It's a way to collect posts and pictures on a specific topic, but I am sure there is so much more to it... Like I said, I am still wrapping my head around all of the different social media outlets and the different ways they can be used effectively! It least we can see that social media can be much more than socializing, which in and of itself can be great, but I challenge you to take advantage of the ability to reach people through posts, pictures, and video to share activities, creations, and events that go deeper into who you are and what you are all about.