Tomorrow begins 2011, a brand new year full of new experiences, surprises, and opportunities. In the past, on New Year's Eve, I've reflected on the past year with mainly regrets. Regrets that I didn't find the right boyfriend, the right job, the right friends. I fought with family members, I was unhappy with myself and with those close to me. I longed for the coming year to be better, but I really couldn't specifically visualize what it was that I wanted. I thought that whatever you want to call it, fate, God, was going to either make the coming year a good one, or a bad one. I wasn't in control of my destiny. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen, and I had no say in it.
I have a lot of things going for me. And I have a lot of things that I want to change about my life. This New Year's Eve is different. Because for the first time in my life, I know that I have to power to make this coming year of 2011 awesome. I have a lot of things that I am working on, both professionally and personally, and I plan to set goals for myself and see them through. These are not your typical New Year's resolutions. No, I am definitely going to work on these, not just try to stick with them for a couple of weeks.
So no more feeling sorry for myself. No more blaming my problems on other people. No more missing out on things I want to do because I'm afraid. I'm not afraid anymore to let go of people that I don't love. As Lindsay Lohan said in Mean Girls, I have to "suck all of the poison out of my life". Sometimes the poison is other people. Sometimes the poison is yourself.
I hope that everyone who reads this (which isn't a lot of people but who knows!) I hope that you can find the courage within yourself to make some goals for the coming year and make them happen for yourself, rather than trusting it all to fate.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
:0)
A smile is an interesting thing. Because it means different things to different people and in different situations. If you smile at someone walking down the hallway, you do it to be polite, unless of course they are a good friend and you are genually happy to see them. If you smile during an interview, it's because you want the interviewers to like you and think that you are a happy and positive person who can do great things for their company. My mother is a very happy person with a very positive mindset. She smiles constantly, even when she may be having a tough day, basically because she cares about people and doesn't let herself get wrapped up in her personal problems.
So why do you smile?
Think about how much you smile every day. And when. How do you feel when you smile? Is it genuine, or fake? Are you doing it just to be polite and to make people think you are happy? Some people believe that if you smile enough, even when you are sad, you can actually change your mood from a negative to a positive one. I don't know about that, but maybe we should all try it once in a while.
Michael Jackson's favorite song was "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin. The lyrics tell us to smile even when our hearts are breaking. Some people may look at this song and think, "why would I want to cover up my real emotions? I'm not afraid to show people that I am sad or angry. People who are happy all the time are just fake." If you continue to listen though, you'll see that smiling actually gives you a little bit of hope, that "life is still worthwhile if you just smile." Can a smile expel the darkness like Harry Potter using a patronus charm to scare the dementors away?
We'll just have to find out! :0)
So why do you smile?
Think about how much you smile every day. And when. How do you feel when you smile? Is it genuine, or fake? Are you doing it just to be polite and to make people think you are happy? Some people believe that if you smile enough, even when you are sad, you can actually change your mood from a negative to a positive one. I don't know about that, but maybe we should all try it once in a while.
Michael Jackson's favorite song was "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin. The lyrics tell us to smile even when our hearts are breaking. Some people may look at this song and think, "why would I want to cover up my real emotions? I'm not afraid to show people that I am sad or angry. People who are happy all the time are just fake." If you continue to listen though, you'll see that smiling actually gives you a little bit of hope, that "life is still worthwhile if you just smile." Can a smile expel the darkness like Harry Potter using a patronus charm to scare the dementors away?
We'll just have to find out! :0)
Book Review-Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D
I would first like to say that I would normally never read a book like this. I would never pick it up off the Barnes & Noble table and purchase it, nor would I look for it in the library. However, reading this book was one of the best things I have done in a long time and here's why.
"Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" is written by Carol S. Dweck, a well-known and very knowledgeable psychologist. Her main focus is to introduce readers to two different types of mindsets: the fixed and the growth. People with the fixed mindset believe that everyone is given certain gifts when they are born and as hard as you may try, you can never improve upon those gifts. For example, James Galway, one of the best flautists in the world and one of the most popular, was born with a musical gift. He does practice to maintain his gift, but the knowledge that he posesses of how to play the instrument has always been with him. Very few people, according to those with the fixed mindset, can reach the level of success that James has. People with the growth mindset, on the other hand, believe that through hard work, acceptance of criticism, and the desire to succeed, people can achieve goals that some would consider to be impossible.
How can this book affect teachers, managers, coaches, parents, and students? Everyone either has a fixed or growth mindset. I, for a long time, have believed that I am just okay at certain things and that it is my personality that affects those things. I believed that a personality cannot be changed. After reading this book, I can at least say that I now believe that I can change for the better. That my negative traits are not just something that I have to deal with, but something that I can change.
I do recommend this book for really anyone who is unsatisfied with their life and the "cards they've been dealt" so to speak. I think sometimes it's hard for people to admit that they need help both personally and professionally. I hope that if you do pick up this book, whether you are a teacher or not, that it can seriously improve your outlook on life and yourself.
"Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" is written by Carol S. Dweck, a well-known and very knowledgeable psychologist. Her main focus is to introduce readers to two different types of mindsets: the fixed and the growth. People with the fixed mindset believe that everyone is given certain gifts when they are born and as hard as you may try, you can never improve upon those gifts. For example, James Galway, one of the best flautists in the world and one of the most popular, was born with a musical gift. He does practice to maintain his gift, but the knowledge that he posesses of how to play the instrument has always been with him. Very few people, according to those with the fixed mindset, can reach the level of success that James has. People with the growth mindset, on the other hand, believe that through hard work, acceptance of criticism, and the desire to succeed, people can achieve goals that some would consider to be impossible.
How can this book affect teachers, managers, coaches, parents, and students? Everyone either has a fixed or growth mindset. I, for a long time, have believed that I am just okay at certain things and that it is my personality that affects those things. I believed that a personality cannot be changed. After reading this book, I can at least say that I now believe that I can change for the better. That my negative traits are not just something that I have to deal with, but something that I can change.
I do recommend this book for really anyone who is unsatisfied with their life and the "cards they've been dealt" so to speak. I think sometimes it's hard for people to admit that they need help both personally and professionally. I hope that if you do pick up this book, whether you are a teacher or not, that it can seriously improve your outlook on life and yourself.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Self Improvement
So I would like to take a few minutes and reflect on life and how important it is to continuously improve ourselves, our relationships, and the way we feel about life in general. This is especially important, I believe, for anyone who works in the education world, but of course it applies to basically anyone.
This past week was a really tough one for me. I make some mistakes professionally and I had to go out of my comfort zone to apologize to my principal and it really made me think about myself and how other people perceive me. Ever since high school I've been particularly annoyed when people ask me, "What's wrong?" or "Why aren't you smiling?" or "Are you feeling okay?" I guess I just always panicked a little bit inside whenever someone said something like this because my first instinct is to think that something is wrong with me. And in my world, when people think there is something wrong with you, that's bad. You are inadequate. You aren't good enough. I admit that my facial expressions generally may lead some to believe that I'm angry or sad. I'm just not a very smiley person, and it really takes a lot for me (especially in the morning) to put on a face that reflects how I am feeling inside. I'm not a depressed person in general. But now I'm wondering if this characteristic is affecting my work.
A former principal once told me that teaching is like a dog and pony show. It is up to us teachers to stand up in front of the class and basically put on a show that will engage and inspire students. When I first heard this, I was appalled, because it went against my philosophy of student-focused instruction and the belief that students should be leading the class, not teachers. But now that I am thinking back to that time, there is some truth to it. You do have to put on an act as a teacher. You do have to show up to school with a smile planted on your face, and no matter what, it must stay there until the final bell rings. This is harder for some people than others. I know for sure that this is a challenge that I must accept and face.
Goals for the new year:
1) Reflection. I plan to reflect everyday using this blog. Read it if you wish, but this is going to be very helpful for me to reflect on my daily activities, how I performed at work, how my relationships with others are going, and how I am moving towards reaching my goals. I hope that this will be super-beneficial and will bring a peaceful close to each of my days.
2) Weight. Teachers and paraprofessionals are constantly bombarded with treats in the lounge, in the office, gifts from students, etc. I have lost about 12 pounds in the past 9 months, which might not sound like a lot to you, but for me, it has been the second most successful weight loss in my life (granted I'm only 24 but still). I would like to continue to exercise 3-4 times a week using a variety of methods, perhaps even join a Pilates class or some other workout at the fitness center where I work. I will continue to eat right and semi-follow (cause that's all I am able to do it seems) the Weight Watchers points system.
3) I will try to accomplish a personal goal of reading the Bible by reading a passage each day for the whole of 2011.
This week I will try to sit down and type of a couple of goals I have for myself professionally. As for now, I am going to let it go and enjoy the rest of my night.
By the way, I am starting to enjoy a book given to me this past week called Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck. This book, I think, is going to be so helpful because it is really helping me to pinpoint my weaknesses and refocusing my thinking so that I can work to improve upon those weaknesses.
This past week was a really tough one for me. I make some mistakes professionally and I had to go out of my comfort zone to apologize to my principal and it really made me think about myself and how other people perceive me. Ever since high school I've been particularly annoyed when people ask me, "What's wrong?" or "Why aren't you smiling?" or "Are you feeling okay?" I guess I just always panicked a little bit inside whenever someone said something like this because my first instinct is to think that something is wrong with me. And in my world, when people think there is something wrong with you, that's bad. You are inadequate. You aren't good enough. I admit that my facial expressions generally may lead some to believe that I'm angry or sad. I'm just not a very smiley person, and it really takes a lot for me (especially in the morning) to put on a face that reflects how I am feeling inside. I'm not a depressed person in general. But now I'm wondering if this characteristic is affecting my work.
A former principal once told me that teaching is like a dog and pony show. It is up to us teachers to stand up in front of the class and basically put on a show that will engage and inspire students. When I first heard this, I was appalled, because it went against my philosophy of student-focused instruction and the belief that students should be leading the class, not teachers. But now that I am thinking back to that time, there is some truth to it. You do have to put on an act as a teacher. You do have to show up to school with a smile planted on your face, and no matter what, it must stay there until the final bell rings. This is harder for some people than others. I know for sure that this is a challenge that I must accept and face.
Goals for the new year:
1) Reflection. I plan to reflect everyday using this blog. Read it if you wish, but this is going to be very helpful for me to reflect on my daily activities, how I performed at work, how my relationships with others are going, and how I am moving towards reaching my goals. I hope that this will be super-beneficial and will bring a peaceful close to each of my days.
2) Weight. Teachers and paraprofessionals are constantly bombarded with treats in the lounge, in the office, gifts from students, etc. I have lost about 12 pounds in the past 9 months, which might not sound like a lot to you, but for me, it has been the second most successful weight loss in my life (granted I'm only 24 but still). I would like to continue to exercise 3-4 times a week using a variety of methods, perhaps even join a Pilates class or some other workout at the fitness center where I work. I will continue to eat right and semi-follow (cause that's all I am able to do it seems) the Weight Watchers points system.
3) I will try to accomplish a personal goal of reading the Bible by reading a passage each day for the whole of 2011.
This week I will try to sit down and type of a couple of goals I have for myself professionally. As for now, I am going to let it go and enjoy the rest of my night.
By the way, I am starting to enjoy a book given to me this past week called Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck. This book, I think, is going to be so helpful because it is really helping me to pinpoint my weaknesses and refocusing my thinking so that I can work to improve upon those weaknesses.
Adult/Historical Fiction Book Review-Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
I'd been wanting to read this book for years, and now that I'm done, I'm sorry to say that I was disappointed. However, the concept for the novel is great. Cold Mountain is the story of Inman, an injured soldier fighting for the South in the Civil War, and Ada, his somewhat girlfriend who has lost her father and must learn to fend for herself before the coming winter. Inman decides to desert the Confederates, who by now are obviously going to lose the war, and head home to Ada. Ada is befriended by a rough woman named Ruby who knows everything there is to know about farming, clearing land, and preparing the house and land for winter so that Ada can survive. The POV shifts from Ada to Inman throughout the chapters. Inman meets interesting and comical people throughout his travels. At the end of the novel, Ada and Inman finally meet after spending four years apart, only to suffer the realities of war and life in the end.
On the positive side, I thought the writing of this novel was very beautiful, almost poetic. Charles Frazier obviously put a lot of research into this book, not just in the setting, but in the dialogue, the clothing the characters wore, their mannerisms, what they ate, everything was very true to the times. However, the book definitely dragged, and I really wasn't ever intrigued until the end in the final action sequence.
On the positive side, I thought the writing of this novel was very beautiful, almost poetic. Charles Frazier obviously put a lot of research into this book, not just in the setting, but in the dialogue, the clothing the characters wore, their mannerisms, what they ate, everything was very true to the times. However, the book definitely dragged, and I really wasn't ever intrigued until the end in the final action sequence.
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