Positive, Reflective, And Ready to Grow...: 2012

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Words of Inspiration and Motivation..

“... People with great passions, people who accomplish great deeds, people who possess strong feelings, even people with great minds and a strong personality, rarely come out of good little boys and girls.”
-- Lev S. Vygotsky

"What children can do with the assistance of others might be in some sense even more indicative of their mental development than what they can do alone."
-- Lev S. Vygotsky

"If you live long enough, you'll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you'll be a better person. It's how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit."
--President Clinton

"I still believe in a place called Hope."
--President Clinton

"I think my passion comes from wanting to make a difference."
--Raymond Hernandez

"It's not all about you. You gotta take your ego out of it and think about what's best for this child."
--Renatta Cooper

"What keeps me engaged is that we're not there yet with any of them."
--Renatta Cooper

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Another Quote...
Funny College Ecard: I am a teacher first, last, always!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Can you tell who is who? My sister and me in the early 90s.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Being Sick :-(

Being sick is awful but playing catch-up is even worse :-(

Trying this Blogging Thing Out

Well... Here's a go. I've never had a blog before and I am finding it extremely difficult to manipulate the template/layout the way I want to but.. it's up and it's working so I can't complain. If you are reading this, I am guessing I did it right. Maybe I'll do a little more exploring and make some additions later but for now, ENJOY! :-)

Now, to figure out this RSS Feed thingy majiger (sp?)

Personal Childhood Web

Georgia, my grandmother. I called her Belle. She always expressed her for love me through her actions and words. Even though she couldn't walk, due to two hip replacements, I can remember her baking for me as a little girl. She always told everyone she had a chance to talk to about how proud she was of her baby. Now that she is gone, I am still motivated to do my best in all that I do because I know how proud it would make her.
Rocky, my father. He’s quite a character. He’s always had a way of telling me when I was wrong but in a loving way where I understood and didn’t feel the need to get defensive. Even if I was wrong, he supported me. He worked 30 minutes away from our community, but whenever there was something going on, he was there. I can remember him sitting in the grass with me one afternoon for Field Day in his dress pants and shirt. He taught me how to set goals and work towards them, along with changing flat tires and the spark plugs on my car. You know, like the other girls were doing at my age. Because of him, I am a very independent individual. And even today, when I’m not quite sure what move to make, I go to him to advice and suggestions. Sometimes I take the advice but even when I don’t, he continues to support me and lets me learn from my mistakes (and helps me fix them if I mess up too bad).
Tamara, my mother. My first day of Kindergarten, I can remember my mom following the school bus all the way to school. She was very protective and cared very much about my wellbeing and happiness. She did whatever she could to keep me and my sister happy, even if it meant picking up a second job. Even when she worked two jobs, her employers knew how important family was to her and she was always there to support me. Today, she shows her support for me and my career often. She is always telling people she meets that I’m a teacher and that even though I work with some interesting classroom dynamics, I enjoy what I do. She loves to hear stories of my days in Kindergarten and I know she is very proud of me.
Quantina, my sister. This is my one and only sister and we are twins. We have been there for each other since day one. Ironic right? Although we may not always get alone, we love each other dearly and support one another in everything we do. Through school, we competed against each other and caused each other to achieve at our highest levels. I can remember when we first began to learn how to spell our names and wanting to spell hers because it was shorter and easier. Today, she is a civil engineer and comes to my classroom whenever she can, whether it is to talk to the children about her career or just to volunteer. Even though I don’t make nearly as much as she does, she never downplays my career and always motivates me to do my best.
Cynthia, my cousin. She was there the few times my parents couldn’t be. She allowed me to discover and experiment. She mentored me and even volunteered to help teach me how to drive in her car! Similar to my dad, she wasn’t afraid to let me make my own mistakes and learn from them, as long as she was there to guide me. She often encourages her children to look up to my sister and me because she is proud of what we have made of ourselves. Even today, she is there for me when I need her. She has and always will do whatever she can to support me, even if it is just being there to listen or showing up to a recital like she did when I was younger.

Favorite Children's Book

My favorite children's book is If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Numeroff. This has been my favorite book all through undergrad. I have read it or one of the many other books from the series to each set of students I've ever taught. If You Give A Mouse A Cookie is my favorite book because it pulls the children into the wacky storyline and keeps them guessing. You never know what's on the next page. I have used the series to teach predictions but it is also a great excuse for a pancake treat :-)