Beautifully Imperfect

I came across this again recently. It seems like there have been a lot of funerals that I have wanted to attend to honor a life well lived. A powerful perspective and insight.

(Tear Alert)

Perspective

I have recently discovered a web site that posts "ideas worth spreading" I have looked through some and plan on spending some time here but I'll share this one for now. It's just over 20 minutes but I found it worth the time.



"The concductor doesn't make a sound. He depends, for his power, on his ability to make other people powerful."

Somebody...

...please fix my child.


We'll get him involved with the youth group at church so he will....

Maybe she will learn self control if we sign them up for....

The Schools are in charge of my child's education so they should....

His behavior will improve if send him to...

He'll learn how to do that if we can get them into...

If he had better friends maybe he wouldn't...

I can't get him to do his homework because he won't turn off the TV...

I don't know where he learned that...

She would be more motivated if they would...


It Seems like so many parents are waiting for someone to do something.

What do You Make...

I've had this come up over the last few weeks. This has a slight edge to it but it does convey the emotion that I feel at times when my profession gets attacked.




He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it's also true what they say about lawyers.

Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.

"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says.
"Be honest. What do you make?"

And I wish he hadn't done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and %$&-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you get a drink of water?
Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a #*&%$# difference! What about you?

Walking Sunday Night

I went for a walk Sunday night and the radio was full of celebration as Public enemy #1 had been found and killed. People opened windows and shouted their feelings to the world. I found it interesting that fireworks were going off as some celebrated May Day.

My classroom was abuzz Monday with the news. I thought it strange to celebrate a death although, by his actions, this person seemed to have a lot of hate toward the US. Celebration over his death seems like matching hate for hate.

Some call it Justice.

Hellen Keller is given credit for a statement similar to this.

We spend a lot of effort fighting against Satan. If we put that effort into loving our neighbor, Satan would die from natural causes.

CIA Director Leon Panetta wrote this in a memo:

"Bin Laden is dead. Al-Qaida is not."

I don't feel any safer...