The future of education- and educators

Day 24 of Te@chThought's Attitude of Gratitude Blogging Challenge

What are your dreams for education in the future?

Now this is a tall order but I don't want to be greedy so here are just a few of my dreams for the future of education.

1. All schools are fully funded and are able to obtain all materials necessary to create the most optimal learning experiences.

2. All teachers are valued for what they and what they do by fellow teachers, administrators, parents and students.

3.  Freedom of curriculum without the fear of standardized tests as an end-all be-all.  While I can see the merits of having common curriculum, allowing students to move from state to state and be able to pick up where they left off, teachers should have the freedom to create their own lessons within the curriculum.  We are not Stepford Teachers. We all have different ways to achieve the same goal.  We are professionals and should be trusted as such.

Attitude of Gratitude

Day 23 of Te@chThought's Attitude of Gratitude Blogging Challenge

How did your Attitude of Gratitude work out – tell us about it.

I have been doing "lunedì dolce" or "Sweet Mondays"  for a while now.  It was my attempt to make Mondays more bearable.  I will say that the kids really do look forward to it and I do find that it has worked well because I feel that for the most part, the students are grateful for whatever the "dolce" is and work better.

The other thing that I wanted to do was to make sure that I thanked all the members of the Italian Honor Society at each meeting.  I can tell that the students do feel appreciated but most of all, I noticed that many more are attending the meetings, which in turn has put us on the path for a very successful year - maybe even the most successful yet!

Just the 4 of us

Day 22 of Te@chThought's Attitude of Gratitude Blogging Challenge

What are your family traditions you are most grateful for?

Since we are always so busy during the year with work, sports, holidays and a myriad of other activities, my favorite "tradition" is taking trips with my wife and kids.  I know that it might seem a little harsh to the super-close families but the truth is that major holidays and birthdays all have their merits but are always somewhat stressful for me. 

On our trips, we get to discover new places together and have new experiences together like staying on an Alpaca farm and doing yoga. We don't even need to go far or go for weeks on end.  We just need to be together and create memories because those are the souvenirs that never break and are priceless.

Checking out Charleston, SC

Bike riding on Hilton Head Island

Feelings first

Day 21 of Te@chThought's Attitude of Gratitude Blogging Challenge

List a book you are thankful to have read and how it has inspired you to be better at what you do.

Choosing just one book for someone who looks forward to summers only to be able to devour books I can't get to because I'm so busy during the school year.  I have read many teaching journals that I am grateful for like The Language Educator published by ACTFL because they help keep me current and are an invaluable resource for ideas.  I have read many Italian novels that have inspired me to bring them into the classroom in some way- whether it be to read the whole novel together or to read only pieces.  I have read Harry Potter and some other really entertaining and not-so-appropriate-for-work books.  While I do like to be transported to different worlds as a source of escape and just for fun, I find that I prefer non-fiction.  

A few summers ago, I was on this kick of wanting to know everything about knowing everything and how we remember and memorize and become a super-intelligent superhuman.  I read The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs, Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer and Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet to name a few.  While none of these apply readily to my day-to-day duties as a teacher, I do believe that they have opened my eyes to accepting people for who they are.  I will admit that this is not always an easy task but I do find it easier to do when it comes to my students.  I was particularly struck by how Daniel Tammet as an autistic man taught himself to have appropriate reactions to things that people would say so they would not feel bad even though he completely lacked the emotion. I thought to myself, wow, if he could do that, maybe we could all take a cue and try to take into account more others' feelings more than our own at times.  Another thing that I gained from this book was an insider's view of a disorder that many don't understand.  

Throughout my 15 years as an educator, I have come across many types of students and I hope that I have always been compassionate and understanding and made them feel comfortable in my classroom but this was something I wasn't prepared for. Only time and experience could make me a better teacher in all aspects.  I do believe that this book gave me a new-found appreciation for what some students might be going through, even if they didn't have autism.  It made me stop and think about their feelings first before I reacted or judged. 

Where there's a will there's a way...

Day 20 of Te@chThought's Attitude of Gratitude Blogging Challenge

What is one life lesson that you are thankful for having learned?

I know that I have already mentioned this saying as one of my favorite quotes but it is something that I also am grateful for having learned--Where there's a will there's a way. Don't give up.  While for many it may just be another hackneyed cliche but for me, they are words I live by.  I can't begin to count all the times someone tried to make me believe that something couldn't be done or that an outcome would be unfavorable.  However, I think that these instances have just pushed me in the opposite direction.  I set goals and do all I can to reach them.  For me, it is important to always have something to aspire to because it's what pushes me and keeps me going.  I have been fortunate enough in my professional life and personal life to have realized so many goals.  And although I am grateful for everything I have, it doesn't stop me from wanting more.  And by wanting more, I realize I could seem greedy but wanting more is not just about material things for me.  Sure it would be nice to have lots of money so I could become the jet-setter I always wanted to be.  And now you're thinking, are you sure you're not greedy?  Well, maybe just a little but some of my goals are to write a book, run a half marathon and learn a few more languages and go to as many concerts as I can!

True failure is giving up.

Super Student

Day 19 of Te@chThought's November Blogging Challenge

Tell someone you know how grateful you are for the work they do. Share your story here.

I'd actually like to take the time here to thank a student.  David is not even one of my students this year.  He is, however, an officer of the Italian Honor Society.  He didn't hold one of the traditional officer slots like President or VP.  Instead, because he showed how much work he put into promoting our club and our events and he demonstrated how proficient he was with social media and computers, I created a new position- Public Relations and Social Media. He has taken this post serious and has done all he can to make our organization successful.  He has worked tirelessly to create a website for our organization to keep all our members informed- check it out. He maintains our Twitter page and has never missed a single meeting.  He, like many other students, worked so hard to make our first big event- Italian Night - be the success it was. 

I could go on about how awesome he is but the most important thing is that he is sincere and humble.  I have told him no fewer than a dozen times how much appreciated his work is and he simply replies, "I'm glad to help." I just hope he'll train someone to be as good as he is because when he graduates, we'll be in trouble!

My job is not just a job

Day 18 of Te@chThought's November Blogging Challenge

What do you appreciate about your colleagues?

I am fortunate enough to have an amazing cast of characters. Working at Comsewogue High School has been a blast.  There are so many to mention but I'd like to highlight a few.

Rosa - My best friend.  We became instant friends 15 years ago and I'm certain we will be for many to come.  She is my partner in crime, one of the few people I can tell anything to and never be judged.  We bounce ideas off of each other and support each other.

Maggie - Carpooling has brought us to a new level of friendship. If we hadn't started carpooling two years ago because of Hurricane Sandy. Our rides are nothing short of hysterical!

Julie - Library duty will be the only duty I will accept going forward.  Buckle up Julie, it's gonna be a long ride.

Maurizio - Even though we are in separate buildings this year, I think we work like a great team.  We're going to make this Italian program the biggest it has ever been!

Special shout out to all my math peeps: They all know how awful I am at math and we're still friends!

So I guess the common theme is friendship and support. Without them, my job would be just that-- a job.