Who is your hero?
I've been pondering this thought lately as I've gone through daily chores like dishes or laundry or cleaning or making beds. When I taught junior high grammar I had a journal assignment every Friday for the kids. I'd think of a question, a quote, a thought, put it down on a pre-made form, and have them share their thoughts with me. It was my favorite thing to grade. One question I asked them each year was "Who is your hero?" I think it says a lot about a person when you find out who they revere or desire to emulate.
I will admit, I was often disappointed with their answers. So often it was a Hollywood star, a sports person, a musician... and most times ones that have seemingly no morals. Often the student confused the characters they played with their real life personalities. Strip away the money, the fame, the prestige and what did you have? Shallowness. Of course, when I was that age, my heroes were probably the same type of people. But as I grew older, I learned the importance of having heroes that are "real" people. Ones that I could see going through the trials of life and still choose to make right, Godly decisions. Ones that maybe didn't have the money and fame and popularity but possessed things greater than riches - things like character, humility, honor, morals, a hard work ethic, respect for others...
I tried to impress upon my students that it is vital to have a real person as your hero so you can watch them and learn from them.
I have several heroes in my life and have thought about them often the past week or so. So, for the next few blog posts, I'd like to share who my heroes are, what they have taught me, and why I consider them my heroes.
And I ask you the same question - who are your heroes?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Once a teacher, always a teacher...
Okay, so I've been thinking alot lately about how I handle my child and her learning experiences. Being a teacher has allowed me to become with many different types of children. There are the ones that you say, "I hope someday my child will be like this one because..." And then there are, of course, the ones that you say, "If my child acts like this one, I'll have to kill myself." You can also see how much the parents have been and are involved with their children's education. You can see the ones that have spent hour after hour teaching, training, working, disciplining...and it pays off.
When I became pregnant with Caelynn, I was just 2 months into my fifth year of teaching junior high/senior high kids. All of a sudden a million fears came into my head when the pregnancy test read "positive". Fears like:
1. What if my child is deformed?
2. What if my child hates me?
3. What if my child hates....SCHOOL?!?!?
4. What if my child doesn't get saved?
5. What if my child rejects God and his/her parents?
6. What if my child is born healthy and then something happens?
Some fears you learn to deal with - like even if my child was deformed or has an illness occur later, it's okay - my love will be the same because my child is MY CHILD. And if that is how God forms my child, that is perfect because all that He does is perfect. Every child is a gift - no matter what form they take.
I then started to really take note of parents - and I worked with some students who did have some learning difficulties and disabilities. I liked to ask them what they did at home, how much time they spent, any tips or tricks that had helped along the way. I wanted a stockpile - heck, a whole arsenal of wisdom and knowledge to draw from.
I've tried to implement that over the past months together with my child. I had one mother who has an AMAZING relationship with her teenaged daughter - her secret? She read to her every night while still in the womb. Her child came out literally loving books. When her daughter was fussy or sick or teething and nothing else worked, reading always did it. I started doing that - I read the Bible to Cae every night before bed. She came out knowing EXACTLY who her Mommy was - she knew my voice. Even now, she waits at naptime for me to pull out the Bible and read to her because it's become a habit.
I have lofty goals for my child. I want her to know all the states and capitals, all of the presidents in order, the books of the Bible, animals, the alphabet, be able to read...by the age of 3. Some will say I'm crazy - that I push her to do things too early. I disagree. I think every parent knows his or her own child's limitations. I won't push her past them - but I do want to challenge her. I saw a 2 yr old who knew every single country and it's capital - just by the shape of the country. He was 2. Yes - 2!!! I saw a 5 yr old that could answer any presidential question from any president in the history of our great nation. He was 5. It can happen. Are they prodegies? I'd say probably not. It was just countless hours that their parents spent in teaching and training. A child'd mind is absolutely amazing - their capacity to learn is the greatest at a young age. Why not take advantage of that?
I struggled and STILL struggle with geography and maps - so why not give Caelynn a boost up by starting her early so that maybe it won't be a struggle for her?
I used to work in a daycare. Now, my feelings today about daycare are that for SOME kids - it's better than being at home b/c mom isn't one to work with them. Some flourish there b/c they actually have interaction with peers and adults who take the time to teach and train. For myself - it's not the way to go. Nothing is more precious than this time I have with my child. And who better to teach her than the one who gave birth to her? But, having worked in a Christian daycare, I learned some valuable lessons. Our head classroom teachers were skilled in being able to teach these children. I've heard parents say, "They are too young for that. It can't be taught." Wrong. I worked in the 1 yr old department - and saw over the course of 1 yr how children could learn their colors, be able to sign them AND say them, recognize certain letters of the alphabet, learn to follow commands, and also be potty trained. Amazing. Parents would come and say, "I can't believe you got my child to do that!!! He/she is only 1!!!" So, early on I came with the school of thought that kids are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. We may see our friends kids who can't do something so we assume that our child can't as well. I hate that line of thinkging.
I plan on starting potty training my daughter at the age of 18 months. Some say she is too young. I disagree. She is already interested in the potty, I talk her through it and let her come in with me to explain simple concepts. She can tell me when she has gone #2 in her diaper. I think she'll be ready. If not, I'll stop. I won't push her too far...but I think she can do it. I also plan on starting more formal learning times with her in January. Each week we'll do a new letter of the alphabet and also a new state and capitol in the U.S. My goal is that by the time she is about 2 1/2, she will know her states and capitols, as well as her whole alphabet and HOPEFULLY be able to read.
With that said, I don't believe that children should be advanced in ALL things - I don't understand the concept of teaching something like reproduction to a 5 yr old. There must be a certain time and place to everything. Will I introduce her to music early? Yes. I would like to start teaching her piano lessons as soon as she is able to sit and comprehend notes, rhythm, etc...
Am I biting off more than I can chew? Why this drive for teaching early? Like I said, "Once a teacher, always a teacher." If I have spent years teaching others children to push the limits, learn more, learn better...wouldn't I be hypocritical if I didn't do that for my own child?
When I became pregnant with Caelynn, I was just 2 months into my fifth year of teaching junior high/senior high kids. All of a sudden a million fears came into my head when the pregnancy test read "positive". Fears like:
1. What if my child is deformed?
2. What if my child hates me?
3. What if my child hates....SCHOOL?!?!?
4. What if my child doesn't get saved?
5. What if my child rejects God and his/her parents?
6. What if my child is born healthy and then something happens?
Some fears you learn to deal with - like even if my child was deformed or has an illness occur later, it's okay - my love will be the same because my child is MY CHILD. And if that is how God forms my child, that is perfect because all that He does is perfect. Every child is a gift - no matter what form they take.
I then started to really take note of parents - and I worked with some students who did have some learning difficulties and disabilities. I liked to ask them what they did at home, how much time they spent, any tips or tricks that had helped along the way. I wanted a stockpile - heck, a whole arsenal of wisdom and knowledge to draw from.
I've tried to implement that over the past months together with my child. I had one mother who has an AMAZING relationship with her teenaged daughter - her secret? She read to her every night while still in the womb. Her child came out literally loving books. When her daughter was fussy or sick or teething and nothing else worked, reading always did it. I started doing that - I read the Bible to Cae every night before bed. She came out knowing EXACTLY who her Mommy was - she knew my voice. Even now, she waits at naptime for me to pull out the Bible and read to her because it's become a habit.
I have lofty goals for my child. I want her to know all the states and capitals, all of the presidents in order, the books of the Bible, animals, the alphabet, be able to read...by the age of 3. Some will say I'm crazy - that I push her to do things too early. I disagree. I think every parent knows his or her own child's limitations. I won't push her past them - but I do want to challenge her. I saw a 2 yr old who knew every single country and it's capital - just by the shape of the country. He was 2. Yes - 2!!! I saw a 5 yr old that could answer any presidential question from any president in the history of our great nation. He was 5. It can happen. Are they prodegies? I'd say probably not. It was just countless hours that their parents spent in teaching and training. A child'd mind is absolutely amazing - their capacity to learn is the greatest at a young age. Why not take advantage of that?
I struggled and STILL struggle with geography and maps - so why not give Caelynn a boost up by starting her early so that maybe it won't be a struggle for her?
I used to work in a daycare. Now, my feelings today about daycare are that for SOME kids - it's better than being at home b/c mom isn't one to work with them. Some flourish there b/c they actually have interaction with peers and adults who take the time to teach and train. For myself - it's not the way to go. Nothing is more precious than this time I have with my child. And who better to teach her than the one who gave birth to her? But, having worked in a Christian daycare, I learned some valuable lessons. Our head classroom teachers were skilled in being able to teach these children. I've heard parents say, "They are too young for that. It can't be taught." Wrong. I worked in the 1 yr old department - and saw over the course of 1 yr how children could learn their colors, be able to sign them AND say them, recognize certain letters of the alphabet, learn to follow commands, and also be potty trained. Amazing. Parents would come and say, "I can't believe you got my child to do that!!! He/she is only 1!!!" So, early on I came with the school of thought that kids are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. We may see our friends kids who can't do something so we assume that our child can't as well. I hate that line of thinkging.
I plan on starting potty training my daughter at the age of 18 months. Some say she is too young. I disagree. She is already interested in the potty, I talk her through it and let her come in with me to explain simple concepts. She can tell me when she has gone #2 in her diaper. I think she'll be ready. If not, I'll stop. I won't push her too far...but I think she can do it. I also plan on starting more formal learning times with her in January. Each week we'll do a new letter of the alphabet and also a new state and capitol in the U.S. My goal is that by the time she is about 2 1/2, she will know her states and capitols, as well as her whole alphabet and HOPEFULLY be able to read.
With that said, I don't believe that children should be advanced in ALL things - I don't understand the concept of teaching something like reproduction to a 5 yr old. There must be a certain time and place to everything. Will I introduce her to music early? Yes. I would like to start teaching her piano lessons as soon as she is able to sit and comprehend notes, rhythm, etc...
Am I biting off more than I can chew? Why this drive for teaching early? Like I said, "Once a teacher, always a teacher." If I have spent years teaching others children to push the limits, learn more, learn better...wouldn't I be hypocritical if I didn't do that for my own child?
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The reason behind the name
Okay, so I'm not totally savvy whatsoEVER with blogs but after seeing my dear friend Erin's and being prompted to start one, I decided to give it a try. I'm embarrassed to say how long I've had this blog...and yet didn't have the guts to actual start posting on it. But today is the day. Why today? I don't know - I'm inspired, I guess. :-)
It took me quite some time to come up with a proper name for my blog. I wanted something that reflects who I am without being repetitive of what others use. I finally came up with it when I asked myself, "Who am I really?" I am a dreaming realist. It sounds like an oxymoron. Usually a dreamer is opposite of a realist. However, I think that we can be both. I am. On the one hand, I LOVE to daydream - dream of what could happen next, dream of achieving all of my goals and aspirations, dream of all of the fun "what ifs" like "what if I won a million dollars", "what if I wrote a bestselling novel", etc...I love thinking of stuff like that. I love dreaming of what I'd like my house to look like if I had the money and abilities to do whatever I wanted to do with it. I like to dream of what I'd look like if I could lose this darn baby weight. I like to dream of traveling the world and meeting fascinating people...
But on the other side, I'm also very much a realist. As much as I like to dream, I also like to face the facts. I want to know. I can't stand the people that live their lives in a dream world. Even when the news is dire...I want to know the truth. I want to know the worst-case scenarios. Because if I know the very worst that came happen, even the most nerve-wracking dilemmas become a bit better. And if the worst happens, at least I know it. When I was pregnant with Caelynn, I read all kinds of books and shows that graphically explained labor and delivery. I wanted to try to prepare myself for what was to come, and what life would be like after having a baby.
That said, some posts may be more reflective of my dreaming side, some will be on my realistic side. Some will just be silly. Some will be about my beautiful daughter. If you enjoy reading, that is fabulous. If you don't, that's okay too. I've always felt that journaling is such an emotional release for me. I can talk it out with someone, and that helps, but the best for me personally is writing it out. I feel I can then move on and focus on other things.
So, here we go. Hoping to enjoy the ride.
It took me quite some time to come up with a proper name for my blog. I wanted something that reflects who I am without being repetitive of what others use. I finally came up with it when I asked myself, "Who am I really?" I am a dreaming realist. It sounds like an oxymoron. Usually a dreamer is opposite of a realist. However, I think that we can be both. I am. On the one hand, I LOVE to daydream - dream of what could happen next, dream of achieving all of my goals and aspirations, dream of all of the fun "what ifs" like "what if I won a million dollars", "what if I wrote a bestselling novel", etc...I love thinking of stuff like that. I love dreaming of what I'd like my house to look like if I had the money and abilities to do whatever I wanted to do with it. I like to dream of what I'd look like if I could lose this darn baby weight. I like to dream of traveling the world and meeting fascinating people...
But on the other side, I'm also very much a realist. As much as I like to dream, I also like to face the facts. I want to know. I can't stand the people that live their lives in a dream world. Even when the news is dire...I want to know the truth. I want to know the worst-case scenarios. Because if I know the very worst that came happen, even the most nerve-wracking dilemmas become a bit better. And if the worst happens, at least I know it. When I was pregnant with Caelynn, I read all kinds of books and shows that graphically explained labor and delivery. I wanted to try to prepare myself for what was to come, and what life would be like after having a baby.
That said, some posts may be more reflective of my dreaming side, some will be on my realistic side. Some will just be silly. Some will be about my beautiful daughter. If you enjoy reading, that is fabulous. If you don't, that's okay too. I've always felt that journaling is such an emotional release for me. I can talk it out with someone, and that helps, but the best for me personally is writing it out. I feel I can then move on and focus on other things.
So, here we go. Hoping to enjoy the ride.
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About Me
- Melissa
- I am a former teacher turned stay-at-home mom to our 3 wonderful children: Caelynn, Matthew, and Levi. Rich and I married on January 2, 2007, in Hawaii, where we were both living. Caelynn entered our family on July 15, 2008, and we moved to Colorado in August of 2008! Matthew joined our family on June 29, 2010, and Levi completed our family on September 7, 2012. Our family's desire is to serve God with all of our hearts!