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Saturday, February 22, 2014
A Wonderful Post
http://pursuitofajoyfullife.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/what-students-remember-most-about-teachers/
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
10 Things I Learned in 2013
10 Things I Learned (or relearned) in 2013
1. Family is important. I had a chance to visit with my two elderly aunts in 2013 and miscellaneous cousins. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I have plans to visit both aunts again and my aunt in Tennessee and uncle in California. I especially enjoy hanging out with my brothers, even more now that my dad is gone. I wish them happiness and peace in the coming year. I would love to plan another trip with them in the coming year.
2. The more things change the more they stay the same. Students, teachers, classes have a particular consistency across time and space. The technology and culture change, but the issues of learning how to think and be are constant. Kids need good teachers and office politics will always produce drama. And, until we do open a new school, we keep teaching those who come to us.
3. No matter how old your kids are, they need their mom...and dad.
4. It's hard to lose weight (but it's worth the struggle).
5. Going to the gym really does make me feel better.
6. I love animals. I never thought I could love a dog as much as I love my two fearless constant companions, Grady and Kirby. No matter what kind of a day I've had or how tired I am, they are there to greet me, acting as though I'm the best thing that's ever happened to them. I am no more happily at peace than sitting in the big chair with my two pups.
7. Friends are important! One of my friends is battling breast cancer and another lost her ex husband recently. Other friends have dealt with the loss of parents and jobs. It's important to show up and be there for each other, now more than ever.
8. Technology is great but it's just a tool, albeit a sophisticated one, that students must learn how and when to use appropriately.
9. I get my best teaching ideas from twitter.
10. Duck Dynasty is irrelevant to my quality of life....as is Kim Kardashian, while Pope Francis is most definitely relevant and refreshing, inspiring me to hope that our church can be the force for good in the world that Jesus intended it to be.
Here's to 2014! Onward and upward!
Monday, December 30, 2013
Words for 2014
Matt recently took a Leadership class at Rockhurst last semester. They were challenged to write a "vision statement." I'd seen Stephen Covey's work on vision and mission statements and so I decided to write my own, which my son later shared with his classmates (Thanks, Matt).
Cherishing family, always learning, striving to be a part of the solution.
What do you think?
Now, I am working on a one word or phrase for 2014, after reading Gretchen Rubin's Happier at Home blog in which she confesses to being "stuck" trying to think of a word or phrase for 2014. I haven't narrowed mine down yet....I do have one more day. Some ones I am pondering.
Grace (looking for the moments, the people, the places that grace our lives)
Strive
Thrive
Live (in the moment)
Cherish (today, tomorrow, family, job, friends)
Serendipity (I have always LOVED that word and enjoy looking for the occasions of serendipity in my life.)
Peace
Joy (in the little things)
Embrace
Dare
Kind (which is what I am always urging my kids and students to be)
Um....I will have to see which ones speak to me tomorrow.
Cherishing family, always learning, striving to be a part of the solution.
What do you think?
Now, I am working on a one word or phrase for 2014, after reading Gretchen Rubin's Happier at Home blog in which she confesses to being "stuck" trying to think of a word or phrase for 2014. I haven't narrowed mine down yet....I do have one more day. Some ones I am pondering.
Grace (looking for the moments, the people, the places that grace our lives)
Strive
Thrive
Live (in the moment)
Cherish (today, tomorrow, family, job, friends)
Serendipity (I have always LOVED that word and enjoy looking for the occasions of serendipity in my life.)
Peace
Joy (in the little things)
Embrace
Dare
Kind (which is what I am always urging my kids and students to be)
Um....I will have to see which ones speak to me tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Where Are You Reading Challenge, 2014?
I ran across this great idea from a book blogger that I follow. You can read about her Where Are You Reading Challenge here.http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/challenges/where-are-you-reading-challenge-2014/ I have embedded my book map to the right. I will update beginning in 2014. I put a couple of locations on map to begin! I'm reading John Grisham's Sycamore Row and will try to add another Mississippi book later in 2014!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
October
Wow. My last post was on Father's Day....June. That's almost four months ago. As I grow older, time seems to literally go by faster. I had always heard that truism from my aunts, but I now believe it. How can it be that I am starting my 30th year as a teacher at Archbishop O'Hara? How can it be that I have three children, ages 21, 23, and 25.
Somehow I let the first year anniversary of my dad's death pass by. Jack and Phil and I gathered in Jefferson City last Saturday and finally settled Dad's estate. I don't see them as much as I would like. Somehow we are all too busy living our lives to spend much quality time with each other. I have vowed to drag them, kicking and screaming, if necessary, into more "quality time opportunities." Dad always made time for his sister and their families; and I am desperately trying to keep up the tradition, planning another trip to Iowa this very weekend. Iowa and my aunt's farm have become an anchor for me in many ways. Mom and Dad moved from our family home in 2002 and although they had a lovely home in Jefferson City, it was never, quite home. But, somehow, my aunt Barbara's farm in Iowa is that anchor. I grew up there. My kids grew up there. And, although Aunt Barbara is 95, I still find solace and comfort in her "place." I can't wait to see Aunts Betty and Barbara!
Somehow I let the first year anniversary of my dad's death pass by. Jack and Phil and I gathered in Jefferson City last Saturday and finally settled Dad's estate. I don't see them as much as I would like. Somehow we are all too busy living our lives to spend much quality time with each other. I have vowed to drag them, kicking and screaming, if necessary, into more "quality time opportunities." Dad always made time for his sister and their families; and I am desperately trying to keep up the tradition, planning another trip to Iowa this very weekend. Iowa and my aunt's farm have become an anchor for me in many ways. Mom and Dad moved from our family home in 2002 and although they had a lovely home in Jefferson City, it was never, quite home. But, somehow, my aunt Barbara's farm in Iowa is that anchor. I grew up there. My kids grew up there. And, although Aunt Barbara is 95, I still find solace and comfort in her "place." I can't wait to see Aunts Betty and Barbara!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Father's Day
Today is my first father's day without my dad. Dad has been gone since September and so I didn't expect today to touch me in the way that it has. Perhaps it was Father Stewart's blessing for Fathers. As I looked around at all the fathers standing for the blessing, I couldn't help but compare them to my own dad. I know many terrific fathers and father figures. But as much as I admire these men, the one I called "dad" was MY dad, Bamber H. Wright. In many ways, he wasn't especially remarkable. He went to college, joined the military, serving in the China, Burma, India theatre during WWII, returning home to marry my mom, going to work for and eventually runnnig Anchor Milling Company, a family owned lumber yard and feed store.
He was a Girl Scout leader (yup, girl scouts), a deacon in his church, and the president of the school board, for a time. But, for me, and for my brothers, what really mattered was that he was our dad. And, he was a remarkable dad. He was the one who chased away the monsters under the bed, who took us on endless "cat arounds" on too many Sunday afternoons to count, who made sure we went to and stayed in college, who loved our spouses, and adored our kids. I never remember my dad spanking us, although my mom did on a few occasions. I think he couldn't bear the thought of striking a child. Child abuse and abortion were things he couldn't wrap his head around because he loved kids, kids of every age and every kid. Every child who came into the store or who dad ran into in town or at church was greeted with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. Kids in trouble could come to dad. And they often did. Cousins Bob and Ron stayed several weeks every summer with us and Dad "fathered" them all. He didn't mind giving advice, which he often did, and his "sayings" are part of my everyday vocabulary even today. He talked about "needing that like a hog needs Easter" and having too many "oars in the water" and being "nervous as a whore in church." Even after he moved to Jefferson City, he knew the names, birthdays, and ages of every kid on his street and he loved giving them a silver dollar on his or her birthday.
Dad taught me so much about parenting and teaching, too. He taught me never to give up on a kid, my own or someone else's. He taught me about honor and respect and kindness. Dad taught me the value of hard work and the importance of family. No matter where I went or what I did, I knew that with a phone call I could summon his help or advice, whether I was in England shepherding students on a field course or in Lees Summit fixing a leaky faucet. There was a great comfort in that certainty, knowing that always he was there, to hold my hand when I was upset or tell a great story about this or that After mom died, I called him every night until he moved into the nursing home. And, I am certain that in the last couple of years, he couldn't understand a thing I said; but, he would say "okay" and "how are the kids?" and "I am fine."We rarely talked for more than a couple of minutes, but it was enough.
Dad didn't much like modern technology, but he had a cell phone and he would carry it everywhere with him. Even in his last few months, when he was almost completely deaf, he would open and close that phone, holding it as a kind of security I think. I wish I had been able to teach him to text. I think he would have loved staying in touch that way. But, he often said he was too old to learn, although he enjoyed his email machine. We could keep in touch that way, too, and I know he delighted in his almost daily emails from Sarah and the other occasional missives from Phil or Sue or me.
I miss you, dad. We're doing well and I think you'd be happy that I call Aunt Betty pretty regularly and that I sent Christmas cards to Mary Sue and Clayton. You would love our new puppy and you would be pleased that Matt wants to become a cop and that he and Becca both made the honor roll this semester and that Sarah is almost finished with her master's. We love you and think of you every day. Your lessons of love live on in all of us who knew you. Happy Father's Day, Dad.
He was a Girl Scout leader (yup, girl scouts), a deacon in his church, and the president of the school board, for a time. But, for me, and for my brothers, what really mattered was that he was our dad. And, he was a remarkable dad. He was the one who chased away the monsters under the bed, who took us on endless "cat arounds" on too many Sunday afternoons to count, who made sure we went to and stayed in college, who loved our spouses, and adored our kids. I never remember my dad spanking us, although my mom did on a few occasions. I think he couldn't bear the thought of striking a child. Child abuse and abortion were things he couldn't wrap his head around because he loved kids, kids of every age and every kid. Every child who came into the store or who dad ran into in town or at church was greeted with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. Kids in trouble could come to dad. And they often did. Cousins Bob and Ron stayed several weeks every summer with us and Dad "fathered" them all. He didn't mind giving advice, which he often did, and his "sayings" are part of my everyday vocabulary even today. He talked about "needing that like a hog needs Easter" and having too many "oars in the water" and being "nervous as a whore in church." Even after he moved to Jefferson City, he knew the names, birthdays, and ages of every kid on his street and he loved giving them a silver dollar on his or her birthday.
Dad taught me so much about parenting and teaching, too. He taught me never to give up on a kid, my own or someone else's. He taught me about honor and respect and kindness. Dad taught me the value of hard work and the importance of family. No matter where I went or what I did, I knew that with a phone call I could summon his help or advice, whether I was in England shepherding students on a field course or in Lees Summit fixing a leaky faucet. There was a great comfort in that certainty, knowing that always he was there, to hold my hand when I was upset or tell a great story about this or that After mom died, I called him every night until he moved into the nursing home. And, I am certain that in the last couple of years, he couldn't understand a thing I said; but, he would say "okay" and "how are the kids?" and "I am fine."We rarely talked for more than a couple of minutes, but it was enough.
Dad didn't much like modern technology, but he had a cell phone and he would carry it everywhere with him. Even in his last few months, when he was almost completely deaf, he would open and close that phone, holding it as a kind of security I think. I wish I had been able to teach him to text. I think he would have loved staying in touch that way. But, he often said he was too old to learn, although he enjoyed his email machine. We could keep in touch that way, too, and I know he delighted in his almost daily emails from Sarah and the other occasional missives from Phil or Sue or me.
I miss you, dad. We're doing well and I think you'd be happy that I call Aunt Betty pretty regularly and that I sent Christmas cards to Mary Sue and Clayton. You would love our new puppy and you would be pleased that Matt wants to become a cop and that he and Becca both made the honor roll this semester and that Sarah is almost finished with her master's. We love you and think of you every day. Your lessons of love live on in all of us who knew you. Happy Father's Day, Dad.
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