Educational Achievements and Leadership

“This is important: to get to know people, listen, expand the circle of ideas. The world is crisscrossed by the roads that come closer together and move apart, but the important thing is that they towards the good.” -Pope Francis It was an incredible experience when the Holy Father came to the United States, this past week. I wanted to share with all of you some key leadership-characteristics that we can all learn Pope Francis. I think the key that his holiness is elaborates on the most, is the idea of 'humility' and how we should continue to treat others.  1. Set an example
 The reformist Pope immediately set his sights on the Vatican’s finances, aiming to clean up a regular source of scandal. For the Pope—who took his name from the saint who devoted himself to a life of poverty—financial reform was a priority because it brought “together the three vices that distress him more than anything else: corruption, exaggerated clerical privilege and indifference to the p...

Ever ask yourself why is it so hard to be a teacher? A teacher, in some way, is just like a parent. With the exception that we get to send the kids away at 2:30 in the afternoon. When you take the role of a teacher, you should take it with great conviction and passion. There will be some days where your most challenging student, who constantly defies you, will come to you. The most important thing to do is to not turn them away. Now, of course we as teachers, school counselors, and administrators have rules to abide by; the objective is to embrace the student when they are hurting. Do not show any form of discomfort towards their struggles. Always listen and console them, appropriately. One of favorite scenes from Good Will Hunting is when Matt Damon’s character (Will) allows his guard to drop and finally confide in Robin William’s character (Sean). While the scene is emotionally draining, it has a powerful influence how Will should shape his life.   Absolution and affirma...

While this might be my shortest blog ever, I hope this might be the most powerful one for you. And if this is something that you needed to see, then I hope it helped you in some way. I hope that it gave you a little peace of mind, clarity, affirmation, and absolution. Sometimes we need to also hear this from other people. Emily Buck did an amazing job when she wrote this poem… __________ You are Enough—  You are enough— If you watch to much TV, If you haven’t read all the books on your bookshelf, And could have bought that DVD With your overdue library fees. You are enough— If you can’t run like you used to, Can’t throw like you used to
, Can’t pump weights like you used to. You are enough— If you don’t do it right the first time. If the sun burns your skin, If you have to swim With a t-shirt on. You are enough— If you can’t put on weight Even though you try and try, You fear You’ll always be the kid 
with the chicken legs. ...

Never let a child think that they are not wanted. So many kids I have taught have come to me, at one time or another, and have expressed how they have not felt loved. That is probably the most painful feeling a child could ever endure. For a teacher, it’s the most painful thing to hear. I remember a few years ago, there was a student that came into my classroom. She was upset, hysterically crying, and in disbelief of what she had heard. Apparently, a teacher was using the student's weight as an example in the lesson. The student was already feeling uncomfortable and asked if she could sit back down. Of course, the teacher obliged her; not after saying to her out loud in front of the class, "If you're worried about your weight, maybe you should put the fork down once in awhile." Needless to say, that individual's teaching career was short-lived. We have to remember that everyone is vulnerable sometimes. Being vulnerable is not always a bad thing. We must ...