Inviting Others In This Holiday Season

The holiday season puts a lot of things in perspective for us. And, as the year comes to an end, I guess we can reflect back on our accomplishments and failures. So here it goes.

At the age of 19, in 2006, I started my first job in education. Now I’m 29 and we are about to fall into 2016. It’s hard to believe that I have been working in education for 10 years now. As I reflect back on the past decade, I can almost remember every moment I’ve had with students, parents, and colleagues. Every face I remember is a memory, maybe not all memories are the best; but a memory nonetheless.

Now, I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve any accommodation, support, or love in my life. But I do know that I greatly appreciate it. All I can say is that I am blessed for the good fortune that I have been given in my life.

In the early 1900s, there was a French novelist by the name of Marcel Proust. He said, “Lets us be grateful to the people who make us happy: they are the charming gardeners who make our soul blossom.” These meaningful words from Proust, invites to be open. With that, I’d also like to mention that earlier this year, Pope Francis announced the “Holy Year of Mercy.” This year is dedicated to the idea of opening our hearts, inviting others in, and forgiving those who have done us wrong.

Let us open our hearts to the magic of Christmas, and be present to everyone in our lives. It is a pleasure to wish you a marvelous Christmas and prosperous New Year. So stay connected. Swipe right. Do not fear fate. Remember to carry other hearts in your heart. And, try to do the things you cannot do.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Do We Teach? Why Are We Educators?

Hello everyone, If you are on this blog, you must have a passion for education and becoming a teacher. Teaching is something that is not necessarily a job, but a gift. As a child, teachers or people who worked in the education field were always around me. Members of my family were teachers, reading and instructional aids, administrators, and school district administrators. Being in education for me, was something that I never wanted to do. I personally had a hard time in school academically, and felt that I did not fit in with the other students. However, I learned that if I surround myself with people who would influence me and support me, I would benefit from it tremendously. In my early twenties I went into education and almost a decade later, I have not looked back. Teachers help create a foundation for who we become in life. The task and responsibilities are challenging, but it is rewarding to see the success of a student’s progress in their face when they are smiling. We as t...
Read more

Those Who Think They Know Everything

Most of the time, I just let people say what they want to say. Rather I agree with them or not is irrelevant. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions, and I guess that gives them some kind of entitlement to voice their point-of-views. It seems today that everyone has an opinion about how you should do your job, but they do not concentrate on themselves. In education, there are teachers who know everything about human behavior and nothing about curriculum and assessment. There are some teachers who know everything about professional development, critical thinking assessment, curriculum mapping, and class implementation; but who are totally ignorant of the human condition.   I recently had a conversation with another educator. The overall conversation was on the differences between public, and private school students. Her argument came from an opinion and observation that public school students are able to adapt in surroundings easier, than private school students. I...
Read more

Priorities Over Character?

“If a child is taught nothing else to save character alone, he will be better prepared for life than those who are taught pure academics, but no character.”                                                                                                                                  - Ray Ballman I think the hardest thing for a teenager today, is to learn more an...
Read more