A Prayer for America//Overcoming

Because power corrupts, society's demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases. John Adams
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_adams.html

Because power corrupts, society's demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases. John Adams
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_adams.html

Because power corrupts, society's demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_adams.html

Because power corrupts, society's demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_adams.htm

Girl America

Lyrics by Mat Kearney

(Best expresses the heart, prayer, and hope for our country)

I love the country that I live in.  I feel beyond blessed to be born here and to be raised in a nation that was founded on the ideals of freedom and independence.  To think upon where we've come from is a beautiful pondering.  To think of where we are today is heart-wrenching.  However, this does not negate my gratitude for this country and it does not deter my hope of what we are and what we can still become.  The intention of this post is not to detail all my grievances with the current state of our nation, but rather take a moment and pause and appreciate what this nation has been built from and reflect on the dreams and hearts of our nations founders and leaders. 

This summer I am reading several presidential biographies.  I wanted to grow my patriotism and delve into the lives and minds of our past leaders and see just what it was that led them to faith and hope for our country and caused them to chase down the dream of leading our nation, whether it be through times of initial development, times of peace, times of upheaval and war, times of economic crisis as well as times of unity and landmark decisions.

I find it so inspiring to read about the lives of these men and leaders of our country.  It reminds me of the privilege and duty it is to be an American.   It calls to mind the heart of living life in freedom and the responsibility that comes with it.  To me, being an American is a tale of overcoming.  It is overcoming odds and obstacles and darkness with light and hope and goodness.  It is really a beautiful tale to live in this country and to absorb its history.  We've come so far but I am certain we have a challenging journey ahead of us.

So, as we roll into the commemoration of the birth of America, I choose to celebrate the fact that this in heart is a beautiful country and the unity that comes from our history, from recent tragedies as well as a belief in the principles that began this country is something I really do treasure.  I pray that America would be a nation that would be a light in the world.  At least I pray that the people of this country would live out and share a voice and character of goodness and hope.  And though it may seem far reaching and dismal to hope for such a thing, I believe we are more than our President and government leaders.  We are 50 states of citizens who can overcome evil with good.  So I pray we would stand united and embrace who we were meant to be.  We can be more and do more and become more. AMERICA, I pray for you everyday, I believe in you, I dream for you, and I aim to live a life worthy of an American.

on teaching, expanding and ownership.

It is easy to forget why you do what you do.  Blame it on the mundane day to day, or the discouraging response of students, perhaps a lack of progress, and simply being overwhelmed by an endless set of tasks.  It blinds you to the purpose and reason for becoming a teacher.  It makes you forget your "white hot why".

I have been a teaching since the fall of 2010.  I took the 2011-2012 school year off because I never found the right teaching job.  Since the fall of 2012 I have been teaching high school English in some capacity. 

This fall I will be walking into my fifth full year as a teacher. 

I recently finished my first year teaching at a charter school, which initially began as a journey I thought I would never learn to love, but as the year wrapped up I found myself adjusting to the new and embracing my role as 11th grade English teacher.

From September to December 2015 I drove to school almost everyday fighting back tears each morning and praying for the gumption and grit to make it through each school day; it was a rough go to begin with.  I regretted leaving my previous teaching position and couldn't see how I would grow and become a better educator.  I hadn't made much headway with my students and was consistently overwhelmed with all that my role demanded of me.  The truth is, I like to work.  I enjoy it.  I don't mind the grading, I love the planning and developing the classroom environment as well as working to build a rapport with my students.  However, none of it comes easy.  The rapport is hard fought and must be intentionally cultivated.  The grading is doable if you keep up with it.  I think what was the most taxing with this new role was simply catching onto the culture and fast moving train of added duties that I was not familiar with.  It is an amazing school where I work, with fabulous educators in which I feel lucky to be selected to be a teacher alongside of, but it is a difficult adjustment regardless.  I had high, perfectionistic expectations of myself going into this role and the more I failed and let myself down, the more I felt I was letting my students and peers down.  I am notoriously hard on myself, and this role felt detrimental rather than expanding.

However, when June rolled around I found that I had not only grown to love what I do again because I was seeing the purpose and meaning in my role, but I had also grown in grit and resilience, in learning that failures lead to success and most importantly that perfection is never the end all-be all, rather progress is the gold that we get in the end.  We find as we reach each new end, we have changed.  We are different.  And I am different.  I am better, bolder, I cope differently, I am less afraid and more willing to take risks in the environment I am in.

So, as I press on and pursue growth in a similar role as teacher I am thinking and plotting how I will grow and expand not only as an educator but as a human being in the roles I play.  If we are not growing and expanding, then what the heck are we doing?  

For 2015-2016, growing and expanding took hold in venturing into this new role that was daily trial by fire.  Now that I am more into my groove, I decided that I need to grow and expand in new ways as I progress in this teaching role.  So over this past week, I spent in training with 25 other educators who want to transform their classroom/school culture as well as themselves.  It was thrilling to partner with people who love what they do and are passionate about doing it better.

So, together we examined what it takes to be effective educators.  We delved into simple but powerful classroom management strategies, character education, memory skills, developing moral beliefs and practicing engaging and effective lesson planning in both design and delivery.  We looked at the importance of learning in a variety of ways.  As the Benjamin Franklin quote at the top of this post notes, students learn best when they see, hear and can do.  These lessons and reminders made for a transforming week.  More than anything I feel changed as a person.  I am challenged to simply be a better person, thereby a better teacher.

One of the most powerful lessons from this week that I am using and applying to my personal life as well as my classroom is that of ownership.  Ownership is a key of excellence in the training model we went through, and ownership is something that my life and teaching lacks.  I am the kind of person, who in my own mind often does not find fault in what I do and how I choose to act.  While I am a perfectionist and see the imperfections in much of what I do and who I am, I still choose to point to other people and circumstances as to the why behind the imperfections.  It is my student's fault for not listening to my directions (blaming).  I didn't complete that task because I wasn't sure about the expectations (justifying).  I didn't know that's what was expected (denial).  I don't think I have what it takes, I am not enough (quitting).  These are the four go-to's of someone who does not live and practice ownership and they are very true of me.  I am quick to justify, blame, deny and/or quit.  I think because my inclination and preference is towards introverted expression these sorts of responses are not always vocalized, but I find them being the track running through my head about most things. 

Instead ownership calls us to live above the line.  Living above the line sounds like "I" statements.  I didn't give directions clearly.  I didn't complete the task on time.  I knew what was expected but I forgot and now know what needs to be done to complete the task efficiently.  I have what it takes and I am enough!

Living above the line looks like power, freedom and trust.  It is beautiful thing.  I know on the surface it probably sounds cheesy, but this was a life transforming idea for me.  I think too often we walk through our day to day life too busily unaware of what our self-talk is and what our given responses are to the circumstances we run into moment by moment.  It is easy to live unconsciously aware of what we are doing and why we are doing it, but if we want to grow and expand, it is no way to live.

Ownership allows us to choose.  When we choose, we change.  Life is the choices we make so I am choosing to take ownership over all that I do.  I will own my teaching and own my health.  I will own my growth spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally.  I will take ownership in my relationships instead of making myself small.  There is so much to unfold from this life lesson. 

I want to see my students take hold of this life lesson.  I want to impart this knowledge to them not necessarily with my words but through the model of how I live inside and outside my classroom. 

So, here's to a summer of growth and a school year of expanding and ownership!