Thursday, October 9, 2014
RULES TO LIVE BY: inside AND outside of the classroom (Genre Reflection)
We live in a society where people are afraid to truly be themselves out of the fear of not being accepted. I know this because I too am guilty of this feeling; however, this is not because I want to be accepted by everyone else, but because I am not even accepting of my own flaws and afraid to face them head on.
There comes a point where you have to learn to remember the good things instead of dwelling on the negative things you cannot change and to know that no matter what, it is O-K. The following is a list of things that I plan to live by and to introduce to my students.
It's okay to be so overly optimistic, even if it means always trying to find the good in a person or a situation that seems to always let you down. -- In a way, this is making you stronger.
It's okay to tell someone NO! -- If it something you don't agree with or that doesn't benefit you, do not be afraid to voice it.
It's okay to give compliments, AND to receive them. -- One small act of kindness can be life changing in some circumstances. Not to mention, it's nice to feel bubbly inside.
It's okay to love food more than you love people. -- Seriously. I condone a gluttonous lifestyle.
When it rains, cuddle under the covers and indulge in your favorite treat while watching your favorite movie or reading your favorite book.
Take risks, set goals, and follow them through until the end. You will be rewarded with a sensational amount of gratification.
Be creative. Life is more interesting this way.
Cry. I mean really cry. It's healthy sometimes.
30 second dance parties can instantly better your mood. ESPECIALLY when dancing with a two year old.
There is no wrong way to interpret any song or piece of literature. REMEMBER THIS.
Do not be ashamed of feeling heartbroken because you have finished reading your favorite series and will no longer be able to read about your book-boyfriend. --This applies to TV series as well.
Do not be afraid to change your mind. What are the chances of getting everything right the first time around anyways?
Remember to floss your teeth and clean out your ears, -- These are two of the best feelings anyways....and putting in a fresh pair of contacts.
also remember absolutely everything you were taught in Kindergarten!
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Don't hit others
Clean up your own mess
Wash your hands before you eat.
Remember the Golden Rule, If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
LOOK! - everything you need or want to know is there somewhere.
and last but not least, a quote from one of my favorite poems:
"Think of what a better world it would be if we all- the whole entire world- had cookies and milk around 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and cleaned up our own mess. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together," -- Robert Fulghum, All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
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Destinee,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this wonderful piece of optimism and also, thank you for providing me feedback on my own genre reflection. This post reminds me of that 90's/00's song "The Sunscreen Song". My little brother always totes around speeches and songs which emphasize optimism, self-improvement, and self-worth. These sort of things help people to reflect and accept who they are, thanks for adding to this optimistic movement. It's uplifting.
Destinee,
ReplyDeleteThank you for such an optimistic and inspiring post! I completely relate to forcing myself to "remember the good things and not dwell on the negative", and am still working on that aspect (: Also, thank you for the nice list of OK's you included. These are great reminders for everyone, and I can certainly use the reminder every now and again.
As Brian stated earlier, this is a very uplifting post and was much needed and appreciated. Thank you for sharing (:
Stephanie
Destinee,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this wonderful post! I enjoyed listening to you read your reflection because of how much of your personality is intertwined within this! I absolutely love your rules to live by. They are the truest rules and I think students would benefit so much from them as well. The quote you chose fits so well with this as well. There is so much inspiration and optimism in your reflection. Thank you for sharing!
Sheila
Destinee,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. This was great! I like how it is so positive, it's just reminding us to be ourselves and to be accepting. This is great for students and it's also great for adults. We all need to learn to be accept ourselves and be happy with who we are. I think most of us share the feeling of fear of not being accepted and this was very optimistic. I really enjoyed reading it, it also made me feel a little happier about life!
Dear Destinee,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your "rules to live by." I am probably going to print them out and place them on my bathroom mirror because they are so sincere. I feel like you wrote into words all those little things that people wonder, "am I the only one that feels that way," and you let me know that I am not. Thank you for reminding me. I love your part about being disappointed when you finish a book series and have to leave your "book boyfriend." hilarious! I know your students will love it if you put those rules in your classroom.
Thank you,
Lindsey Wiggins
Destinee,
ReplyDeleteThis piece mirrors all the positive aspects that we see from you in class everyday. In addition, the details and emphatic points bring out the impact that this piece has for the rest of the student teachers. While I didn't hear your read it in feather circles, I remember the class session before when I heard you talk about why you wrote this. Thanks for sharing a great piece. David
Destiny,
ReplyDeleteI apologize for this not being here at intended time. I read your reflection over the weekend and LOVED it, but I think that maybe I was so tired that didn’t actually select the “send” button before I left your blog! I can’t remember all of the “remarkable” things that I had to say the other night, but here’s the thin of it:
Thank you for sharing this very inspiring piece! I really enjoyed reading it and think it has a very nice melodic quality. The ideas here too are so powerful and honest. We want so much for our students –not to just be good at Algebra, History, Science, or English…but we want them to be successful at LIFE and this poem really captures that passion that I know we all share! This is why we want to be teachers! I also loved the quote that you added by Robert Fulghum. What a great model for how to live life…with the innocence and conviction of a child’s heart.
Thanks again!
Megan