“Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles, it empties today of its strength” – Corrie Ten Boom

I’ve always considered myself the eternal optimist.  When hell is crashing through my door, I say, “Well…..at least there is heat!”  Today was a day that I was just plain ol’ annoyed at every turn.  Then I got into work intending to dive deep in planning, and my co-worker told me we’d been “voluntold” that we had to present to a bunch of sleepy high school students about our programs.  Normally, no biggie– but we are both planners.  So, we head over, fly by the seat of our pants and VOILA–something pretty cool happened–a bunch of kids came up to me after to talk to me about my programs.  Who knew?!?!  Those glazed-eyed sleepyheads WERE paying attention and they WERE  interested to boot!

The quote that introduces today’s entry highlights the way I try to live my life, and in a larger sense, the message–the footprint–I hope to leave in this world.  I hope to tell not only my own children, but the kids I teach, that life is for the taking.  Don’t let one step back rob you of the many opportunities that await.  Just like my hungry sophomores–jump in, get your feet wet, take a chance!!!

Two more weeks and I jump in front of the kids excited to pilot my new coding program, as well as the others I’ve already taught.  I am trying to approach this with a fresh twist, an new outlook, and I hope it will be well received.  One thing I really love about working at The Met is the culture where we try things and if they fail we reflect and try again.  That sooooo aligns with my personal philosophy of life.  After-all, experience is life’s most valuable teacher.  Not often enough to we sit back and ask ourselves what went well and what can we do better.  Teaching is laden with test scores, schedules, FOI’s, expectations, etc.  Its nice to know that at The Met, while we do value many of those things, we also take a step back, look at the BIGGER PICTURE and say, what really will serve our kids and if it doesn’t work, how can we make it better.

In any case, I’m new to this blog thing, and whether or not I have any readers or followers, I’ve learned that I have a place to have a voice and outlet.  Today’s entry reminds me to use that voice to always optimized on today’s strengths and to always, always, always teach the world that there is more for the conquering!

 

Day 1

Here I sit at my desk, 10:41 am, 38 years old and I am trying to figure out HOW to create a blog.  The truth is my 9 year old son could probably whip circles around me on the computer.  Interestingly enough, I’m slated to teach a bunch of high schoolers a creative computing program that will allow them to make animations, games, and the like.  But, I’ll do it.  I’ll set up this blog. I’ll guide, rather than teach, kiddos how to use their brains critically.  I’ll encourage these kiddos to take risks, much like the one I’ve taken here.  I will let them run free and know that through struggle and mistake we do our best learning.

As a  mom, as an educator, I truly believe that life is our best “teacher”.  It is through rich experiences that we figure out how this thing called life goes.  In traditional education, one of our biggest problems that I see is that we sit kids at a desk for 6 hours a day–reading, writing, solving equations–but we don’t make it real for them.  I’d be hard-pressed to say that traditional education links what we do in the classroom to the real world.   Kids are sent off to college majoring in things like Philosophy, English, and the like without ever realizing how that skill may or may not serve them in the real world.

Let’s face it, the real world is a tough place.  Long gone are the days that an Ivy League education alone will get you a job.  We need kids prepared academically AND socially.  But, I digress…..off of my soapbox and back to my original point….my struggle setting up this blog (which by the way, I keep typing bloB)….perhaps indicative of my skills???

In any case, why in the world would I bother to set this up?  Back to my students.  I teach industry certification courses to 9-12 grade at The Met Center in Providence, RI.  As aforementioned, my next project, which I am STOKED about, is teaching a program called SCRATCH.  I am encouraging my kiddos to create a design journal which can be shared with me and the world.  What a better way to do it then on a blog?!?  I can see their creative spirit, and they can see me taking a risk.  Hopefully, my idea pays off…. but alas, that is the great thing about education and specifically The Met, we try and if we don’t succeed we learn and make it better.

Keep posted.  Not that what I have to say is super interesting, but you will get to see a lot of great projects that my kiddos will create under my guidance.  The work we do here is amazing and you DEFINITELY need to bear witness to it!

Love, laughter, and happiness,

Angela