New Year, Same Blog

Here we are. 2018. I'm feeling much more like a human today (seriously, why do you people invite me places?) and figured I'd take a moment to sum up last year. 

 2017 was a whirlwind of triumphs and tragedies. It was a year of moving on and moving forward. Building friendships and reuniting with old friends. It was rough, but it was fun. 

Just as we made it to the year anniversary of losing my stepfather, I had to say goodbye to my beloved Papa. It hurt, losing two men whom I loved dearly within such a close period of time. My family is strong. Resilient. Though we continue to struggle with our grief, I know that our bonds are stronger for it. Sometimes we scatter, but we always find our way back to each other. This year has definitely been hard on us...but I know we'll be okay. 

This year was definitely a time for me to step out of my comfort zone a little bit. In June I traveled to Amish Country (alone, omg) to do a 200-ish mile relay race with ten people I'd never met and one dear online friend. We slept in a van, ran the miles, at the food, and had a lot of fun. Running a Ragnar race wasn't something I even thought I wanted to do, but now I'm ready for another one. 

July led me to Nicaragua with my church to visit a village that we sponsor. It was a week of meeting people, introducing ourselves, listening to their stories, and praying with them. The best part of this trip was the people who helped me get there by their donations and prayers. I was overwhelmed with support from not only my church family, but also people that I work with. 

I'd have to say that the biggest thing I faced this year was buying a house. It was probably the most stressful thing I've ever done, but also the most rewarding. My sister and I have had a great time making our little house a home (even welcoming a crazy new kitten to the mix). This was definitely a triumph of 2017. 

This school year (if you follow this blog at all) has been a challenge each and every day. So many changes happened early on in the year, not to mention the Cat 5 hurricane that put us out of commission for over two weeks. We are slowly but surely getting our groove back in Room 210. I love my job and I know it's a tough one. But, like I always say, it's a good one. 

When I started this blog almost five years ago I didn't really have a purpose or direction with it. Honestly, I still don't. A lot of the times I feel like what I'm writing doesn't make sense to anyone but me. I know that we are all struggling with things: personal, spiritual, physical, work related...I just try my best to share experiences with others and hope that they help someone in the process. There's a lot I don't put out there, and that's okay. (Some people think I put too much out there. Oh, well.) 

I'm looking forward to 2018 and the experiences it holds. I know that there will be ups and downs. There will moments of sadness and hopefully many, many triumphs. I'm also looking forward to sharing those experiences with you, so be prepared. 

This year I'm going focus on my health in many ways: physical, mental, spiritual. There will definitely be struggles. That's just life. I'm here for it, though. 

Happy New Year, friends. Let do this...

...after I finish watching all ten seasons of Smallville. 

The Time is Now

There's a Kid President video that talks about how now is the time to be awesome. Now is the time to show kindness, to do something good, to be your best self.

In light of recent events around the world this weekend, I'm going to reiterate that statement.

The time is now, friends.

It's time to let go of our pettiness and anger.

It's time to love.

We have been watching this world fall apart for months, even years. Lives are threatened and ended every single day because of race or religion or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. People are dying because they left their homes and went about their normal day.

It isn't fair that these things happen and, more than that, it isn't right. We see these events on our news every day and we ignore them or argue about them. We fight about who is right or wrong, argue about race and religion, but do we help anything by doing that?

The answer is no, people.

By posting those arguments and by choosing sides we don't do anything but continue to harm. To me, there is only one side we need to choose:

Life.

I'm on the side of life, what about you?

Not only am I on the side of life, I'm on the side of love.

I have been in the position where I wanted to hate in my own personal life and it got me nowhere. Okay, that's a lie. It got me depressed and angry. That's what hate does. Hate solves nothing and it only brings a person down. If we continue to show hatred then nothing will ever change.

My pastor shared an amazing message about this today. We, as humans, carry so many emotions and when we hear of terrible things there are many, many reactions we can have. We can hate and want revenge, but in the end that isn't going to help anything. The only way we are going to change anything, including ourselves is to love. We can spread that love, share the light, be the light with the world. Be there for those who are sad and suffering. We can pray for peace for all of those and hope. We can hope for things to be better one day.

Choosing love isn't always easy, though. One of my favorite quotes actually comes from the Harry Potter series (that should not surprise anyone). It's this:

"We must all face the choice between what is right, and what is easy." 

That's pretty heavy stuff. Choosing love isn't easy, but it's right. Hoping for something better in trying times isn't easy, but it helps. Forgiveness...man, that's a tough one...but it's right.

Maybe we aren't ready to forgive, but in the meantime there are other things we can do. There are other things to focus on than hatred against others.

As a Christian, I know I am called to love and I know I know I know it's something that I struggle with sometimes. But now, today, I feel that calling so very strongly.

Even if you aren't a Christian, as a human, we should be ready to lift others up no matter what the color of their skin, how they worship, or what they believe.

I'm going to try to do that this week. I hope you will too.

No Man is an Island

I've been playing around with the idea for this post for a few months. Probably since before the end of last school year and I just couldn't find the words to make it work. I don't know if these are the words that are going to make it work, but I'm going to try.

This weekend my sister and I went on kind of a "spiritual binge" at Rock the Universe (a two-night Christian music festival at Universal Studios) and a lot of it was incredibly eye-opening.

I titled this post "No Man is an Island" for a couple of reasons:

#1: It's a song by one of my very favorite bands Tenth Avenue North.

#2: It's a song that speaks to me about life. My life now, and what my life used to be like.

#3: It's a cool title.

Okay, so I get a lot of flack from people who think I'm kind of cranky and moody and, well, you get the idea. Sometimes I can be those things, but most of the time I try really, really hard not to be.

See, there was a time in my life when I was really cranky. Like...

Mean.

Angry.

Hateful.

I don't want to be those things anymore, so I do my best to be...nice. A lot of the time I'm just really sarcastic and people don't get it. I'm working on that too.

Anyway, that's not the point of this post. The point of this post is that if I didn't have people in my life to keep me balanced I would still be that person. So many things have changed since my life was like that. I remember so vividly my very first evaluation at the end of my first year of teaching. My observer mentioned that my mentor teachers said something along the lines of me "not working well with others".

That was my first reaction and my initial feeling. Of course, we always want to blame others for our mistakes because that's easier. It's easier not to feel accountable for anything, including our own faults. It's taken me a while to get through that initial evaluation. I think about it every year when I start fresh with my team. I think about how we share ideas, triumphs, challenges...and I'm grateful. I'm grateful that I'm not alone and that I have people who have my back. 

I feel like this goes with so many other parts of my life, though. I love to be alone, but I know that it's important to have people to support you. For me, the change started when I began attending church regularly. It had been so long since I'd let anyone into my life that it was kind of scary. But, here I was reconnecting with my best friend, making new friends, and welcoming God back into my life. 

I know that getting back into church is way turned my life around. I know that committing to a life with Christ is what helped get me over whatever I was dealing with. (I think I'm mostly over it?) 

Because of that I'm able to share my life with others. Because of that I know I'm not alone. I think it's important to find your people, no matter where you are. I have a lot of people and I'm so, so grateful for all of them. 

One of the things that stuck with me the most this weekend was something Mike Donehey, the lead singer for Tenth Avenue North said. I can't remember the exact quote, but it he was talking about wanting to be used by God in any way possible and how important it was to not look down on others or judge others because we think we are better than them. I think that's so important, and it's one of the things I struggle with everyday. It's not easy to admit that, but it's true. 

I have people to keep me in check everywhere I turn. There are so many things that I need help with and I'm glad that my eyes are finally open to that. I'm thankful to have a family that keeps me on my toes, people who help me be a better teacher, lifegroups that help me be a stronger Christian, friends to be honest with me when it matters most. 

We are not islands. We can't do life alone. I'm thankful everyday for the people I get to do life with.   

Remember that next time you think I'm being mean.

That last part was a joke. 

Here's the video for this lovely song: 

LOL

Here are some thoughts that when through my head today:

Ugh, Monday. 

OMG, TRAFFIC.

This smoothie is gross. 

I need more coffee.

THERE ISN'T ENOUGH COFFEE OR MIDOL IN THIS WORLD. 

Seriously?

Are you kidding?

Are you even listening? 

Why do I even talk? 

What am I doing here?
 
I need a nap. 

I need a drink. 

I need more coffee. 

It's National Pizza Day?! 

Ah, Monday, what a beautiful creature. I think everyone basically loathes Monday because it's the end of the weekend and time to get back to work. From a teacher's point of view it's like the beginning of the school year all over again. Honestly, I feel like every Monday I should reteach classroom rules and procedures because they've forgotten everything in the TWO DAYS they were gone.

Ah, kids.

Today wasn't exactly horrible, but it wasn't the best day either. I had a few new issues and some ongoing ones that I'm trying reeeeeeeaaaaaaally hard to overcome. I get it, though. I know (TRUST ME, I KNOW) that's it hard to come back to school after a weekend. I know it's hard to get back into a routine. I understand that there are SO MANY THINGS that are exciting going on and we can hardly control ourselves, but we've still got a job to do.

We have a responsibility to ourselves and others. We work hard. We are kind. We are respectful.

This is pretty much the pep-talk I give to myself and my class on a daily basis. Today I had to give it, oh, about four times.

That's okay, though. It really is. They're just kids and they don't always get the concept of being kind and respectful. I mean, if we're being honest, neither do adults, amirite?

Today I had a long (okay TWO) conversation about how to treat people, how to use nice voices and kind words and all that fun stuff. I even noted that I was NOT using my nice voice, that I was using my angry voice because, obviously, I was angry.

So, I guess we all had some weak moments today. But, like I said: it's okay. Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow we will ride again. Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow.

On the way home I heard a song the Christian radio station I listen to called "Laugh Out Loud" and I just kind of thought..."Yeah, okay."

Some days you just have to laugh. You have to shrug it off and move on. Not everyday is perfect, whether you are teaching, working in an office, or staying at home.

Life happens. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad.

You just have to get over it.

So, I'm going to get over it. I'm also hoping I don't get any angry parent emails and I'm going to eat my homemade pizza.

Here's hoping for a brighter Tuesday. :) 

They're Just Kids

I love my job. It's a good job and, like I've said a bajillion times before, it's a hard job. I know there are jobs more difficult and I know there are jobs more rewarding. I know that know matter what you do, you always have a chance to make and impact in someone else's life. I get all of that and I never want to degrade what anyone else does, this is just how I feel about my job.

Kids are important. Kids are the future. As teachers we literally see the future every single day. Let me tell you, folks, it's scary. Okay, that might be going a little overboard, but it's hard to be serious when, in a classroom of second graders, someone farts and it takes ten minutes to get everyone back under control. (This happens more than once a week, okay.)

Bodily functions aside, there are so many other things I sometimes forget about kids. Sometimes I think we are so focused on what we need them to do and what our expectations are, that I think we forget they're just kids.

But really, it's not the fact that they're just kids that bothering me these days. I know that kids are loud and impulsive. I know they need to express their feelings in weird ways and can't always control their emotions. Kids are my business, even though I don't have any of my own. In my eight (short) years of teaching I've seen a lot. I've seen kids of all different, shapes, sizes, and colors. I've had students from broken homes, perfect homes, and no homes at all. There's kids with mental and emotional problems that I can't even begin to comprehend.

That's what is killing me right now. The fact that these kids are dealing with things that we don't even know about. I've been really frustrated with my students this week (okay, this year) and I think that this is my main problem. I focus so much on what's happening in my classroom: how they are behaving, what they are doing or not doing, how they are interacting with others. When my focus is on all of those things, I lose sight of what's really important: the kid.

The need to reprimand a behavior is a common reaction, but it isn't always the reaction they kid needs. It's really, really hard to take a step back from the situation and just think about it. Which is kind of funny to write, because I just attended a training that said "IT'S OKAY TO TAKE SOME TIME TO THINK". (Which probably means that I need to pay more attention.)

It's easy to jump to a punishment, write a note, or make a phone call. The hard part is working it out with the kid. Asking the hard questions and figuring out what in the world is going on with them, instead of just punishing them for something they may not have any control over.

Seeking first to understand is hard. When I talk about the Seven Habits of Happy Kids with my students that one is the most difficult to explain, because sometimes I struggle with it. By sometimes I mean EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I love my jobs. I love these kids. I might complain about them a lot, but it's because I want more from them and for them. I want them to succeed no matter what their circumstances Even though I know that some of their circumstances are not the greatest, I know they can overcome them. They are the future and, yes, sometimes the future is a little shaky and often times it farts in the middle of class, but that's okay. (Everybody farts, y'all.)

So, this week...okay, next week I'm going to remember that they're just kids. I going to think before I react and ask the hard questions. And, if all goes to crap, I'll just get up the next day and do it all over again.

XOXO,
Ash

All The Things

Oh, hey. You're still here? Yeah, me too.

It's been a month since my rant about honking at runners and I don't actually have an excuse except that I've been really, really tired. Like, really. I kept thinking I wanted to write a post about how tired I've been but I don't want all those "Hey, at least you don't have kids" and "But you don't have anyone to go home to" comments. I know I don't have a family or anything to come home to (do you seriously think I don't?), but that doesn't mean I don't have a life. Okay, so my life isn't that interesting...but I also don't like to complain, so I've put off this post for a while.

It's not that I'm tired per se, but more like I'm stretched too thin. Honestly, this is my own fault. I like to do things. I need to do things. No, I don't have this sick need for recognition, I just actually like doing stuff for people. (One of my spiritual gifts is Helps - a blessing and a curse, let's be real.)

Sometimes, though...sometimes doing stuff gets tiring.

Most of the stuff I do is for work because I love my job. I love it. There is nothing else I'd rather be doing, which is great because most of my waking hours are actually spent at work. Sometimes I think back to summer vacation and to those moments when I used to get a little stir crazy and wish for something to do. Those are times when I also wish I could kick myself. Sometimes I get the "You need a life" or "You work too much" talk (thanks, Mom), but I don't really mind. I do work a lot. But I love it.

I talk a big talk about being alone, hating everyone and pants, but the time I get to spend with my people helps to alleviate some of work stress. Praise band on Tuesday, life group on Thursday, people in my books on the weekends. The weeks where everything runs together smoothly are like magic. Especially if I get to train in that week since I'm supposed to be running a half-marathon in two months. That's a whole other post entirely. But, of course, the weeks aren't always perfect.

There are days when I feel like I've bit off more than I can chew. Like I really can't do all the things I've committed to and that kind of scares me. It scares me because I want to be able to do all the things. This weekend was the first weekend in over a month when I actually didn't have anything I was committed to. No school functions, no family parties, no races...IT WAS AMAZING. But still, I love doing the things.

Actually me. 

One day I want to be able to do all the things I want and do all the things people think I should do. You know, get married and have kids and get a dog or something. I don't know what the kids are doing these days. 

Anyways, back to doing stuff. I love doing stuff! Sometimes I see my coworkers all freaking out and having bad days and I just want to hug them. I really do because I love you guys and you're all so awesome. Yeah, it's a hard job and we do a lot, but it's the best job. It's not a job you can walk out on and not think about again. Maybe it's just me, but I take it home every night. I take it home mentally, because I'm also thinking about what I can do better, how I can fix something that might not have gone well, how I can try to be better the next day. Sometimes I'm a grump and I want to turn it around. Sometimes nothing goes right so I have to put in a little extra effort to make sure I'm doing my best. 

Sure, sometimes your best is hard. Maybe you don't think things you do deserve your best, but they do. Perhaps the people don't deserve your best, but you should give it to them anyway. Not because they deserve it, but because you do. 

I hope you're doing all the things you want to do. And that you're drinking a lot of coffee while you do it. 

Also me.

Be Cool

I yelled at my kids last week. Not all of them, just a few. (Okay, I've used my teacher voice a little more than I'd like this year, but that's another post entirely. Or maybe that's just a happy hour conversation to save for later.)

This is my confession. I yelled. I felt bad. I tried to make excuses for my behavior, and then I felt guilty. Maybe they deserved it, but that was really no excuse for my behavior. I mean, I felt really bad. Here's the thing: I had a bad reaction to an already bad situation and I lost my cool.

But I really did. 

I know it's hard to believe, but it happened. If I were using that as a teachable moment I would have said to myself: "You did not seek first to understand, then to be understood, Ashley". Then I would have yelled at myself for being an asshole when I was already feeling bad.

It's been a week and I still think about it and get a little embarrassed because I hate losing my cool. Haaaaaate it. It sounds a little ridiculous, but if I lose my cool it's like they've beaten me. And the thing is, is that they always will if you let them.

Now, I'm not saying this like everyday is a constant battle, even though sometimes it feels like it can be. What I mean is- and I mean this is the most professional way possible- you have to show them that you are the boss.

Losing your cool does not show them you are the boss. It show's them that you have a short temper and they can get to you quickly.

Don't be a spaz, okay? 

I really feel like to key to any well functioning classroom is respect. Not just respect between teacher and students, but also students and other students. Hell, I feel the key to anything working well is respect. Respect, not fear or coercion. I guess the hard part is: how do you earn that respect without being a hardass? How do you do it without being mean and loud? How, how, how?

One thing I like to do is embarrass myself as much as possible. By the end of the first week students know which books I like (Harry Potter), who my favorite superhero is (Captain America), what's my favorite animal (turtles, but I have a cat), and so on. Sometimes we sing and play silly games, or sometimes I sing just to make them laugh. It breaks up the monotony of the day and I think that, by me acting like an idiot, they get to see a different side of me.

Of course, I still have to be tough. I still don't put up with BS. There are consequences for all actions, good and bad. That's something that we are still learning about and understanding here in the fifth week of school.

It's a process, though, and I'm working through it.

Someone mentioned after my last post that they were looking for the positive piece in it. The thing is...sometimes there isn't a positive piece. Sometimes they day is just shitty and you have to move on. Sometimes the next day isn't any better. But maybe, after a few of those bad days, some kid comes up to you and smiles and hugs you...and maybe that's it. Maybe that's your positive. I've learned in my life that not all things happen when and how we want them to. The same goes with teaching. Teaching is a lifestyle, it's a life. It doesn't always go the way you want it to, but sometimes it's pretty sweet. I hope I can remember that the next time my cool threatens to be lost. ;)

Keep on truckin', y'all.

Kids. Are. Awesome.

Teaching is hard. Yeah, I’ve said that a million times (hyperbole) in these little posts but sometimes even I forget how true it is. There are so many things that we have to do for the job that sometimes we forget what the job is about: kids.

Lately things have been a whirlwind of testing, meetings, observations, and paperwork. Those things don’t matter, though. Not really. Okay, they matter in terms of staying organized, keeping policy, being prepared, and, of course, doing your job.

I love kids. I love them in a completely non-creepy-oh-they’re-so-cute kind of way, all right? Of course, just because you like kids doesn’t mean you should become a teacher. You become a teacher because you like kids, learning, and being poor. (HAHAHAHA!)

I’m mostly kidding, I do that a lot. However, I do feel (and know) that there is more to teaching than just loving kids. Teaching is a calling. Teaching is not something to be taken lightly. Those who can’t, do not teach. But that calling, that need to make a difference, to continue your own learning every single day…that is fueled by the kids.

Kids. Are. Awesome.

They are tiny little sponges soaking up the knowledge that you have to give them. And, hopefully, you’ve got some. Kids are amazing, resilient little creatures that give you their heart and soul.

Yeah, you. Kids are the most honest things in all the world. Not only do they tell you everything that is wrong about you, but they tell you what’s wrong with them. Sure, it’s not always in a language you understand, but if it were would teaching be so easy?

Oh, hell no.

The ones that need love the most show us in the most unloving ways, right? I can’t tell you how true this is. (Literally, I can’t tell you because I’m sure it’s not allowed or something.) I’ve seen, heard, and lived through so many situations that are absolutely heartbreaking. Kids these days go through things that I could never dream of or wish on my worst enemy (okay, maybe this one person…), but they make it through. They make it through because of people who care. People (hopefully) like teachers.

Teaching is the best job. It’s the best and the hardest, because being a superhero is hard! Our capes are nametags and Expo marker smudges and leftover Peeps in plastic baggies because a kid really likes you. (True story.)

We have to wear our hearts on our sleeves and put on our mean faces and loud voices sometimes, but that’s just how it is! That’s the beauty of teaching. You get to be the good guy and the bad guy! The superhero and the villian! Captain America and the Winter Soldier!

Have you seen this yet? You should. And take me with you.

I might complain about my job: the long hours, the grading, the chatty kiddos…but I love it. There is not one thing in the world I would rather be doing. Okay, unless you read my Facebook status this morning about missing my couch and my books, WHATEVER.

I love my job, and I hope you do, too. I hope you love your kids even when you’ve got on your angry face, even when you’re using your loud voice, even when you’re up to your eyeballs in papers to grade. Because if you love them through all of that, it makes a difference.

You make a difference.

And I like you.

Here’s a fun little kid tidbit from last week:

Boy to girl sitting being him: “Hey, stay away from my butt. I just farted.”

I hope they always make you smile. 

The Truth (About Teaching)

I love my job. I say that a lot when I do posts like this, but you have to know it's true. Those cute little kids and all the fun things we do and all those crazy people I work with. Yeah, it's awesome.

BUT! There are some things they just don't teach in school. Some things that the universities and colleges don't seem to have in their budgets to inform those budding teachers about. Here are some of those things.

You work all the time. Like, really. You might be scheduled from 7:30-3:30, but that doesn't always mean you leave on time. If you are one of those people that leave on time, more power to you. I spend more time at work then I do at home, but that's okay. Actually, I work at home, too. So, yeah, you work all the time.

Literally. No one has ever said this. Ever.

Train your bladder. You might not think that going to the bathroom is a big deal or that important to think about when pondering a career in teaching. You never get to pee. Well, that's not exactly true. You can pee when the bell rings, at lunch time, and during your specials. But what if you drink a lot of coffee or try to stay hydrated, huh? THEN WHAT? Then you better make friends with your neighbor because they're all you've got during instruction time.

Paper work. The trees. Teachers killed them all.

Politics. 

Heh. 

Be flexible (and manage well). It's been a while since I've been in school, but I just don't remember talking or learning about being flexible. There's so much planning and practicing lessons, that I think professors forget that kids. Kids ruin all your awesome lessons, man. Think about it for a hot minute. You're on a roll. Kids are engaged, they're raising their hands, answering questions, being nice to each other...and then it happens. It can be anything, really. There can be a spider on the floor, you can trip over your own feet, someone falls out of their chair, or, God forbid, someone farts or something else involved with bodily functions and/or fluids. Point is, no lesson is perfect. You'll be okay. 

Truest story.

Bodily fluids.I mean, while we're on the subject of farting and things...snot, pee, spit...yeah, you're going to see it. Kids put things in their mouths. They sneeze and don't cover it up. Sometimes they pee their pants. (They haven't trained their bladders like you have, okay?) True story: one week I dealt with three accidents. I was not amused. 

Kids are different. Okay, they actually do talk about this one at school, BUT WOW ARE KIDS DIFFERENT. Your class is a melting pot of little minds. It's crazy. Some of them know more than others and some of them know more than YOU. And you get to teach them all, isn't that great? (Yes.)

Parents. Y'all. There seriously needs to be a class about how to deal with parents. Sometimes it very, very difficult. (Because they get very, very crazy.)

Meetings. Basically I'm tired of seeing all of your faces. 

Grades. Who needs 'em? 

So, there are a few things that school doesn't prepare you for. Mostly they're silly and fun, but some of them are true. Teaching is, as I always say, the best job in the world. There are tough times, but the good always outweigh the bad. Even the paperwork and meeting part of the job. I promise. 

Thanks to Kasey, Shawna, Samantha, Mallory, Sarah, Nikki, Stephanie, and Michelle for answering a totally random text and giving me the ideas for this dumb little post. You guys are my favorite. Duh. 

I should probably go do lesson plans or something now, huh? 

XOXO, 

Ashley 

Do Something

There are some days that I feel completely uninspired. Days where I don’t want to leave the couch because that would require effort and movement and doing something.  See, I don’t always like doing things but I’ve found in my old age (THIRTY, man) that doing things makes me…happy.

I like to do things for myself a lot: reading, shopping, running, and movies. Those things are all well good but what I really mean by doing something is doing something for someone else. That’s when I’m at my most inspired.

When I traveled to Guatemala in 2012 it changed my life. That was the first time I really felt that I did something. Of course, spending ten days in a foreign country with only five days of clean clothes will do that to a person. I’m mostly kidding, because once you’re there, working with those amazing people, and seeing their smiling faces because they’re so happy you’re there…it doesn’t matter that you’ve been wearing the same t-shirt for two days.

Worth it. 

That’s what I mean, though. That’s the something you should do. Now, I don’t really mean you should hop a plane to a third-world country (unless you want). That’s a huge something that takes a lot of planning and, you know, money. It was seriously awesome, though.

I climbed a volcano.  Also worth it.

There are so many little things that you can do that can totally change someone’s day: buying them coffee, writing a note, a phone call, a text, even a smile could do that. It’s kind of amazing the way that works sometimes. Also, it’s a little crazy the way one small little gesture works.

If you’re thinking this is turning into a Pay it Forward kind of thing, it is. You want to know why?

Because it’s so easy.

Saying ‘good morning’ or smiling or even waving to someone is the simplest thing you can do. Sure, there are situations where that is pretty difficult, but even in traffic when someone has totally ticked me off I wave and mutter “Jesus loves you” under my breath. Okay, maybe that isn’t really doing something…but it makes me feel better and I don’t swear at idiot drivers.

Doing things and being kind to others is the most important thing we can do for people, in my opinion. Maybe I don’t always do something in the way I’m supposed to, but I try. I try in my classroom with my students, because heaven only knows what one little positive thing will do for them sometimes. I try with people even though sometimes you might think I’m bitchy, but that’s okay. (Just know that I won’t be doing nice things for you anytime soon.)

Imagine what it would be like if we were actually able to do good all the time, to have people see that good, and to pass it on?

Newsflash: IT WOULD BE AWESOME.

I love good things. Good words, good books, good runs, good friends, good drinks, good deeds. If you know me or read this crappy little blog you know I love good.

So, go do some good. Do a nice thing for a friend. For a coworker.

Just do something. 

Make Good Choices

Recently I was teaching a lesson on immigration to my second graders and one of my sweet little girls raised her hand and asked a very, uh, poignant question. I use that word because sometimes they say things that really get to me: like a little life lesson or reality check that comes just at the right time.

Teaching is pretty cool, y’all.

So, she raises her hand just after we’d finished talking about naturalization (the process of immigrants becoming citizens) and says:

“But, if people promise to follow the laws, why do they still do bad things?”

Why do they still do bad things?

It took me a moment to answer, because I was a little shocked at the question. It’s fairly early in the year and I’m still getting to know these sweet babies, and sometimes you just don’t expect something that deep from a seven-year-old.

And, trust me, that’s pretty deep for a kid.

In answering her I simply said:

“You know, sometimes people just don’t make good choices.”

It’s all I could manage at the moment, and she simply shrugged and replied with, “Well, that makes a lot of sense.”

Why does that have to make sense? Better yet, why does that have to make sense to a child?

When the shooting happened at Sandy Hook Elementary security around our school changed dramatically: locked doors, inside transitions, a security officer monitoring daily.

The hardest part was the kids, though. Telling them, talking to them, and answering their questions. There are some things that children shouldn’t have to know about or talk about. To me the number one thing is death. It’s hard enough being a kid without having to know that other kids die.

It’s sad that the only explanation we have when something like that happens is that someone made a bad choice.

Then again, aren’t we all just the choices we make?

If that’s true, then can’t we just use some common sense and like, not make a horrible, life-altering decision that will ultimately make everything suck?

I’m pretty sure the answer is “no”. We were given free will and the ability to choose and, as humans, we do our best to screw that up.

Every.

Single.

Day.

As an adult it is difficult to understand the choices that people make, so it threw me off that a child was so easy to accept that answer. I don’t understand how people choose to harm, kill, discourage, insult, and do various other horrible things to another human being.

How is it so easy?

What seriously goes through a person’s mind?

Am I just that naïve to think they life is just easier if you’re nice? (You’re all probably laughing right now because you know what a sarcastic jerk I am, but don’t I at least smile at you in the morning?)

I make a lot of jokes about hating people and pants and only being able to tolerate my cat and people in books, but it’s not really true.

Okay, it’s not that true.

What is true is that doing good things and making good choices does make it easier.

I say it to my students all the time, but sometimes I don’t realize just how great the meaning is.

“Make a good choice.”

Most of the time it’s about walking in line, or recess behavior, or when they go to specials and we’re having a tough day.

Make good choices about your behavior.

Make good choices about your life.

Make good choices about how you treat people.

Make good, do good, be good.

Simple, right?