College Ready

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Tag Archives: buddha


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15 Things to Give Up to Get Happy!

Here are “15 Things to Give Up” to Get Happy.

This is good advice all year long, but especially at holiday time and as we look towards the new year.

You have the power to flip this script! It might read something like THIS:

-Believe in yourself.
-Think Positive
-Embrace Failure
-Build healthy relationships
-Engage in meaningful conversation
-Speak highly of yourself and others
-Live in Joy
-Eat to fuel your body
-Get up and go
-Positive Self talk
-One step at a time
-Go after Success
-Live in Simplicity
-Be Authentic
-Become comfortable putting yourself FIRST…or at least work up to putting yourself on the list. Take care of you!

When we give up the things holding us down, we make room for more goodness and opportunity to enter our lives.

Drop us a note in the comments on which of these you are planning to give up in the New Year, or turn the phrase around (flip the script) and tell us what you WILL be doing in the days, weeks and months to come to live a healthy, happy life.

And as we approach the holiday season of light and love, we want to offer our appreciation and gratitude to our amazing tribe (that’s all of you–our readers–from all over the world) who make this community a better, brighter, and more vibrant place. THANK YOU.

All the best,

~~Lisa (aka, The Happy Teacher!)

Want to connect with us on facebook? Do that by clicking right here. If you’re on Pinterest, you can find us right here. Grazie!

www.collegereadycoach.com


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Wise Words: Speak the Truth. Even if Your Voice Shakes.

As educators, we are called on to do this often. We speak up–especially when it is for our students. Shaky voices and all!

speak truth even voice shakes


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How to be a Scholar. 6 Steps to Encourage Critical Thinking

As promised, encore presentations of some of our most popular posts. This post “How to be a Scholar. 6 Steps to Encourage Critical Thinking.” is a reader’s favorite over on our Pinterest page, where it has been “repinned” many times. I like the visual appeal of the infographic and will once again use it this Fall in my Freshman Composition classes. The #1 most important skill for any college student in any discipline or major, is critical thinking.
Always Question! xo~Lisa, aka “The Happy Teacher” 🙂

Psst: Yep, we’re on Pinterest. We feature high quality, visually appealing content for teachers from K-12 to College, including free resources ready to print and use in the classroom. Check out our boards and if you do, leave a comment so we can say Hello!

College Ready

As we get to the end of the semester and school year, we are expecting our students to demonstrate higher order thinking skills, or Critical Thinking. I like this infographic from Learning Commons at the University of British Columbia.

Critical Thinking ToolkitThanks to its simple flow chart style, students can use it to clearly reflect on their own thinking. Students need to constantly question their own process, and those of others. They need to ask questions about the text they read, test possibilities, and allow for new discoveries.

Higher order thinking skills (HOTS) push our students beyond simple responses and elevate them to scholars and critics in their own right. Part of what’s vital in education is for students to learn to trust their own voice, while still questioning their thinking. What strategies do you use in your classroom to encourage critical thinking?

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#1 Rule for Summer: Don’t Forget to Play

It’s Summer. Don’t Forget to Play.

Unwind. Unplug. Do more of what you love.

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Get outdoors. Put your toes in the sand. Read a book just for pleasure. DON’T take any notes. Take a digital detox.  Let go of schedules.

Remember what infinite possibility felt like…that’s summer!

xo~Lisa

aka The Happy Teacher

The 20 Habits of Highly Authentic People

As part of my June challenge, I’m spending the month reflecting inward. This article from MindBodyGreen was a powerful reminder of how we can all (self included!) live a more authentically happy life. Build each other up. Spend time with yourself. Notice the beauty all around. Smile at a stranger.


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24 Quotes for Living a Happy Life, from Dr. Seuss

Let’s face it–all the best quotes come from Dr. Seuss! I think I could comfortably say that everything I ever needed to learn, I learned from him. Kindness. Respect for the Earth. Tolerance for people who are different than yourself. Treating the smallest among us as equals. Loving yourself.

I thought I’d share this collection of inspirational quotes now, since it is commencement time and young people are graduating, from Kindergarten to college. You can’t beat the timeless advice of good ole’ Dr. Seuss. There’s something here for EVERYONE. He’s the original guru!

All the best quotes come from Dr Seuss--he's a guru.

My favorite little tidbit…the one I hold near and dear to my heart? “A person’s a person…no matter how small.” What about you? Do you have a favorite quote from Dr. Seuss? Let us know in the comments.

You can order this print via Momo Prints on Etsy. 


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Writer’s Say: Just Write. Pick up a Pen and Write.

Author of Writing Down the Bones, writing guru, Natalie Goldberg, has this to say on how to be a writer:

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Why Happy Teachers Matter

This week, I’m posting some favorite quotes and images in honor of all the amazing educators out there who teach, inspire, mentor and encourage our nation’s youth to keep moving forward. Happy teachers are a positive force for change. One kind word can impact the entire direction of a student’s life, and one lesson can light the spark that produces a lifelong learner.

Remember to #ThankATeacher this week!

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Image via CommonSense Media.


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Find Your Happy Today

My happy is:

In the classroom, connecting with students. Forget About What Everyone Else Thinks And Says

The “Aha Moments” when that student finally puts it all together.

The struggle that finally leads to success.

A little creek with some big rocks for sitting on and thinking.

The path, the journey, and sometimes the destination.

A cup of coffee with a friend.

Pages of a book, sometimes filled with notes I’ve made.

Smiles of children that are my heart beating outside of my body.

Writing just one word that makes a picture.

Finding beauty along the way.

What’s your happy?

If it makes you happy, go for it.xo~Lisa

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.”  -Aristotle

“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” Dalai Lama

 

Any little thought will do. Peter Pan

 

 


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10 to Zen: Recipe for a Peaceful Life

Zen: To be at Peace.

10 to Zen. What can you Let Go Of to find your Zen? Here are 10 suggestions from Buddha Heart. For best results, please repeat #10 multiple times a day. Add a dose of sunshine and smiles and you just might mix up the recipe for a Peaceful Life. 

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I’m not a practitioner of Zen, but this list resonated with me, and I found myself reflecting on its lessons:

#10 is easy for me. I have kids and they keep me laughing. #6…well, that is a work in progress. I tend to think I come from a long line of worriers, and that I’m moving in the right direction on that one. The worry monster still creeps in from time to time.

Let’s be honest, #1 is challenging in a world of social media and facebook posts. We know who traveled to what tropical paradise as it happens, and it usually happens when we are at home with a pile of dirty laundry. It’s the new normal. Shrug that off. Let go of comparing.

My personal recipe: I aim to live by all of these, and I assure you I don’t always succeed. I probably fail multiple times a day, in fact. But I am really guided by #2 & #3. Those lessons have led me to my own little slice of Zen, on those days when I do find it. In my life, each day is a fresh start for being at peace. Sometimes, what I need to be happy with is a peaceful afternoon, a peaceful hour, or a peaceful moment. Just one little moment in those 24 hours when I exhale, look around, and say:

“Life is Beautiful.”

That’s my Zen. Being aware of the good stuff. A smile from my daughter. A hug from my son. The sunshine on my patio. Simplicity. Harmony. Nature. Letting Go.

How about you, do any of these resonate with you, challenge you, or help you stay sane? Let me know, I’d love to hear your personal recipe for living a peaceful life. 

xo, Lisa