Always~
“People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.”~To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Improve your Morning! Hint, just add coffee. Problem solved, right?! Ha!
Ok, we all know the benefits of the mornin’ cup o’ joe! Here are some suggestions beyond coffee to add to the mix:
One of my go-to ways to improve my morning is by waking up earlier than everyone else in the house. It is so quiet and peaceful. So mornings, it even gives me the chance to watch the sunrise while I drink my coffee.
That quiet time–whether it’s 30 minutes, or even 5–really gives me the opportunity to get focused for the day. I end up feeling relaxed and ready to tackle the challenges of the morning routine–whether it’s prepping kid lunches, hectic school drop-offs, or taming an unwieldy stack of essays that need grading!
Is your a.m. routine listed here, or do you have some other suggestions for making the most of your morning? What helps you wake up with a smile on your face?
It’s Friday. Time to unplug and recharge.
Hope you’re able to enjoy some time outside this weekend.
Thinking: Optional. Relaxing: Mandatory.
There are a lot of amazing hiking trails nearby where I go to reconnect and recharge. The great outdoors requires very little of us, other than showing up. I feel a little lighter and stay in the moment a little longer when I’m among the trees & sunshine.
How about you? Does nature help you feel replenished & refreshed? What’s your favorite way to recharge on the weekends?
Even MORE reasons to read to a child. Reading aloud “builds a child’s WANT to read.” Think your kiddo is too old for you to read to them at bedtime? Think again. Check out the difference in a child’s interest in reading between Kindergarten and Fourth Grade! What was the key difference? Parents stopped reading to kids.
By 12th grade-only 19% of kids asked said they were interested in reading! When you consider that higher levels of college readiness are linked to reading skills, I have just one word for that statistic: Noooooooo….but what can you do about it?
One thing our family started last summer was family reading time. We picked a classic-The Wind in the Willows-and each of us would read a few pages at a time. We read it together each night and enjoyed the simplicity of the words, the comfort of the timeless message and the beauty of the illustrations. Yes, even my Minecraft lovin’ middle school boy unplugged long enough to take part! He loved doing accents and really cracked up at Toad’s antics. So get silly, have fun, and share the joy of reading at any age!! What types of family reading do you do with your kids?
This beautiful infographic was produced by usborneusa.com and Nancy Ann Wartman
OK, you got me!! There are only 10 items on the list. The 11th one is up to you! What ideas do you have for performing a Random Act of Kindness this summer? May I suggest “Read to a Child“? It is simple, costs nothing but a little bit of your time, and can make all the difference in the world.
But, hey, anything you do is gonna make you feel all warm & fuzzy inside…so, go for it…
Start a Kindness Chain…
Because once you start it…kindness ripples out like water in a pond, spreading farther and farther. And that’s 100% scientific fact. Yep, I swear!! Kindness is contagious!
So what’s YOUR #11?? Let’s add some ideas to this list. Add your suggestions here. Thanks! 🙂
Einstein was basically saying to do what we love. We all need a reminder to live our life with purpose and to follow our joy.
Ray Bradbury always inspires.
Type “Ray Bradbury and quotes” into any search engine and what you’ll get is pure inspiration. From the famous sci-fi author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles, you’ll find quotes about love and reading and living and rebellion and getting on with things. Quotes about imagination and exploration and dreaming. Quotes that bring tears to the eyes with their genuine enthusiasm for life and literature.
Try these on for size:
“You must write every single day of your life… You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads… may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.”
and
“Love. Fall in love and stay in love. Write only what you love, and love what you write. The word is love. You…
View original post 524 more words
BE YOU
Are you heading back to campus soon?
Whether you’re a student or a teacher: Dream Big!
Connect ~ Inspire ~ Learn ~ Grow!
“Hold Fast to Dreams, for if Dreams Die, Life is a Broken-Winged Bird that Cannot Fly.” Langston Hughes
This graphic that appeared in the New York Times explains part of the reason why I’ve started this blog, College Ready. Location is a key factor on whether or not children are able to climb the income ladder. Upward mobility varied greatly in cities that have the same or comparable average incomes.
I’m committed to closing the Opportunity Divide, so that every student who can succeed in college, gets that chance to actually get to college. We can’t afford to let geography alone be a barrier to education, employment, equality or economic stability.
Mentors and coaches, peers, and other role models can help. As I’ve said before, the presence of just one adult in a child’s life who believes in him or her, and shows up, makes a difference. There’s not an easy answer but taking one small action can start a ripple effect. I challenge you to spend an hour a week reading to a child-even if it is your own child-and start that ripple.
What are some of your best ideas for helping everyone have a chance at the American Dream?
College Ready 