You Are Worthy (echo: YOU ARE WORTHY!)

Year three of teaching has come with so many insane changes I can't even begin to count. Before we get into the backstory of my post title - mind you - includes a literary illusion to the Greek nature myth of Echo (I just got done teaching Ancient Greece, this year's class just ate the myths up! Cough Chronos). Chronos ate all of his children, incase you needed a brush up on your Greek mythology :) OKAY OKAY OKAY NAILS.

As per the Pantone color of the year: radiant orchid, my tips are currently sporting Too Taboo from the Essie neons collection.

I was intrigued by this pretty little bottle in Walgreens because my nails just can not get enough of the purples. It comes off more pink on camera, definitely. Too Taboo applies semi matte - so for me a top coat was a must. This is the case with most neons. It was more opaque than I imagined it would be. Props Essie, props.

Now I know in all professions you will run into days like this...

But, I find myself looking EXACTLY like this sad, sad little canine a bit too often. As a sixth grade teacher I always struggle with the message I want to just imprint into my students brains (well there's lots of them, but overwhelmingly this one). I was a very self aware adolescent. I feel very deeply, and I was aware of every single pain and struggle I went through. It hurts me now to know this is all just beginning with my students. I want to save them from it and I know I can't ::sigh:: If I feel this way about my students, Lord help me when I have children. This is all I want them to know.

In college psych classes you learn about Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. Until you have met a child who is not getting their basic needs met, and you are trying to teach them how to divide fractions and identify the parts of an atom - you don't really see the true weight in each level of the pyramid. 

Each needs to be met before advancing to the next. As educators we are presented with the task of  meeting the needs of kids ALL over and around this pyramid - and hey, pat on the back to us, somehow it happens. 

In order to throw out my best attempt at letting my students know EVERY SINGLE ONE of them is worthy, I have to set the example myself. 

I am a go-getter (eh, in most aspects of my life) and I really have been resinating on that top tier of the pyramid for a while. How many people actually make it there? In the scheme of the cosmos (yes, we are just little specs of dust and if you haven't watched Cosmos on Nat Geo or Fox, get on it yo!) how many people in our human race who have a substantial influence on the rest of our lives, our leaders perhaps, actually make it to the top tier? My 24 year old mostly optimistic self takes a look in the mirror. 

One of my best friends shared this article with me. We were about 4 mimosas deep and I was spewing about my newfound wordly-ness after spending my weekend with a cup of coffee, the couch, and Cosmos on demand. I have recently been entranced in the whole "why/how are we really here?" mind-set. She shared with me this article - and I proceeded to forward it to anyone I knew who would give a dang. 

7 Things Self-actualized People Don't Do

These seven very important things are now pasted to the front of my teacher binder. I see so many opportunities for improvement, yet also some of my strengths peeking through - and it's pretty cool. I suggest you give it a go. 

All in all, you are going to have those ruff days. As for me, I have to accept my students are going to have ruff days - and for the mere fact that they are 11 years old, they have a heck of a lot of ruff days ahead of them. It's my job to give them the set of skills to take on those ruff days and teach them how to...

Stay chip free and standards based,