So I will start by sharing a file that I have bed building since 2009. Something that I add a line a day and a thought a day.
Teaching Students, One Quote at a Time.
Through my entire teaching career I had one quote up somewhere in my room. That quote is,“Everyday is good, some are just better than others.” Growing up, my Dad used to say it to me all the time, and it just sort of stuck…so I thought I would pass it on to future generations. I never knew the real impact this quote had until one student, a young lady known as Katie, explained it to me. She told me that she had gone through some very difficult times during high school, but then she was in my class and heard me say that line…and read it everyday. It made her realize that she needed to enjoy the little successes everyday, and to focus on the positive things that surround her everyday. This happened around my 4th year of teaching, so that quote has remained up, somewhere, in my classroom for the rest of my teaching career.
During my 10th year of teaching I had decided that I was going to have a quote of the day. This was just a little something in an attempt to motivate students to look a little deeper within them, and maybe a little further than the right here and now. I did this for a while, coming up with my own quotes, not really thinking anything of them…at least, until…I stopped. I had decided that it wasn’t making any difference and that none of the students were even paying attention to them. So I decided to trash that idea and just keep them to myself. I had not put a new quote up and my board remained blank for about a week. This is where Sydney comes into the story.
This young lady, a freshman at the time, was always the first one in class, always had a smile, and always tried her best. She came in at the end of the week and saw the blank board, AGAIN, and asked me, “Why aren’t you putting up the quotes anymore?”
I replied to her, “I am just tired of coming up with them and nobody reads them anyway.”
She very quickly answered, “I do. In fact I write them down everyday, so that I can add them to my quote book at home.”
Then from across the room I heard, “Yeah, I write them down everyday too.”
Then someone else added, “Me too.” Several additional students chimed in, and then another and another.
Needless to say I returned to putting up the quote of the day…and it was at that point that I decided to save them in one place so that upon retiring I could have my collective wisdom (or whatever you may want to call it) of teaching students different life lessons, one quote at a time.
I hope you enjoy them and maybe, just maybe they might help you when you are going through the day that may not be one of the better ones.
2009 - If you don’t appreciate the things you already have, how can you expect to appreciate the things you want?
2009 - You should never look down on anyone, unless you are helping them up.
4/29/09 – Strength of character becomes obvious when life becomes difficult.
4/30/09 – Individual sacrifice is sometimes necessary for the success of a group.
5/4/09 – Life is much like a rollercoaster; full of twists, turns, and ups & downs. And, just like a rollercoaster, the ride ends way too fast. So pay close attention, and get all that you can out of your ride.
5/5/09 – Do not complain, unless you are not willing to be part of the solution.
5/6/09 – Sometimes the right thing to do is NOT obvious. Sometimes the obvious thing to do is NOT right. Doing what is right is obviously, always the best choice.
5/12/09 – Age is nothing but a number. The number itself is not important, but what you do with the time you are given, is.
5/13/09 – Plan for tomorrow, Live for today.
5/14/09 – School is like anything else in life; you get the same out of it as what you put into it. (Minimal effort/participation yields minimal results)
5/15/09 – There is good in everything and everyone. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder to find it.
5/18/09 – Things are only embarrassing if you let them be.
5/19/09 – Don’t stop when you see the finish line, but rather when you see the finish line BEHIND YOU.
5/20/09 – You don’t stop laughing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop laughing. (Author unknown)
5/21/09 – Defeat the defeat, before the defeat defeats you.
(Don’t let past failure stop future success) - Staci
5/22/09 – Success, What is your definition? If it involves the amount of money or the amount of material items you have, you might not EVER be successful.
5/28/09 – Do not judge a person based on what they do for a living, but what they have done with their life.
6/1/09 – Everyone has the capability to make a difference in the World. It is a shame that so few choose to.
6/2/09 – Do not be in a hurry to grow-up. You only get a few years to be a kid, while you have the rest of your life to be an adult.
6/3/09 – One Last Thing: Celebrate that this is the last day you have to be in my class, that you have made it through one more year of school, and that summer is almost here. But also celebrate all you have accomplished and learned throughout the year.
New School Year
8/10/09 – The first impression is the one remembered. Make it count.
8/11/09 – The average lifespan is 24,455 days. Make the most of each one.
8/12/09 – The most precious things in life are not purchased.
8/14/09 – The only way for someone to hear your point of view is for you to first listen to theirs.
8/17/09 – Don’t let grey clouds rain on your parade. (Bad things sometimes happen, do not dwell on them.)
8/18/09 – Sometimes things that appear complicated are actually very simple.
8/19/09 – If you tell yourself you CAN’T do something, you won’t b able to.
8/20/09 – Sometimes the only way to avoid a topic is to talk about it.
8/21/09 – Any decisions you make should be based on factual information and sound judgment.
8/25/09 – Life is what you make of it. If you believe that it is good, then it will be. If you believe that you are going to be successful, then you will be. (Translation: Positive energy leads to positive results.)
8/26/09 – Do everything possible to make your good days out-number the not-so-good ones.
9/1/09 – The only things that are “embarrassing” are those that cause shame.
9/3/09 – Ignorance is not a laughing matter.
9/4/09 – Laziness is not an incurable disease, nor is it an excuse.
9/8/09 – You have to respect yourself before others will respect you.
09/09/09 – Respect can take a lifetime to earn and a split-second to lose.
9/10/09 – Love is not measured by presents, but it is shown by your presence.
9/11/09 – Hero’s come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and colors.
9/14/09 – Every mistake is an opportunity to learn.
9/15/09 – Raising a pig is a dirty, stinky, early in the morning kind of thing…but someone’s gotta do it.
9/17/09 – If you only see that which you look for, why would you look for anything except good?
9/18/09 – A true measure of a person is what you do when no-one is looking.
9/22/09 – Just because something is not important to YOU does not mean it is not important.
9/23/09 – At what point in life do you become responsible for your own actions?
9/24/09 – Make sure that you treat your significant other the same way that you would want your kids (when/if you have them) to be treated.
9/28/09 – Your happiness should not come at the expense of others.
10/1/09 – The first step in solving your problems is admitting that you have them.
10/5/09 – Life should not be about the collection of material items, but rather the collection of happiness.
10/6/09 – Money does not make a person “Good”; however the reckless pursuit of it can lead a good person to make bad decisions.
10/7/09 – Mistakes are a fact of life. Admitting them is one key to life.
10/8/09 – Don’t let the World be your cat box.
10/9/09 – True beauty is not displayed by your face, but rather by your heart.
10/19/09 – Vacation should be a chance to relax and unwind, not an opportunity to forget what you have learned. (First day back from one week intersession)
10/20/09 – Ignoring a problem will only make it worse.
10/22/09 – Your self worth should not be determined by random comments of others.
10/23/09 – Don’t be in a hurry to grow up. You will never get another chance to be a kid.
10/25/09 – Sometimes motivation can only be found by first hitting rock-bottom.
10/28/09 –When things do not turn out exactly as you planned, don’t concentrate on the bed things, but instead focus on the pieces that did work. (Dedicated to Chloe’s birthday cupcakes and their lack of sprinkles)
11/2/09 – When you reach the end of something, don’t be sad that it’s over…be happy that you made it through and now you GET to start something new.
11/3/09 – Sometimes the only way to take care of other is by first taking care of yourself.
11/4/09 – If you open your mind, you unlock the doors of possibility.
11/5/09 – The one thing that you will NEVER be able to buy (regardless of how much money you have) is time.
11/9/09 – If you try to find happiness in material items, you will always be let down.
11/10/09 – RONDOM THOUGHT – If the lion is the “King of the Jungle”, which animal is the “Court Jester”?
11/11/09 – It is ALWAYS better to be the windshield rather than the bug.
11/12/09 – Life is always better with a smile.
11/15/09 – Don’t let you life be limited by doubt.
11/16/09 – Confidence is like a double-edged sword, your success can be hampered by having too much or too little.
11/18/09 – Things that are easily obtained rarely mean as much as much as those that must be worked for.
11/19/09 – The only thing standing in the way of your success is yourself.
11/20/09 – The World becomes a better place when you look for the beauty in everything.
11/23/09 – Sometimes the only difference between a good day and a great one is a homemade cookie.
11/24/09 – This year, while you celebrate Thanksgiving, take some time to think about a few of the reasons that you have to be thankful.
11/30/09 – It’s never too late to make a difference.
12/1/09 – The best defense against failure is Not-Giving-Up.
12/8/09 – The thing about a secret is the truth always comes out at the worst possible moment.
12/9/09 – Love should not be measured by the price of a gift.
12/10/09 – Goals that require work and dedication are far more rewarding to achieve.
12/11/09 – You are ALMOST done, don’t stop until you CROSS the finish line.
12/12/09 – Planning ahead and thinking beyond the “Here and Now” can sometimes save extra trips to the library.
12/14/09 – Don’t lose focus simply because you can see the end.
NEW SEMESTER
1/5/10 – Today is your ONLY chance to make a first impression, make it count.
1/6/10 – Success should only be measured by comparing your results to your effort.
1/7/10 – Do not try to conceal your own insecurities by putting down others.
1/8/10 – I challenge you to make someone smile everyday.
1/10/10 – The only way to discover yourself is to try as many DIFFERENT things as possible.
1/11/10 – Humor makes most things bearable.
1/12/10 – Did you know that the ability to learn increases exponentially when you are first told that which you are about to learn.
1/19/10 – The funny thing about “Common Sense”…it’s no longer common.
1/21/10 – Every once in a while we ALL need a shock to the system.
1/22/10 – Don’t limit life by only looking forward to the weekends.
1/25/10 – Sometimes the cards that you are dealt are just cards.
1/26/10 – Sometimes a little work is needed to make things last a lifetime.
1/27/10 – The journey is often more important than the destination.
1/28/10 – Hard work can overcome most deficiencies.
2/1/10 – Don’t take your frustrations out on others.
2/2/10 – Good educational practices should not be decided based on one test score.
2/3/10 – You cannot hope to understand that which you do not attempt to learn.
2/9/10 – To you, what does the FREE in FREE-COUNTRY mean?
2/17/10 – Determine your own level of success, then work to reach that level.
2/18/10 - Everyone makes mistakes. Confident people admit to making them. Smart people learn from them. Stupid people blame others for them.
2/22/10 – Don’t let pride (or stubbornness) stop you from clearing up any misunderstandings.
2/23/10 – Keeping busy is a good thing. Being TOO busy to miss out on little details is not.
2/24/10 – Don’t get depressed by the rain, but instead look ahead to the beauty that it will bring.
3/1/10 – Things are only embarrassing if you let them be.
3/2/10 – You may not always get to do the things you want to, but you should want to do the things you get to.
3/3/10 – You will never find what you are looking for until you spend some time figuring out exactly what it is.
3/4/10 – If you only focus on material things, you will never see the big picture.
3/8/10 – The first step to fixing an issue is recognizing it as one.
3/9/10 – Don’t be in a rush to get outta here, for all too soon you will be saying, “…remember when…”
3/10/10 – The future will happen to all of us, if we are lucky.
3/12/10 – Reward does not come without sacrifice.
3/15/10 – Outside of school you will be expected to perform a task after ONE explanation. Why should it be different in school?
***Today, Jordan told me that one of his favorite parts of the day is coming in to my class and reading my quotes. He even told his Mom about them. Thanks.
3/16/10 – Creativity cannot overcompensate for a lack of preparation.
(Goodbye Alice. Today I had to put my 12yo Doberman down)
3/17/10 – The Irish are lucky because they BELIEVE they are.
3/18/10 – People and animals will move in and out of your life. Don’t dwell on the loss, but instead, celebrate the time that you had together.
3/19/10 – Most people work at least 8 hours per day…don’t let MONEY be the main factor in deciding how you will spend 1/3 of your life.
3/22/10 – Sometimes the only way to be heard is to stop participating.
***Today, Bella told me that she looks forward to the quotes everyday. (Something is working)
3/23/10 – Enjoy your “right now”, because you might not get a “later”.
3/24/10 – If you go through life with a closed mind eventually you will find yourself lost and alone.
4/12/10 – Just because something has “Always Been That Way” does not mean it is right.
4/13/10 - If you spend time focusing on the things you hate you won't have time for the things you love.
4/14/10 – Attitude is contagious. What kind do you have?
4/19/20 – Why is it that the thoughtlessness of a few can have such a large effect on many?
4/20/10 – Avoiding a problem does not make it go away.
4/21/10 – An honest “Thank You” goes a long way.
4/23/10 – If you don’t ever lose, you can’t truly appreciate winning.
4/26/10 – happiness should not require the acquisition of things.
4/27/10 – Don’t dwell no the negatives in life.
5/1/10-5/3/10 – Don’t give anyone a chance to say something bad about you or your school. (CST Time)
5/4/10 – The end of one thing is usually the beginning of another.
5/5/10 – As you get older your idea of “COOL” gets better.
5/10/10 – Remember that ALMOST done is the same thing as NOT done.
5/18/10 – Wouldn’t life need to also give you water and sugar to actually make lemonade?
5/19/10 – If you live your life knowing that someone ALWAYS sees what you do….you may be less tempted to make bad choices.
5/20/10 – Excuses are just attempts to justify not doing what is expected.
NEW SCHOOL YEAR….FIRST YEAR AS ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR
8/5/10 – First impressions say a lot. What will yours say?
8/6/10 – Things obtained easily do not hold their value.
8/9/10 – Practice makes BETTER, nothing is ever “Perfect”.
8/10/10 – Don’t judge others, you never know the challenges they face.
8/11/10 – Do not assume that you are busier than anyone else.
8/16/10 – It is equally important to know what you want to be AND what you DON’T want to be.
8/17/10 – Most of the time “Too Much” of anything is a bad idea.
8/18/10 – If YOU don’t prioritize your own life, someone else will do it for you.
8/20/10 – You can’t soar with the Eagles if you hang out with turkeys.
8/24/10 – Focusing on the negative only makes it worse.
8/31/10 – Share your happiness with others…smile.
9/1/10 – Doing things you don’t want to do is a fact of life. Make doing THOSE things to the best of your ability a fact of YOUR LIFE.
9/9/10 – It is ALWAYS better to think more and speak less.
9/10/10 – Without a reason, a purpose, or belief in a cause…a “Leader” is just someone that likes to talk.
9/20/10 – Age is merely an accounting of time and in no way a true measurement of “maturity”.
9/21/10 – Life has a funny way of balancing the good and the bad.
9/22/10 – Even thought stuff sometimes happens, you should not use that as an excuse.
9/23/10 – Be aware of what you say…sometimes things meant to be humorous are in reality very hurtful.
10/1/10 – If you live to be 100, I wish to live to 100 minus 1 day…that way I never have to be without you. – Winnie the Pooh
10/4/10 – Be careful what you wish for…you may get more than you wanted.
10/5/10 – If you believe in what you say, then you should have no problem repeating it.
10/18/10 – If the only thing that you have to say is a complaint about being given the opportunity to learn….keep it to yourself.
10/19/10 – How can you expect change in the world if you are not willing to make the change in yourself?
10/25 – 10/29/10 – WOOOOOOOOOO……….Homecoming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11/1/10 - WOOOOOOOOOO……….Homecoming is OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11/2/10 – If you focus only on the failures each day, you will not recognize the quality/quantity of your successes.
11/10/10 – Another example of life following math…Positive thoughts & Positive actions results in Positive outcomes.
11/15/10 – Don’t give up. Try all obvious avenues. If those fail, try a path less travelled.
11/17/10 – When the end is rushed, the good stuff in the middle is missed.
11/18/10 – Don’t allow the little, meaningless things to put a dark cloud over your day!
11/30/10 – As more people join in to a POSITIVE THOUGHT its effect increases exponentially.
12/1/0 – You already possess the most powerful tool on the planet (your brain), now you must learn how to harness its power.
12/2/10 – (BAD SUB REPORT)
Embarrassment is an emotional state experienced upon having a socially or professionally unacceptable act or condition witnessed by or revealed to others.
It is an unfortunate fact of life that the WHOLE often suffers from the bad choices of the FEW.
12/5/10 – Often the obvious solutions eludes us.
12/8/10 – Being wrong is better than not trying.
12/13/10 – Pride…work hard to have it…work harder not to let it stop you from doing something.
1/7/11 – It is better to over-prepare and under-estimate than to under-prepare and over-estimate.
1/10/11 – Allow things to happen naturally, the results are always better.
1/11/11 – Sometimes difficult things seem easy, sometimes easy things seem difficult. Don’t get stuck on how thingsSEEM.
1/18/11 – Practice does not guarantee that you will be the best, but not practicing guarantees that you will not.
1/20/11 – Groups and/or teams will only work if ALL members LISTEN at least as much as they talk.
6/1/11 – Take responsibility for the energy you bring into this place and EVERY space you fill.
8/10/12 – You only get out of life what you put into it.
8/13/12 – Every life is precious…not matter how big or little. (R.I.P. Ivy)
8/14/12 – Being late tells others that you believe YOUR time is more important than theirs.
8/17/12 – If you do things because they are the right things to do, you will always be rewarded.
8/20/12 – Why is it that people in power always feel the need to fix things, even if they are NOT broken?
8/25/12 – Sometimes it is OK to disagree, sometimes you have to keep it to yourself.
8/28/12 – Don’t focus on the negative, it will only stop you from recognizing all that is good in life.
8/29/12 – You will not want to do everything required of you, the lack of wanting does NOT remove your requirement.
9/5/12 – Perception becomes reality. Make sure that you are looked at in the way you want to be seen.
9/6/12 – In order to do what you WANT to do, most of the time you first have to do what you HAVE to do.
9/17/12 – If you “Live for the Weekend”, you are missing 71% of your life.
9/19/20 – EVERYONE is dealing with something. So think before you say something.
9/21/12 – If you don’t MAKE the time for family, will you be OK when they are gone?
9/22/12 – For you, these ARE the “Good Ol’ Days”.
9/27/12 – If we (as a nation) continue to lower our standards to the decreasing level of performance, how can we EVER expect the level of performance to increase?
10/1/12 – Life is not always wrapped with a bow, but it is always a gift.
10/22/12 – If you don’t start at the beginning, how can you expect to finish?
10/24/12 – You must learn to find your own way…you will never get to where you want if you rely upon someone else’s directions.
10/25/12 – What do YOU believe in? What are YOUR hopes & dreams? Have you ever written them down? Figured out a way to reach them?
10/29/12 – When you think about life, what is the first thing you think of? Is it what you have? Or is it what you don’t have?
10/30/12 – Sacrifices made to make a point are not sacrifices…but rather statements. (Don’t confuse the two)
11/1/12 – At what point is discussion no longer productive & simply done for discussions sake?
11/2/12 – If everything you have (own) went away, would you be happy? If the answer is no, what does that say about you?
11/5/12 – If you don’t “BOTHER” to vote, then please don’t BOTHER me with your complaints.
11/7/12 – Results are in…regardless of how you feel about it, now is not the time to complain, but rather now is the time to get on board.
11/8/12 – Being a good (or bad) test taker is not something you are born with…but rather a direct reflection of how well (or not well) you have prepared for the test.
11/9/12 – At what point does “funny” become “Hurtful”? Stop & Think before you speak.
11/29/12 – Are you Successful? How do you know? Can you justify it? Can you do better? Are you proud of yourself and ALL you do?
12/3/12 – Life is about Compromise and choices. Maker sure that you don’t compromise yourself for a stupid choice.
12/4/12 – If the amount of effort you put into today determined the amount you earn tomorrow, would you try harder?
12/5/12 - What did you do for today? Did you prepare to SUCCEED (Study)? Or prepare to FAIL (Not Study)?
12/12/12 – You should treat yourself to something special once in a while.
New Semester
1/11/13 – If you don’t learn how to deal with failure, you will never be prepared to succeed.
1/14/15 – When you are frustrated…step away, take a breath, and relax…if you don’t your frustration will only build.
1/15/13 – Attitudes are contagious. Make sure you spread something positive.
1/17/12 – Appreciating something (or someone) once it is gone is TOO LATE. Be happy with what / who you have in your life…while you do.
1/22/13 – How often do you greet someone you DON’T KNOW?
1/23/13 – Do you have to remind yourself to smile? Or is a smile something that searches you out?
1/24/13 – Do not be “Too Busy” for the people in your life…because all too soon, they won’t be.
1/25/13 – If you don’t make a point to be in charge, you cannot expect things to go the way you think they should.
1/31/13 – You may not be able to “Fix” something that isn’t broken, but you CAN improve it!
2/5/13 – If you get everything you ask for you will never get a chance to EARN something.
2/6/13 – Inspiration becomes motivation which turns into perspiration and leads to success.
2/7/13 – Happiness leads to happiness. If you look for good….you will always find it.
2/8/13 – A “Wake Up” call can come from anywhere…as long as you are willing to listen.
2/12/13 – How often do you challenge yourself? How often do you achieve your challenges?
2/13/13 – If every decision is made for you, how can you ever learn accountability?
2/14/14 – You should NOT ONLY tell someone you love them on Valentines Day.
2/19/13 – If you don’t forgive yourself and allow YOU to move on…you won’t find inner peace (no matter how hard you try).
2/20/13 – If you have to TRY to be happy…are you?
2/27/13 – There should be a law that states, “If you aren’t willing to be part of the solutions, you are NOT allowed to complain.”
2/28/13 – All too often, a person on the losing team ends up winning by dragging others down to their level.
3/4/13 – Realizing who you are, what makes you happy, and where you belong takes a LIFETIME.
3/5/13 – Recognize and appreciate when others are trying to help.
3/6/13 – Life is ALWAYS busy. It is up to you to prioritize time for the important people in your life, including yourself.
3/11/13 – What good does being ANGRY do? Does it fix what is broken? Does it right what is wrong? Does Anger answer any questions?
3/12/13 – Where would the world be if limitations were placed upon creativity?
4/8/13 – If all you ever do is “COAST”, you will never get over any obstacle you come across.
4/9/13 – If you “Could have done better”, why didn’t you?
4/10/13 – You should always try your best because you will RARELY get an opportunity to do it again.
4/11/13 – “Not having enough time” is an excuse. Did you have time to text? Play video games? Talk on the phone? Etc. Before you use that excuse, make sure it is an honest statement.
4/12/13 – If money is the driving force behind all that you do, make sure that the time spent is worth it.
4/25/13 – Putting anything off until the last minute is never a good idea…and does not create an emergency for anyone but YOURSELF.
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