Just sharing as i think through this week....

Source.... Prolific Living.com

How to Know a Passion from a Passing Fancy?

You know the professionals do not intimidate you; they simply inspire you!
You study the works of the pros and aspire to follow in their footsteps!
You listen to the advice of others but no one can tell you to quit it for the world!
You take your work, your art, your passion seriously – even if no one else does!
You think of a vacation or a weekend away with ways to feed your passion!
You hardly care how long you spend learning about it and teaching yourself the details of each skill set!
Your face lights up when you find another who shares your passion!
You learn the lingo. Yes, it may be silly to outsiders but to those on your field, it is the way people communicate!
You save up for your tools of trade and consider it an investment not an expense!
You reap a deep and undeniable satisfaction from it and every fiber of your being knows that this is no passing fancy!

As i ponder i also remember some of my wishes.....

      I wish I had always felt proud and not ashamed of my roots, my name and my nationality.

I wish I had never lost my childhood friends. 

I really wish I had started feeding my insatiable desire of traveling a long time ago…..so many reasons and so many excuses but in the end, I waited. Now, I cannot seem to satisfy this famished heart, no matter what I do. 

I wish I had picked up and gone to live somewhere far away by myself for any period of time. Now it is a bittersweet wonder thinking about the chances I never took.

I wish I had been braver. Not in matters of the heart, I was plenty brave there! In matters of choosing how I live, where I live, and what I do for a living.

Oh how I wish I had been more adventurous in what I do for a living. Now I have a lifetime of work to feed yet another famished desire on the brink of starvation.

I wish I had learned to forgive earlier in my life. I wish I knew its healing powers are truly for the one who forgives.

I wish I had not let family nonsense create years of distance between me and my cousins. Now it would take an army of men and an act of God to even try and separate us.

I wish I had written down every single memory of my grandfathers so I wouldn’t have to beg my parents to fill the aching gaps. If only I had recordings of their perfect voices. I wish I just remembered more.

I wish I had taken care of my body when it broke down in the face of injuries, rather than stubbornly pressing on. I wish I had been kinder to myself.

I wish I had been more patient and less judgmental of the love of my life, my best half, my partner and my friend. Now I delight in making it up to him for the rest of my days.

I wish I knew how to just drop an argument when I can hardly remember what on earth I was arguing about two days later. Only heartache remains after a silly quarrel or even an intense one. The most bitter lesson of all for the intimate relationships of our life!

I wish I had given less of myself to work and more of myself to me.

I wish I had reflected more often, listened inwardly more carefully and followed my heart more unconditionally.

Alas, we live and learn. The most important things turned out just fine. The rest shaped the edges of my personality and gave me determination for living life on my terms now. With all this wishful thinking, even if I could, I should not be able to bear to turn back the hands of time and make adjustments to what is already lived and done with. I do not have the guts to leave this moment for even a second, lest I come back to find it even slightly changed from its perfect pure present state.

I think decisions of our early youth, no matter where we fall on the wishful thinking scale, are bound to us with a sense of longing and tenderness. We think of the young, all-knowing, all-encompassing spirit we used to be and we can hardly blame ourselves. We did the best we could at the time with best of intentions, a good heart and the tools at our disposal. If we had followed the advise of our elders, we would to this day be wondering what if we had not! If we had taken too many risks, we may be looking back with nostalgia at the safer road to adulthood and if we had followed along with less risks and safer choices, we would be wondering about the unexplored adventures we must’ve missed out on.

There is just no winning at this game. There is no way to know what would’ve been or could’ve been. Regrets are pointless. What is done is done. Whatever happened happened ! There is only a path ahead, a life to live, lessons to learn and an evolution of the mind and heart which eventually leads us to exactly where we need to be and precisely whom we are meant to become.

more charts

More work done

some other charts done so far...

nicadez.blogspot.com: What Makes A Good Principal

nicadez.blogspot.com: What Makes A Good Principal: I found this thread which all of you can identify with for sure! It is someone's idea of what makes a good principal . The piece is punctuat...

Work Done

So i have been missing. This is what i have been doing..... thanks to web inspired pics i created my own for my class.

Been spending the last couple of days  gathering stuff for putting together my plan of action for the return to school..... we so look forward to holidays and spend so much time during holidays getting ready to go back to work!!!  Found some really great stuff at some blogs! Thanks teachers!  Some stuff on websites! www.dltk.com
www.readingatoz.com

Daily duties

At this time we are preparing to get back to work and prepare children for return to school! for some it is really difficult especially working on a 2008 salary! how do we balance needs and wants? How can we cleverly decide what is required and what is desired?

Its a new day!

Two weeks before school reopens! As we get ready to get back to work we should pay attention to ourselves and ponder our choices for the term.
Found this at Prolific Living.com and decided to share!

Happiness happens right there in your heart and it starts with theright mindset, which leads to decisions that lead to actions. Actions such as elimination of the wrong things.

Here’s the top 8 things to eliminate right away:

1. Bad thoughts – You are your thoughts and if you knew the power of those thoughts, you’d never think a negative one. I heard that somewhere. And it bears a lot of truth.
2. Bad foods – You know whether you are eating it or not and you know what you need to do. Enough said.
3. Bad health habits- Anything goes here, alcohol consumption, substance abuse, smoking, sloth, overeating, oversleeping, you name it.
4. Bad relationships – Or any relationship that doesn’t get you all excited and thrilled to be in the presence of this other person.
5. Bad job or career – The kind that zaps the life and energy out of you before lunchtime, the kind that nauseates you, the kind that you do just to get a paycheck but can barely stand. That!
6. Bad news or information – Stuff you read, watch or otherwise consume. There is awareness and being in the know and obsessing over information that takes up precious time and resources away.
7. Bad self-image – Which is tied so much to poor self-care. Those awful thoughts around your appearance to the world, most of which is made up. Our imagination can be a terrible thing.
8. Bad perspective – Your perception of the world will become reality. When you realize how powerful this is, you will choose the best perspective and let go of all the bad ones.

Do something about everything in your life and it is impossible not to see your strength become unified and your energy gather about you in amazing ways. It will become impossible NOT to reach your goals when you have eliminated the things that get in the way.

The State of Our Nation

This morning I begin with a very heavy heart. i went out with my spouse to an event last night. Now it was advertised for 18 years and over!!!!!!!! What hit my angry button was the fact that there were LOTS of teens there and they were ALL consuming alcohol. the thing is parents are paying for their kids to attend the event but WHY are they allowing them to consume alcohol??? Isn't it illegal to do this!!!!!!!!! Now I ask why do persons believe that they are above the law and can get a quick way out of it. As an educator this is a reality we face everyday....... we set standards..... parents and community set their own! When the youths fail......... they blame teachers! When educators set out rules and regulations.... parents allow their children to disregard these. How can we become productive citizens and improve our nation if we allow these things to continue?

'These are the Days' (Trinidad & Tobago) - ROGER GEORGE

Preparation Time

For the past couple of weeks at looked on as teachers stated their activities for the holidays thus far..... but really how much of it was time actually spent preparing to return to work.  It is amazing to see how many persons are investing their own money for the benefit of their classroom and students! why should this be, why cant we be given a yearly grant per teacher for classroom development? Now  schools receive stocks but how useful are they to the teacher and are they usable? As frugal as we try to be sometimes we end up spending so much on our charges! BTW do nurses buy needles and meds for their patients? Do doctors pay for diagnostic testings for patients? Do maxi/taxi drivers drop people off at their destinations for free? Do we smile at the cashier at the grocery for our food? SOOOOOOO why do teachers have to do all these things for the benefit of their students? Damned if you do and damned if you dont!

The desire!!

Yesterday i submitted my final assignment for my B Ed Programme!!!!!!!!!!!!!! However there is the desire to continue studying! Some say take a break, some say carry on! the task ahead will be a difficult one but with determination i will make a choice!
I started yesterday looking at using running records to improve fluency, comprehension and logical sequencing! it intrigues me that this was not part of the module done in Reading! Well i love to learn on my own so there is where i started!
 Running Records

Today is a new day!

Give thanks with a grateful heart; give thanks to the Holy One; give thanks!
I thank God that I woke up, that i am alive and that i am able to say/write what i feel can make a difference! In society today, we still have a lot of people who view political affiliation with race! how CRAZY is that! Politics is NOT  about race it is for the most cunning and shrewd of intellects who connive the vulnerable into believing their crap! Having said that we as teachers must remember that we are very much responsible for the perceptions created by the children in our charge! Do we discuss politics with them giving a bias or do we do so allowing them to create their own schema!   As we plan for the new term are we considerate of the events unfolding before us and the importance of Independence and Republic to this OUR country.

This is Trinidad and Tobago

I Love My Country - Machel Montano

Thinking about Me.....

I got this article from Prolific Living.com so decided to share today with others!

How to Get Out of a Rut Fast Show Notes

1. First, you need to ask yourself a series of questions to get clear on how you feel about your particular hobby or career. Listen to the podcast for these questions.

2. Then you need to identify if your hobby has run its course or if other priorities have come into your life that have made you take a conscious break from your hobby. I tell you what to do in each situation.

3. Next I bring up a quite unrelated root cause as to why you may be in a rut. This may seem unrelated at first but can dramatically increase the chances of throwing you off-balance and affecting everything in your life. Watch out for this one.

4. As to pushing past the over-thinking part, I talk to you about fears and anxieties that may be holding you back and while some are legitimate, why most of them are not going to be of consequence and how to push past them.

5. I give you my own practical tips to get out of a rut fast, including the idea to develop quick routines for movement.  Pay attention to this part as it can keep you in a rut for a long time.

6. Ask yourself why is it that you don’t start a new hobby or routine? The All-or-Nothing mindset kept me plagued for a long time and I know it does this to others too, but those who really succeed do not let this dilemma interfere with their plans. You shouldn’t either!

A Get to Know Yourself Mini-Guide:

1. Get to Know Your Personality: Maybe you are the type to take personality and assessment tests. Maybe you can just observe and listen and collect bits and pieces of the puzzle that will make the whole come clear for you. I prefer the latter but either way, get to know your personality inside out. Who are you behind your name? What are your characteristic traits? What image do you portray to the outside world? What is true nature as a person on a happy day, on a sad day, in face of a challenge or a great reward? How do you react to the world around you?

2. Get to Know Your Values: a list of their values.  The list of life’s core values all “sound good” but the question is which ones feed the flames of your fire? In your work, in your home, in all aspects of your life, which ones can you not compromise on? Is it honesty, integrity, security or flexibility? Is it dedication to others, wisdom and learning, financial comfort or fun? Do you value loyalty above excellence, responsibility above ambition, or innovation above improvement?

3. Get to Know Your Body: I used to think I know my body. How silly of me! The more I learn about my body now, the more it surprises and delights me, it amazes me. Yours can too. How well do you know your body, your breathing, your limits of balance and flexibility? Or have you wrongly decided that you “can’t do this” and that your body “type” won’t do that already and thus closed the door to wonderful possibilities? Have you taken enough time to become truly intimate with the loveliest temple on earth, your own body?

4. Get to Know your Moods: Your moods can be good and bad, harmful and delightful; don’t underestimate their subtle power. Get to know what frustrates you and what brings you peace. Understand what makes you react a certain way and how can you manage a poor mood at critical times in your life. Learn your best and worst moods and find ways to manage the poor ones and ways to enhance the good ones.

5. Get to Know your Likes and Dislikes:, what we like and equally important, what we do not like. Have you taken the time to define them just for you and not in a peer group with your friends and family? Defining your own likes and especially dislikes takes some guts. It is not “nice” to talk about our dislikes but it is far less nice to deny our true desires so choose wisely. If you do not like camping or traveling or visiting your friends in another state, don’t do it. If you love eating out or shopping online or learning Japanese or eating a raw food diet, stop making excuses to please others about your “guilty pleasures”. Stay true to your likes and dislikes.

 I have learned that…

… I can tolerate extreme physical pain for long periods but I cannot tolerate loud and obnoxious children even for five minutes.
… my body can become stronger as I become older.
… my body needs extremely hard workout routines to stay happy.
… my energy can increase as I age gracefully.
… I really do not care for the approval of everyone to pursue everything I want in life.
…  friends come and go no matter how much I invest in the friendships.
… I am very sensitive as a woman and it pains me to see how much some friends forget the huge favors I have done for them over the years.
… the more I travel, the closer I get to my ideal lifestyle.
… the older I get, the closer I grow to my childhood friends.
… my corporate dreams were lousy and so I set them aside.
… I can be in love with my own body and the better friends I make with that body, the happier I become in all aspects.
… giving up anything is possible when I set my mind to it.
… I have let fear stop me in the past from far too many opportunities.
… I am weak at confrontation and strong at negotiation.
… I like cuisines that seemed strange to me and dislike familiarity and routine.
… I can become a writer and even a photographer someday despite years of teaching and education training.
… certain people in this world frustrate – and even disgust – me so I no longer let them into my life, no matter what the grand reward of having the relationships.
… I value being true to myself above everything else.
… my moods are not a true reflection of me and I can learn to change them especially if they bring harm to my loved ones.
… what I believed at 16 still holds true: selfishness is a virtue and the root of all my happiness and path to my true compassion for others.

Getting to know yourself allows you to tap into the well of happiness beyond your imagination. Bliss even on cloudy day.

Pride and sadness

At a time when we face tremendous sadness at the amount of flooding anf injuries and devastation which occurred in North Western Trinidad, the nation is PROUD of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Team!!!!!!
As teacher i look at this from many angles.....
Devastation and Flooding...... We need to teach and by extension of the community  reinforce the importance of conservation of land use! We need to teach the importance of careful disposal of garbage!!!!! Tooo many areas where flooding occurs is due to the improper disposal of garbage. We must also reinforce the importance of being our brother's keeper by looking out for and giving aid when required, not saying that it did not affect you so it does not matter! it does matter!

National Pride....... i sat with opened mouth when a relative said to me "i don't want to hear nothing about patriotism!" We must have some pride and sense of dedication to our country !WE MUST!!!!!!! It is sad that as we celebrate our 50th year of Independence there are persons who feel this way! As teachers we MUST set the example for Patriotism!!! We need to get all involved in making our country a better place!

In terms of Pride of our Olympic team they have done us PROUD!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE need to express to the authorities the importance of Specialist teachers for these areas and the investment of infrastructure in EACH school so as to develop the students truest potential! I am truly proud of all that we do and continue to do!

Sweet Saturday

Today is raining raining raining!  for the first time for the week left home to get some food stuff! while out  i was amazed and happy to see that the town of Princes Town was decorated with red, whit and black banners! i feel proud to be a citizen of tnt! when i returned home i looked at some pictures that person have posted with regards to the flooding and land slippage through out North Western Trinidad.... what made me smile was persons coming out to help each other! Let us continue to be our brother's keeper! i am truly blessed in many ways and as i hear the rains outside i pray for all those discomforted at this time. I pray that no more lives are lost and that things can be restored to normal soon. We must remember that these are the effects of nature telling us to conserve and preserve all that we have and it tells us that we must teach and be taught ways of living  with nature!
Today's lunch will warm the soul and the body...... chicken soup for the soul!

Fun Fact About Trinidad and Tobago

You may or may not know these documented facts about Trinidad and Tobago:

You should know that:

People from Trinidad and Tobago are called Trinidadians, Tobagonians, Trinbagonians and Trinis.

You should know that:

The Average temperature in the island is 30 degrees Celsius or 89 degree’s Fahrenheit

You should know that:

Trinidad and Tobago are two separate islands but one country.

You should know that:

The main language spoken in Trinidad and Tobago is the queen’s English.

You should know that:

Trinidad and Tobago is the origin of Steel pan, Calypso music and so-ca and Limbo.

You should know that:

Although cricket is the most played sport in Trinidad and Tobago, soccer is the second most played sport in the island.

You should know that:

Calypso is the most listened to music in Trinidad, not too surprising since it stems it’s origin from this country.

You should know that:

Christopher Columbus discovered Trinidad in 1498, although there were already natives living there.

You should know that:

Trinidad and Tobago is a multi-cultural island with natives of African, Indian, Asian, French and Dutch ancestries and is still a democracy.

You should know that:

Trinidad is home to the pitch lake, the largest of three asphalt lakes in the world. The other two pitch lakes are located in Venezuela and  California in the USA.

You should know that:

The first black Miss Universe is a Trinidadian and was crowned in 1977, her name is Janelle Commissiong.

You should know that:

Trinidad has many famous Idols like  Peter Minshall ( famous clothing designer), Billy Ocean ( famous singer), Wendy Fitzwilliam (Miss Universe 1998), Janelle Commissiong (first black Miss Universe).

You should know that:

The Buccoo Reef located in Tobago is one of the Caribbeans most well known reef’s of its kind.

You should know that:

The Nylon pool located in Tobago off the buccoo Reef got its name from Princess Margaret who payed a visit on her honeymoon and named it Nylon pool because it’s waters were so blue that it looked like Nylon.

You should know that:

When you visit Trinidad and Tobago, you will want to visit this beautiful island again and again.

These are just some of the interesting facts about Trinidad and Tobago, there are a lot more facts about this island and it’s people, the best way to experience the beauty of this island is to pay a visit you will be glad that you did!

Good morning to all,
This morning i awoke with the speed of BOLT! and went directly to the kitchen to prepare meals for my family. While doing this i thought about all the reasons we do what we do! As teacher, how many things do we really do, are we able to say exactly what our role is and can list ALL the things that we actually do. Or "do we do what is required to do to accomplish the task of teaching the people children".  For too long i have been wondering why i do what i do...... really why???? it is my passion, my vocation ,my lifelong task!!
There are many who would say that some teachers "overdo" but really if you want to achieve success for yourself and your charges don't you have to go the greater distance. 
While attending CREDI I was often asked these questions and i made me think of why i do what i do..... it is all to the glory of the God i serve! As a leader in our own right, we must look at how we lead the charges...
Am I.... 
a servant leader
a visionary and decision maker
a cathecetical leader
a model and coach to others
 As we ponder on these we are reminded that all teachers have leadership tendencies and as such need to exercise these tendencies in the classroom. As a teacher we must believe in our self and remember that one's contribution is important.  We must have the courage to realize that I am a leader! Additionally we must have good social conscience and this must reflect in our lives. There must be seriousness to our purpose. Finally we must master situations and be able to use our skills in different contexts so as to achieve our goals!
As a leader, do we take part in professional organizations? Are we members of a team or committee? Do we operate in the role of mentor or coach? DO we work as members of a national team? Do we set standards? Are we part of the community? Do we support each other?
So as we begin this day these are some of the questions i have and as the day unfolds i hope to achieve some answers and continue to be the best me possible!
Live, love, laugh and learn today!!

Found these wonderful poems at dltk.com

As we plan for the new academic term are we aware of the many uses of media we can incorporate into our teaching strategies. Do we use:

Wiki Spaces

Mind maps

Electronic Portfolios

Flickr

Webquests 

E tutorials

Interactive whiteboards

Google Earth 

and incorporate the use of newspapers into our subject areas.

Carefully plan so we can bring about creative individuals who can change the country one person at a time.

A little about Trinidad and Tobago

 I Love my country and as we celebrate our 50th  Anniversary of Independence i though i would focus on all the beauty of my land! I created this as an assignment for a Media Course but my intention is to use for new term so i hope others may use it in their own way. again sorry if the voice is not clear.

A Slide show I did and used for Story and Music

Used during Carnival time students learnt about the steelpan and were able to look at how pollution affects our community. The story used is written by Machel Montano and the voice used is mines!! Sorry if it is too fast!

Missy Jo Welcome

This is my way of linking all the ideas in my mind to a recorded forum! I have been in this profession/vocation for almost 19 years and they have always been rewarding. I am at the threshold of new adventures and would like to share these with you.