I do CrossFit. I love CrossFit. I have worked out my entire life, well at least since the day my dad took me to the gym to use the Nautilus machines at the age of 10. I was hooked and I sincerely thank him for that. I have missed the last two days of training and I'm about freak. I'm not that nuts, really I'm not. I just know that I feel better about myself and sleep MUCH better after a great workout.
It's funny that I never, never worry about being SKINNY when I go the the CrossFit box. I worry about if I pushed myself hard enough or if I'm making the strength or cardio gains that I should be making. I repeat...I never worry about being SKINNY! Think about it this way. SKINNY doesn't give you any gains in your daily life, if anything it may even take away from what you can do. Being STRONG, allows you to do more. You can lift a heavier box by yourself. When you are SKINNY you probably have to ask someone else to do it. Independence is a great thing. Being SKINNY when you grow older isn't going to allow you to be able to maintain independence, but being STRONG will.
I try to eat "clean." I have my cheat days, but I have also made the decision to educate myself about what I am putting in my body. If I choose to have a cheat treat, I darn well know what I am doing. I also know that it will make me feel not so great later on; but, I am happy to weight those options and feel armed with enough knowledge to do so. My motto is to skip the chemicals and go au naturel whenever possible.
It's a hard way to go trying to convince many people that I am not drinking some KoolAid and that I've not joined a cult. I guess I can point to the popularity and growth of this CrossFit and clean eating revolution. To me it seems elementary, my dear Watson.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Where did all the trust go?
Haha! Yes at 42, I am asking myself that question. I think that many people are asking themselves that question. Did I educate myself to do what I love? Sometimes that answer is yes. I am a teacher. I have been teaching in different capacities for over 20 years. I love seeing other people grow and discover new things about the world and themselves...the proverbial "light bulb" experience.
Education requires relationship development. Ask education 101 professors. They will tell you that any successful education interactions require the development of a relationship. Relationship development requires trust. This is where I believe the traditional school-based education system is failing. This is why I ask myself if this is truly what I want to do when I grow up.
Think about these questions...
More and more through my experiences, I am finding that the answers to these questions is a great big NO! The deterioration of this trusting relationship is a huge factor is teacher, parent, student dissatisfaction with the school experience. How can school be a success when these groups lack the inherent trust necessary to build quality relationships? And...without relationships how can an educational system thrive.
Stakeholders at all levels must work hard to fix these broken relationships. I'm a firm believer that we need to take a gander at blowing up the whole system as we know it and re-creating schools that not only allow students to thrive, but also address the reality that we are in the 21st century and "old school" shouldn't be "now school." Create the schools based on where we as a society want to be and need to be in the future, not on "what we've always done." I wish I had these answers, but I don't. Wow, if I did, I could be, well maybe not rich (we are talking about education here, folks) but at least famous for making a difference in the world. And really, that is what any teacher really wants. It's not about the summers off people. It's about making a difference in the lives of children. It's about the desire to be a part of a larger community that is successful and thriving.
I love to teach. But I also know that I can't thrive as a teacher in a non-trusting environment. I give my students my heart and soul. Ask my daughters if they want me to continue teaching. They will tell you NO. They know it drains me. They see that I have to take time away from them to do all of MY HOMEwork. I don't mind the long hours. I can deal with the tests. I want my trusting relationships back.
Education requires relationship development. Ask education 101 professors. They will tell you that any successful education interactions require the development of a relationship. Relationship development requires trust. This is where I believe the traditional school-based education system is failing. This is why I ask myself if this is truly what I want to do when I grow up.
Think about these questions...
- Do parents trust teachers?
- Do teachers trust administrators?
- Do administrators trust teachers?
- Do teachers trust parents?
- Do students trust teachers?
- Do administrators trust their supervisors?
- Do districts trust their state budget makers?
- Do teachers trust the state level decision makers?
- Do students trust the tests that they are required to take?
More and more through my experiences, I am finding that the answers to these questions is a great big NO! The deterioration of this trusting relationship is a huge factor is teacher, parent, student dissatisfaction with the school experience. How can school be a success when these groups lack the inherent trust necessary to build quality relationships? And...without relationships how can an educational system thrive.
Stakeholders at all levels must work hard to fix these broken relationships. I'm a firm believer that we need to take a gander at blowing up the whole system as we know it and re-creating schools that not only allow students to thrive, but also address the reality that we are in the 21st century and "old school" shouldn't be "now school." Create the schools based on where we as a society want to be and need to be in the future, not on "what we've always done." I wish I had these answers, but I don't. Wow, if I did, I could be, well maybe not rich (we are talking about education here, folks) but at least famous for making a difference in the world. And really, that is what any teacher really wants. It's not about the summers off people. It's about making a difference in the lives of children. It's about the desire to be a part of a larger community that is successful and thriving.
I love to teach. But I also know that I can't thrive as a teacher in a non-trusting environment. I give my students my heart and soul. Ask my daughters if they want me to continue teaching. They will tell you NO. They know it drains me. They see that I have to take time away from them to do all of MY HOMEwork. I don't mind the long hours. I can deal with the tests. I want my trusting relationships back.
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