Dear Reader:

During the first few days each year ( while teaching) my initial strategy ( besides getting to know each student’s name) was to start reeling in my eighth graders with ” Strange but true” stories around historical events and people in SC and American History.

Teenagers love learning from these types of historical stories, not just memorizing a cold isolated fact, that like a dangling participle or modifier, never connects back to the objective you want them to take away from the lesson,

But their ” homework” assignment was different-giving the students a life quote each day (on the board) that allowed them the freedom to interpret it as they, themselves, perceived the meaning personally… no right or wrong-just as long as the assignment was done… and then being open and respectful to other classmates’ interpretations. That is how learning is expanded… our minds being open to new ideas.

My first quote each year was the title quote today. ” ” I Never Lose…I Either Win or LEARN.”

It is amazing how quickly I could gather information on the depth of each student’s level of deeper comprehension and how it applies to our lives… learning beyond the classroom.

Or as we teachers were repeatedly reminding our classes… ” Life is the most important teacher… ” Be a Lifetime Learner!”

And this advice also, of course, applied to we teachers …especially after leaving the classroom… in fact I think this latest personal challenge ( that quickly transformed my world as I knew it…) has reinforced this positive philosophy of life.

I listen to the aides who come in daily bringing medicine, meals, and lots of stories as the bonding of friendship begins… laughter and compassion prevail. And learning each new world of others’ lives remind me how blessed I truly am and what a gift these new friends and supporters are to me.

The way we live our lives does come down to choice, attitude, and positivity.

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh