Jamba Juice!

Today we had some really cool training at this place called Region 20, which trains teachers how to teach and educators how to educate and so on and so forth. Our day was led by a fantastic woman who I totally want to be my role model/mentor. She was so honest and although most of her stuff was supposed to be focused on reading, she managed to pack enough life lessons in there to make me really appreciate her lesson and the fact that other teachers also exist like her. She imparted us with some major lessons for the year, my faves are listed below:
Ask students, "What do you need from me to be successful?". And mean it. And then do whatever they need to be successful. As long as you care enough to make it work, it'll work.
A students main homework every night is to get home safely and then get back to school safely the next day.
Treat others like this might be the last interaction they ever have with another human being.
Look at every side of a person, and you'll find at least one side to connect with.
You don't have to value me, I'll value you, and we'll find a middle ground.
She read us a lot of children books and one in particular she read was called "The Big Box" by Toni Morrison. I love, love, love Toni Morrison, so I knew even before she started that I would fall in love with this books. It was all about what would happen if freedom was taken away from kids. It was so intense and dramatic and thought provoking and twisted, classic Toni Morrison that I know and love. 
At the end of the session I felt so appreciative and was thankful for all the awesome readers in my life who had infused me with this passion. I also started recalling important times of my life, in my early reading years.
In kindergarten I so vividly remember reading aloud to my class from "Brown Bear, Brown Bear", and I was so incredibly proud that I could hold up the book and turn the pages and read fluently all at the same time to my whole class. That pride was so immensely powerful, and that is what probably motivated me to join speech team almost 10 years later during my junior year. I was ashamed to read in front of my class, and I hated having that feeling. I remembered being confident in my skills and I am so glad that I regained the ability to talk in front of a class and in front of people, be it reading or top of my head thinking. That time in my life where I lacked that ability, is something that I think will help me be a better tutor. I've been through the cycle of pride, shame, and then pride. And I know how good the feeling is when it is not shame and embarrassment.
When we got home after some gym time, skype time and food time, my room mates and I went to Borders which is having the huge blow out sale, and spent...too much money on books. But how often is a major major book store going out of business and having a more that 50% off sale on most things??!
I got a memoir about a polygamist, a cross dresser, a stripper, and an Iranian prisoner. Then a book filled with creative non-fiction essays. A book about hoarders. And finally, a fictional book about an admissions officer at Princeton. No one is going to tell me I don't have a wide reading love.

Daily Hero: Those who are passionate about what they do. Chefs, educators, or anyone in between, I am inspired by 'em all.