This site is a class blog space for new Career and Technical Specializations and Heathcare Science teachers enrolled in the New Teacher Institute (NTI) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Beauty from Ashes (or scrapped knees)
After reading through the "open mic" posts I thought perhaps we should be philosophical with this post. I have selected two quotes, hoping you will gleen some inspiration. Please post what comes to mind after reading these quotes. "Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie)
"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates)
As I read today's topic, I stand in total agreement. I have had many successes in my career but what has formed me as an individual are a few failures that taught me great lessons. You all know me well enough to understand that I like to be the best at what ever the assignment has been given. I am somewhat of a people pleaser and that side of me will not allow me to quit. My pawpaw used to say "aint no hill for a climber" when I would share my problems with him. I didn't quite get it at the time, but now I understand. He wasn't saying that my problem wasn't a big as I thought it was, he was saying if I am determined enough the problem is just the PATH to get me where I want to go. If I sat down when things didn't go my way, I would never get where I am going (total failure). If I pressed onward, the result would be all the more sweet (total success). There have been many times I have scrapped my knee getting up that hill but the view is breathtaking when you crest the horizon. If I never fell, scrapped my knee, and kept going I might have never seen the beauty that was waiting...
Hi Courtney,
ReplyDeleteI like your Paw Paw's quote, "Aint no hill for a climber." I agree that you have the inner strength and courage to get through whatever lives throws at you, then nothing will be too big to overcome. I believe this is a problem with this generation. I lot of these kids want instant success and they believe that everything should happen for them whenever they want to. That's why I admire the generations before us because they seem like they did whatever they needed to do to get where they wanted to be!
Well said Mark. If I could "teach" anything to my students I think it would be work ethic and honesty!!! I hope my behavior will breed behavior!!
ReplyDeleteI too agree that you have to tap into that inner strength when the going gets tough. We learn from students as much as they learn from us!
ReplyDelete“Aint no hill for a climber!” What a tremendous philosophy your grandfather taught you. You appreciate that statement much more now don’t you? Can you imagine how intelligent we would all be if we actually listened to our grandparents a little more? Their words of wisdom were mostly deflected by the knowledge shields we wore as kids and teens. As we have gotten older, those shields have disappeared and we have actually become more knowledgeable, experienced and wise. If we had only learned to listen earlier………
ReplyDeleteI love your Paw Paw's words, and I love how you have come to understand them. I felt like entering the world of teaching, after working my entire life to be a reporter, was a giant hill like your Paw Paw described. I thought I was setting myself up for failure, and I was letting those around me down. But over time I feel that I am proving dreams change, and we can all succeed at anything we set our minds too!
ReplyDelete(And I completely understand the "people pleasing" mentality!)