"There is something to be said, when we choose to focus on the positive rather than point out the negative."
My wife has a way of making thought provoking statements.
I thought I would begin my last week at Linden where I have taught for 11 years with some sort of post regarding the best times. It seemed appropriate to take my wife's advice and focus on the positive.
I brainstormed as many memories as I could and a funny thing happened. The majority of the memories that stuck out were negative.
Several funerals and deaths come to mind.
The job itself has been extremely stressful and has taken its toll on my attitude and emotional well being. But these are things I anticipated and met head on from the start. I understood what I undertaking when I started and meant to do so.
Fortunately, there have been examples of good in this eleven year experience.
Each year I tell my students to send me an invite to their high school graduations. The year my first class at Linden finally made their way across the stage to receive their diplomas, I was able to attend. As I blogged before, a former student from that first class took me up on my claim and made sure I got a ticket.
It was a validating experience to say the least.
I tried to be a teacher that understood his students and showed he could relate. I tried to be a teacher they were comfortable around. But at the same time I intentionally tried to avoid being their "friend." I struggled throughout my time there balancing these two approaches.
There were times when I compromised my authority being too nice and others when I became too distant and never gained some students' trust as I was too much of an authority figure.
It is a tricky balance to find. I admire my friend and colleague Chad who has always had great relationships with students and their parents. A style I look to emulate in the future.
In this student's case, I was able to pull off the relationship I wanted. I earned his respect and made enough of an impression to be remembered eight years later and thought of in the terms of his education. In the end that was my job and I must have done it right.
I had a similar experience with another student who was extremely difficult, challenging and seemingly apathetic to my efforts towards his education. I lost touch with his family before he graduated so I never received any invite (I sure would have loved to though) to his commencement, but I ran into his mother several times.
They moved to another school but she found a way to keep her younger children at Linden because of, in her words, the positive experience her son had with me in 4th grade. From her vantage point, she saw her son make a dramatic improvement in school during his year with me, especially in Math. From my point of view, he was just strong in Math. His work proved it.
It was a great feeling every time I ran into her and saw her purposely come over with a smile to say hello and give me a hug. It was one of those things that you don't realize as it is happening, but it still happens.
Teaching is much like that. You can't see or feel it all of the time, but it is still there.
Another enjoyable experience at the L, would have to be the weekly basketball games after school. It started with guys (and lady) we taught with along with some other friends to make out and even 8-10 players. Even as teachers who played left Linden, we continued to play with numerous different rotations of guys. It was a nice mid week stress relief and excuse for exercise that was much needed, especially during the winter months.
I also recall the 4th Grade Math Tournament. It was the idea of Ms. Yetts but the creation of my own. We took the last month of the school year to spend some time each day getting the kids to master their math facts that usually seemed so weak. We used the "bracketology" of the NCAA basketball tournament in March as our format and it became a great motivator for our kids as they watched their names move through the bracket to the championship and ended with a ribbon or trophy or medal of some sort. Plus, it helped give us something to do the last day of school.
Most of all, the people(both staff and students) of Linden will be what I remember most. These people and the relationships I have had with them are the most poignant.
The emotional moments I have had with numerous people since it became public knowledge I was leaving, bare that out. It has been difficult to look people in the eye and tell them I'm leaving. The list of people and moments with them is so long that I need to devote a whole other post to them.
I guess that means there is more good than I expected. Maybe my better half was on to something after all. She usually is.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Misery of Cleveland Sports
I've done a good bit of thinking (and sleeping) the past 64 hours or so since the Cavaliers were officially eliminated from the race for the 2010 NBA Championship by the Boston Celtics who I personally loathe with a passion in case anyone reading this hasn't seen my Facebook statuses over the past several months.
Several things have crisscrossed my mind during this time of mourning. A mourning that seems to have become an annual event about this time of year for me.
First, Bruce Hooley of Columbus' 97.1 FM The Fan, a sports talk radio station, made an interesting analogy regarding LeBron James' post game press conference after game 6.
Normally I disagree with his opinions or takes on everything sports. But this time around he seemed to nail it.
He said the interview felt like a conversation you have with your soon-to-be ex-girlfriend just before you break up or maybe that required first conversation after you have split.
It was real uncomfortable and it seemed like he just wanted to get it over with. He seemed to "say" all the right things but the mannerisms and the tone just reeked of "GET ME OUT Of HERE!"
This reminded me of a girl I was dating back in college. We never progressed to the point of a committed, exclusive relationship that one might compare to the love affair us Cavs' fans have had with LeBron James, but it was a very cool, enjoyable period of time in which we hung out a great bit and shared a ton of good times.
But suddenly things got real weird with her. Out of no where there was this disconnect without any real event to point to as a cause.
This is much how I felt throughout the Boston series with LeBron. He suddenly started acting weird with no real event that I was aware of as to why. He seemed to lose interest. He wasn't joking around with his teammates. He didn't seem to be trying or even caring. He wasn't even mad.
It felt very wrong.
Now that the series is over, our Cavs lost and they lost this way with these odd, bad feelings surrounding it, we enter the LeBron free agency summer in an extremely fragile state.
Why would he want to stay? $30 million?
He says he wants to play for a winner. He even went so far as to say he believes the Cavaliers are committed to winning which one would say is a positive sign.
But with two choke jobs in a row and little wiggle room with the cap (although don't quote me here, I haven't looked into the details so I am not so sure what they can or cannot do), the Cavs may be in trouble. The players they have are obviously not enough. They may not be able to acquire the kinds of players that can.
In addition, there is this sour feeling surrounding the team and city. I can easily see why James would want to leave for a fresh start. Even though the pressure to win in markets like New York are immense, they are also intensified in a championship starved city like Cleveland. So little or no benefit there.
This leads to my next series of thoughts.
How much better would the Cavs have done had they a better coach than Mike Brown. I hate to trash a man that has already been dragged through the mud. He seems like a good man. But I look at this lineup and there seems to be a ton of talent. And the super talent of a two time MVP.
Why couldn't they do better?
The rotations seemed so bad. There didn't seem to be the right players on the court at the right time.
The offense was BAD. There was little or no ball movement or reliable plays.
I never saw the kinds of adjustments I see from other teams and their coaches. In fact, it seemed like the opponents were always able to adjust in critical times in the past several postseasons while the Cavs could not.
Finally, opposing coaches that looked out coached in the past, somehow were able to coach well in their series against the Cavs. Did the light bulb suddenly go off for them?
No.
They were just coaching against a minor league coach.
Therefore, I ask myself why did the Cavs lose? Every year seemed to have a new excuse. This time there is no where else to look or blame than the coach or players themselves.
They had the MVP. They had home court advantage two years in a row. They had playoff experience. They had several all stars. They had size down low with Shaq and length and athleticism in Parker and Moon. They had outside shooting. Lastly, they had a strong defensive scheme...or so I thought up until the All Star break.
Every off season they made moves to shore up weaknesses, but here we are in the same place for the Finals. Home.
So would a new coach be able to get this same group to a championship? Would this be enough to convince James to stay?
I try to rate where this disappointment and fear of LeBron leaving ranks in the bad events of my life.
While it doesn't come close to sitting in the doctor's office hearing that my baby will die before its born or watching my daughter seize uncontrollably in the hospital with no answers as to why, it does match up with walking through Ohio Stadium where I cheered on so many people so many times in a moment where I would finally get cheered for and fulfill a dream I worked hard to accomplish just to see it wash away before my very eyes in the only Spring commencement at The Ohio State University to get cancelled due to weather.
Yep. Only one and it was mine.
To add insult to injury, the second I returned to the apartment for a family celebration, the sun shone through for a beautiful afternoon.
Yeah, this feeling regarding the Cavs relates well to that moment.
Its bad. Real bad.
The worst of it is that this realization of the impending departure of LeBron James has happened so many times before. We know what is coming:
Joe Carter heroically winning the World Series for the Blue Jays with a dramatic home run.
Art Modell taking our football team from us and winning a Super Bowl. Something our Browns STILL haven't done.
Bill Belichick going to New England to lead a dynasty.
Manny Ramirez and CC Sabathia signing with bigger markets out east to win World Series rings.
James will leave for greener pastures where he will win championship after championship while we sit here with nothing.
NO THING.
Several things have crisscrossed my mind during this time of mourning. A mourning that seems to have become an annual event about this time of year for me.
First, Bruce Hooley of Columbus' 97.1 FM The Fan, a sports talk radio station, made an interesting analogy regarding LeBron James' post game press conference after game 6.
Normally I disagree with his opinions or takes on everything sports. But this time around he seemed to nail it.
He said the interview felt like a conversation you have with your soon-to-be ex-girlfriend just before you break up or maybe that required first conversation after you have split.
It was real uncomfortable and it seemed like he just wanted to get it over with. He seemed to "say" all the right things but the mannerisms and the tone just reeked of "GET ME OUT Of HERE!"
This reminded me of a girl I was dating back in college. We never progressed to the point of a committed, exclusive relationship that one might compare to the love affair us Cavs' fans have had with LeBron James, but it was a very cool, enjoyable period of time in which we hung out a great bit and shared a ton of good times.
But suddenly things got real weird with her. Out of no where there was this disconnect without any real event to point to as a cause.
This is much how I felt throughout the Boston series with LeBron. He suddenly started acting weird with no real event that I was aware of as to why. He seemed to lose interest. He wasn't joking around with his teammates. He didn't seem to be trying or even caring. He wasn't even mad.
It felt very wrong.
Now that the series is over, our Cavs lost and they lost this way with these odd, bad feelings surrounding it, we enter the LeBron free agency summer in an extremely fragile state.
Why would he want to stay? $30 million?
He says he wants to play for a winner. He even went so far as to say he believes the Cavaliers are committed to winning which one would say is a positive sign.
But with two choke jobs in a row and little wiggle room with the cap (although don't quote me here, I haven't looked into the details so I am not so sure what they can or cannot do), the Cavs may be in trouble. The players they have are obviously not enough. They may not be able to acquire the kinds of players that can.
In addition, there is this sour feeling surrounding the team and city. I can easily see why James would want to leave for a fresh start. Even though the pressure to win in markets like New York are immense, they are also intensified in a championship starved city like Cleveland. So little or no benefit there.
This leads to my next series of thoughts.
How much better would the Cavs have done had they a better coach than Mike Brown. I hate to trash a man that has already been dragged through the mud. He seems like a good man. But I look at this lineup and there seems to be a ton of talent. And the super talent of a two time MVP.
Why couldn't they do better?
The rotations seemed so bad. There didn't seem to be the right players on the court at the right time.
The offense was BAD. There was little or no ball movement or reliable plays.
I never saw the kinds of adjustments I see from other teams and their coaches. In fact, it seemed like the opponents were always able to adjust in critical times in the past several postseasons while the Cavs could not.
Finally, opposing coaches that looked out coached in the past, somehow were able to coach well in their series against the Cavs. Did the light bulb suddenly go off for them?
No.
They were just coaching against a minor league coach.
Therefore, I ask myself why did the Cavs lose? Every year seemed to have a new excuse. This time there is no where else to look or blame than the coach or players themselves.
They had the MVP. They had home court advantage two years in a row. They had playoff experience. They had several all stars. They had size down low with Shaq and length and athleticism in Parker and Moon. They had outside shooting. Lastly, they had a strong defensive scheme...or so I thought up until the All Star break.
Every off season they made moves to shore up weaknesses, but here we are in the same place for the Finals. Home.
So would a new coach be able to get this same group to a championship? Would this be enough to convince James to stay?
I try to rate where this disappointment and fear of LeBron leaving ranks in the bad events of my life.
While it doesn't come close to sitting in the doctor's office hearing that my baby will die before its born or watching my daughter seize uncontrollably in the hospital with no answers as to why, it does match up with walking through Ohio Stadium where I cheered on so many people so many times in a moment where I would finally get cheered for and fulfill a dream I worked hard to accomplish just to see it wash away before my very eyes in the only Spring commencement at The Ohio State University to get cancelled due to weather.
Yep. Only one and it was mine.
To add insult to injury, the second I returned to the apartment for a family celebration, the sun shone through for a beautiful afternoon.
Yeah, this feeling regarding the Cavs relates well to that moment.
Its bad. Real bad.
The worst of it is that this realization of the impending departure of LeBron James has happened so many times before. We know what is coming:
Joe Carter heroically winning the World Series for the Blue Jays with a dramatic home run.
Art Modell taking our football team from us and winning a Super Bowl. Something our Browns STILL haven't done.
Bill Belichick going to New England to lead a dynasty.
Manny Ramirez and CC Sabathia signing with bigger markets out east to win World Series rings.
James will leave for greener pastures where he will win championship after championship while we sit here with nothing.
NO THING.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
A Little Bit Of This And A Little Bit Of That
I have a couple thoughts on my mind that wouldn't be able to hold a whole post but all together just might.
Kentucky Derby
I've been hearing a good bit of negative talk on local sports radio regarding the Derby. It has been called over hyped, outdated and overrated.
I tend to disagree.
In fact I would go so far as to say that the Derby is a premier sporting event each year.
Having been to the Derby, I draw upon firsthand knowledge of the build up and excitement of the race.
In addition, the gambling component makes it all the more interesting just like the brackets do for the NCAA basketball tournament.
While I understand people don't want to wait around all day for a two minute race, those two minutes are crazy and intense. I love it.
Room 12: Candy Or No Candy
My oldest had a school carnival, for lack of a better word, today where families could join their kids for three hours of home made games and contests for prizes, snacks in the cafeteria and karaoke in the gym. It is a fundraiser for the school.
My daughter loved every minute of the opportunity to show off her rooms, relationships with the staff and her friends.
My favorite part was when she walked in her classroom to show me (like I've never stepped foot in that room over the 330 some days she has attended that school) and stumbled upon a "Deal or No Deal" style of game involving bags of candy.
I was worried the concept of the game would be way over her head. While I think it was, she was able to pull it off since the only task was to pick a numbered bag.
Her enthusiasm was contagious. She was cheering and getting excited EVERY time she picked one. And she picked them in numerical order too. No real strategy involved whatsoever.
In the end she won the maximum prize (20 pieces of candy that she will not even touch or remember she has as early as that night) and the volunteers, spectators and fellow contestants were all high fiving her, cheering, and smiling like they won with her.
It was a cute moment.
Thought of the Day
This may be something that is unique to me but I figure if I do it, there is a high probability that others do it too even if they don't realize it.
I find it interesting that when I want something or someone, I focus on all the good things about it or the reasons it would be good and overlook the negative. Like when I've first started dating someone that I'm deeply infatuated with, I always focus on how great she is and what a perfect couple we would make and all the things we have in common and how well we would fit together.
At the same time, I overlook and shortcomings either of us bring to the table or aspects of the possible relationship that wouldn't work. At the very least I minimize them if not ignore them.
The same goes for objects like houses or other things like jobs.
But when I have someone or something, I begin to overlook or take for granted those same positive attributes I emphasized earlier and focus on the problems or the flaws.
I suppose it is a basic element of human nature. We all take things for granted. The grass is always greener. We need to appreciate what we have when we have it. Yadda yadda yadda.
I just found it interesting as this thought struck me driving in my car earlier today, that I can look at the very same thing from two totally different perspectives.
Side Note
My wife is rocking an Early Empire shirt from our friends' band back in the day. In the paraphrased words of Will Smith, "She makes that shirt look good!"
The Huey Karma Revisited
I feel I need to revisit the theory of the "Huey Karma."
Much like Murphy's Law, the Huey Karma states that any time I get excited or hopeful for something to happen, it doesn't. Often, not only does it NOT happen but it blows up in my face in heartbreaking fashion.
I usually attribute this to sports, but it applies through my whole life. Many of the positive things that have happened to me were unexpected. Therefore, I never had a chance to ruin them before they could take place by putting any sort of anticipatory (is that a word spell check?) energy into them. I did not anticipate then and look forward to them.
So now as the Cavs approach the second round of the 2010 playoffs, I refuse to allow myself to look past the present. I will not fall for any reason to believe they have any sort of shot in hell to make it past the next game in front of them.
This behavior brings about a good bit of backlash from friends of mine who don't understand, or even worse, understand but refuse to buy in. But it is OK. It is a sacrifice I must make. If that is the cost of my team winning, I'll pay it.
I have been able to get one person to see the light and join my army in this war against the sports gods. He may be the only one, but our army of two is fighting the good fight.
And we won't give up. We'll never give up!
Kentucky Derby
I've been hearing a good bit of negative talk on local sports radio regarding the Derby. It has been called over hyped, outdated and overrated.
I tend to disagree.
In fact I would go so far as to say that the Derby is a premier sporting event each year.
Having been to the Derby, I draw upon firsthand knowledge of the build up and excitement of the race.
In addition, the gambling component makes it all the more interesting just like the brackets do for the NCAA basketball tournament.
While I understand people don't want to wait around all day for a two minute race, those two minutes are crazy and intense. I love it.
Room 12: Candy Or No Candy
My oldest had a school carnival, for lack of a better word, today where families could join their kids for three hours of home made games and contests for prizes, snacks in the cafeteria and karaoke in the gym. It is a fundraiser for the school.
My daughter loved every minute of the opportunity to show off her rooms, relationships with the staff and her friends.
My favorite part was when she walked in her classroom to show me (like I've never stepped foot in that room over the 330 some days she has attended that school) and stumbled upon a "Deal or No Deal" style of game involving bags of candy.
I was worried the concept of the game would be way over her head. While I think it was, she was able to pull it off since the only task was to pick a numbered bag.
Her enthusiasm was contagious. She was cheering and getting excited EVERY time she picked one. And she picked them in numerical order too. No real strategy involved whatsoever.
In the end she won the maximum prize (20 pieces of candy that she will not even touch or remember she has as early as that night) and the volunteers, spectators and fellow contestants were all high fiving her, cheering, and smiling like they won with her.
It was a cute moment.
Thought of the Day
This may be something that is unique to me but I figure if I do it, there is a high probability that others do it too even if they don't realize it.
I find it interesting that when I want something or someone, I focus on all the good things about it or the reasons it would be good and overlook the negative. Like when I've first started dating someone that I'm deeply infatuated with, I always focus on how great she is and what a perfect couple we would make and all the things we have in common and how well we would fit together.
At the same time, I overlook and shortcomings either of us bring to the table or aspects of the possible relationship that wouldn't work. At the very least I minimize them if not ignore them.
The same goes for objects like houses or other things like jobs.
But when I have someone or something, I begin to overlook or take for granted those same positive attributes I emphasized earlier and focus on the problems or the flaws.
I suppose it is a basic element of human nature. We all take things for granted. The grass is always greener. We need to appreciate what we have when we have it. Yadda yadda yadda.
I just found it interesting as this thought struck me driving in my car earlier today, that I can look at the very same thing from two totally different perspectives.
Side Note
My wife is rocking an Early Empire shirt from our friends' band back in the day. In the paraphrased words of Will Smith, "She makes that shirt look good!"
The Huey Karma Revisited
I feel I need to revisit the theory of the "Huey Karma."
Much like Murphy's Law, the Huey Karma states that any time I get excited or hopeful for something to happen, it doesn't. Often, not only does it NOT happen but it blows up in my face in heartbreaking fashion.
I usually attribute this to sports, but it applies through my whole life. Many of the positive things that have happened to me were unexpected. Therefore, I never had a chance to ruin them before they could take place by putting any sort of anticipatory (is that a word spell check?) energy into them. I did not anticipate then and look forward to them.
So now as the Cavs approach the second round of the 2010 playoffs, I refuse to allow myself to look past the present. I will not fall for any reason to believe they have any sort of shot in hell to make it past the next game in front of them.
This behavior brings about a good bit of backlash from friends of mine who don't understand, or even worse, understand but refuse to buy in. But it is OK. It is a sacrifice I must make. If that is the cost of my team winning, I'll pay it.
I have been able to get one person to see the light and join my army in this war against the sports gods. He may be the only one, but our army of two is fighting the good fight.
And we won't give up. We'll never give up!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)