Crop

Lately in southwestern Minnesota it's been a hard winter. This week I realized that in my three weeks of student teaching, I have yet to teach for a 'full' week. Well, enough of that. I've been holding this Thought for quite a while, maybe now that I'm releasing it we can get rid of all this snow.

I think the worst part of all this snow, is just the depressing atmosphere it gives in the depths of winter. This is March, not January. We should be warming up, getting happier. Instead, we're getting more cold and more snow! And yet, that tiny sliver of hope is there. The hope of a new crop, corn will be in the ground in less than 3 months!

So much of the time we get caught up in all those things that just bring us down. Instead we should be focusing on our hope. What is your hope? Find it and cherish it from here on out. Don't let the winter in March get you. Keep your eye on the prize, the crop in May.

Pass

I suppose I should start out by apologizing. Life has gotten incredibly busy these last few days. I don't know how many more times I'll be able to post a Thought on here, but I will do my very best to keep it updated.

In life, we all go through those challenging times, we all go through those times with not enough hours in the day. And even though they seem endless, at some point they will pass. Just as good things never last, neither do the challenging things.

What will pass? Perhaps you are like me, in the midst of a busy time in your life, that just seems to keep throwing curveballs at you. Or, maybe you're in a happy time, a time where nothing seems to go wrong. No matter, just know that this too shall pass.

History

I think at some point everyone has asked the question of how history will remember them. Today's Thought from Calvin and Hobbes offers a good look at how I think many of those questions become answered. I know even while writing this blog I have had those thoughts of how will history think of me for writing it. How will history remember? I don't think any of use can truly answer that question.

That being said, history will never remember us the way we'd like. We will never be remembered for frivolous things that we attempt to do to be remembered by. Rather, history will remember us for the things that we never set out to do. Those things that end up changing the world and yet that we never originally intended to do. Don't be so concerned with how you want to be remembered. Be concerned with how you are living right now, history will take care of the rest.

Thinking

For those of you who follow me on Facebook and Twitter may have noticed my status updates following school yesterday. In short, it was a bit of a rough day for me. However, the more I thought about it, it really wasn't all that bad. Perhaps the thing that had the most effect on my attitude was my thoughts about my own actions.

Upon reflection, I noticed that my attitude and thought process changed dramatically yesterday based on one relatively insignificant event. No doubt these small events will happen again and I must take action to train my mind to not get down on them.
What is your thinking? So much of the time things happen relatively the same, albeit with minor variations. For instance, yesterday was just another day at school. Sure, there was a two hour delay, but school is school. There's nothing inherently good or bad about these situations, but our mind makes them good or bad depending on our thinking. What is your thinking?

Treat

I must confess, I posted this Thought on my door on Friday, but I am just getting to writing about it now. It's interesting (and a little exciting) that my cooperating teacher, a thirty year veteran, commented on my Thoughts. I suppose I must be making a good impression? I suppose this weekend has given me some extra time to think of what I want to write, so I do apologize if I am a little long-winded today.

I think so much of the time as agriculture teachers we get so busy in our students and our work (which doesn't often seem like 'work'). I think I've been at school from 7am to at least 4pm every night in the last week. So many of us forget to take some time and treat ourselves. While it's fantastic to be involved in such a wonderful career field (I will be at school serving breakfast to other teachers at 6:30am tomorrow!) we all need to make sure that we are treated first.

How will you 'treat yo self'? I know my girlfriend for one will have a few suggestions on this one. Even though she's halfway around the world in Rome, I think she's getting the feeling of just how busy I am. Whether it's perfume, fragrances, mimosas or even a batman suit, we all need to take time to treat ourselves. If we can't take care of ourselves, how can we hope to take care of anyone else? How will you 'treat yo self'?

Same

Yesterday I wrote about how you can change your place, how change is inevitable. I thought it neatly dovetailed into today's Thought. Back on New Years Day, I found this picture and thought about the accuracy of it's message.

Despite all of our resolutions, promises and fanfare, 2014 is eerily the same as 2013. It's the same earth, same people, same day to day routine. But what about this change thing? Are you the same?

As I've alluded to, lack of change means stagnation. Change, although inevitable, must be purposeful if we are to make any headway toward our goals. Although things may seem the same, change is (and should be) happening behind the scenes, often in subtle, yet far-reaching ways. Move with purpose. Do the little things with the authority that comes from knowing the implications of your actions. Are you the same? I hope not.

Place

Yesterday I was able to sit in on one of my cooperating teachers class where the topic of the day was organization. She posed the question : what does it mean to be organized? Granted, this was to a group of seventh graders, so you can imagine the answers to the question. However, one student (rather unexpectedly) repeated today's Thought as a definition for being organized.

What is your place? I firmly believe that each and every one of us has a place in this world. I received a good reminder of this from that class of 7th graders. The funny thing is, I don't think any of us truly know if we are in our place. We are just running around in this world hoping we are doing the right thing.

In the end, our places, just like any good organizational system, constantly changes. Your current place will most certainly not be the same in a year from now. Looking back, I can't believe the changes that have happened in my own life in the last year. Yes, some of them are bitter, but the sweet changes more than make up. What is your place?

Cold

I'm officially declaring it that time of the winter. The time where you don't care what happens, it's just been so cold for so long that you're ready for it all to be done. I think everyone has a natural tendency to get a little grumpy. However, some people deal with it better than others. Some even end up being happy. How do they do it?
I think the winter doldrums really challenge us and our ability to adapt and accept our situations. Think about it, there are these situations where we just have to gut it out and survive. How will you adapt?

Doing

Today is the day. The day I begin the final chapter in my collegiate career as a student teacher at Mountain Lake Schools. Now, my task is taking all the knowledge that I have learned in the last 22 years of my life and somehow teach high school and middle school students.

As a student I found most things quite easy. It was my attitude that I could learn anything with enough effort and practice. And for the most part it was true. The knowing, understanding how something works was not that hard. However, when asked to do something, when asked to teach, I've found much  more struggle.
How hard is the doing? According to my experience, pretty gosh darn hard. However, that doesn't mean it's not worthwhile. It's good to know, but being able to apply that knowledge to an action is a whole other level. How hard is the doing? Pretty dang hard. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

Training

I must confess that I've never seen this saying before. I've always heard of people 'rising to the occasion', but I've never really thought about what that means. The more I have thought about it, this saying gets to the point much better.

As I've been going through this teacher prep period, spending six hours a day, about the only thing that keeps me going is knowing that I am being given some of the best training possible to be a teacher. Going forward, it will not be some unknowable force within me that will allow me to complete my duties and dreams, it will be the training that I have received. I won't 'rise' to any situation, I'll sink to the level of my training.

What is your level of training? When really pressed, how low will you sink? I don't think it's particularly a bad thing to sink to the level of training, it's just a different way to think about it. What will you sink to?

Swans

Today's Thought is a rather fancy looking way to sum up the last four years of my life. While I found it on an educational page I follow on Facebook, I hardly took it to mean strictly formal, classroom learning.

As some of you may know, tonight I am giving my Swan Song, a symbolic final speech for members as they move to alumni status in my fraternity. If you wish to hear the speech, I will be recording it and posting it somewhere on these inter-webs.
As I think back on the last 3-4 years I am simply astounded. I've made and lost friends, I've joined the best group of gentlemen I've ever had the pleasure to be associated with, I've pursued my dream of teaching, I've lived half-way across the country, I've met the woman whom I'm pretty sure will be my future wife, I've had experiences beyond my wildest dreams. Talk about a big mess.
You see, I don't think I'm at college so much to get a degree in a given career field, as much to get a complete education in life. As an educator, I don't teach agriculture, I teach students. Learning is messy. People get hurt but people are strong. We bounce back to leave legacy's beyond our wildest dreams. Sorry about the mess for the last four years, but I've been learning.

What is your swan song? If you had the chance to tell the world anything for one night, what would you say? Would talk about how you've developed and learned as a person? Would you talk about the messes in your life? I think so much of the time we don't think about these messy experiences as times of learning. However, messes are the ONLY time we are truly learning.