Tag Advice

Take Note

Intentergy 6 Comments

Take Note

Professional development is a topic that makes most people groan in despair. I really have no problem with professional development. In fact, I have served on many professional development teams in the past. As a fairly new employee to State Technical College of Missouri, I have the benefit of taking part in the professional development programs offered, including the “new” teacher services. While I am not a “new” teacher in the sense of experience, I was definitely “new” to the collegiate teaching scene.

Upon completion of my first year at State Tech, I received an invite to meet with Angie, the Professional Development Coordinator. Her invite stated that she just wanted to visit with me about the successes and any concerns from my first year to form an instructional mentoring partnership. (Sounded fun and fancy to me and Angie said she was willing to have donuts at the meeting.)

When we met, Angie and I discussed what we believed to be successful about my first year and I shared my concerns (which wasn’t much). She listened, shared stories about her own experiences as an adjunct professor, and discussed ideas for addressing my concerns. (She even remembered the donuts!) To conclude our meeting, Angie thanked me for my time and presented me with a brand, new composition book to use as a journal of my teaching. She did not realize just how special that notebook was.

Take Note 2I have always had an obsession with notebooks and journals. Writing is one of my favorite outlets and I have a little bit of a list-making obsession. For the last few years, I have re-purposed the notebooks left behind by my students as they move onto the next year’s courses. I don’t mind recycling, plus some of those kids drew really great sketches for me to enjoy every time I use their discarded notebooks. When I was in grade school, my favorite notebooks were made from recycled paper. I loved the tint of the gray pages and the softness of writing on the thicker sheets. When my friend Erica gave me a journal for my birthday a few years ago, I was so excited. A new notebook just for me! I used that journal to begin the writing for my blog.

When Angie presented me with this new notebook, my joy was instantaneous and I thanked her with a huge hug. Who knows what great things I can do with those fresh, lined pages! Continue reading “Take Note” →

A Flat Attitude or “Flatitude”

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A Flat Attitude

Attitudes get a bad wrap. It isn’t the attitude’s fault that we got grounded. It isn’t the attitude’s fault that we got the speeding ticket. It isn’t the attitude’s fault that we were misunderstood and left out in the cold to lick our wounds.

Why you ask?

Well, attitudes don’t choose us. We choose the attitude.

Just as we blame a tire for going flat, it isn’t the tire’s fault we drove over a nail or broken glass. It isn’t the tire’s fault that we drove it until the tread wore too thin. It isn’t the tire’s fault that your husband likes to gawk and spends more time driving on the rumble strips along that highway than he does between the yellow lines. 😉

Just as a tire that is neglected becomes flat, so do our attitudes.

I was in danger of suffering from flatitude when people started texting on cell phones. I wanted nothing to do with texting. I found it annoying, lazy, and a depreciation of the communication between members of the human race. My attitude towards texting was downright hostile. Continue reading “A Flat Attitude or “Flatitude”” →

This Message Will Self-Destruct

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I really liked the cartoon “Inspector Gadget” when I was a kid. Today I would LOVE some of his Go-Go-Gadget arms and legs.

Go go gadet messageIn each episode of Inspector Gadget, Inspector received an urgent message about an evil plot that needed foiling. After reading each urgent message, the slip of paper would destruct and usually backfire on the Chief. I feel like the Chief a lot. I am always trying to deliver an important message but it often explodes in my face after delivery. Sometimes the message isn’t all that important and it still goes “BOOM” in my lap.

Do you ever feel like your message is exploding (not in a good way) after you deliver it?

Let me give you an example: It’s a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Lunch dishes are done. No pressing appointments are on the calendar. I grab a few granola bars and water bottles and call for the kids to shut off the TV and come outside with me.

“BOOM!” Continue reading “This Message Will Self-Destruct” →

Allergic to Reacting?

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Allergic to Reacting 1

So after my proud post about Digging for Spring, I had a few things pop up that were NOT in my flower beds.

Thursday night I had what looked like a blood blister on my middle finger. It hurt and was really ugly. Hubby squeezed it for me until blood and puss came out. Attractive, right? 😉

Friday night my hands kept going numb. It was like they were constantly falling asleep.

After a restless night of tingly hands, my right forearm began itching and a raised hive covered the entire inside of my right forearm. Tiny bumps followed shortly and my hands ACHED. My knuckle joints were very stiff and felt like they were on fire. My nose itched constantly and my lips were tingling. Something just wasn’t right.

I did what any mom/wife/daughter/friend/teacher, who has too much to do, would do. I took some ibuprofen and Benadryl and went about my business.  Continue reading “Allergic to Reacting?” →

Lacking Instruction – Wise Words Wednesday

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Lacking Instruction

There are days I really wish I had an instruction manual for life. There are days that I think I should write an instruction manual for how to NOT live. There are days that I am pretty sure I am not smart enough to follow an instruction manual (if I had one) to save my life.

We all feel this way sometime.

The best part of our imperfection is that we all suffer from it.

Our mistakes are part of the human condition and they are tools for personal growth.

The three steps to surviving imperfection are as follows:
(Unofficial Instruction Guide for Life)

  1. Laugh at YourselfBe able to laugh at your mistakes
  2. Be able to learn from your mistakes
  3. Forgive yourself for making mistakes

Continue reading “Lacking Instruction – Wise Words Wednesday” →

Worth the Climb

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Upward Climb.jpg

54 steps… that is how many steps it takes to get to my aunt and uncle’s lake house.

54 long, tall steps.

From the dock to the house it is 54 steps. That equates to a lot of hard work for a spot that is supposed to be relaxing.

What lies beneathTime at the lake house is so refreshing. We eat, sleep, drink, and play there with no other purpose than to get away from the exhaustion of everyday life. As we head from the house to the dock, we pack everything we can into our arms and hope we don’t fall forward on the descent. (Did I mention it would be 54 long, tall steps down?)

Once on the dock, time seems slower. The sun shines brighter. The breezes massage our worries away. The fish and birds provide breaks in the calm of the waters. The occasional boat or jet ski add speedy bursts of entertainment to the scenery.  It makes those 54 steps worthwhile.

There are a lot of things in life that are worth effort. I would like to extend an Intentergy effort challenge. Choose a task that challenges you but will make your life easier in the long run.

  • Consider cleaning out and organizing a closet or cabinets.
  • Make a To-Do list and do the things on your list.
  • If there is something you participate in that is NOT worth the effort or frustration, eliminate that unhealthy practice from your life.
  • Fill in your calendar or planner with all your obligations and use it to keep appointments straight and help with timeliness.
  • Plan your meals ahead of time; this saves time and money.
  • Make a change that you have been putting off. Change is the first place to start when you need greater positive energy.

Just as climbing those 54 steps gets my heart racing, hopefully the challenge you choose will fill your heart with energy and excitement. Whether it be heading down those steps or up, I always know that where I end up will be a good place to land. Know that you will have the same optimism if you choose a challenge that is impactful for you. So take a deep breath, grab all the stuff you will need to make the change, and take that first step. It will be worth the climb.

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. Take a flashlight if you go before dusk. Those 54 steps can be scary without a light. (or be smart enough to turn on the outside lights before heading down)

P.P.S. Check with your physician before climbing 54 steps a whole bunch of times. Some of us are a bit out of shape and may need to ease into the process. 😉

 

 

A Good Kick in the Teeth – Wise Words Wednesday

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A Good Kick in the Teeth

I worked for Disney World (like a lifetime ago) as a performer in the theme parks. I LOVED working at Disney. I loved the work, the people, and living in Orlando; it was a dream come true. In the events following 9-11 there was not as much work for the employees of Disney. (It was hard to be happy, even in the happiest place on Earth, as America reeled from the attacks on our country.) After a few months of struggling to make ends meet and suffering from the distance between my family and myself, I made the decision to move back to Missouri. It was like a kick in the teeth. I smiled through my decision but it was a tough one.

Today I am so glad I had to make that move. A few months after returning home, I got a call to become a teacher, literally. (Thank you, Dawn!) One year into my teaching program, I ended up on a blind date with the man who became my husband.  Today I have an amazing life (17 hours away from Disney World) and I am smiling a sincere and grateful smile.

Walt Disney knew something about getting kicked around. He faced ups and downs and made the impossible possible. Today his vision continues to inspire, entertain, and delight millions, if not billions. Continue reading “A Good Kick in the Teeth – Wise Words Wednesday” →

There are 25 More Letters – Wise Words Wednesday

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There are 25 more letters

“Friends” has always been a source of humor and healing for me. I own all ten seasons and LOVE to binge watch Joey, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, Ross, and Rachel at any time.

One of my favorite “Friends” quotes ever is, “I don’t even have a pla.”

Rachel had drug Monica and Phoebe into the depths of depression over her inability to get a job and they were drowning their sorrows in a gallon of frozen adult beverages. Of course by the end of the episode, they had found their way onto a new adventure but it just goes to show you don’t always have to stick to Plan “A.” (or Pla “A” in Phoebe’s case)

Like the plans in “Friends,” rarely do our own intended endeavors work the way we hope. Sometimes we don’t even have a “pla,” but we do have options.

png 1 “If Plan ‘A’ doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letter.”

Continue reading “There are 25 More Letters – Wise Words Wednesday” →

Out of Order Wishing Well

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Out of Order Wishing Well

As we visited one of Missouri’s fine state parks, we stumbled upon what we believed was a wishing well. My children ran ahead to check it out and plan their wishing strategies. After arriving at the “well,” we discovered it was a clever cover-up for a water hose hydrant used by the state park.

When they discovered no wishes were to be made, I had three bummed babies. As we made our way past the “well,” I asked my daughter what she would wish for. I already knew the answer but thought being able to tell her wish would cheer her up.

“I’d wish for a horse, and a barn, and a saddle,” she said wistfully. I smiled and hugged her. “I would wish for that too,” I told her. Then she asked, “Mama, why did they close the wishing well?” I had to think for a moment and then I told her, “The well wasn’t closed; it was out of order. They just have to find the right way to get the wishes to come out again. Just keep wishing and maybe they will get it fixed.”

I don’t know if that was the right advice to give my girl, but hopefully she will hold onto her dreams and remember just because something doesn’t work at the moment, it might work in the future. Continue reading “Out of Order Wishing Well” →

Summer’s Downhill Slide

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After another speedy summer break, I revisited this post from 2016 and the sentiments still ring so true. I hope you can relate to this message of summer and its downhill slide. Enjoy your summer and I wish you a happy autumn.

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Summer’s Downhill Slide

Downhill summer.jpg Summer fun going fast.

My daughter recently discovered how much fun it is to ride her bike down the hill of our drive way. She hasn’t mastered riding her bike up it, but, boy, can she ride down it!

As I watched her ride down for the second time the other day, I realized I was witnessing moments of fleeting fun. How long will she shout out, “Watch me, mama!”? How long will it be before she isn’t excited about that hill or her bike anymore? How long before the muggy, summer days start to shorten and the chill of fall sends us in early?

I know. I know. Summer is just getting started.

I thought this would be a great time to remind everyone to slow down and enjoy it because, like those rapid rides down the driveway, another summer will be in the history books…

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