Cheers to two years!

About two years ago, I was at Teach For America Induction transitioning to life as a 2012 Corps Member. At the time, I knew very little about Indianapolis. I'm happy to report I learned a lot and I learned it quickly. Indy will forever be a home to me; the school where I spent my two years teaching - T.C. Howe - made this possible because that's where I met my family. My kids, my colleagues, even my bosses challenged me every single day and I am a better person because of it. How could you not feel at home in a place where you've grown so much? For my first entry, I'd like to share an excerpt from the letter I wrote to my Student Publications class at the end of this semester. These are ten lessons I learned from my students (and colleagues).

1. Staying mad does no good for anyone – not even you
2. Be the person who is too happy, too energetic, too smiley (it is better than the alternative)
3. Laugh at yourself – not others – and do not worry so much when folks laugh at you
4. Always give more than you get
5. Listening is the key to any good relationship (people just want to be heard)
6. Own up to your weaknesses – they have already beaten you if you cannot even admit they need to be conquered
7. Sometimes, enjoy the beauty of silence
8. Sometimes, roll the windows down, turn the music up, and ugly cry (happy or sad tears)
9. Do not silence yourself – there are already so many idiots trying to silence you – do not help them
10. Do the most

My 2012-2013 English Language Arts 9 Honors class.