Things I Know For Sure (SoLSC 24/31) #sol15

I've been toying with the idea of a list Slice after being inspired by many others, and as an option to show my students. Today's came about from just one little line that started a waterfall of ideas.

Things I know for sure…

~Teachers have a really hard job. There is much more involved in it than people think. Impacting the future is no child’s play.

~I am a reader at heart, mostly thanks to the influence of my parents when I was a child.

~Life gets harder as you get older with more responsibilities, but with experience comes perspective, which can make things easier.

~Relationships change as circumstances change, and that’s ok. 
Some people are only in our lives for a short time for a reason.

~My 30s have been way better than my 20s. Being more settled in my life and sure of myself made it easier. Don’t be scared of a new decade.

~Everyone has numerous roles to play. Mine include wife, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, friend, author fangirl, writer, reader, photographer, presenter, supporter, listener, adviser, colleague, mentor, teacher…and I cherish them all.

~Middle school is hard. It was a hard time to be an adolescent, and it’s a hard time to witness the adolescent struggles of my students.

~Technology/social media can enhance and help just as much as they can distract and hurt.

~Having a dog to come home to, who always runs to the door tail wagging happy to see me, is good for my emotional sanity.

~Talking to myself is also good for my mental sanity – there’s no better listener.

~Venice is a magical city.

~There are no right answers (except maybe in math). There may be wrong answers, but there is not always just one right answer to problems.

~Choice is everything.

~Everyone has their own journey and path through life. You don’t know what someone else has gone through to get where they are, and remembering that is important.

~Remembering that there are always multiple perspectives and perceptions of any one moment can make life easier.

~Angkor Wat (& Ta Prohm & the Bayon Temple) in Siem Reap, Cambodia is a must see once in your life kind of place to visit.

~It’s not easy to work successfully in an environment of fear/mistrust.

~My heart breaks for the struggles and hardships some of my students have to face. Every. Single. Time.

~Test scores will never show you the full picture of who a child is. There are too many important elements of character that can’t be tested.

~Knowing who your true friends are who won’t judge you, but will judge with you, can make all the difference.

~Kids are not levels – they are readers.

~Sometimes just knowing someone understands and is there can be just what you need and make everything better.

~Kindness is crucial and respect is essential.

~Oftentimes it’s harder to be nice than to be right.

~Travel can open your eyes to the wider world beyond yours, giving you perspective on your own.

~The right clothes and shoes can make you feel more confident.

~Sometimes a day may be just a waste of makeup, but that doesn’t mean it was a loss.

~Goals may change, but you should always have one to work toward.

~There is nothing quite like meandering the streets of Paris.

~Feeling loved is important, being loveable more so, giving love most so.

~If I know better, and I don’t try to do better, I am doing it wrong.

~The sound of waves crashing on the shore, sand under my feet, and sun shining on my skin will always improve my mood and make me feel relaxed.

~There is nothing wrong with taking a mental health day.

~The right book, in the right hands, at the right time, can make things right.

~Writing can be hard, but the more I practice it and do it, the easier it becomes. The more I write, the more I believe I am a writer.