The NEA (National Education Association) stated that 53% of teachers are dissatisfied with their jobs. The question is “Why?” Here’s a list of 25 thought provoking questions that uncover an array of the feelings and experiences of many classroom teachers:

1. Personal Fulfillment: How fulfilled do you feel teaching every day?
2. Job Satisfaction: Are you satisfied with your current role as a teacher?
3. Work-Life Balance: Do you feel you have a good balance between work and personal life?
4. Student Interaction: How rewarding do you find your interactions with students?
5. Professional Growth: Do you feel you're growing professionally in your current position?
6. Support System: Do you feel adequately supported by your administration and colleagues?
7. Classroom Environment: How comfortable and conducive to teaching do you find your classroom environment?
8. Curriculum Satisfaction: Are you satisfied with the curriculum and teaching materials provided?
9. Recognition and Appreciation: Do you...

He was in the first third grade class I taught at Saint Mary’s School in Morris, Minn. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but Mark Eklund was one in a million. Very neat in appearance but had that happy-to-be-alive attitude that made even his occasional mischievousness delightful.

 Mark talked incessantly. I had to remind him again and again that talking without permission was not acceptable. What impressed me so much, though, was his sincere response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving – “Thank you for correcting me, Sister!” I didn’t know what to make of it at first, but before long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day.

 One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too often, and then I made a novice teacher’s mistake. I looked at Mark and said, “If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut!”  

...

Thought for Today

                We become what we think about.

Beware what you think.

My future husband and I sat in the audience, waiting nervously for his time to introduce the speaker, the president of our IBM division. He, however, was very nervous about the steep steps leading to the stage.

“What if I fall going up?” He kept asking, this 26 year-old, former Marine, who played on an industrial basketball league and on his hometown men’s softball team.

The time arrived. His name was announced, and he bounded up the side stairs to the stage, unfortunately missing one step and fulfilling his expectations—he fell; and the cards he had prepared to use, scattered across the stage.

He got what he thought!

The positive outcome, however, was he used his humor to cover his nervousness and ended up “roasting” his boss, something unheard of in those days in IBM. What we think is what we become.

Abby’s recommendations: 

People gravitate toward a smile. It is welcoming. It is validating. 

Become aware of how, when you smile, you automatically feel better. When you are smiling, it is hard to feel sad or angry.

Make it a point to smile and laugh every single day. It feels good and is good for you mentally and physically.

“A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose.” - Tom Wilson

JOIN OUR TEAM!  MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! New beginnings for us all!!

Something good that happened this past year is the acceptance of training via zoom! I was on a call with Jeff Walker who had over a thousand people on zoom for the entire weekend. Technology has certainly blossomed!

What this means for you is, if you would like to train moms or teens or retirees, this is the perfect opportunity. No extra expenses for hotel rooms, training rooms, travel, dining out, even the usual swag you get when attending a two to three day conference. 

Spread your wings, master the courses you choose, and make money from the comfort of your own home.

Take this Self Assessment to see where your interests lie and who you would most enjoy working with.

I'll be in touch! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Gail

When I was a very young child, I experienced a horribly scary event that not only made a lasting impression on me but also awakened my awareness of the existence of bullies, people who prey on those whom they consider weak, defenseless, or “less than” they are.

I particularly remember the feeling of helplessness that I experienced that day. That I can so clearly recall this event today, many decades later, signifies the impact it had on my life.

As a young child I watched bullies repeatedly pick on my brother because he was not a strong boy. My mother told me he had been born with a hole in his heart, and I was very protective of him, even though I was younger.

One day we were playing together in the backyard of our row home when a group of boys picked up rocks from the nearby trolley tracks, taunted us, and then started pelting us.

We were trapped. The heavy metal cellar door slammed down and had latched when we first came out to play, and we would have had to walk...

Bully-Be-Gone Membership Group for Parents

Raising Confident, Successful Kids

Introducing the Kindness Factor

Membership Includes the Following:

• A private Facebook group to share your concerns, get support, find potential

Success Team members, and have your questions answered

• Daily e-mail Tip and downloadable Tips with pictures on Facebook,

Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter (collect and make your own book)

• Bully-Be-Gone Course Materials released monthly

• Weekly Session Releases (encourages Facebook discussions)

• Monthly coaching calls and/or webinar

• Parent Success Teams Training with PDF Manual

• Parent-Team Training, including Pillars for Success, Visualization, and Self-

Care

• Downloadable PDF’s to make own family book and to refer to for years to

come

• Weekly video blog for parents’ self-growth, i.e., maximizing one’s own

potential

• Free Workshop slide program to be used in community or schools

...