Congratulations to The Person You See In The Mirror

Wow, you did it!!!!!

Through uncertainty, you did it!

Through,confusion, you did it!

Through tough times, you did!

Look in the mirror, the person you see is a champion. You did it!

The last 10 weeks have taught us all so many things. My prayer is that it brought you and your loved ones whom you live with a bit closer. Maybe you learned something new about yourself, found a new hobby, or created something, or even if you took advantage from some time for R&R. Maybe we all learned to appreciate the things that were just a bit more. My, my, my...who would have ever thought we'd need each other so much during a time we had to stay apart. However, we did it! You did it!

I am writing this to congratulate you. You, that's who! Yes, we are celebrating all the graduates and all the students for completing another yet different school year but in the mist of me telling you, "Job well done", I want you to look in the mirror and congratulate yourself! You did the work! Parents, if you stayed at home and became a teacher while, cooking, cleaning, balancing the budget, you did the work! Teachers you taught from home and looked after your own children and maybe even taught different grade levels through out the day. You did the work! If you are a student and you did your best on your school work while assisting with your siblings, you did it! Whatever your circumstances were, you did it! As we end one school year and move on I want you to know one thing, none of this would have been possible without you. My advice to you, everyone that reads this blog, both young and old and in between, read. Read everyday, its a must. The sad truth is that come August, we would have physically been away from school 5 months and the best thing we can do as educators is to read, as parents read, as students read. Be it newspapers, magazines, books, or blogs :-) ... read!

A special note for 5th grade students: "You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer any direction you choose" Dr. Seuss! As you embark on a new journey into middle school, I'd like to encourage you to go boldly after your education. Be great in all you do. Put your best effort forward and watch how positive things start to unfold for you. Best wishes for all you do!


Thank you for joining me here these past few weeks. Congratulations to the person you see in the mirror! We did it! YOU DID IT!!!!!!!!

Continue to do the work and as always, be well!

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Happy Teacher Appreciation Week: Teachers Change Lives

Game Changers 

This week people across the nation celebrated National Teacher Appreciation Week. We celebrated the work of educators all over this nation and their commitment to education, motivating, and encouraging students to learn fundamental basics that will assist them with life long learning and being productive citizens in society. Although there have been many educators in my life that have all played an important role in my development as an individual, my love for learning, and even my career choice, today I wanted to honor all the educators and write this blog not just for teachers and educators, but so that students and parents can see the importance of working and growing relationships with teachers and educators. The picture below is of myself and my middle school 8th grade earth science teacher at my 2012 graduation from Valdosta State University with my masters degree. 3/4 of my graduations she has attended and driven all over to attend them. '06 high school, '10 Tuskegee University when I got my bachelors degree, 2012 in Valdosta, Ga, and I did not want to attend my Eds graduation in 2018 and made a day before decision to go, however she did send a card. I want to highlight Patricia Davis although she is a retired teacher and you can take from it what you please. She saw in me what I could not see in myself over 20 years ago. I talked and played around a lot in school but she knew all about how to build relationships with her students. The relationships she built then was the foundation for our relationship now.

I am a first generation college graduate and she knew that I would complete college before I even knew what college was. Because of that she fueled in me a love for reading and discovery. She taught me that I could do whatever I wanted to as long as I put my mind to it and was willing to do the work and see it through. Although from time to time I got into mischief, as most kids do, she gracefully guided me. Never putting me down but disciplining me in a way that made me love her even more. Here I am today trying to imitate her lol. Trying my best to influence those young minds I have been charged with influencing. So when I think of Teacher Appreciation Week I think about building relationships, motivating, believing in and encouraging students and pushing them to be all they could be. If you are a teacher reading this, know your work is not in vein. If you are a student reading this, and had a teacher that pushed you, had/have high expectations and encouraged you to do your best, don't give them a hard time. Even if you do not understand it all at this time. Trust and know that those teachers are planting seeds in your life that over time will grow and develop to something great! If you are a parent reading this, develop a relationships with your childs teachers. You know your child based on their home life, your childs teacher knows them based on academic performance, character, and their school life.

Just as Mrs. Davis changed my life, so are the teachers teaching their hearts out today, be it in person or virtually. Just think, there would never be a president, governor, doctor, police officer, mail carrier, nurse, lawyer,...or even a teacher, if it wasn't for the influence of a teacher. This is my story of teacher influence, the sky is the limit with a teacher involved!


The best thing that ever happen to me was a teacher that pushed me far beyond what my eyes could see. Thank you Mrs. Patricia Davis!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all of the educators and teachers. Continue to inspire and educate and always see it though!

Thank you for reading and comment below

Creating a Zen Zone: Making a conscious choice to focus on life in a noisy world

Creating a Zen Zone 

This week I recorded myself reading a story for our students entitled, Your Happy Heart: How Helping Others Helps You, Too by Amie Dean. In the story a troubled student finds peace in his teachers “Zen Zone”. The Zen Zone is described as a place where students can go and have a cool down. How cool is that!?!?! A place where you can go, have a mindful moment, breathe, and manage your thoughts, actions, and behaviors. I immediately thought about how I have been trying to create a peaceful space at my home on the patio as a place to just shut off the nosey world during this pandemic. My safe place. Before Covid-19 I’d play storms or rain sounds in my home to relax and slowly go into the mental space where nothing can harm me. Mindfulness...my Zen Zone.  If at all possible I encourage you to create a “Zen Zone” in your space. It may be a corner in your room for some students or a space in the yard. For us adults it may be a chair by the window or a spot in a garden or patio. Although the book teaches mindfulness and social and emotional skills during a time of need. I find myself taking from the story as an adult in my home, the need for a  “Zen Zone”. What is your Zen Zone or quiet place? Know that a zen zone does not have to be a physical place. My grandmother finds solace in coloring adult coloring books, sudoku, and cross words puzzles. Please share below your zen zone below. If you are interested in hearing me read the story, below is the link.

Special thank you to Kelly Wells the Media Specialist at Thomas H. Brewer Elementary

Enjoy your weekend. Happy Friday! As always leave a comment and be well! 

https://youtu.be/zX1GHfCWqBk