Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Have you seen "Waiting for Superman"? Well, you should!

My husband and I rented the documentary "Waiting for Superman" last night. It's about the American public education system and how it is failing our nation's children.  It's about how our students our not meeting the science and math scores of other students in other countries.  

But beyond that, it's about how we as teachers can inspire students to succeed.

Even if you aren't a teacher, it's a great documentary to see! 
If you are a teacher, this is perfect to watch right before the school year begins! 
By the end of it, I was crying, and my husband was giving me the best pep talk I've had in preparation for this school year. I love having him right next to me to encourage me!

Last night I realized that all this time I'm putting in to prep for school is totally worth it. 
The little DIY projects I do to make my classroom more welcome is worth it.  
The effort of going beyond just a worksheet to engage my students is worth it.  
Spending time trying to make that 1st day of school run as smooth as possible is completely worth it.  
When something doesn't go right, and I spend half a day trying to fix a problem...it's worth it.

20 more days til the 1st day of school.  I may be chaotically organized at the moment, but I'm totally pumped to get this thing started!

Teacher friends that have read my blog---thank you so much for cheering me on. Your advice and encouragement has helped me to keep truckin' along!

You all just rock, period! Let's do this :)

5 comments:

  1. we just watched this a couple of months ago - talk about getting fired up about education! let's do this is right!

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  2. I love that movie...if you purchase the movie you get a donors choose gift card!

    All the prep will be worth it...you will never regret being too prepared for the first couple of days!

    Keep up the good work!!

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  3. This movie really motivates me!! Love it!

    Thanks for the encouragement!

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  4. That was a pretty depressing movie, albeit at the same time motivating. Sadly I'm a part of the teacher union in NYC that prevents anything positive from happening. But that's not to say that the union is absolutely terrible.

    I'm also getting myself mentally set for the school year. It'll be great to keep in contact with you as the year progresses!!

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  5. It was quite depressing, but motivating. Bittersweet.
    I don't think the union is terrible either. There SO much more that plays a factor into the problems, ya know!?

    Thanks for following my blog Jenn! Best of luck as your year begins...I look forward to seeing how it turns out for you too!

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