As teachers we must create classrooms that model creativity, learning and peace. Teaching is not easy, but public school education is a vital venue that models democracy in action, even if some parents expound something different at home.  As a country, the United States models democracy in action and our public school system must be stronger than the enemy…and yes, there are enemies of democracy.

When good teachers feel they must leave, what once was a noble profession, because politicians and big businesses in the United States are treating students and teachers like widgets.

This group asks teachers to ‘steal’ their material.  If you began teaching to Common Core Standards when it came out in 2010, or your state and/or district decided to jump on after the train left the station and your students will be assessed on them next school year, this site has some useable resources to make your trek easier.  Enjoy!

Less we forget how many children, especially girls, around the world do not have the opportunity to even learn to read.  This is today.

This video and interview transcript tells of 13 year old girls who rebel against the status quo.  They ask girls to pull together, not compete with each other.  They have a lot of strong convictions about the role of girls and women, at 13.

My favorite son is an Iraqi vet, military reporter, and editor at Patch.com.  He went to read to a 4th grade classroom and the teacher had this sign up at the reading station.  This is so simple for young people to be able to understand before they get frustrated with reading.  My only suggestion would be that it begin with “Choose a book you are interested in reading.” I, also, appreciate that he is out there checking out how to support my blog, teachers and young people.  Life is good!

We can not forget that there are young women and children around the world fighting for the opportunity to be educated, along with their fight to stop the violence against women and children; children like Malala.  This is an amazing video of this child saying that she has been given a second life (after having been shot in the face by a powerful man in Pakistan for fighting for the right for young girls to get an education) and she will be spend it serving others.

This consultant published an ebook and has had a few side benefits 6 months later. http://manoushz.com/my-ebook-is-6-months-old-dec-12/

Editors, judges, first responders, teachers, activists suffer from PTSD interacting with the “haters”, those people that want to drag everyone to the dark side.  Different philosophies suggest you imagine yourself covered in white lights, like a disco ball to reflect the negativity outward and, hopefully, allowing it to dissipate.    I took it a step further and paired it up with a song and, instead of a disco-ball type covering, I imagine being covered in white bubbles that reflect out like rainbows so the negativity is dissolved in the water of the bubbles that pop.  I sing the Don Ho song ‘Tiny Bubbles’.  It goes like this…  Tiny bubbles, ‘round this soul of mine, Make me happy, Make me feel fine, When I need them, Make me glad all over, ‘cause I’m joyful and I’m going to love life ‘til the end of time.