Odyssey of the Mind

Odyssey of the mind was this past weekend in Ames, and I was blessed to have the chance to party with a bunch of young kids dancing the night away in really hot rec center.  It got me thinking about how closed minded I have become, how I've stopped challenging myself, stopped dreaming about what is to come in the future.  The Odyssey (adventure) of my mind has been stuck in one spot.  I looked at all these kids from all over the world here in Iowa for one purpose to use their minds in creative ways. 

As a teacher I'm stuck like others and continue to do what works and am willing to try new things, but don't always want to prep for those new things.  I don't want to say it is the laziness in me....but lets get real it is partly that.  Part of it I think is knowing that I won't ever get regonition from administration if I do something great in class.  I'm stuck in a little hole without a ladder to get out on some days.  This year has been a challenge in teaching and a true joy.  I watched students go from hating to read to not wanting to put a book down.  I saw students learn how to problem solve and have conversations with others.  Other students write with spaces and with periods at the end of a sentence.

My odyssey, adventure, journey this summer is focus on my walk with God again.  I want to get refocused on what direction I need to be going in my life.  I worked with youth earlier this week and we talked about choices that we make and having the freedom of choice.  We played a little wii party to make that connection....it worked!  How do the choices we make young effect the choice we make later as an adult?


I reflected today by going through picture after picture....Memorial Day is a time to reflect on those that served our country.  God bless my grandfather, may he rest in peace.  To this day just the start of the Taps, make me cry.