The Joy Of... Curriculum?

Over a year ago, a friend of mine invited me to help out with her charter school. If you don't already know it about me: I love the whole academic scene, especially when it comes to kids. So I'd promised her I'd take a day to help out sometime.

Well, she contacted me the other day just to catch up, and she mentioned that she's starting computer classes for one of her schools. (Suddenly there's more than just one!) I asked if this was a good time for me to help out, and she said "yes," especially if I could come that week since the next week is when things really get busy. I could only do a half day; she said that would be fine, but we had a lot to do: train her on things like spreadsheets and RSS and podcasts and advanced features of word processing; design a curriculum for grades K-6; and get some of the library equipment going.

You know what? We did it. We did it all. We were rushed, but we basically demonstrated and outlined everything we needed in 4 hours. It's invigorating to accomplish something like that.

What's even better is the fact that she enjoyed it as much as I did. Turns out she was a bit apprehensive about the classes since she didn't feel particularly adept at computers, and she wasn't looking forward to training with me. But she's a great educator and of course she picked it up well, and we both had a great time. What a rush.

Thanks, Tina!

Helping My Own Kids

One morning recently I helped Ellie a little bit extra with her math. She was a bit hesitant, saying it's frustrating when she doesn't understand. True. But I tried to help visualize and take small steps through the calculations of area and volume. It seemed like she understood, but whether she did or not, afterward she told me: "You're good at teaching math. You actually explain it."

A day of abundance in a musician's life

Benjamin Zander did this little workshop with the audience and a young performer, talking about the world of abundance and training a young musician as you watch. Not only does it make you smile as he does it, but he brings out a great attitude in the young man, and at the end you can finally see a bit of light in his eyes. What a wonderful, fun experience!

"Forever Strong" - What a legacy!

A week ago we saw Forever Strong, about a rugby player in trouble who found a place on his rival team Highland High. It's based on a true story, and the Highland rugby team really has won 17 national championships with their 367 wins and only 9 losses in the last 30 years. It's fascinating! I have never heard of this before watching the movie, and it's hard to believe I have such a triumphant organization here in my state that I've never known about. And it's an interesting individual story depicted in the move; I've searched around for more details, to no avail.

But with Larry Gelwix's sustained focus and integrity over the course of 30 years, there must be at least 30 other stories just as interesting. I'm sure everyone who has been through those teams must have been inspired, not to mention proud of such accomplishments. This kind of legacy, quietly but steadily built, is the grandest: it'll endure through many lives and possibly even generations.

The following is from a newspaper article:

---

"It's not about rugby," he says. "It's about helping young men grow up with their feet on the ground and hopefully avoiding a lot of the junk of life. Rugby is just a vehicle. It's infinitely easier to turn out championship teams than championship boys."

Gelwix has one primary rule: Don't do anything that would embarrass you, your family or the team. "Everything is covered by that," he said. More specifically, alcohol and drugs are forbidden. Lying or dishonesty of any sort is the gravest sin on the team and results in suspension.

---

After reading that, you must read the rest on the last page of the article. This is exactly the way to lead a life of greatness.

The movie was decent, but I was impressed and moved as I watched it knowing it is reality.