Yowza

I have said it many times, and I am going to say again. I love teaching. I love the challenge it provides and how it forces me to think outside the box.

On a daily basis, I have to try to find a balance between all the students, and at the same time try to inspire them. You don't want to sacrifice the whole class for the sake of one student, and you don't want to risk losing a student while you focus on the whole class. That is where it gets tricky, and that is why I depend on my fellow instructors. But even with the extra eyes, ears and intuition, we always run the risk of having a student fall through the cracks.

So that being said, I love what I do.

We can make a difference

Last week Monday, the kids and I brought the donations they had collected to the Mustard Seed in Edmonton.

It was all their idea to collect donations and therefore my job was to support them. Last Monday, we dropped off 7 bags of donations at the Mustard Seed's distribution centre, and then went over to their main building for a tour. It was very eye opening and made us very thankful for what we have.

We are working on a small video to document this project and I will post it when it is ready. I feel this project has had a big influence on the girls - they have seen poverty up close and have witnessed how they made a difference.

Their empathy for others has started to shine through - on their own, they also volunteered to shovel a driveway this winter. I am sure this one will be a bigger challenge with our long winter, but I know they will experience the payoff of helping someone in need.

It doesn't take much to make a difference.

This and that

My UBBT year is coming to an end. One of my goals has been shelved for a little bit due to the class I had enrolled in being cancelled, but I am still moving forward.

The great thing is that while the official UBBT is ending, I have some habits that are now a part of me. I can’t say enough how much it has done for me, both as a person and as a martial artist.

On another note, this coming week is our annual Pandemonium. We have come up with a couple of more creative ways to raise money, and the kids seem to be excited. So am I. I look forward to sweating a lot this week, and knowing that my sweat and my awareness will help to make a difference.

I thank Kung Fu for the difference it has made in my life, and in my children’s lives. I see how much they have grown, and I feel that the world has a better chance of survival because of them.

My truth

I have been thinking lately about what defines me as a person. I have asked myself if it’s my hopes and dreams that define me or if it’s simply the things that make me happy in this moment?

I think when we get lost in our dreams, it becomes really easy to be disappointed when the reality is different. It is good to dream, and have goals though, so we have something to work towards, but we need to be cognizant to keep from getting blinded by them.

There are specifics that define me, and I think that to be able to continue to grow as a person it’s important for me to keep them front and center.

I am doing what I love, and loving what I am doing.

A matter of perception

It’s funny how we interpret things. I have been struggling with a teaching concept for months now, and I had a moment of clarity last week when talking with Sifu Brinker. I saw the value in the approach, but inwardly fought against it.

Now that it has been further explained, I am getting it. It doesn’t mean that I am comfortable with the process, as I have yet to put it into action, but now with a different perspective it shouldn’t be too difficult.

But as with all things, we do sometimes need reminders, or resets to keep us in that moment, or moments. I love teaching, and this clarity should expand on that love and passion. I hope.

In order to teach, we also have to learn.

Don't do the laugh

This past year seems to have passed quite quickly, and I am not sure where it went. I do know that I am looking forward to the coming year. Prep for Chinese New Year always gets my juices flowing, and this one is no exception. A new lion and a dragon = pure awesomeness!!! (there is no charge for awesomeness or attractiveness).

I wasn't looking...

...But I found a fantastic book at my daughters parent teacher interview. Every time they have these, there is always a Scholastic book fair in the library. As a treat for my girls, it has become almost a tradition for me to buy them each a book. However, this past week, I saw a book for myself.

I am not usually impulsive when I buy something for myself, but that day, I had to have it and I didn't even peek inside the cover. Well, to my delighted surprise, I found a gem. Maybe not for everyone, but most definitely for me.

It's called "TEACH Like Your Hair's on Fire" by Rafe Esquith. It's about the teaching methods of a fifth grade teacher in an inner city school. I am so pumped! I just want to share his Aha moment - he had been doubting his career as a teacher, but one day during a science experiment he noticed a girl who was always picked last, and struggled to belong who was having troubles getting her wick to light. He decided then and there that she wasn't going home until her experiment worked. He got engrossed with her experiment and didn't notice his hair was on fire until the other students started slapping his head.

When your passion is apparent, then it will spread like fire. I am really inspired by this book so far...

( on another note, a Lil Leopard who we have been trying to get on the mats for a while actually spent some time with me yesterday, and he gave me a hug. That makes it all so worthwhile.)