One idea that is transforming education is that all public schools are moving from state to national standards, referred to as “Common Core State Standards”.  Most educators are applying these ideas to their current curriculum. The standards from the Common Core (which have been adopted by public schools in nearly all of the fifty states) such as "speak audibly, and express thoughts, feelings and ideas clearly" can be traced from K to 12th grade.  Nobody could possibly argue against these being important life skills for students of all ability levels.

I wish that my nephew had a visible disability.

Last month I celebrated my birthday with my usual long run, during which I expected to pass by some farm animals.  I always manage to either live or work in a town within running distance of farm animals, horses, cows, bison, perhaps some quail.  Luckily, my school is near a large body of water, which to us water sign babies is always a renewing sight. During the second mile, as I closed in upon the banks of the Salmon River, five deer crossed my path, unmolested by truck or tractor.

I recently caught up with a few friends who expressed some dissatisfaction with the current state of their life without a clear sense of why they felt it.  I asked them questions about how they viewed their current professional role, the state of their personal life, what they did for fun, and what gave them a sense of purpose.  I always want to provide helpful advice.  Well if I am perfectly honest, what I really want to do is fix it for them.  But I have come to understand that isn’t often possible or even wanted.

I don’t always enjoy admitting that I’m wrong. Ask my husband, family, colleagues. Oh, they’ll tell you that I admit to being wrong, but that I do it reluctantly. Yes, I recognize that this isn’t the greatest sign of maturity, especially in relationships. But yesterday was a day in which I was proven to be wrong multiple times, and I cannot express how good it feels to have been wrong.

“Think Cold” reads the title of Marilyn Singer’s poem about Humboldt Penguins, creatures who inhabit the hot, dry coastal deserts of Peru and Chile in her 2012 collection: A Strange Place To Call Home: The World’s Most Dangerous Habitats& The Animals That Call Them Home.  Although, “newly published poetry collection” and “State Standards” seem to be phrases at odds, bright teachers and children show how creativity lives among the standards.  Are you a parent or teacher worried that newly adopted public school learning standards will crush our children’s spirit as much

I had a good reminder this week as to how easy it is for me to undervalue myself.  Someone gave me a compliment on a task I did and I responded with ‘Thanks; it was nothing’.  As soon as I said it, I thought there I go again!

Why Do I undermine myself?

Having a mother who takes endurance sports seriously differs greatly from having a mom who simply exercises to stay in shape. As a child you learn that being a mother is also about being physically strong and mentally tough enough to ignore pain in the pursuit of victory, even if that victory is only to beat one’s own personal best time. Nobody has to tell the child of a runner-mom that women have to be especially strong to survive and flourish in this world.

I read an article today called “The Wrath of a Great Leader,” and it focused on how Martin Luther King Jr. channeled his wrath and anger over human injustice into a transforming force that compelled millions to act, and ultimately changed a nation. We don’t like to talk about wrath and rage much because, too often, we see the harm and suffering caused when individuals take their rage out on coworkers, on children, on spouses, on innocent lives in the community so we work very hard to manage our rage.

A few years ago, my husband, daughter and I went grocery shopping only to discover upon coming out of the store that our car was dead. Immediately, our thoughts went to “Who can we call to help us?” It was a low moment when the only friends we could think of who would gladly leave whatever Labor Day plans they had to rescue us was an hour away. This couple would have not only left the event they were hosting but would probably pack up some food and bring it with them, but we didn’t want to inconvenience anybody.