Lessons in Unlikely Places

I read a lot of things in the course of each day, looking for inspiration, good ideas, great practices, new technologies, and anything that can help me to improve in  my work and help our families do theirs better.

I read things in places that are clearly ALL about public education, its strategies, theories, gambits and trends. I read things that are written by the denizens of pedagogy, the nay-sayers  of policy and both publically acknowledged as well as self-proclaimed geniuses.

I read things in places that are about parenting and home education,   special education and gifted education. I read blogs and Facebook and listen to audio clips and watch videos from all corners of our world. I consume a lot of content in a day.

Every day I find things worth sharing, reposting, boosting, tagging and sending on. I find things that I think I have something to add to and write about.  I also find things worth passing over.  

What I found today is not worth passing over. It's worth enjoying and learning from.

Today, I found this. 
(Thanks, Sharon, for sharing!)
Go ahead and check it out. It won't take long.

This story is not about ANY of the stuff I'm usually digging for or by any of the people that I usually read and some might consider it fluff. But what it says speaks to all of those things that matter.

Marilyn Hagerty  has a great deal to share with all of us.

She says to work with what you've got and don't give up.

Don't only focus on the kid who is the perfect one, but to stick with the one that works hard and meet him where he is.

Notice the little stuff, even when the big stuff isn't perfect. The little stuff  makes the difference.

Always have something nice to say.

You can express your point with no explicit words  at all, and indeed, it's often what you don't say that speaks loudest.

Be polite to the folks that seek to drag you down, and don't dwell on it. Move on.

Cheer for the home team! All the time! (and wear the team colors!)

Enjoy yourself several times a week.

Keep working at it, because it's the little guy who's going to benefit...and then you will too.

Even the run-of-the mill needs to be checked out and admired.

Keep looking.

A different shape can be better than the shape everyone else is taking.

Folks will see what you're doing and, no matter how big they are, they will see your value and come alongside.

What Marilyn has to say speaks!

What Marilyn writes matters!

How Marilyn works teaches!

And this video told me not to stop looking for messages that matter in places both likely and unlikely.

So tell me, what is Marilyn telling you?

And next time you pass an Olive Garden, remember that the soup is hot! As it should be!