Tag: knowledge

47

Posted on December 9, 2012 by

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count.
It’s the life in your years.”
– Abraham Lincoln
My Indonesian ‘dress cut’ experience

I took this seriously last year; breathing some life into areas that have been dormant, neglected, or otherwise overlooked.  Another year of happiness, laughter and lessons learned – here are some of my favorites:

Go big.

This year was really about trying something new-all the time.  I forced myself in directions I never knew I was interested in or qualified for.  I wrote-a lot.  I threw it all out there and watched where it landed, pushed a few pieces into place, and found some that had gone missing.  I learned that going big is often scary, but always worth it.

Let go.
My kids officially grew taller than me this year.  It actually was a humbling experience when my baby boy passed me up.  Watching my daughter drive away from me for the first time chipped a piece off my heart, reminding me  I had to let go and trust that everything has a way of working itself out.  I released some habits and situations that weren’t working for me, looking for more positive instead of negative.  I learned that letting go is growing forward.
Work hard.
I surely did that this year.  I pushed for my best and tried not to repeat what wasn’t working for me.  I showed up.  I tried.  I learned that working hard is exhausting, but creates energy in the right places.
Be humble.
I went places this year that I never imagined I would.  I felt outnumbered, out of place, and out of control.  I remember the calls to prayer, the fears, and the deep sense of respect at how small a world we live in, yet what a large part I can play.  I learned that being humble can bring safety and comfort, and that relinquishing control can reveal a whole new perspective.

Say no.
Learning to stand up for ourselves can take a lifetime.  Watching bullying, in our community, our country, and our world gave me the power to practice saying no.  Daily, I listened to one of my college interns call out ‘Make good choices’ to my students as they exited my classroom door, and tried to do the same.  I learned that saying no allows me to say yes when I want to, and that going with my gut is usually takes me in the right direction.
Be grateful.
Obama’s elementary school in Jakarta

I saw people and places this year that shattered my heart and made me fearful for our future.  I met people who lifted me up, taught me about hope, and reminded me to make peace with what I have, where I am, and who I’m with.  This year, I learned that blessings come in a multitude of ways, and that happiness and gratitude hold hands.

As I end 47 and open the chapter of 48, I think of all that I’ve experienced:  the children, parenting, family, teaching, education, memories and motherhood that blended themselves together and brought such lessons to me.  Typing this, I’m reminded of all that I hold close, and all that is yet to come.  I’m happy about 47, and watch out 48- I’ve got big ideas waiting to throw at you.  This is definitely not the time to feel old!

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Intellect

Posted on November 17, 2012 by

Anne Sexton via TBD Art Gallery
“Watch out for intellect,
because it knows so much it knows nothing
and leaves you hanging upside down,
mouthing knowledge as your heart
falls out of your mouth.”
Anne Sexton

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Education Issues, May 2012

Posted on June 1, 2012 by

via Pinterest



For many families, May signals the end of the school year.  Some parents start worrying about how to keep their kids busy during the long summer days, and others worry about how to afford to keep their kids in college.  


This month I thought about these issues and more – how to explain the shrinking job market for college grads, why California is losing bright students to other states, and how the presidential election will influence college financing.  Please click on the my article links below, and feel free to share your thoughts!


“College Grads Facing Higher Levels of Unemployment”

FIRST PERSON | As a ninth grade AVID teacher in Davis, California, a huge part of my job is preparing freshmen for admission to the college of their choice. I help them plan their high school schedules to make sure they have their admission requirements satisfied. They register for and complete the PSAT, set up College Board accounts, research and tour all types of colleges, and create a final project highlighting the school of their choice. I teach them the value of a college education, and how much more money college graduates make than mere high school graduates.  However, according to Investors.com recent article, “New Normal: Majority of Unemployed Attended College”, I may have to change my message.


Brain Drain: Are California’s Brightest Students Leaving the State?

COMMENTARY | Arizona State UniversityUniversity of OregonNorthern Arizona University, University of Nevada-Reno, Oregon State University, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. What do these colleges all have in common? Each university has seen a triple-digit percent increase in the number of California freshmen students enrolling in their campus. Nearly 27,300 students left California in 2010, up 90 percent in the last decade. California’s declining support of education, combined with large numbers of qualified applicants, has made out-of-state college a very attractive option.
As the number of California students accepted to out-of-state colleges grows, California has increased its own efforts to recruit out-of-state students.

If Romney is Elected President, My Kids May Not Go to College

COMMENTARY | Parents, look out. If Mitt Romney is elected president, the only hope your kids have for going to college is if you can pay for it. Romney’s proposal suggests reducing funding for Pell grants and other student financial aid resources for middle income students, cutting 18 percent of federal education funding, and defying teacher’s unions efforts to maintain manageable class sizes.

There’s a few things Mr. Romney doesn’t seem to understand. Not all parents can afford to pay for college. In fact, for most of the middle class, like me, we work hard, save for retirement, and are being forced to choose between helping our kids fund higher education, or helping ourselves fund retirement. Hard working Americans shouldn’t have to make these kinds of choices.


What do you think?

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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iPhones and Feeling Old

Posted on May 30, 2012 by

Sometimes I just feel old.  The world doesn’t seem to view me with the same lens I do as I look out into it.  The outside package doesn’t look too bad- not much grey, the wrinkles haven’t  yet developed into deep chasms, and I can still get around pretty fast in four-inch platforms.  I know the latest text lingo, can probably name the top 10 pop artists, and am pretty darn savvy with social media.  Occasionally, I can even still party like a rock star.
Last night was a different story.  Maybe it had something to do with the gardening I did all day, or overdoing it on the treadmill-no denying the body doesn’t respond the way it used to.  Perhaps it was the fact that I actually had to think about the supervision of my kids before I could head out on a Saturday night-that’s what grownups do, right?
Most likely, though, what it came down to was the Apple Store.
Firstly, going to the Apple Store involves driving to the mall.   That part doesn’t make me feel so old-there are many people much more advanced in age than I am strolling around malls.  Just not on a Saturday night.  At 8 p.m. there are only young people in the mall.  Most of the stroller crowd has headed home, and the parents with elementary school age kids have long headed towards the sanity of their own four walls.  On a Saturday night, there are a few ‘date night’ folks like me, and just a whole lot of young adults ‘hangin’out’. 
I don’t spend a whole lot of time in malls –hardly ever – but when I do go, it’s for a purpose.  Like shopping for something specific.  I have no interest-I never have, really, for getting all dressed up to walk in circles watching other people watch me.  Seems like a waste of time.
So as we navigated past the posers strutting around with their hands on their crotches looking like they just walked off the set of their latest music video, I got edgy.  Walking into the Apple Store swarming with folks trying out the newest gadgets made me downright anxious.  I would have been fine with turning around and heading out, but we had a purpose: we enrolled in the ‘Advanced iPhone’ class, and it was ready to begin.  Just enrolling in the class means I’m old, right?
The cheerful instructor casually placed the black folding chairs in the center of the store, motioned us to plop down beside her and began her lesson.  Alongside us were three other women, obviously MUCH more senior than I was, all equally eager to learn how to operate their smart phones. 
Am I really that ancient?
I have to hand it to our instructor-she didn’t blink an eye when asked about contacts, calendars and finding our phone number.  When she started getting into more complex parts, the questions began rolling right in, and still she didn’t roll her eyes or look at her students like the idiots we must have seemed like to her.
I could feel my hair turning grey and the wrinkles deepening as she spoke.  I realized I was surely old enough to be her mother, and wondered how that could have happened.  Then she started talking about her dad, and how he loves to face-time (is that a verb?) with her, sending photos of their dogs.  Is that what she thinks I do, too?  Ack! 
When satisfied we knew all about face time, iCloud and Siri, we hustled out the door and found the nearest chairs. 
“Wow, that was over my head.  Want to get some dinner?” my husband asked. 
“Sure,” I replied.  “Let’s ask Siri where to go!”
“That’s too complicated,” he responded.  “Let’s just look at a map.”
Maybe they’re right.  Maybe we are that old.  Do you think Siri will know the answer to that question if I ask?
I bet there’s a few things I could teach her, too.

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Friday Photo: Knowledge

Posted on March 16, 2012 by

Viewing the United States Capitol Building in Washington D.C. for the first time stopped me dead in my tracks.  I wasn’t expecting such majesty and grandeur to rise out of the trees and look down over the city.  Maybe it’s from growing up in California-we just don’t have history that is so universal.  Everything in D.C. is grounded in our forefathers’ vision for the American Dream.
I also wasn’t expecting the fascinating experience I had in the Visitor’s Center.  Located in the publicly accessible area of the Capitol, the Center offers a comprehensive display of all aspects of United States history.
Looming large on the entrance wall, plaques proclaim key values of our country.  Catching my eye, naturally, the word ‘knowledge’ jumps out at me.  As I took a closer look, the text spoke to me: “Knowing that democracy flourishes best in an open environment with an educated citizenry, Congress has promoted public education…”
Is our forefather’s message still accurate?  Does our democracy still flourish?  Can our children still hope for the American Dream?
Are we advocating for educated citizenry in this time of education cutbacks, pink slips, and layoffs?  Is this really an open environment for our children, when they are told if they work hard, take the right courses and score well on standardized tests they will be rewarded with a college education,  yet that reward will strap them with debt for decades?
Knowledge definitely is power.  The question is, who has control?

 

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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