That Aha Moment

That aha moment.  That moment when the waters cleared, and the depth revealed itself.  That moment when I realized there was so much more to the written word than what floated on the surface. Treasure lie beneath. It engendered my love for literature, created a desire to read more, learn more, study more, and eventually write more.  Reading and writing became more than just words, but ideas.  Ideas are power.  Yet to successfully wield such power, the writer must be able to rhetorically craft a piece worthy enough to entice and persuade the audience.  For fifteen years now, I have had the opportunity to share this love, knowledge, and craft with creative, young minds, hopefully guiding each to the realization that not only can great ideas be discovered in the written word of others, but ensconced in their own as well.  My journey began with the desire to teach college classes when fate opened the door to a high school classroom instead.  Tarleton’s English master’s program, which incorporates dual credit teaching, would allow me the ability and opportunity to continue teaching high school students at a college level.  Aha – the best of both worlds.

When More Is Less...

Driving through town this morning, I couldn't help but appreciate the beauty in Spring's return.  The trees, especially.  As my thoughts continued to wander, I realized that I have a greater appreciation for those trees now that I live in the Panhandle.  Then "less is more" popped into my head along with its possibilities.

The less I complain, the more I enjoy the day;
the more I enjoy the day, the less I complain.

The less I worry, the happier I am;

The happier I am, the less I worry.

The less I judge, the more I understand;

The more I understand, the less I judge.

The less I talk, the more I learn;
the more I learn, the better I listen.

The less I have, the more I appreciate;
The more I appreciate, the less I need.

Ironically, often less allows us to have more of what really matters.  May we think more often about how fortunate we are and less about our losses.

Looking for Education...

...educational blogs that is.  Surfed the web for awhile today.  Found a few.  But still not sure how much I like them.  So if any of you out there have a favorite blog or two centering on education or literature, please send the info my way.