Old Dog, New Tricks

Inspired by Sarah Kay’s TEDTalk on becoming a spoken-word poet and suggested by Keri-Lee Beasly whose class recently blogged on the same topic, I asked my Grade 6 students to blog on ’10 Things I Know for Sure.’ Their results were inspiring, illuminating and often just plain fun to read. So, I thought I’d follow their lead and give it a try. So, here are my 10 Things I Know for Sure.

1. Two wrongs don’t make a right. But three rights do make a left.

2. ‘Those who can’t do, teach.’ Poppycock*! Those who can see the future, teach.

3. With a little trust and encouragement, students have a delightful habit of exceeding expectations.

4. Ride a bike instead of driving; it makes the world big again.

5. Practice makes permanent. Practicing mindfully makes excellence.

6. The harder you pull back the rubber band the farther it shoots; sometimes it snaps your finger. Great deeds require much effort and occasional sacrifice.

7. We are all tourists here. Enjoy the view, take lots of photos, and be a gracious guest.

8. Rivers are more fun than lakes. There something about water that flows, and swimming against a current can make you stronger.

9. Given the choice between intelligence and curiosity, I’ll take curiosity. Intelligent people often know too much, curious people never know enough.

10. One wife. Two daughters. Priceless!

*Incidentally, the word ‘poppycock’ comes from the Dutch words ‘pap’ meaning ‘soft’ and ‘kak’ meaning…um…er…uh…’kaka’!

Wait, this would make 11 Things I Know for Sure. Man, I go to ’11′!