Teacher Half Full

A diet without exercise, exercise without rest, worry without sleep, acquaintances without friendships, friendships without love, love without commitment, commitment without work, work without play, chocolate without the peanut butter.
So what's the point to striving for well roundness if there is no balance?
How important is it for us as teachers to have a 'glass is half full' attitude? Does our own mindset effect our work with young children?
How important is it to advocate for ourselves along with our children?

Here are just a few half full quotes to think about:

"The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling."
~Nursery rhyme, What the River Knows


"Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me."
~Seymour Miller & Jill Jackson

"Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon.  A happiness weapon.  A beauty bomb.  And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one.  It would explode high in the air - explode softly - and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air.  Floating down to earth - boxes of Crayolas.  And we wouldn't go cheap, either - not little boxes of eight.  Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in.  With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest.  And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination."
 ~Robert Fulghum

"Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up."
~Jesse Jackson

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion."  ~Dalai Lama


"The greatest wealth is health."
~Virgil

How about you? How do you stay a teacher half full?