Suze Orman and the Elf School
I am a fan of Suze Orman. I take satisfaction in her uncensored and liberal judgment: “Denied!” Let’s face it, callers voluntarily provide her personal financial information and then ASK for her opinion. I love that she provides a quick (yet thorough enough) analysis and then passionately approves or denies the caller’s dream.
Watching Ms. Orman’s face as the caller describes the “elf” school she wants to attend (below) is priceless.
You’re welcome.
Seems pretty trivial these days, what with terrorism, gun violence and dirty politics in the news, but teacher pay in America is still dismal.
The world looks to Finland when it comes to education, yet their teacher pay is about average in the world. America pays teachers less than Finland does – less than the average. Not only that, teaching is prestigious in Finland, the teachers are well-respected by everyone. Observe a class in a public high school here and I doubt you would find a high level of respect coming from students to teacher.
This article, written by Dick Startz (Professor of Economics, UC Santa Barbara), outlines the issues with underpaying teachers. Yes, many teachers in the United States love their job. They teach very well, despite the low pay. But maybe there are other people out there – highly qualified, passionate educators – who do not pursue teaching because the of the low salary.
There is a lot of waste of money in education. Nearly 50% of all teachers in the United States quit within the first five years of teaching. It’s not simply a question of salary. Teachers – especially math teachers – feel a lack of classroom autonomy. Autonomy is essential for satisfaction in ANY job. But if you couple a low salary with lack of independence, it’s a career killer.
We have a lot of work to do. We need to demand equal rights for all, we need to have gun control and we need to fix broken systems. Give teachers more respect, equitable pay, and more autonomy in the classroom.
“Finish strong!”
If you’ve ever run a marathon (or half of one)….
or participated in a fitness class….
You hear this exclamation: Finish strong!
But why finish strong? Do people just say it so you don’t quit?
What’s wrong with 80 or 90% completion? Running 80% of a marathon is still running 20.96 miles. That’s a really long distance. Most people would commend you just for that. Most people would say you’re a super star. Most people don’t even give 50%.
But you would know you quit.
You would know that you didn’t quite finish.
And then you’ve created a bit of distrust in yourself.
When you create distrust (in yourself), you create self-doubt. And then you are less likely to take risks or complete tasks.
So, it’s important that you finish strong. A lot rides on it!
True Beauty exerts and sweats
she’s strong and flexible
she’s persevering and unstoppable
she likes to eat (!)
she’s assertive
outspoken
positive
active
opinionated
creative
resourceful
and
relentlessly, tirelessly, defiantly
independent
Dear Garmin,
A couple months ago, I received my Garmin Vivofit tracker. Thank you. It has put my OCD mind (a little) at ease because now I can confirm (and double and triple confirm) the number of steps I have taken and need to take, how much sleep I received the night before (including deep and light sleep hours) and, with the chest strap, I can track my heart rate and how many calories I burned.
Great.
But we need to talk. You and I know who purchases your products. People like me: control freaks. Obsessive, compulsive perfectionists. We sync our trackers just to watch our progress several times a day. We lock ourselves in the Starbucks bathroom and do a quick jog until the red line of shame goes away.
So why – oh why – do you torture me when I am stuck in the optometrist’s office for a three hour appointment (the doctor had to check not only my eyes, but the health of my two daughters’ eyes, too)? Why do you state the obvious?
By the way, when I walk more than usual, I don’t receive a “Wow, you’re exceeding your average – way to go!” You don’t send me a message appreciating the fact that it’s 108 degrees out there and that I still managed to surpass my goals. Please, go easy. Take mercy on us tracker users. We’re a damaged breed.
Compulsively Yours,
CCW
“Jumping from failure to failure with undiminished enthusiasm is the big secret to success.” Savas Dimopoulos
Kismet 