| Over the years I have collected many quotes to use on the morning announcements when I was a principal, and to inspire teachers and student teachers. Here are some of my favorites. Dr. Seuss book: Oh the Places You’ll Go Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away! So... be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So...get on your way! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place... to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."-Ralph Waldo Emerson ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to the big differences that we often cannot foresee.-- Marian Wright Edelman ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A "NO" uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a "YES" merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble." -- Mahatma Gandhi ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Training teaches how. Education teaches why." -- Nido Qubein ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Be like a sponge when it comes to each new experience. If you want to be able to express it well, you must first be able to absorb it well." -- Jim Rohn ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it. No involvement, no commitment." -- Stephen Covey ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Our task is to provide an education for the kind of kids we have... Not the kind of kids we used to have... Or want to have... Or the kids that exist in our dreams." Mary Kay Utech ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By learning you will teach; by teaching you will learn. -- Latin Proverb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To teach is to learn twice.-- Joseph Joubert -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "We can no more afford to spend major time on minor things than we can to spend minor time on major things." -- Jim Rohn -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting."--Edmund Burke -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Most time is wasted, not in hours, but in minutes. A bucket with a small hole in the bottom gets just as empty as a bucket that is deliberately kicked over." -- Paul J. Meyer ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. --Alvin Toffler -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We don’t see things as they are; we see things as we are. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Hire the best. Pay them fairly. Communicate frequently. Provide challenges and rewards. Believe in them. Get out of their way and they'll knock your socks off." *Mary Ann Allison {American Business Author} -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves. -- Galileo Galilei --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What you do speaks so loudly they can't hear what you say--Ralph Waldo Emerson --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. Derek Bok, president, Harvard University --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filing of a vessel.--Socrates --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The truth of the matter is that about 99 percent of teaching is making the students feel interested in the material. Then the other 1 percent has to do with your methods. And that's not just true of languages. It's true of every subject. Noam Chomsky, Language and Problems of Knowledge, 1988 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Children enter school as question marks and leave as periods.--Neil Postman -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In teaching, you do not want to COVER things, you want to UNCOVER them.-Anonymous -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 Things (24 Things to Always Remember And One Thing Never to Forget) (Originally found at the following site, but is it no longer available here ----http://www.coffeeintherain.com/story/474) 1. Your presence is a present to the world. 2. You're unique and one of a kind. 3. Your life can be what you want it to be. 4. Take the days just one at a time. 5. Count your blessings, not your troubles. 6. You'll make it through whatever comes along. 7. Within you are so many answers. 8. Understand, have courage, be strong. 9. Don't put limits on yourself. 10. So many dreams are waiting to be realized. 11. Decisions are too important to leave to chance. 12. Reach for your peak, your goal, and your prize. 13. Nothing wastes more energy than worrying. 14. The longer one carries a problem, the heavier it gets. 15. Don't take things too seriously. 16. Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets. 17. Remember that a little love goes a long way. 18. Remember that a lot . . . goes forever. 19. Remember that friendship is a wise investment. 20. Life's treasures are people . . . together. 21. Realize that it's never to late. 22. Do ordinary things in extraordinary ways. 23. Have health and hope and happiness. 24. Take the time to wish upon a star. And don't ever forget ... For even a day . . . How very special you are. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHICH WORDS WILL YOU USE? DID tells us of achievement; WON'T tells of retreat. MIGHT hints of encouragement; CAN'T tells of defeat. OUGHT reminds us of duty; TRY gives us faith each hour. WILL shows we're determined; CAN gives us power! REMEMBER: We DID do a good job this year! We WON'T let negative people influence us! We MIGHT even make some improvements next year! We CAN'T let stress get us down! We OUGHT to get paid a lot more! We will TRY to make a difference in every child's life! We WILL be the best teacher we can be! We CAN grow as a professional. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The ABCs Of A Successful School Year Attend school regularly. Be prepared for class. Communicate your needs to your teacher and parents. Develop a positive attitude. Eat a good breakfast each morning. Focus on your goals. Give yourself a pat on the back regularly. Help yourself before seeking assistance. Imagine what you'd like to be as an adult. Join in on all class activities and discussions. Keep on task. Learn as much as you can. Make the most of every situation. Note your progress. Optimize your talents. Put forth your best effort. Quickly resolve conflicts. Run your race with the intention of winning. Study! Study! Study! Trust yourself and try new things. Use your time wisely. Voice your opinions. Watch out for distractions. X-amine your work carefully. You are capable of great things. Zero in on your strengths and build upon them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 101 Ways To Praise A Child (author unknown) Wow. Way to go. You're special. Outstanding. Excellent. Great. Good. Neat. Well done. Remarkable . I knew you could do it. I'm proud of you. Super Star. Nice work. Looking good. You're on top of it. You're catching on. Now you've got it. How smart. Good job. That's incredible. Hot dog. Remarkable job. You're Beautiful. You're a winner. You make me happy. Hip, Hip, Hooray. You're important. Magnificent. Beautiful. Fantastic. You're on target. You're on your way. How nice. You're Spectacular. You're Darling. Super. Super Job. Beautiful work. Good for you. Nothing can stop you now. Dynamite. You're fantastic. Awesome. You're precious. Fantastic job. You've discovered the secret. Bingo. Great discovery. You're a real trooper. Marvelous. Terrific. You're growing up. Outstanding performance. You tried hard. You figured it out . What a good listener. You're a treasure . You mean a lot to me . You're a good friend . That's correct. A big hug. What an imagination. You learned it right. You're incredible. Now you're flying. Bravo. Beautiful. I like you. I respect you. You're sensational. Phenomenal. A+ job. Hooray for you. You're unique. You care. Creative job. You belong. You brighten my day. Super work. That's the best. You made my day. I love you! Beautiful sharing. You mean the world to me. You're important. You've got a friend. You're a joy. You make me laugh . You're A - Okay - my buddy. I trust you. You are perfect. You're wonderful. A big kiss. Exceptional performance . P.S. Remember, a smile is worth 1000 Words! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “ We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” - Max De Pree ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “ Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” - Confucius ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “ The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.” - Benjamin Disraeli ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “ Life’s most urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” - Martin Luther King Jr. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “ To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “ It is one of the most beautiful compensations in life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “We worry about what a child will be tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.”- Stacia Tauscher ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prepare for the difficult while it is still easy. Deal with the big while it is still small. Difficult undertakings have always started with what’s easy. Great undertakings always started with what is small. --Lao-Tzu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I can give you a six-word formula for success: “Think things through – then follow through.-- Edward Rickenbacker ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “ Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.”--Bil Keane ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “ I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”--Helen Keller |