Tag Archives: Maine

Learning, Maine Life, Personal Growth, Teaching

They Are All Winners!

1 Comment
l-r: Mrs. Daniels, Jemyni True, Macee Pearl, Mr. Boomsma, Melissa Burdin
l-r: Mrs. Daniels, Jemyni True, Macee Pearl, Mr. Boomsma, Melissa Burdin

On Friday, March 22, Piscataquis Community Elementary School fifth graders learned the winners of the Newspapers in Education Contest during which they were challenged to create an advertisement for the book “Small People; Big Brains.” Perhaps the even bigger challenge was selecting an ad to publish from the many submissions. Judges finally settled on three finalist ads: first place by Melissa Burdin, second by Macee Pearl, and third by Jemyni True. Each student received a certificate of accomplishment and art kit to encourage the development of their skills.Art Teacher Mrs. Daniels received special recognition for her support of the Newspapers in Education program and this special project:

For your constant understanding and for always being there,

To tell them they can do it and to show them that you care!

Principal Mrs. Orton wondered with the group “if we can expect Mr. Boomsma to write a book every year so get this opportunity again…”

There’s never a lack of stories and inspiration from these kids, but I’m not sure I can keep up! Walking down the hall just yesterday a Kindergartner informed me, “I go to school here and my dad coaches one of the teams here… is that weird?” I tried to assure him it was anything but… adults and children can attend the same school and learn from each other. These people may be small, but they often have really big brains.

Classes and Courses

Real Estate Course Starts Wednesday…

Leave a comment

For SaleFor those interested in a career in real estate… ! I’m starting a class in Bangor for those who would like to meet the license qualifications. At last count we had sixteen students signed up, but we can certainly squeeze in a few more! The class starts at 6 PM at the Ramada Inn on Odlin Road in Bangor.

Real estate licensing classes are offered through the Arthur Gary School of Real Estate. For complete course details and to register visit the school’s website at http://arthurgary.com or call the school at 856-1712.

Walter keeps the class interesting with anecdotal stories that put law into real terms. Good sense of humor!

Maine Life, Personal Growth

The Last Human Freedom

Leave a comment

“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

 Viktor E. Frankl

I’ve had this quote sitting in my “hold” file for quite some time because I thought I wanted to decide whether I loved it or hated it. The dilemma piqued my interest enough to do some research… and that research revealed that Viktor Frankl was, in fact, a concentration camp survivor. His work (along with that of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche) in psychiatry also served as the basis for “existential therapy.” That’s a topic way too deep for a snowy Wednesday afternoon. If you’re feeling particularly heady, you might do some “googling” and learn a little about this interesting man.

When I did, I discovered yet a recommendation he made. He’s attributed with suggesting that the Statute of Liberty on the East Coast of our country should be complemented by a Statute of Responsibility on the West Coast. That’s a pretty good topic for consideration on any sort of afternoon.

I also have decided that, like having two statutes, I can both hate and love the quote. What I “hate” about it is that it’s a stark reminder of the horrible potential that exists in human beings. What I love about the quote is it’s a stark reminder of the potential for positive power that exists in human beings.

snowman_pointing_pc_400_clr_4412There was a time when we spent many hours in college classes (and after) considering these things. I do miss those times and am a little sad that I’ve not had an intense philosophical discussion in a long time. But on a snowy afternoon in Maine as I consider these heady concepts I find myself tempted to just go outside and make two snowmen. (A first grader gave me his drawing of “Frosty” yesterday I could use as a model. I chuckled at his lack of hesitation and amount of detail provided when I asked him who the snowman was.) Perhaps we should all build a “Frosty of Liberty” and a “Frosty of Responsibility.” In my snowy world, they are both the same size and they can, in fact, coexist.

Learning, Maine Life

Tree Identification…

Leave a comment

We’ll take a break from posts about school… but we never abandon learning! Let’s talk trees… here’s a link to one of over 300 You Tube Videos that assist with tree identification. I happened to pick Sugar Maples because they are a personal favorite, but I also watched the ones on red, black, and white cedar because I do tend to get those confused. Each video is only a couple of minutes long, entertaining and informative!

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBE1197A3397CAE00&feature=plcp

With over 300 you could watch a daily tree treat for almost a year!

Classes and Courses, Learning, Personal Growth

The Enemy Called “Good”

Leave a comment

“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage – pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically – to say ‘no’ to other things. And the way to do that is by having a bigger ‘yes’ burning inside. The enemy of the ‘best’ is often the ‘good.’”

– Dr. Stephen Covey

This quote appeared in my inbox this morning as a “thought starter.” How appropriate to start the day thinking about priorities! There are two very important thoughts in these few sentences.

The idea of being almost obsessive with our priorities is not, of course, new. Tom Peters coined a descriptive term some years ago–a “monomaniac with a mission.” In just a few words we see the accomplishment value of one person with one mission. We’ve all seen it in action. You get one person who has real passion and purpose, get her focused and there’s really no stopping her. These people become the heroes of our society–assuming, of course, their mission is positive!

The second thought in this quote is the idea that the enemy of “best” is often “good.” How many times have we found ourselves saying something is “good enough” or “close enough?” In Maine we have a rather colorful expression to describe it.

“A blind man on a galloping horse will never notice…”

I suppose it creates perspective. But at the same time it’s really saying “that’s pretty bad. The only person who won’t notice is blind and going by pretty fast.”

While any project or passion requires practicality, we really ought to guard against the “good enough” mentality because Covey is right. Good can be the enemy of best.

Occasionally I’ll encounter an adult student who seems to merit a nickname and some gentle teasing at the start of class. “And how is my little overachiever today?” But that student knows it’s not such a bad label and it’s a bit unfortunate that our system implies over-achievers are placing too much stress on themselves. There is a balance in all of this, but I’ll take a class of over-achievers before a class of “how can I squeak by” students any day.

So we need to think about our “yes’s” and our “no’s.” And we need to be careful when we start saying “yes” to good because it might mean we are saying “no” to our best.