Cool Cat Teacher Blog- Reviving the Dream

THE WHAT

I read a very encouraging and inspiring blog from the Cool Cat Teacher Blog entitled "Reviving the Dream." It was written on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 on a Bible passage that encourages teachers to keep their dreams alive. Too often we let a peace of lethargy invade our lives, and we fall dead to our dreams due to a lazy mind that has fallen asleep. The verse mentioned in the blog is taken from the book of Revelation, and it states this: "Sardis was a city of peace, not the peace won through battle, but the peace of a man whose dreams are dead and whose mind is asleep, the peace of lethargy and evasion." What would happen if we woke up and went after our dreams. Here is an example from the author of the blog entry of a dream of her own: "A dream was born -- in my own heart I realized that my goal would be to build one of the best technology programs in the world.  Oh, that sounds ostentatious, but it was something I'd say even in assemblies and to my students. At first, I'd get several snickers -- and then less.  Now, finally, the students know - we do have one of the best.  And now the dream is for more."

THE SO WHAT

Langston Hughes, an American poet once said,
    "Hold fast to dreams
     For if dreams die
     Life is a broken-winged bird
     That cannot fly.

     Hold fast to dreams
     For when dreams go
     Life is a barren field
     Frozen with snow."
This is so true for the students that look up to us in our classrooms. If our dreams for our students die, then our teaching becomes dull. From dull teaching stems lack of inspiration in our students, and from lack of inspiration in our students stems the lack of their success. It is important that we, as teachers, dream big for our students, especially for the underprivileged students who do not know what it means to be given a chance. Also, dream big for not only your students, but also for yourself. There is a vase sitting on the stand next to my couch that says, "The higher our hopes the brighter our days." Take that into consideration.

THE NOW WHAT

Dream big. Do not say to yourself, "Well I'm stuck here so I might as well make the best of it." Instead, seek out goals and be excited to find a way to reach them. The Cool Cat Teacher Blog provides links to many blog entries of technology ideas that would be useful for teachers on the left hand column of the site. As you read earlier, the author had a dream to create one of the best technology programs in the world and succeeded at it. I would say that this a trustworthy site to get ideas for your classroom. It provides 122 apps and software for you. So take a little bit of time to familiarize yourself, as I did, with the suggestions for teaching with the use of technology found in the many different blog entries on this site.