A special thank you to SLI

This past week I worked at a leadership camp in North Manchester, Indiana. The Student Leadership Institute, or better known as SLI, is a camp that is for high school students to explore curriculum around leadership, community, and self-exploration. The camp is ran and organized heavily by the contributions of individuals who represent the Indiana Association of Student Councils. Dan Graney of Warsaw, Dick and Linsday Bentz (Father-Daughter combo) of Kendallville, Brittany and Nicole Mazzola from Kendallville and Avilla. Thanks to their efforts and contributions, I got to play a small role in the lives of 72 amazing students from around the state of Indiana this past week.

As a high school student going into my Junior summer, I was asked to attend SLI by Dick Bentz, who was my student council advisor at East Noble. I only accepted because I had broke my foot and ankle on the first day of summer break and I had "nothing better to do". That would turn out to be a life changing blessing. I came back a different person and a different kind of leader. Ever since my experience at SLI in 2004, I have been wanting to pay SLI and the IASC back. So, in 2007, I began to work as a Junior Counselor (JC) at SLI, and in 2011, I was given the opportunity to become a Senior Counselor (SC).

I have been able to meet and get to know some of the most incredible people from around the state. It has been an absolute honor and blessing to help lead this camp with the various JCs and SCs. I wish I could just go through and name them all! All of them have made a significant impact on my life. Adam Gaff and Katie Hurckes were instrumental in preparing me to become an SC and also a better classroom teacher.

The thing about SLI is that it is indescribely magical. These campers come and are placed in groups of 12-15. They may only know 1 other person in their Council? That is was these groups have been called over the years. However, even through the first day... at the end of the first night... These campers never refer to their group as their council... They call it their family.  Its magical.

The hardest thing anyone who comes the camp can ever do is try to explain what the camp did and how it has changed them. It is nearly impossible to get someone to see the magic for themselves if they have never been to SLI. The only thing I can suggest to them whether they are a student or an adult is to come experience for yourself. Come be a camper! Come be a counselor! Come as a volunteer! Your world will never be the same. Your world will only get larger with the connections, opporunities, and love you were given during your brief stay at SLI. 

I am truly blessed and thankful for my experiences with the IASC and SLI. The changes I see in the 12-15 students that I get to work with in a given camp year are worth every ounce energy, missed hours of sleep, and time away from reality. I say reality becuase SLI and its magic almost seem to good to be true. I can only hope I make a difference in my students' lives in the classroom, but at SLI, I KNOW I make a significant difference. 

Thank you Directors, Counselors, Volunteers and most importantly the campers who have helped make SLI what it was, what it is, and what it will continue to be. 

#ThankATeacher

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all the great educators out there! As a teacher, I want to thank every single one of you. There is no doubt a great appreciation for the time, work, and energy you all put into molding the minds of young people every day.

I personally want to thank a number of teachers who inspired me to become one myself.

My journey to becoming an educator started when I was in 6th grade at Kendallville Middle School (now East Noble Middle School). I had three wonderful teachers that year! Mr. Blomeke, Mrs. Goldsmith, and Mrs. Combs are contributed to me becoming an educator. Mr. Blomeke with his great personality and ability to connect with any student made subjects like science and math fun! Mrs. Goldsmith made me fall in love with history. We did great projects on ancient civilizations in South America, Egypt, and Europe. I bet that I still have my Mayan Calendar somewhere. Mrs. Combs made reading enjoyable. She actually trusted a number of us to read on our own out of the general classroom during school. Our group was able to really dive into the literature and learn how to share our thoughts and opinions on what we were reading. 

A few other teachers worth mentioning at the middle school were Mr. Swartzlander, Mrs. Prokupek, Mr. McBriar, and Ms. Kemp. Mr. Swartzlander was always so enthusiastic during History of Rock and Roll. Without him, I would have never found my love and appreciation for The Temptations. Mrs. Prokupek was my art teacher who really let our imaginations go to work. Whether it was with clay, making stamps, or even painting ceiling tiles, we were always engaged and encouraged to think outside the box. My two favorite science teachers of all time, Mr. McBriar and Ms. Kemp, had so many fun projects to complete. Mr. McBriar had us tap maple trees and make our own syrup! Ms. Kemp orchestrated the greatest project known to man! She had us transform her entire room into a NASA Space Station! It was unbelievable. Elementary students would take field trips to walk and crawl through our space station. So much fun!

When I was in high school, I had a number of great teachers there who also inspired me. Mr. Bentz more for his great leadership with student council.  He spent so much time and energy with our council. Bentz is the reason why I love student council now and why I spend a week each summer at a leadership camp. The camp hosts at least 100 students each year who are in student council around Indiana. Mr. Rickey and Mrs. Bentz were amazing English teachers! The stories, projects, and essays were always worth writing. I still have the soundtrack that Mr. Rickey made for Huck Finn. It may be the best combination of music on one disc. Then there was Mr. Hoffer. This guy was electric! Literally. Mr. Hoffer had to be running on some type of electrical charge all the time. I had him for AP US History my junior year. Even to this day, there is rarely a day that goes by where I don't have the sudden urge to write on my walls. Mr. Hoffer was notorious for extending timelines onto the carpeted walls when he ran out of room on his chalkboard. If we were cold, he would draw a fire place for us on the wall. Even though those things didn't have to do with teaching per se, it was engaging! In all honesty though, Mr. Hoffer did help a lot by letting us argue and prove our answers. A lot of the responsibility was on us to make sure that we were correct. Learning how to explain and defend your answer and point of view is a practice I still use today.

I had a couple of great professors in college too. Dr. Lindquist for Curriculum Development who helped us create a unit over the Holocaust which is now a subject I love teaching. Also, Dr. Pat Ashton who's Conflict and Mediation Course was by far the best class I had ever taken. He was able to open my eyes on how to better handle conflict and become a better communicator with other people.

I would be remiss if I did not include my coaches. Coach DePew, Coach Johnson and Coach Pierce. They were all fundamental in shaping the man I have become today. Coach DePew always demanded our best and always pushed us to near breaking points. All of which proved that we could overcome anything. Coach Johnson was like a second father.  Coach Johnson was always honest. Some would argue to honest. However, it was this honesty that I admired. He was always going to tell me the truth, even if wasn't something I wanted to hear. Whether it was me not playing much my senior year due to the fear it may hurt my chances at continuing my path to play baseball injury free (had a back issue) or the advice given to me a couple of years ago during my first run as a coach, Coach Johnson was always honest. I love him for that. Coach Pierce, Head Baseball Coach at IPFW, was also influential. His philosophy on how to carry oneself resonates through me today. He always seemed relaxed and composed. Sure he showed emotion when things were going well, but he always had a "next play" attitude. I can still hear him telling us to "turn the page". Control what you can when you can; don't let the past dictate your future. 

All in all, I had some great educators! I wish I could list and name them all! You all have done so much to inspire me and help me find my passion. My wish is that I can someday excel as an educator as much as you all have during your teaching professions. You have all truly been an inspiration not just to me but many other as well. 

If you are a student, teacher, or even an adult well out of school, take a moment this week to really say thank you to a special teacher. Certainly, there is at least one out there that has made a profound impact on your life. Let them know today.

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teachers explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The GREAT teacher INSPIRES." - William Arthur Ward

Thank you for being GREAT TEACHERS. #RiseTalk

#WorldsToughestJob

In the midst of last night's scramble to find resources for lessons this week, I happen to come across an amazingly touching video. 

During a "Facebook Break", I saw that this video called #WorldsToughestJob was being shared by a couple of friends. My interest was immediately hooked. I opened up the link to the video and there was a short description about how a company had placed an advertisement in newspapers in order to fill a position. The catch was that the job was a farce. The job was described in the video as the world's most important and toughest job. Unlimited hours. No breaks! A number of people had put in applications and were actually interviewed for this position. This is the video compilation of those interviews. 

Please watch the video before reading on... This will prevent spoiler alerts :)

Don't worry... I will give you a minute to collect yourself...


Feel free to go get a tissue if you need one...


Well... Was it just me or did you too feel the overwhelming need to just cry and hug someone?

This advertisement... this commercial, was without a doubt one of the most single inspiring videos that I have seen in a while. It leads us to believe that it is just going to be an entertaining joke at the expense of those interviewing for a job that doesn't exist. Meanwhile, we wait for one of the individuals to freak out, but we start to hear the soft melody of a piano playing in the background. It was only then did I realize that this video was about to be so much more than just a joke. This short four minute video in its final minute floods us all with emotion and memories we have about our mothers. The video allowed us to literally feel and share the emotions of what the interviewers were showing in its final minute. We in that minute are all connected. The amazing thing is... we are still connected by the billions of moms out there that give up and sacrifice so much for each one of us every single day. Even for those who may not of had a mother, I am sure that those feelings and memories flowed toward someone who took on that role in their life. Grandmother, aunt, sister, or maybe even a male figure like a father. We all have someone to be grateful for and we all have someone to thank.

The video says at the end, "This Mother's Day, you might want to make her a card."

Don't wait until Mother's Day... Let them know today...

To my Mom:

Words cannot even describe how thankful I am to call you, "My Mom." You are always there when I need you. You were there for all of my games yelling at me to smile and have fun before every pitch. You were there when I got my hand stuck in the VCR (though Grandpa helped too!). You were there when I got the doorknob stuck on my finger. You were there to hug me after every football game. You were there to support me during my first heartbreak. You were there when I needed to call you everyday at college because you were the comforting voice I needed to get through the day. You were there at my wedding. You were there at the birth of my daughter. Even though I don't come calling as much as I used to, you are still here... For that I am so ever grateful. I love you mom.

To my Wife:

I am so blessed to have such a selfless and loving person in my life. It seemed like fate for us to meet the way we did. Never in my dreams could I have imagined finding such person that has helped guide my faith when I was lost, give me confidence when I had none, and, ultimately, helped give me a purpose. The greatest purpose you have given me is that of a father. I would not be the father I am today or the one I strive to be tomorrow without you as my wife and as our daughter's mother. If our family is an arch and God is our foundation, you, my wife, are the keystone. The stone that allows Quinn and I to stand strong by your side. The stone that holds the our family together. I love you Jenna more than I can even express.

To my Mom and Wife: 

I love you both dearly and I am so grateful that you both have been, still are, and will continue to be amazing...