Inspired!

I had to add this page because there are so many people who inspire me.  I must celebrate them in my small way.

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September 15, 2012

Happy International Dot Day! 

International Dot Day was launched by teacher Terry Shay when he introduced his classroom to Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot on September 15, 2009. (Fun Fact: Terry chose September 15 because the original publishing date of The Dot is September 15, 2003!) The Dot tells the story of a caring teacher who reaches a reluctant student in a remarkably creative way. The teacher dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to “make her mark." What begins with a small dot on a piece of paper becomes a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self-discovery and sharing, which has gone on to inspire countless children and adults around the globe.

We will be celebrating Dot Day throughout the following week.  I will post pictures of all our adventures on our class site, www.beardsbrains.com. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

July 29, 2012

10 Kids Transforming Their World Through Social Media
Um... wow is all I can say...

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July 18, 2012

Ready to be inspired?  Check out Caine and his arcade.  WOW!

                                                  Caine's Arcade

 

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July 15, 2012

                                      

Maya Moore...

My favorite athlete is Maya Moore.  Did you ever see what she did at UConn?  Wowzers!  Here's just a glimpse.  Check her out.  

Nothing but AMAZING:

It's mind-boggling to think about all she has accomplished already, and she's so young!  (I can say that now that I'm 40!)

Here are a few of the highlights:

Maya Moore was the first overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft, and joined the Minnesota Lynx. She was the third-leading scorer on the team during the regular season with 13.2 points per game, which led all rookies. Moore then helped lead her team to its first WNBA championship, the first number one draft pick to do so.  (Wow!)

• She was named to the U.S. U-18 National Team in 2006, and helped that team qualify for the 2007 U19 World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia.
• In 2008, she became the first freshman in Big East Basketball history (men or women) to be named as the Big East Player of the Year.
• Through Moore's two seasons at UConn, Moore had only 3 games where she didn't reach double digits.
• Moore also broke the UConn single-season record for most points as a freshman (678).
• Scored her 1,000th career point on January 20, 2009 (in just her 55th game at UConn) while scoring 40 points over the Syracuse Orange.
• Maya Moore became UConn's all-time single-season scoring leader with 712 points.
• Moore finished the 2009–10 season with 736 points, the second most points scored in a season by a UConn player only to herself (754 pts in 2008–09).
• Moore won the 2010 ESPY Award for Best Female College Athlete.
• Moore scored a career-high 41 points while adding 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks in UConn's historic 89th consecutive victory on Dec. 21, 2010 against Florida State.
• In March 2011, Moore earned All-American honors, becoming the second four-time All-American women's basketball player.
• In April 2011, Moore was named Associated Press Player of the Year for the second time.
• 2008 USBWA National Freshman of the Year
• 2009 Big East Player of the Year
• 2009 Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Performer
• 2009 CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-America First Team
• 2009 USBWA National Player of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association
• 2009 AP All-America first team
• 2009 Women's NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team
• 2009 State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year
• 2009 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I State Farm Coaches’ All-America Basketball Team
• 2009 Naismith Trophy
• 2009 Women's John R. Wooden Award
• 2010 State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year
• 2010 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player
• 2× NCAA champion (2009, 2010)
• WNBA All-Star (2011)
• WNBA All-Rookie Team (2011)
• WNBA Rookie of the Year (2011)
• WNBA Champion (2011)
• EuroLeague Women Champion (2012) 
• One of my favorites:  she's the only female basketball player to ever sign with Jordan Brand.  Details here.

I could keep going; the list is endless.  All those accomplishments aren't really why she inspires me.  Let me tell you why she blows my mind.

Last summer, I took a couple of young ladies (former students and gifted hoopsters in their own right!  More on them later!) to see Maya and the Lynx when they played the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis.  (Does that make me a traitor?)  Our Lynx won, by the way! 

We took this right before the game in which our Lynx beat the Fever!

I was jealous!  I wanted one of their shirts!

What I saw left me changed.  I had always enjoyed watching her play when I was lounging in my recliner in my living room.  However, what I saw when I was 20 feet from her (yes, we had 3rd row seats!) left me a little speechless.  Her heart, her focus, her intensity, her hustle, her humility - just gave me goosebumps.  You just can't see all of that on TV.  I've never seen an athlete reveal the intense play that she does; you can see it in her eyes during every second of the game.  Whether she's on the court or on the bench, her level of intensity never waivers; she never, ever gives up. 

I have pictures of her hanging in my classroom.  My students' mailboxes are green and blue - Lynx colors.  I've never admitted that before, but it's a true story!  I wear my Lynx gear to school quite often; it gives me a chance to have conversations about one of the most gifted among us - Maya Moore.

Someday, I will meet her and have the honor to tell her how much she inspires me.  I will tell her how I talk about her with my students, so much so that some of them have done research projects on her!  My students and I discuss how incredibly hard she has worked and the tremendous sacrifices she has made to experience this level of success.  The best part?  She's just getting started.

And, in her own words, she has reached her POTENTIAL.  How often does that really happen?  Do we really reach our potential?  What a powerful lesson for all of us.  We can learn so much from her.  Wow!

Thank you, Maya.

You inspire me.

Follow Maya on Twitter

Maya's web site. 

Maya's Facebook Page

 2012 U.S. Olympic Women's Basketball Team 

GO LYNX!!!!!