The Unsung Hero of 2009

This year seems to have flown by. There are so many things that have happened in 2009. The news is full of summaries. I want to take a minute here to acknowledge the real unsung hero of 2009. It’s you!!! You are the biggest difference maker ever. The average teacher does not have riches in dollars. Your riches are in the smiles of your students and the progress they make.

You typically don’t have a fancy expensive home, but you take another home with you every day when you go to work, and it’s the home in your heart. You create a second home for your children. You open the doors wide into that classroom “home” each day when they arrive, and you make them feel welcome. Some have never felt as welcome in their own homes.
You may not eat in expensive restaurants, but you cater and feed to the needs of children every time you go to work. You give them the best meals of all, meals that are not just temporarily satisfying, but meals that will make a difference forever for them in their lives.

Thank you for being the “Hero of 2009.” You are a blessing in this world and a difference maker etching your teachings on the souls of the future. Have a happy holiday season, a merry Christmas, and a safe and happy new year.

Hugs and best wishes from me, my son Marty, and the whole Appelbaum team,

Maryln

PS. The next daily message will be on January 4th, 2010.

"Let's go daddy"

My son, Marty Appelbaum, wrote a wonderful short story called, “Let’s Go Daddy.” It’s the story of a young boy whose mom died. The little boy’s dad works all the time, and isn’t there for his child. The little boy misbehaves a lot. One day there is a special function at school, and the teacher knows how much it would mean to the little boy to have his dad there. She calls his dad and tells him that he is a special person in his son’s life, and he really needs to be there for his son, and she hopes he will come to the event at school. The dad gets really silent, and then says, he will come. He does come, and the little boy smiles and is so happy. He is so proud to have someone in his life that loves and cares for him. When it is time to go home, the little boy proudly takes his dad’s hand, and says happily, “Let’s go daddy.” And they leave to start a better life together.

That teacher made a huge difference in that boy’s life. Every day you too create miracles in the lives of children. I hope you will share your miracle stories with me here on my blog. I would love to read them. You can share them today and throughout the holiday season, a time of miracles.

Have a great day.

Maryln

Teach to not trade morals for goals

Life is full of choices. Sometimes, children want so much to be popular and part of the “in crowd,” that they trade their moral values to reach their goal. The research shows that children and adults who trade their morals for their goals aren’t really happy. They know inside that they are not living up to their true selves.

Help children learn that true happiness comes from doing the right thing always.

Have a great day. You are a difference maker.

Maryln

What we can all learn from Santa Claus

Santa Claus is a good teacher of diversity. First, Santa doesn’t fit the image of the slim muscular man. Instead, he is chubby. When children come to sit on his lap in malls, he holds all children and poses with them. He doesn’t care if they are light-skinned or dark-skinned, tall or short, rich or poor. He talks to all of them and doesn’t discriminate when he talks. He asks them all what they want for Christmas.

My favorite Santa’s are not always Caucasian. Instead, they reflect the diversity of the children in the world. I love how they smile and laugh encouraging all children to laugh and smile and even better, to have hope.

Santa is a symbol, one that many children know is not real, but they love him and the spirit he represents anyhow. Children somehow understand that the symbol of Santa is one that asks them to dream, to leap into their imaginations of what could be, to stretch their minds and think about reindeer, even one with a “red nose” still getting to be part of Santa’s team.

The world needs real people to respect the diversity of children always, to teach them to dream. That is why your job is so important. You make a difference.

Have a great day.

Maryln

Holiday Spirit

I worry that in the hubbub of preparing for Christmas, that people sometimes lose the holiday spirit. I remember one year being in Bethlehem with my family, and we went to the Church of the Nativity on Christmas, and there were hoards of people. Everyone was pushing and shoving to get into the part of the church where Jesus was born. My grandson was a young child then and he nearly got trampled, and I can still remember him looking up at me with his big eyes saying, “Why are they hurting me?” Everyone was so concerned with being in the right place, doing the right thing, that they forgot the spirit of the holiday. They forgot about love and kindness.

Be sure and keep this central in your theme with children this year as you prepare for the holiday. Talk about acts of kindness they have done, and talk about acts of kindness they can still do. Have a class giving project. Teach them that the greatest gifts come not from what they receive, but from what they give to others.

Have a wonderful day and week.

Maryln