Teachers are role models!

I truly believe that every teacher just like every parent is a role model. Each day we stand in front of our students as an example of what an adult is. Our words and actions are powerful. So often we worry about how we present lessons, the look of our classroom, and meeting standards.

But what about what we say without words?

How we look and dress says a lot to our students as well. If we wear our hair in a ponytail every day just throwing it up in a rush out the door, what message are we sending to our students? If we wear wrinkled or worn-out clothes to school, what message are we sending to our students?

Research has shown that they way we present ourselves effects how much respect we will receive. Are you respected in your classroom? By your colleagues? By your parents? Or is the way you are choosing to dress affecting the level of respect you are receiving?

As part of my summer plans, I have decided to lose the weight that I have gained over the last year. A doctor appointment last week said it wasn't my fault. Always love that but it still doesn't help. Obesity levels are increasing in adults and children. Our activities level are decreasing and health issues are on the rise.

I always wonder what this means for our future. I heard recently that the live expectancy of our children will be lower than our own. This is the first time this has happened since life expectancy has been recorded. What we do as teachers matter, our health matters.

Check out these websites:

A Nation at Risk - My doctor recommended this as homework. It is really long but I learned so much about why we gain weight, the risk to children (which shocked me), childhood obesity causes at school (yes it starts in our schools!), and the little things we can do to make a big difference!

A Revolutionary Act - Another recommendation from my doctor. This is also an app. It is all about the little things that we MUST do to change our lives. My doctor says we live a life of convenience when in fact we need to live a life that is inconvenient.

I talked with my family about this and we have decided to try to walk 100 miles EACH by November first. So we will be going out for a walk each night and my sons are creating a bar graph to track our progress. Depending on how this goes, I may even challenge my students to walk 100 miles during the school year next year.

So.... what are you planning on doing this summer to inspire your students next year to be healthier and reach their maximum potential in all areas of their lives?

Tombstone, Arizona

Each summer, I like to play tourist and also educate my boys in something new. I took them to Rawhide awhile back and posted about our adventures. Since my boys are still into the "Wild West" - we decided to take them on a trip to a real Wild West Town.

Tombstone was founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin who had several silver minds down there. This was prior to Arizona even being a state and Tombstone was hoping to be the capital (that honor went to Prescott). It was one of the largest cities in the nation at during the late 1800s. Hard to believe isn't it?

This old town should have died off a long time ago but thanks to the infamous Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday... it remains a tourist attraction and town today. It is also the site of many western towns you see in movies.

Anywho...

Doc Holiday's Gunfight Palace

My little cowboys were blood thirsty so we stopped at the first place to offer a gun fight. Let me tell ya now... Tombstone is an expensive place to take a family!!! It cost us $26ish (hubby was in charge of the money) to see this indoor gun fight. If you go, skip it. The place is the size of your classroom, it is hard to see and just not worth the money. My kids missed it all. Hubby took this by raising his hand, pushing the button and hoping for the best.

We went during Memorial Day weekend not realizing it was Wyatt Earp Days. It was crowded but not overly so and we had the bonus of there being free gun fight shows in the street.

The boys had a blast with all of the gun fights... and they even got in on the action.

This is the main event and why people visit Tombstone. The OK Corral where the infamous gun battle happened. This was EXPENSIVE! When you purchase these tickets, you also get admittance into two other sites (Historama and the Epitaph Museums). It was a 45 minute show and the boys loved this.

I was particularly impressed with the Good Enough Mine Tour. First, they offer a discount to teachers, military, and anyone who services the community ($8 off) and anyone under 10 is free. It was the favorite thing we did perhaps even better than the gun fights. My middle son "stole" (the prospector told him to) the prospectors gun and held him up AND it was a real gun (loaded with blanks!).

So here are the stars going down, down, down into the mine. There are not any monsters or ghosts that live in this mine but according to my littlest one there are zombies.

No worries... he has his cap gun and his daddy!

See all that gray stuff on the walls... THAT'S SILVER! We learned a lot about minerals, mining, the way one used to see in the dark, lead and food poisoning.... hmmm... what else!

This is a pile of silver before it is made into pretty shiny things.

The last thing we did (after I shredded my knee in a blonde moment) was to visit Boot Hill. What an interesting cemetery.  Just look at this gravestone. Where else would you see something like this? Almost all of the graves said how they died.

Traditionally on Memorial Day weekend, we attend a service remembering our fallen soldiers but I felt like my children were missing the history behind why our country and our state is so important. This trip allowed them to learn more about our freedoms, the birth of our state and country, and to understand why it is important to protect it. If you plan on going for the day, plan on spending $100 per person.

Thank you to all of those who serve our country! We will be thinking of you, your families, and your sacrifices as without you, we wouldn't be able to enjoy moments like this.

Day Trip & a WINNER!

So this is going to be a short and sweet post! My family took a day trip to Tombstone, Arizona and we are all worn out but thankfully not sun burnt! The weather was beautiful!! Cool and breezy so unlike Arizona at this time of year.

Anywho... a winner! CONGRATS Lori at Teaching with Love and Laughter!! I am sending you an email now with more information. =)