Hi all,
I had a parent bring me 9 laptops yesterday, and a former student offer another. Maybe I finally have a bit of momentum behind this nonprofit of mine. The hard part now will be getting students to help, and distributing them effectively so that everybody gets what they need. Of course, my teaching still has to take priority too, and my grading :)
However, this is real progress, and it's really neat to have some folks believing in what I do, for my school and my students. I can't tell you how good that feels. With this momentum, it's easy to forget the trials and tribulations of my day to day existence. In fact, this morning I'm going to get to the YMCA and have a quick workout before school, then get there early and maybe fix a few computers while I'm getting ready for the district assessment today.
Anyway, I guess gratitude is the best option. I'd rather live a life of gratitude than live any other way. I hope you all can find some in your life today. It's there if you're looking.
Have a great day all,
Mark
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Power of positivity
Hi all,
I want to share a few things that happened to me this weekend, purely because I'm a nice person and I told people about it. I went to a few restaurants, and reviewed the service and food well on tripadvisor and google maps. I showed the servers/bartenders/managers at the restaurants the sportive reviews I was giving, and they replied in kind. At one place, we got free chai tea. At another, free dessert.
At any rate, it was easy/free for me to give these positive pieces of feedback. It's also uncommon. Most people just get what they need/want and move on. Because I'm willing to point it out when people do nice things, or are very good at their job, or are just helpful and kind, I generally get free stuff and the best kind of customer service. In short, when I see people do nice things or do their job well, I say so. To them, to their manager, to the internet . . . doesn't matter. I'm shouting it to the void, and maybe people pay attention, and maybe they don't. Either way, I said it. Merely appreciating someone is literally free, and doesn't take much time.
Now, sometimes I get bad service, or crappy food, or they don't remember my order. Any of these things can also happen at restaurants. When this happens, I try to be kind and understanding. I don't always succeed. However, getting chicken instead of shrimp in my dish because a person who doesn't speak English very well is understandable. It was great chicken, and I'm not pescetarian, so in the end what does it matter? I'm grateful that I have food to eat. If the folks at the restaurant are rude, slow, on their phones, or not nice to me in any way, I might do a negative review. But it takes a lot. I believe in spreading mostly joy, but I regard it as a natural consequence/Karma if someone is not a nice person. The negative review by me is just the universe's way of letting them know that they ought to be nicer to paying customers.
Anyhow, hopefully you all get some free stuff for saying nice things today :)
Mark
I want to share a few things that happened to me this weekend, purely because I'm a nice person and I told people about it. I went to a few restaurants, and reviewed the service and food well on tripadvisor and google maps. I showed the servers/bartenders/managers at the restaurants the sportive reviews I was giving, and they replied in kind. At one place, we got free chai tea. At another, free dessert.
At any rate, it was easy/free for me to give these positive pieces of feedback. It's also uncommon. Most people just get what they need/want and move on. Because I'm willing to point it out when people do nice things, or are very good at their job, or are just helpful and kind, I generally get free stuff and the best kind of customer service. In short, when I see people do nice things or do their job well, I say so. To them, to their manager, to the internet . . . doesn't matter. I'm shouting it to the void, and maybe people pay attention, and maybe they don't. Either way, I said it. Merely appreciating someone is literally free, and doesn't take much time.
Now, sometimes I get bad service, or crappy food, or they don't remember my order. Any of these things can also happen at restaurants. When this happens, I try to be kind and understanding. I don't always succeed. However, getting chicken instead of shrimp in my dish because a person who doesn't speak English very well is understandable. It was great chicken, and I'm not pescetarian, so in the end what does it matter? I'm grateful that I have food to eat. If the folks at the restaurant are rude, slow, on their phones, or not nice to me in any way, I might do a negative review. But it takes a lot. I believe in spreading mostly joy, but I regard it as a natural consequence/Karma if someone is not a nice person. The negative review by me is just the universe's way of letting them know that they ought to be nicer to paying customers.
Anyhow, hopefully you all get some free stuff for saying nice things today :)
Mark
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
TIS Santa/Oprah
Hi All,
It's that time again. I am going to ask you to help me be Santa Claus to a bunch of kids in Hartford who need your help. Here are the things you can do to help less fortunate students succeed.
a) Donorschoose.org, and sponsor my project(s) to get chromebook and wacom tablet (which gives my classroom a smartboard without paying smartboard prices)
b) Give me your old broken technology (phones/tablets/computers) so I can put them to use in my building and in my students' lives.
c) spread the word about this idea to your company/network, so that they might consider corporate giving. I'm in the process of getting a 501c3 nonprofit going, so that I can provide tax incentives for businesses giving.
When you upgrade, please give me your old stuff. If your company is upgrading, please ask them to give their old stuff to me, for the same reason. I'll make sure it gets to a good home, in a classroom or a needy student's house. All I ask in return from the recipients is that they pass something they have along to someone less fortunate than them.
Have a great day!
Mark
p.s. - TIS is tech integration specialist, and Santa/Oprah is because of the phrase, "you get a laptop, and you get a laptop!" and because I'm bearded and look a bit like Mr. Kringle.
It's that time again. I am going to ask you to help me be Santa Claus to a bunch of kids in Hartford who need your help. Here are the things you can do to help less fortunate students succeed.
a) Donorschoose.org, and sponsor my project(s) to get chromebook and wacom tablet (which gives my classroom a smartboard without paying smartboard prices)
b) Give me your old broken technology (phones/tablets/computers) so I can put them to use in my building and in my students' lives.
c) spread the word about this idea to your company/network, so that they might consider corporate giving. I'm in the process of getting a 501c3 nonprofit going, so that I can provide tax incentives for businesses giving.
When you upgrade, please give me your old stuff. If your company is upgrading, please ask them to give their old stuff to me, for the same reason. I'll make sure it gets to a good home, in a classroom or a needy student's house. All I ask in return from the recipients is that they pass something they have along to someone less fortunate than them.
Have a great day!
Mark
p.s. - TIS is tech integration specialist, and Santa/Oprah is because of the phrase, "you get a laptop, and you get a laptop!" and because I'm bearded and look a bit like Mr. Kringle.
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