The way you measure a society’s soul is by the way that it treats its children.
Nelson Mandela
Issue No. 89 – 11th May 2010
Welcome to Kidz Newz especially to all new subscribers. Kidz Newz is a regular newsletter with information and teaching tips for anyone involved with young children. You are receiving this because you have attended one of my workshops, purchased a book, or you have requested to be on the mailing list. Thank you. Please forward this to anyone you feel it may be of interest to. Feedback is welcome.
Employment Opportunity
Looking for a part-time teaching opportunity? Love working with children? Love teaching music and movement? I am looking for people to train as Kidz-Fiz-Biz operators. Good returns and lots of fun. If this is something of interest to you now or in the future, please contact me at info@kidzfizbiz.com or phone 0410 642 781.
Daring to Dream
I came across the following article in Mitchell Behan’s newsletter of 21st April. In it Mitch talks about the importance of following your dreams. If you don’t, your children are destined to follow your dreams for you (read the article – it will make more sense). Teachers are outwardly confident. We need to be confident to gain the respect of our students. In any event, we know much more than our students and are in positions of authority, so of course that gives us confidence. Teachers are also giving by nature. They usually get enormous satisfaction out of seeing the advancement and achievement of their protégés. Nonetheless, I often hear teachers telling me of their frustration and dissatisfaction with the bureaucracy, administration and politics of teaching but they feel powerless to do anything about it and powerless to leave because they feel there is nothing else they can do. If feeling helpless and inadequate is not a sure sign of a low self-esteem I don’t know what is. It is the antithesis of confidence. This feeling takes away from the genuine joy they feel in their role as teachers. They should be there because they know it is their vocation. Any frustrations, therefore, should be of little consequence because that is simply a side issue to the main purpose. Sadly, too many are still caught in the trap of feeling they are only teaching because they can’t do anything else rather than knowing, unequivocally, it is their purpose.
I put it to you to ask yourself whether you are fulfilling your purpose, genuinely, or whether you may be fulfilling the dreams of your parents. Fulfilling your parents’ dreams does not necessarily mean those dreams are not also your own. Enjoy Mitch’s article below. You may not agree, but it’s food for thought.
“… The only thing that stops us from dreaming is giving in to deeply held thoughts of being unworthy and undeserving. When we do this, we begin to make other people and other things more worthy and deserving than us. Subconsciously, we then start to feel thwarted and from there our inner voices take control: relentlessly ridiculing us, putting us down, and battering us. This is what is known as ‘having a self-worth issue’. And all because we are not fulfilling our dreams and aspirations.
The truth is, we are all deserving and we are all worthy. In fact, we are all born winners.
… We are obliged to fulfill our dreams and aspirations if for no other reason than that the quality of our lives determines the quality of our children’s lives. If our dreams and aspirations are unfulfilled, they will be lived out by our children.
My certainty about this has been affirmed since I became a parent. Here’s how!
When I was growing up, I loved to dance. Absolutely loved it. I would dance at every opportunity no matter where I was, and I would do so joyfully and without inhibition. I remember feeling so inspired and fulfilled when I danced that I told my father I wanted to be a dancer. His response was to tell me to think again because there was no money in dancing. From that moment, my dream of being a dancer dissolved.
Thirty years later, I am confronted by that dream every day in the form of my baby daughter. There she is, harnessed in her Jolly Jumper, moving every part of her body with absolute joy and delight every time someone claps or sings or plays music within her hearing. Lexi loves to dance!
So, just as I live out my father’s unfulfilled dreams and aspirations to speak publicly, my daughter is already living out one of mine.
How obligated we are to dream.
How obligated we are to fulfill our dreams.”
(for more information and wisdom from Mitch go to www.mjbseminars.com.au)
Quote of the Week
Follow your dreams. They know the way. ~ Anonymous
If you can dream it, you can do it. ~ Walt Disney
Entertainment
A great one minute video to show how dreams have created our technology throughout the ages.
Feedback
“My favourites for bouncing on the therapy balls are all the sea ones. Michael Row, Yello sub, Sailors Horn Pipe, Baby Beluga. Also, Row, Row for sitting opposite each other. My 4 and a half year old told me that Pachelbel was the one that her mum and dad got married to. Mom was very impressed that she remembered.”
Hazel Nicol, Paediatric OT, Perth
About The Author
Marlene Rattigan B.A., Dip. Ed. (ECS), CELTA
Marlene Rattigan is an Early Childhood teacher, a teacher of English as a Second Language, and from 1987-2000 was a nationally accredited fitness leader. Her background is in music education. A keen interest in motor development in children led to the creation of Kidz-Fiz-Biz which she taught successfully for 13 years. Marlene also conducts workshops for children, teachers and parents at schools, in the community and at festivals. She has produced teaching manuals complete with audio CDs which are an extension of her ‘Kidz-Fiz-Biz’ program.
Kidz-Fiz-Biz
PO Box 6894, East Perth WA 6892, Australia
T: +61 8 9325 1204 M: +61 (0) 410 64 2781 E: info@kidzfizbiz.com
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Until next time … continue being a legend in your classroom.
Marlene Rattigan, Editor
Kidz Newz
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