Blog # 13

Blog #13 – 5/7/2013

Wow.  This chapter was chock full of important considerations which need to be made if one wishes to live a meaningful, open, caring life.  I must admit that it was a bit overwhelming for me to be asked to consider what I feel to be several massive, possibly life-altering questions in one twenty-eight page chapter.  I think that may be due to the fact that I am somewhat of a control-freak, perfectionist, whatever you want to term it, who likes to take the tasks I am asked to do seriously and do my best.  I really liked and identified with the idea that our core values are not necessarily set in stone and come from a variety of sources.  Personally, I have been on somewhat of a journey of self-rediscovery and the idea that I need to reconsider some of my own values is a large part of it for me.  I want to find meaning in my life and truly hope that I have and will continue to help others along the way, through personal connections, and certainly teaching.  It may be due to the fact that graduation is quickly approaching, but I have recently had a few students express their gratitude to me for being their teacher, and in two cases more like a second mom.  Some of the sentiments they shared brought tears to my eyes and their kind words were very much appreciated.  Sometimes it is difficult or even impossible for teachers (or anyone for that matter) to know if you have reached someone or made a difference.  I hope that as a school counselor that I would strive to impart the individual importance each student has to the people in their lives and help them to see what a difference they make to others.

I also must say that I really enjoyed reading the various ideas about the meaning of life (Corey, 379-380).  I feel like I have mostly tried to be a good person and do the right things, but by whose definition?  It makes me wonder where I am headed and what my own philosophy of life entails.  Sometimes I have the tendency to over think things, but I believe this requires some serious thought.  I plan to take some quiet moments to reflect upon my life choices and where they have led me and where I would like to go from here.  I believe that my own sense of spirituality will help in this endeavor.  I am not overly religious, but have certain principles in which I believe and attempt to live by.  It is my hope that I can serve as an example for students.  I am certainly not perfect, but I try to take responsibility and admit my mistakes and attempt to rectify them when I can.  I am also going to be more aware of whether I am judging others and try to stop.  I recently had an incident at the prom in which a colleague was expressing what I felt were elitist attitudes. and it angered me considerably.  I need to identify why I reacted so strongly and decide what to do about it. 

The embracing diversity section also really made me think.  I try to see each individual student as a person, rather than part of a particular group.  I must admit that the idea of White privilege, while not new to me, was thought provoking.  In my classes we discuss ageism, sexism, and racism, but I am not sure I do the best job conveying how truly privileged Whites are in our society.  Finally, the section on protecting our planet is near and dear to me.  I try to do the very best I can to reduce my footprint on the world, and encourage (gently force) my students to as well when they are in my classroom.  Even though I am known to some students as the “recycling Nazi” I hope that my efforts are not in vein.  I believe that we can all make a difference – to one another and also to our world.

Corey,G.,& Corey, M.S. (2010). I never knew I had a choice: Explorations in personal growth. (9th ed.). Belmont, California: Brooks/Cole.