​
JANINE WALKER CAFFREY - EDUCATION INNOVATION
  • Lexplore
  • Who is Janine?
  • The Today Show
  • Contact

In the Company of Goodness and Greatness

6/26/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
There are two things that we all need in order to reach our highest potential; others who are good and great. By good, I mean people who walk through life seeing the goodness in others, and do good themselves at every opportunity. By great, I mean people who are continually improving themselves in order to reach their highest potential in fulfilling their own mission in life. It is unusual to see both of these qualities in a group of people committed to the same purpose at the same time. I was incredibly fortunate during the past couple of weeks to have this experience not once, but twice. 

My first experience was with reading teachers who are working to become trainers of other reading teachers. These dedicated educators worked in a most determined way for five days so they could assist other educators to become more effective teachers of reading. They volunteered to do this work because each one was on a personal mission to improve literacy across the country. They struggled through their own hurdles to learn and wanted to be the very best they could possibly be.

From that training, I went directly to a three day seminar for speakers. This included twelve people from incredibly diverse backgrounds, all with the common desire to share their personal stories with others. They wanted to do this in order to improve thousands of lives of people they have never met. We worked on many things that resulted in dramatic personal transformations that left each participant vulnerable in a way none of us expected. We did the work because we wanted to do good, and wanted to become great. 

After I returned home I began to reflect on when I have done my very best work and have been the happiest. I realized that it was during times when I was surrounded by truly good people who want nothing more than to ease the burdens of others. It was when I was immersed in a culture of continual self improvement with others who shared my desire to grow and learn. Being in the company of goodness and greatness is what makes each of us the very best we can be.
1 Comment
Wendy Keller link
6/27/2014 05:43:19 am

Janine - Thank you SO much for your beautiful, heartfelt comments about the speaker training I hosted last weekend! I am so glad you participated. You do everything with such grace, focus and energy. It was a joy to watch you blossom even more.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Janine Walker Caffrey writes about reading, education and a few other topics related to happiness and life in general.

    Archives

    June 2016
    May 2016
    November 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    September 2013
    May 2012
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009

    Categories

    All
    Achievement Gap
    Adult Learning
    Arts
    Civil Rights
    Common Core
    Differentiation
    Discipline
    Federal Aid
    Grand Parenting
    Happiness
    Lead By Example
    Length Of School Year
    Middle School
    Parent Engagement
    Parenting
    Personalized Learning
    Phonemic Awareness
    Phonics
    Reading
    Reading Horizons
    School Finance
    School Reform
    School Spending
    Social Justice
    Special Education
    Student Engagement
    Summer Slide
    Suspension
    Teaching
    Technology
    Tiger Mom
    Title IX
    Traffic Light

    RSS Feed