I said I'd save the world...

My class and the other teacher in my classroom are pretty much rockin'. And just when the excitement surrounding the class starts to die out, it booms. And when I say boom, we are talking like slam-in-your-face-this-is-waaay-bigger-than-we-ever-expected kinda boom.

Let me explain...

Rainbow Station was asked to present a 13 minute presentation as one of the leading innovative business as the Richmond Chamber of Commerce (alongside business like BioTaxi and The Martin Agency). The presentation is to be on the inspiration of the innovation, what kind of innovations come from that inspiration and what impact the innovations make.

Well as you read before about being exactly where I am meant to be, our innovation is obviously the 7 Habits of Happy Kids. They are life lessons, teaching children (basically from the first moment that can speak) to be leaders in their own right. In some cases, such as the Diaper Drive (or another class at a different school organized and raised money through a Trike-a-thon for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital) they are teaching children about the world around them, learning compassion and understanding that generally aren't usually considered age appropriate emotions.

What makes this innovation even more amazing, is that it isn't just the kids that are impacted. The children are impacting their TEACHERS, parents, siblings, extended families, too. They are impacting their local communities and even other communities around the country which lends itself to economic impacts as well.

This is a small seed that is blossoming in ways that can't ever be measured, in some cases no one will ever even realize.

These children will have these habits or paradigms or tapes playing in their minds about how to approach people and conflicts and life in general. They will be better people because of it and with this amazing wildfire catching on, they will start changing the world. 

Three teachers from all of the Rainbow Station schools were selected to assist our 8 preschoolers and 8 school-agers prepare and help Gayle, the brains behind all this innovation, deliver this 13 minute presentation to over 200 people. Oh, did I mention we have 2 weeks, which is apparently A LOT of time for things like this! (Ironically enough, we are presenting on our graduation day, June 23. Details to follow because it will be streamed online live!)

I said when I was about the same age as these kids, that I wanted to save the world. This might not save the world but it is the step in the right direction and I am so excited to be a part of it.

[This is me with my amazing teacher at our Diaper Drive Bake Sale. She is the best teammate I have EVER had. This school year, would've only been half as successful if it weren't for her! :)]

exactly where I am meant to be!

This week has been one of the most amazing in my teaching career. I don't use the term career lightly because officially it feels like an actual career. I am making a name for myself and a long list of experiences and accomplishments to go with it.

This week my class won the NBC12's Acts of Kindness Award and was awarded $300 for their cause. The cause? Supporting the Capital Diaper Bank. 

I came across the Capital Diaper Bank back in the Fall when they first opened. I was extremely interested in helping and thought it would be the perfect philanthropy project for my school.

When I presented the idea to my bosses they mentioned a new program to be implemented called Brainworks and thought this would fit in perfectly.

[A little bit of background: This school year, my school started some special training by Stephen Covey called 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Long story short, it has been introduced on a kid level in a book called 7 Habits of Happy Kids in magnet schools throughout the world. Rainbow Station's founder thought it would be brilliant to try and introduce it at the preschool level as well which has never been done before. We spent MLK Jr. Day learning ways to implement the 7 habits into our daily curriculum and teaching styles.]

Enter Brainworks. After all the kids learned the 7 habits (it is unbelievable how they really got them.) We began our Brainworks Brainstorm. I told the kids about the mommies in need and how the Capital Diaper Bank helps those mommies and babies too. The kids loved the idea. They decided they could collect diapers, money and even sell stuff to raise even more money. They organized a bake sale complete with hand written posters to pass out and coin jugs they painted. They went from classroom to classroom to tell the other kids and teachers about their cause and raised over $242 at their bake sale and already a pack-n-play full of diapers.

One of the parents wrote an article for the Wyndham Wire (the community newsletter) and I even sent some information to our franchise PR person to nominate them for the NBC12 Award. AND WE WON!

Sabrina Squire and her camera guy showed up last week to award the class with $300 for their cause and even interviewed the kids. 

I am so beyond words. This class is amazing. One of those classes that is going to be VERY difficult to let go. They are so special to me and this is all just amazing. Ms. Lauren (my co-teacher) and I just couldn't be prouder.

Kristi Stilson over at Children R First is even writing about us and is also doing an article in Richmond Family Magazine about the Capital Diaper Bank where we will also appear.

This another one of those moments where I look around and realize I am exactly where I am meant to be!

Look for us on NBC12 Tuesday, May 3 at 5:00pm.