LifeChanger

10 Characteristics

10 Characteristics Good Teachers Have In Common

   October 21, 2015     1433  

I am not a teacher nor will I probably ever be one. It takes a certain skillset and personality type to be in education and an even greater one to be a good teacher.

And while I may never know what it is like to be a teacher, I do have an idea as to what it takes to be a good one. How, you ask? Because I have the opportunity to review hundreds of nominations each year for our LifeChanger of the Year program. I get to see what America’s teachers and school employees are doing to make a positive difference on our youth. And it’s clear that the educators that stand out among their peers share a common set of characteristics. (more…)

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Honor Teachers Today And Every Day

   May 5, 2015     1502  

Coach mac 050115 thumbTeachers deserve appreciation any time of the year, but especially now.

My sister-in-law is a middle school teacher and she says spring can be challenging. When the weather starts to get warm and the end of the year comes into sight, keeping the kids’ attention is so much more difficult.

I’m so grateful that we have teachers and other school employees who care enough to see beyond the seasonal disruptions and really make a difference in students’ lives.

Around here, we call them LifeChangers. They’re the reason we sponsor the LifeChanger of the Year program, which recognizes excellence among teachers around the country.

This year more than 600 educators were nominated and we recently awarded the grand prize at a ceremony in Hawaii.

The winner was Mike McEachern, known at Hargrave High School in Huffman, Texas, as Coach Mac. Coach Mac started a program called BAM, for Becoming a Man. It helps young men who may not have a male role in their lives.

(more…)

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A Teacher Appreciation Day Thank You

   May 5, 2015     1628  

Galileo Galilei once said, “We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves.”

Schoolgirl rising her hand at geography lessonReading that makes me reflect on some of the people I regard as great teachers in my own life. I learned from them because they stopped to truly see me and pull something out that made me better and helped me to grow.  Many of these teachers remain my friends today and I am able to thank them on a regular basis for the role they played in shaping the person that I am.  There are others though, who I didn’t thank in a timely manner and today on Teacher Appreciation Day, I would like to thank one in particular. (more…)

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