“I love that you always inspire me to keep going ”

Wow, that comment was left after a recent blog post and it just threw me for a loop.  Me?  Inspiring?  Naw, couldn’t be me.  I’m just, well, normal.  How many of us see ourselves as that: just normal.  Is there anything wrong with being humble and not viewing ourselves as inspiring?  How many times have we seen the opposite of that: the pompous windbags blowing their own horns so hard that they are blue in the face?  Does that play any part into this?

Me, I draw my inspiration from many places.  First, my wife.  She’s inspires me to do better, to be better on a daily basis.  She’s a powerful woman, strong in what she believes and how she goes about her life and unwavering in what she sees as right.  I look down my hallway, and I see teachers who’ve been thrown into a very uncomfortable situation, making the best choices they can for the students they teach.  They are trying new things, they are working longer and harder than ever before, creating classrooms where the culture is that of respect and learning.  Along with that, I look at my own daughters, who’ve seen an enormous amount of change this year, thriving in their new environment.  One daughter has found that with my classmates, there are people who share her love of Harry Potter, intelligent humor, and not always having to be “cool”.  My other daughter has found with more people, there are more friends, period.  They way they’ve accepted this change helps me to see that while difficult, change can be awesome!  I see the teachers here online who are doing things on a daily basis that just blow my mind.  Between their literacy groups, their use of technology, and just the positive vibe they put forth, how could I not be inspired??  And on a daily basis, my students, my basketball players, they inspire me with their youth and craziness.  I cannot help but smile and shake my head at the almost unconditional love they have for their friends and the lengths at which they’ll defend them.

So, regardless of where you draw it from, inspiration is all around you.  It’s up to you to decide what that is and where it comes from?  The question begs to be asked: What inspires you?