Thought from the Tao

I read from the Tao te Ching (Lao Tzu) when I'm eating at home (which I sometimes do...when I remember).

I liked this verse this morning (this afternoon--when I remembered to eat breakfast):

"You can readily recognize the highest virtuousness
because it never places itself on display.
You can readily recognize the lowest virtuousness
because it is always announcing itself.

"The highest virtue quietly serves universal needs.
The lowest virtue actively strives for personal success.
The highest morality serves common needs.
The lowest morality is self-serving.

"True benevolence
acts without intention...

"Natural persons are attracted
to substance rather than form,
to the nutritious fruit rather than the enticing flower,
to that which dwells deeply within,
rather than to that which clings superficially to the surface."

~Tao te Ching, verse 38

Hugh Jackman is so cool

I saw Wolverine last night. Part of me loves it and part of me really doesn't. I love that in all his bruskness his character always chooses good when it comes right down to it. Even when seemingly justified in his anger he pauses and realizes he still has a choice. (Watch End of the Spear! Completely AWESOME. Reminds me of this message.) I love the old man's reminder of this in the barn scene. And I love his girl. (How often do you get a non-dizty, non-slutty, non-naggy, down-to-earth female role? Awesome. What happens to her? She better show up again...=oP) This is one of the main themes I try to teach my 2nd graders--that you can step back and metacognitively see what's happening and choose to do something good, even when it seems hard. These are the kind of "Hollywood Heroes" I'm glad there are for kids these days. (Or for grown-up kids who...still...love X-Men...(me).)

I love what I feel is the main underlying message--summed up: that in any group of people there are those who choose to do good with their lives, and there are those who don't. Minorities cannot be blanket-statement judged. And shouldn't be blanket-feared, either. Misunderstandings and unfair judgements come from not knowing a person or people. The more we truly know someone, no matter how seemingly different, we will find that there are much more similarities than differences--much more to love than one might at first realize.

It was pretty violent though.

Anyway...I'm looking into some things I want to do with my summer and have found so many cool charities and volunteer groups. This morning I read in NY Times that Hugh Jackman started a contest on Twitter--people would let him know in 140 words or less why he should donate to their favorite charity. He ended up giving $100,000 to these two charities:

Well funded by Saks Fifth Avenue Chicago. from charity: water on Vimeo.

This somehow makes Hugh Jackman even nicer looking. (His eyebrows are so cool.) Don't you think we need more men like Hugh Jackman? Pretty sure we do. =o)

Double Take

So I'm reading this chapter in Building Successful Partnerships: A Guide for Developing Parent and Family Involvement Programs. This section just threw me...it's on breaking down barriers to effective parental involvement in schools...but could, with some minor replacement of nouns, be on breaking down the barriers to building effective relationships. At least, in my inexperience, what I would hope a good relationship would be based on.

Check it:
"...[these] barriers...inhibit the development of genuine trust and respect among parents, teachers and administrators. Open and honest communication is the key to surmounting these barriers. Communication is a necessary component in establishing site-based management teams that are based on mutual trust and respect. It allows PTA leaders, parents, teachers, and administrators to contribute to decisions that affect children. Those involved in the process must overcome their reluctance to listen to views of people with less or more status than they have, and of those whose experience may not seem immediately relevant enough to merit their participation in the process.

"Effective partnerships develop when each partner is respected and empowered to fully participate in the decision-making process. Parents and educators must depend on shared authority in the decision-making process to foster trust and mutual support of each others' efforts to help students succeed. It is crucial to involve parents, either as individuals or as representatives of others, in collaborative decision-making processes on issues from curriculum and course selection to discipline policies and overall school reform measures. "

I'd like to think this is possible in my school...as well as in other aspects of my life in the future!