So, one of the things I personally wanted to tackle and hit hard was personal training. I wanted to become much healthier and much stronger and more able to move with ease (both my knees are horrendous from sport injuries). So I set goals, got what was needed in order to do so and here is my experience and thoughts…….

Getting what I needed:

Time; you have to find time to do scheduled workouts (this is huge). Mornings I spent with my kids having breakfast and watching morning cartoons while completing core strength exercises. I did sit ups for Autism Awareness and push ups for PTSD Awareness in First Responders and also for Vets of Wars. I also did lots of stretching and solid core movements. The tummy has been trimmed lots and I can see lots of improvement…..my wife appreciates the abs too so that’s always nice as well!

Also almost every day I hit my personal gym downstairs for 45 minutes at first and then after a few weeks my kids were playing awesome and I can now push myself to have a full body exercise in an 1 1/2 hour. With warm up and cool down periods too.

Place / Location: sometime this can be a mat (morning routines) and or space that is free of tripping and or hitting hazards (kids learned that toys need to be picked up). Outside work well for running and jumping obsickles for cross fit routines.

Tools of the trade: I started with free weights (kijiji is a great place  to start otherwise can be very expensive) I was doing a Bow Flex at the Fire Hall during the school year but I am finding I can do more with Free Weights. I use Kettle Bells daily for various ‘Functional Fitness’ routines and muscle groups. I recently bought a Battle Rope and totally love it too. I did purchase a bench with leg press for my birthday in April and really utilized it this year too.

Food: I am a junk food junkie (just ask my kids and wife) and I limit myself to a bag of chips a week and one trip downtown for lunch a week (which is hard when you live in Port Dover with awesome fast food joints so close to home).

I eat lots and lots of greek yogurt and granola, cranberries, blueberries, cucumbers and fresh fruits and vegetables (The grocery bill is horrible). I have two handfuls of Almonds and pound two protein shakes a day. Red meat is my best friend – DeKonings (Local Butcher) knows me by name now.

Water, water and water (its been a hot summer and you need to stay hydrated) but I focused hard on 4-5 glasses a day, H2O is very helpful to prevent cramping and sore muscles the next day.

Support Network: Find some people you trust to keep you in tack! I venture from time to time to the goodie drawer and my kids (God love them) tell me not to do it all the time! My kids and Wife also push me to venture downstairs each day (I think its my wife’s way of saying I need a break from you when she is not working). My kids always come down and play in the toy room while I tackle my pre-set determine circuit or routine for the day. I even bought them weights so they can participate which they do from time to time but I do not push them.

I also have a good buddy from the Fire Hall; Josh that pushes me and encourages me to try new things and or attempt a challenge of some sort.

Mindset: This one is HUGE! Somedays I really didn’t want to hit the routines (and that’s ok) but I always tried my start up / warm up and usually I was amped and rocking within 5 minutes to work through it all……I got to say feeling like one of Xander’s favourite Avengers; The Hulk can become very addictive!!

So this summer I took this and put it all in place and I can honestly say I am in the best shape I have ever been, more happier and feel much more energetic (sometimes my kids even tell me they are tired and need a break before I need a break), so I know we have progress!!

I would like people the think about something; I had the summer entirely off as I am a teacher, I also watched my three kids all summer too. We went to a park everyday this summer after morning cartoons and Dad’s core training. We ate lunch together (Fresh foods and clean products) at the counter watching the Jays or Olympics. We worked out downstairs in gym, well kids sometimes. then we always hit the pool in the afternoon and played outside on various obstickle coarses we would design in the backyard. Walks and bike rides before Mommy came home from work and had dinner ready too.

Sounds busy eh?!!? It was!! But…….if I can manage to slide it in while with my three busy kids anyone can do it too. Now being entirely off helped too but design a program that fits within your schedule and work hard at it.

I get to take two things away from this this summer;

1. feeling so much better mentality, physically and spiritually
2. modeling for my kids that being healthy and active are important

Well its almost that time again to go back to school and get working!

I can honestly say this summer (8th as a teacher) I finally got into the groove to make it through the entire summer without getting the ‘itch’ to go back in early August. I currently am trickling away at various things to start transitioning back to work and I still have yet to get that itch….guess I finally made it into the world of teaching.

This summer I have spent a lot of time doing online learning (AQ’s and Microsoft Coarses) and I am eager to use this new found knowledge this year with my students.

For those wondering; I am no longer in Kindergarten as I asked for a change of pace (I always said I did not want to do the same gig more then 5 years). My kids at home are Kinder aged and it was beginning to be too much of the ‘same thing’ for me and I was beginning to resent my students and my kids and I really didn’t like that feeling. So off to a new adventure in Grade 3.

I am thoroughly looking forward to this awesome curriculum as it falls within my wheelhouse and also is within my realm of understanding for math as well (I am not a math person by any means).

So the planning is slowly developing and the progress is been somewhat tedious,  but for an entirely different reason this year. I am planning on venturing into the world of a paperless classroom and into 21C Learning as much as possible with my students. Microsoft has taught me a lot that I want to incorporate into my programming and with a spin on things I am calling ‘Inquiring Grade 3’ along with ICT mentality this year is going to be a year of ‘flying’ and ‘going’ with students inquiring minds and letting them become co-creators of what they will be learning within the grade 3 curriculum (to some degree….I know many of you took a deep breath and thought oh no!).

With a entirely new mindset and educational philosophy I am attempting this year I am hoping to bridge some learning gaps and thought process that the old means / ways of learning will fade away and become more centered around collaborative problem solving. I guess ‘Tribes’ would be somewhat of the mindset I want to inspire this year, as I take my students in to the new world of learning 21C style; going at things Inquiring, Questioning, Researching and focusing on Real World Learning and Problems that we can Collaborate in Teams, Groups and Together as an Entire Classroom.

The focus will be around incorporating curriculum content but with a real world application; I will begin with a topic and question students where and or how this / that can or could be applied within everyday life and start from this point…….I know as a student I never gave any time nor effort to anything that did not seem useful and or helpful in my life – so I will not be doing it to my new kids!

With Technology and a new Collaborative Mindset I will hopefully begin my students on a new educational journey into a new learning mindset as well.

Very excited to start this journey and try something entirely new on my first year in grade three!!

I laugh looking back at my classroom experience as I did 5 years in a Mixed Exceptionalities Classroom (Special Ed.) and then 4 years in kindergarten….its a different route but it was full of many amazing learning experiences that will forever be with me!!

I laugh because I am an ‘extra special person’ I have a sense of humor many do not get, I have a unique teaching style people do not appreciate nor understand just like my former Special Ed Students. I also laugh because ALL kids take 2 years to venture out of Kindergarten and it took me 4 years…..yep extra special indeed!! hehe

I laugh because I am still a big kid just like the Kinder’s I taught the last few years; just asked Krista King if you do not believe me!!

But most of all I laugh at everyone not willing to go to the ends of the earth to find your own personal way of relating and becoming someone all students can enjoy and learn from. I laugh because I know all my kids stories and life experiences, I laugh because many are Toronto Maple Leaf fans (thanks to their parents) and I laugh because I will teach them that hope is misguided if you are a Leaf fan!

I laugh because……I can, I laugh with my students, at my students and together with all my former and future students I will always laugh and have fun teaching, learning, collaborating wit and sharing them all……..entirely MY WAY and its totally OK!

Be yourself, don’t change for anyone! Rock it your way and have fun with it people!! I know I do!!

Until next time……..