My New Photo Site

I have moved my collection of photos to a different site (Flikr).  I am sure many of you have used this site too.  I have just found it much more user friendly to organize and categorize my photos.  Please click on the link below to get there.  

I am in the process of moving all my photos to the new site.  You will notice the most recent photos on the left of the new page with the photos organized by categories on the right of the new page.  

Currently many of the photos on the left are ones you have probably seen before, simply because of the order I moved my photos over.  Be sure to look through the categories on the right to find many new photos that I have just added.

In the future all new photos will be shown in the left area of the site.  The right side will simply be used to view sets (categories) of photos.  You may also want to utilize the slideshow feature on the new site.  You will see the slide show icon in the upper right hand corner on most pages.

click here for my new site

Thanks,

Travis

Sky Watch Friday

Sleep

Living History Farms

Sky Watch Friday

Iowa Nature Photos will now be a photo blog with no caption or commentary. The start of the school year has proven to be very busy, and therefore I will not have the time to dedicate to my blog that I have in the past. I would still like to post photos and hope that you will continue to support my blog in the future.

Philosophy of Teacher Attitudes

Take a Stand: Joy of life

Part 2 of 5

As I think of joyful people, teachers are not particularly the segment of our population that first comes to mind. Granted, most of society could use a boost of joy in their lives, but as teachers we should be modeling our joy in life for our students to see each day. In my experience, joy is something that has apparently lost it place in the attitudes of many educators. I do not mean in any way that educators in general have no joy, just that they fail to express the joy they do have to students, fellow teachers and the public. Imagine the impact an attitude of joy could have in the work place as well as in students’ lives. Instead of complaining about the circumstances of work and life, we as educators should be openly celebrating the joys that make up our lives in and outside of the classroom. These open celebrations could provide hope and encouragement to so many students who have unfortunately witnessed little joy in their own lives and lives of their parents. I believe it is not enough to simply have lives full of joy, but that these joys must actively be displayed in the attitudes we present as we interact with students, colleagues, administrators, and parents.

Philosophy of Teacher Attitudes-Sky Watch Friday

Take a Stand: Positive Attitudes
Part 1 of 5

In The College Blue Book Anthony J. D’Angelo states, “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” This is a choice in attitude that we as educators can and must make on a daily basis. In today’s world we face a society that at times seems to enjoy casting criticism and placing blame on educators and schools. These messages are being fueled by a media that appears to be fixated on printing stories of corruption and shortcomings that offer perspectives grounded in nothing short of contempt for the public education system in America. When facing these types of pressures, it is easy to see why educators often adopt an attitude of negativity, cynicism, and self-pity. Although an attitude such as this may at times seem inevitable, I believe it to be detrimental to the culture and community of schools; therefore, doing nothing more than to advance the negative public perception of educators and the public school system. Perhaps now more than ever, we as educators must look past the negative perceptions that continually strive to define our vocation, and choose positive attitudes that are unapologetic for our joy of life, love of students, and passion for teaching. Until a conscious decision is made to choose attitudes that embrace these core concepts, we as educators will continue to be defined by public and media perception, rather than the truth of who we are which is found in the heart of all that teach.

To view other Sky Watch Friday Photos please 'click here'

Understanding

"We can understand almost anything, but we can't understand how we understand"
-Albert Einstein

Award

I was pleasantly surprised to receive this award from Mississippi Nature. I visit this blog often and enjoy viewing the photos of nature in Mississippi. I am going to pass it on to Five others. Here are the rules for the receipants:

1. Put the Logo on your blog

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you

3. Nominate 5 fellow bloggers for this award

4. Add Links to the recipients

5. Leave a comment to recipients or email them to let them know they have an award

Here they are:
The Ohio Nature Blog
Pittswood Birds
Pennsylvania Wildlife
Garden Close-Ups
Ramblings Around Texas

Creation

"In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind."
Job 12:10