As an educator and parent what do I look for when I go to a conference. I always look for behavior, work ethic, and end result. Well I went to Gabe's conferences tonight. AHST has them early in the quarter so kids have time to improve by the end of the quarter.

My first questions for the teachers are did Gabe apply himself, does he have appropriate behavior, and what is his grade. Work ethic and behavior have always been more important to me than the grade. It works well until you're a senior and you're going to be filling out information on college applications and scholarship forms. Gabe's doing great!
He's taking 9 hours of college credit in addition to some other classes.

Well what about myself in the BetterU program. What grade would I give myself on work ethic. I think I'd give myself an A because I walk almost every day and eat well pretty much all of the time. What about behavior, I think I would give myself a B. Behavior to me means some kind of a change. I've changed to exercising consistently but I haven't taken on the resistance training as much as I would have liked to. What about the end result? Well the end is not here yet and I have until October 11Th to continue to try to improve. But that's not really true, I have the rest of my life. I kind of like what I've done in the BetterU Challenge. It's a great beginning for the "rest of my life".

This change would not have been possible without Stacey, Toni, and Tara always there to educate me and encourage me along the way. It's very much like what Gabe has at his school. Three people who have made a big difference in my life and I will never forget the things I've learned or the encouragement I've received.

When I do conferences with the parents of my Kindergartners I always tell them that this conference is like a snapshot of your child at this point in time. Well I like my snapshot at this point in time, it might be a little blurry in some places but with time I know it will all come into focus for me.

It's not about getting the best grade to know that I've succeeded. It's about enjoying the journey and learning as you go the distance. If you use your faith, and find joy, and hope in your journey, you're already successful. Don't ever forget what that feels like.

"Achievement can come not just from the outcome but from the process." taken from Achievement - Reaching Personal Summits

Blessings,
Laurie