CONGRATULATIONS to all Northern Marianas College graduates and to every other graduate on all of the islands. Congratulations are also in order to the parents, siblings, extended family members and friends who have supported and encouraged these students in their quest to obtain a higher education.
Every end has a new beginning. These new graduates will encounter many adventures along life’s road. Sometimes it will be the road less traveled but nonetheless a challenge. However, I’m oft times reminded that one should remember that yourself and not the circumstances of your life determine the experiences that you will have.
Since this will be my final column until the fall term I wanted to thank everyone on the island for being so wonderful. Everywhere I go the people are genuinely friendly, loving and caring.
I visited Hopwood Junior High last week to observe prospective master teachers for our future student teachers at NMC. The students sure made an indelible impression upon me. During my two/three hours on site there must have been over 30 students who stopped to speak to me. Some asked if I needed directions, others invited me into their class to visit their classmates, one stopped to admire my earrings, some invited me to the assembly that morning, one even asked for advice, several held open the door for me, etc. EVERY student I encountered at the school was extremely courteous and polite. I was so impressed! My hat goes off to David Borja and his staff.
This leads in to PSS. Besides my own boss, Chas Algaier, and my phenomenal colleagues at NMC I can’t thank Rita Inos, Rita Sablan and Louise Concepcion enough for working with not only me but also all of us at the School of Education. This “team” effort between PSS and the School of Education only helps to enhance the myriad list of programs available to everyone within the CNMI.
I was fortunate enough to have been invited to attend the PSS principals meetings this past semester. The principals are truly a dedicated, energetic group of individuals who are committed to the youth of the islands. They’ve shared many of their successes in addition to on going projects at individual school sites. I’m looking forward to presenting several workshops to these schools prior to the commencement of classes in the fall on differentiated instruction, the latest brain research and how we learn, learning styles, the nine multiple intelligence’s, teaching strategies and techniques, the integrated thematic approach, gender/ethnic expectations and student achievement, portfolio development and assessment, etc. I’ve also been asked to present a workshop on many of these same topics at Saipan International School, which I’m excited about doing.
To the numerous hard working teachers on the islands, I’ve seen the many fun, creative lessons and experiences that you provide your students. There is a progressive, forward movement, excitement about new ideas and programs that I see permeating throughout the individual campuses.
I’d also like to thank Gov. Juan N. Babauta and Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente, in addition to all of the other political figures on the island, for their continued financial support. But more important is their personal commitment to improving the educational programs on the islands. Despite the fact that I haven’t met these gentlemen I’ve been impressed by their dedication and willingness to seek input from numerous sources to see all facets of a given program/problem before making a final decision.
I’m a firm believer in positive reinforcement. In life we observe many things however we often don’t see them. Look around you; actually SEE the positive things that are going on within the CNMI.
Finally, I’d like to leave you with one of my favorite sayings by Denis Waitley: Expect the best; convert problems into opportunities; be dissatisfied with the status quo; focus on where you want to go, instead of where you’re coming from; and most importantly, decide to be happy, knowing it’s an attitude, a habit gained from daily practice, and not a result or payoff.
