Reading for Personal Development – "We are what we frequently do." ~Aristotle

I’ve been on the journey

Posted on September 20, 2021February 4, 2022 by araven

It’s been in my heart for students to have a course like “Reading for Personal Development” for about 5 years. I’ve always started my year off teaching The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens because I believe it is a student’s habits and mindset that impact their success in school more than their IQ.

I’ve been on the journey of personal development, and I know firsthand how much it can change a person’s life. It started with money! For years I had a bad relationship with money. I’d avoid it, and I hated managing it. Eventually, I knew my husband and I needed to get on the same page if I truly wanted to win at the game of money. We dove into personal development. You don’t know what you don’t know until you start reading! My money books included:

These books changed our financial blueprint. We learned how to get out of debt, and how to live without credit cards! We learned how to have a positive relationship with money. What if you could learn all of that at a much younger age?

Money aside, I dove into books, podcasts, and Ted Talks that allowed me to have a growth mindset, learn how to forgive, love myself, and see the best in others. Here is another list of books that have strongly impacted my life:

As your teacher, it’s important to know I take the journey of growth to heart. I’m not asking you to do something I haven’t done myself. I know that if you focus on personal development, the grades will come. More importantly, you’ll truly become the best version of YOU!

Happy reading and blogging,

Mrs. Raven

For my students

You vs You

Posted on November 14, 2023December 4, 2023 by araven

Are you ready for quarter 2? I know I am. I love a fresh start. I also love a solid ending. I was deeply moved by the students who poured into their journey to develop themselves during quarter 1. It was obvious with each blog post who really took the time to read, reflect, write, and share their journey online. It was inspiring. Some of your blogs made me laugh, some made me cry both happy and sad tears. As your teacher, my hope is that you found a vehicle in reading to blog as a way to navigate through the constant curveballs life will throw your way. Based on student reflections- everyone felt like the workload was manageable for this class. However, the majority of you are doing more reading and writing in this class with less teacher supervision than in a traditional brick-and-mortar classroom, and that’s fantastic. In this class, this school, and life it’s YOU vs YOU. What YOU put into this class YOU will get out. How badly do YOU want to live life as the best version of yourself? How badly do YOU want to become an above-average reader and writer? How badly do YOU want to graduate? Quarter 1 is over and for good or bad it is what it is. Today is a new day. Quarter 2 is your fresh start. It’s YOU vs YOU. Get out of your own way, show up better than ever because you have ten more weeks to read, and blog your way through life. Picture your end product with your blog. Picture your end feelings about your effort. Never underestimate the power of your ability to see your own success in school and life. Finally, remember I’m only a google meet code away when you need me.

Happy reading and blogging,

Mrs. Raven

My Personality

ESFJ-A | Personality Test

Posted on November 16, 2021November 16, 2022 by araven

Today, I took another Personality test for Reading for Personal Development. The test gave me a bunch of sentences, and I had to decide if I agreed or disagreed with them. Turns out I’m an ESFJ-A. “A Consul (ESFJ) is a person with the Extraverted, Observant, Feeling, and Judging personality traits. They are attentive and people-focused, and they enjoy taking part in their social community. Their achievements are guided by decisive values, and they willingly offer guidance to others.” As a teacher, offering guidance is a huge part of what I do every day. I have strong values and make decisive decisions all the time. Overall, I agree with the results.

“Mind– This trait determines how we interact with our environment. 59% EXTRAVERTED” There is no doubt that I’m an outspoken person. I always speak my mind. I have definitely learned to tone it down as I’ve gotten older.

“Energy-This trait shows where we direct our mental energy. 63% OBSERVANT They mostly root their thinking in the actionable, tangible, and useful. But make no mistake, these personalities can be creative within that realm.” I totally agree with this. I like. to take action and focus on things that are useful. I hate wasting time, so my energy comes from the present and what needs to get done.

“Nature-This trait determines how we make decisions and cope with emotions. 60% FEELING” These results are a total shock. Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age because I’ve always fallen under Thinking for this category. The world has tossed a lot at me in the last three years, so perhaps I’m more caught up in emotions at this stage of my life than I’m used to. I’m also settled into a routine in life, and I have fewer decisions to think about at this age vs when I was younger.

“Tactics-This trait reflects our approach to work, planning, and decision-making. 99% JUDGING. People with the Judging (J) personality trait feel most comfortable when the course ahead is well-marked. They would rather come up with five backup plans than deal with events as they come.” I can’t believe I didn’t get 100% in this area. I can take things as they come (you have to as a teacher) but I thrive on planning. Lucky for YOU, my students, I’m a planner which is why you should be able to navigate my course easily. I plan every aspect of my life. It’s November 2022, and I already have items marked in my 2023 planner. 🙂

“Identity-This trait underpins all others, showing how confident we are in our abilities and decisions. 90% ASSERTIVE” I am most definitely an assertive person. I’m confident in my decisions and my abilities. I do not like to “beat around the bush”. I want to dive in and get to the point in pretty much every aspect of my life. This can be a bit hard for some people to handle. I gave up worrying if people can handle me. I am who I am. I may be assertive, but I’m always coming from a place of caring.

Some of my strengths are:

“Strong Sense of Duty – People with the Consul personality type have a strong sense of responsibility and strive to meet their obligations, though this may sometimes be more from a sense of social expectations than intrinsic drive.” This is 100% true. You can always rely on me. I’m dedicated and reliable. I take my responsibility as a wife, mother, and teacher seriously. I’ll always strive to do my absolute best.

I enjoy taking tests like this. I find it intriguing to see how different choices can result in a personality type. I’m excited to see the personality test results of my students!

Happy reading and blogging,

Mrs. Raven

Gratitude

Falling into Gratitude

Posted on September 28, 2021November 12, 2021 by araven

It’s hard to believe that we are already approaching October. This morning I poured my cup of coffee, put my earbuds in, turned up my Christian music, and took a beautiful walk down my street. Normally, I would be racing into school. Not having to drive to work leaves me with an immense sense of gratitude. Being able to work from home has me finding more and more moments of gratitude. Today at the end of class a student stayed online, turned her camera on, and showed me her new puppy! Being able to share our dogs on screen and talk about puppy training tips was wonderful. Again, it was a moment of gratitude. I love getting to see student’s faces, learn more about their personal lives, and not feel so rushed about the day ahead. Fall is a season for change. A beautiful quote I found the other night was: “Fall is about to show you how beautiful it is to let things go.” I’m grateful for quotes that give me a positive perspective on life.

With gratitude,

Mrs. Raven

Color Code

What the Color Code Says about me.

Posted on September 21, 2021November 12, 2021 by araven

During class, in our second week of school, each student was asked to take the Color Code test! We used the FREE version, but gained a lot of insight into our personalities. Only you can decide if your color accurately describes you. As your teacher, it’s helpful to know that I’m a RED. What’s that mean? Well, here is a description directly from my results.

MOTIVE [ Power ]

“Reds are motivated by Power. They seek productivity and need to look good to others. Simply stated, reds want their own way. They like to be in the driver’s seat and willingly pay the price to be in a leadership role. Reds value whatever gets them ahead in life, whether it be in their careers, school endeavors, or personal life. What reds value, they get done. They are often workaholics. They will, however, resist doing anything that doesn’t interest them.”

ABOUT RED

“Reds like to be right. They value approval from others for their intelligence and practical approach to life and want to be respected for it. Reds are confident, proactive, and visionary; and but can also be arrogant, selfish, and insensitive. When you deal with a RED, be precise, factual, direct, AND show no fear!”

Honestly, I feel like REDS are often misunderstood. I’ll admit, I do like to be right, but that doesn’t mean I think I’m the only one that’s right. I do like doing things my way, but I don’t think my way is the only way. I just know what works for me. I’m driven to get work done and, therefore; forget to connect on a personal level with people, so I come off as insensitive. I certainly don’t want that nor do I mean to. The drive to get things done is always at the front of my mind and what comes naturally to me. Overall, I like the Color Code test as it allows me to pay attention to areas of my personality that I know need attention.

Happy reading and blogging,

Mrs. Raven