Oh Education...

My semesters at college have progressively gotten worse. This semester is proving to be a lot of hard work. Let me tell you what I have to do before the semester is over:

• 3 lesson plans for Content Area Literacy
• Strategy Proposal for Content Area Literacy
• Observation notebook for Content Area Literacy
• 4 lesson plans for Ed Psych
• Presentation of those lesson plans for Ed Psych
• Observation notebook for Ed Psych
• Teach one class of PE at the High School
• Teach four classes of PE at the Intermediate School
• Do an entire booklet of stuff for my Methods class (not going to go into all that detail)
• Resume work for Organization and Administration of PE
• Swimming final

I know what you're all thinking. Swimming final? Yes, I get to go swim for a final, but let's focus more on that whole load of stuff. Can you say 'why did I become an ed major again?' Luckily, I student teach next semester, which I've been looking forward to for a while. I'm still a bit nervous for it, but I think I'm ready. I'm just tired of observing. Know how many hours I had this semester? 80. Ya, 80 hours of observation. That's added on to my 16 credit hours of classes. This kid needs to be done.

I just ask that you all pray for me as I finish out this semester. It's coming faster than I know it and need to buckle down. Hopefully I make it to Christmas!

Through My Eyes (Part 2)

This week I read for more than 90 minutes. I was on a plane headed back from the cruise and decided to keep reading. I won't cover it all, just because I read quite a bit, but I'll cover what I remember.

Tim Tebow grew up with 2 brothers and 2 sisters. For so long, he became very competitive with his brothers. They would play a lot of football, having one be the quarterback, one be the wide receiver, and one be the defender. They kept score based on scores and stops. This was how Tebow started to acquire that competitive nature that he is well known for.

Injuries were always a part of the game. One of the brothers, Peter, seemed to be injured the most. They would do a tackling drill in their room downstairs and on multiple occasions, there were bloody noses and bruises. Another time, the boys decided to play baseball with a basketball. Well, with on one swing, the bat ricocheted off of the basketball and right into Peter's face. Injuries just became part of the game for them.

Tebow's mom really wanted the kids to be homeschooled for a while. She felt like this would be a good chance for her and her husband to teach the kids manners and the value to life. So for a few years, the kids stayed at home to be taught by their mom. It was great for Tebow, because he was able to plan his workouts around his school work. His mom knew that the kids wanted to get out and play or workout, so those were the breaks that she gave them.

Tebow realized through his workouts that he had become significantly stronger. He was able to keep up with his brothers in workouts and he even won a bicep curl competition. Things were looking good for the youngest male Tebow.

Unfortunately, once Tebow got into school, he didn't always get the position he wanted in football. He started at quarterback in junior high and did great, but as he got to high school, his coaches tried him at running back, linebacker, fullback, and tight end. All Tebow wanted was to play quarterback, but decided that he must trust his coaches. One day, his coach came to the house to talk to his father about a position change and his father straight up told the coach that if that was the case, Tebow would be playing for a different team. That was what came out of it, too. Tebow's family moved to a different school so that Tebow could become a quarterback.

There was a lot of information that I got from my reading, but couldn't quite remember everything. I did find out a lot more about why Tebow is the way he is today. His parents supported him 100% and gave him the opportunities he needed to succeed. The Tebow family is very strong and supportive of each other.

Through My Eyes

I just started reading Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow. I chose this book for a couple reasons. Obviously, it's a book about sports so that already sparks my interest. More importantly, I'm very interested in Tebow's story. I've hear a lot of great things about his attitude, personality, and faith. He has made a name for himself in the football world and the Christian world.

I read this week for 90 minutes, all in one sitting.

Tebow starts his book at the Heisman award ceremony. He had an amazing season of football with the Florida Gators, throwing for over 2,500 yards, rushing for over 500 yards, and putting up 40 touchdowns. Two other big name quarterbacks were in the running, too. Those two were Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford. Unfortunately for Tebow, Bradford won the Heisman.

Tebow was born in the Phillippines. His parents had decided that God was calling them to do mission work in the Phillippines. Unexpectedly, Tebow's mother was with child. She already had four children and hadn't planned on another, but God had other plans. The doctor told Tebow's mother that he was a "mass of fetal tissue" and the only way for her to survive was to abort the baby. The family prayed about it and decided to keep the "mass."

Eight months later, a baby was born. Tim Tebow was a miracle baby, as the doctor stated. Right away, Mom and Dad knew that Tim was something special.

As Tebow grew up, he had a natural competitive nature. Growing up with two older brothers, Tebow wanted to be just like them. Baseball was Tebow's first sport. The boys would throw the ball around, pitch to each other, and work on their batting. By the time Tebow was old enough for T-ball, he didn't want to hit off of a tee. His coach ended up underhand pitching to Tebow.

Tebow couldn't understand why his coaches would always say stuff about having fun and doing everything to have fun. Tebow was so competitive already that he wanted to make sure his team won. As long as there was a score beign kept, Tebow wanted to win. Obviously, his competitive nature carried on through his life.

Mom and Dad always taught the kids to be humble. They would only talk about their achievements if someone asked about them. The parents also did a lot of teaching about the Bible. Tebow tried to get as much understanding as he could out of his parents. At the age of six years old, Tebow accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

Talk about mature at a young age. I love Tebow for what he does, but knowing that he accepted Jesus at the age of six just blows my mind. I can already tell that I'm going to love this book.

Quiet Strength (Part 12)

This week I read for 90 minutes, all in one sitting.

This was the perfect scenario for Coach Dungy and the Colts. Heading into the AFC Championship, the Colts were facing their rival, the Patriots, who they beat during the regular season. Dungy knew that this game would be the toughest of them all. He knew that the Patriots would be prepared for the game and he knew that they seem to play better in the playoffs than in the regular season.

It was a David and Goliath story. Dungy read this passage of the Bible to his players. He wanted to establish a few points to them. He wanted them to know that this was their time to shine. He wanted them to know that they needed to keep doing what they've been doing. He wanted them to know that through the battle, they must finish the job when the opponent is down. This was the motivation given to the Colts for their big game.

Sure enough, the Patriots were ready. They came out hot and got a 21-6 lead at halftime. Dungy told them in the locker room that they needed to believe and play team football. Do the little things right. The players believed and Coach Dungy did, too. It was time to execute in the second half to take down the giant.

The Colts' defense stepped up in a tremendous way. The offense also started firing on all cylinders. The Colts took the Patriots out of their game and took over. With an interception by Tom Brady, the Colts had clinched a berth in the Super Bowl.

Excitement filled the town of Indianapolis. Their beloved Colts were headed to the Super Bowl to face Dungy's friend, Lovie Smith and the Chicago Bears. This would be the year that an African American coach would win the Super Bowl.

Dungy gave the team the weekend off to relax and spend time with family. They were to fly to Miami on Monday to prepare for the big game. A few players gave their insight on playing in the Super Bowl and how to handle it all. After all, this was the biggest game of the year and the media would be going crazy.

The time had come. The Super Bowl was here. The Colts vs the Bears.

It had started raining in Miami before the game and rained throughout. Dungy doesn't mention a lot about the game in his book, but talks about his memories. As the game was coming to a close and Dungy knew that his team had a victory in hand, he started reminiscing about his journey. He thought back to playing college ball, playing in the NFL, coaching in different cities, marrying Lauren, having kids, losing his son, and finally reaching the Super Bowl. So much went through his head in those closing seconds and a gatorade bath brought him back to the game. The players were going crazy, along with most of the stadium.

The Colts had won a Super Bowl. The Lombardi Trophy was headed to Indianapolis. Dungy gave a lot of thanks to God in his post-game interview. He knew that God had given him strength and patience to reach where he is today. Dungy was filled with joy and couldn't resist shedding tears of happiness. It was a moment to remember.

I absolutely loved this book. It's great to read about the perspective of coaches and players in sports. I've always been a fan of Tony Dungy and had wanted to read this book for a while. I'm glad I finally got around to it. It's a great mix of sports and religion. Dungy shares a lot of his personal experiences that made him the man that he is today. I have great respect for Coach Dungy and wish him the best as he is now an NFL analyst.

Quiet Strength (Part 11)

This week I read for 90 minutes, all in one sitting.

A lot of the media had been saying that the Colts were about to have their window of opportunity close on them. Coach Tony Dungy felt differently about it. Dungy had a good feeling about the season ahead, and he was right.

In 2005, the Colts started out strong. Their offense started firing on all cylinders and set team records. They were winning big games and a lot of times by big margins. At 9-0, Dungy had a good feeling that this was the year that the Colts were going to win the Super Bowl.

Late one night, Dungy got a phone call. This isn't too rare, as Dungy will occasionally get a call about one of his players getting injured. This wasn't the case. Dungy's son, Jamie, had taken his life at the age of eighteen. There was no reason that Jamie had done this, but either way, was gone.

The Dungy family, trying to cope with their loss, started on arranging a funeral. They had it in Tampa Bay to make it easier for friends and family to make it. The ceremony was huge and people waited outside the church to give their condolences to the family. Dungy spoke at the ceremony, as well, but tried to make it more of a celebration of Jamie's life. He talked about all the good things Jamie had to offer to the world. His positive attitude was shared with everybody and tried to make friends with anyone who need one. Most importantly, Dungy spoke of how Jamie had accepted Christ at an early age. Dungy knew that Jamie would be going to heaven and that was the most important thing about him.

After the ceremony, Dungy and his wife, Laura, discussed how soon he should go back to work. They both agreed that Dungy should head back as soon as possible. For so long, Dungy had told his players that as hard as it may be, it's sometimes best to move on. It was now time for Dungy to practice what he had preached.

Dungy received a warm welcome from his team, along with a pile full of mail from supportive families and friends. It was a warm feeling to have others praying for him and his family.

Obviously, the season wasn't going to stop for Dungy, so it was time to keep preparing for the teams ahead. The Colts continued their winning streak and got to 13-0. With that, they earned home field advantage and a first round bye in the playoffs. Dungy then decided to rest his starters, so ended the season at 14-2.

Playoffs were around the corner and Dungy continued to preach about doing what they do best. Do the little things better than everyone else. The Steelers were first on the Colts' list. The game would be at home, but the Steelers would be looking for revenge after losing to the Colts in the regular season.

The Colts dug themselves into an early hole, but came back. In the fourth, the Colts were down 21-18 and the Steelers had the ball with about a minute to play. Dungy told the defense that if they wanted to win, the ball had to come loose. Sure enough, the defense popped the ball out of the Steelers' running backs hands and returned it to midfield. A miracle was about to happen. The Colts started running down the clock and got into field goal position. With the field goal, the Colts would send it into overtime. Unfortunately, Mike Vanderjagt missed and the Steelers won the game.

It was a miserable loss for the Colts, especially after such an unbelievable season. Dungy knew that the media would eat this up, but reassured his team that they would come back.

The next season rolled around and the Colts lost their top running back, Edgerrin James. Luckily, they had a good backup and had drafted a running back out of college, so they should recover. The team started at 9-0, but it was different than their 13-0 from the previous year. This year, the Colts were earning their wins on last drives and weren't blowing anybody out. Dungy actually liked this, as it made his team tough. They ended the season at 12-4.

The Colts made the playoffs and faced the Miami Dolphins in the first round. They won a touch, defensive game, 27-22. Their next game was against the Kansas City Chiefs, who had a tough running game in Larry Johnson. The Colts had the worst running defense in the NFL, but knew that this game would be different. Sure enough, the Colts held Johnson to thirteen carries for thirty-two yards. The game was won, 23-8. One more game until the AFC Championship, and that was against the Baltimore Ravens. This was another defensive game and midway through the fourth, the Colts were up 12-6. The Colts ran down the clock and put up one last field goal to seal the game.

The Colts had surprised a lot of people by making it this far, but knew that something special was happening. The Colts had won a lot of close, tough games, and were about to prepare for their rivals, the New England Patriots.

It's amazing how so much can happen in a season. Who would have thought that Dungy's son would have taken his life, especially after being such a positive kid? Dungy did handle the situation very well and showed that he was still trusting in God. He looked to God for help through the service, the rest of his games, and through time at home. He knew that everything would be difficult, but with God's help, he would manage to make it through. I applaud him keeping his composure through it all and being able to coach for the rest of the season. A lot of guys wouldn't be able to do it, but Dungy somehow managed. What a story to tell. The book is about finished and I can't wait to read the end, even though I know the end result.