02/09/2010

Hopeful in Bad Times

On January 27, historian, professor, lecturer, playwright, and filmmaker, Howard Zinn, passed away.  In his autobiography, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train, Zinn made these remarks about being hopeful:

"To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.  What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives.  If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something.  If we remember those times and places — and there are so many — where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.

"And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future.  The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."

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The Exchange Beginnings Workshop, "Nurturing Optimism" includes these insightful articles:

• "Building Relationships With Young Children" by George Scarlett
• "Choosing Courage in a Climate of Fear" by Jeffrey Perkins
• "Raising Children Who Are Hopeful" by Karen J. Keivich and Jane E. Gillham
• "Living With Disappointment: How to Choose Powerful Outcomes in the Face of Unmet Expectations" by M. Parker Anderson

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Looking for natural-play products? Garden Bed, Nature Bowl, Painting Messes? Outdoor Clean-up Station Recycled, durable, safe, EC sized.

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Big Feelings is a children’s book that helps children name and share their emotions. A great tool to use in your classrooms.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.

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