I wrote in my journal today that it seemed only a couple of weeks ago that I could not seem to find much material. I sent out some emails and the bounty is amazing. One professor of curriculum studies sent me almost 1000 pages of PDF materials and names. At the same time, I came across another professor of curriculum studies who looked at curriculum through a post-modernist and chaos theory lens.
I was never close to quitting but it underscores the sense of impermanence in life. Things are never static. They move along into the next moment.
Edgar A. Guest’s poem seemed right in light of the turnaround. It means lots of reading but the writing is slowly emerging that goes along with it.
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will
When the road you are trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must—but don’t you quit!
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow,
You might succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out
the silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you can never tell how close you are,
It might be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit
It’s when things get worse that you mustn’t quit!
About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope, nonviolence and its anticipatory relationship with the future, as essential elements to teaching and learning.
Academic publications can be found at Ivon Gile Prefontaine on ResearchGate
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
Excellent post! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you and you are welcome.
i love this poem too.
It is beautiful with a rich message.
Good – I needed this. THANKS 🙂
You are welcome.
Reblogged this on Andy Kaufman's Kavalkade Krew ~ Featuring The Wandering Poet and commented:
We agree with Ivon. Do not quit.
Love the poem, Ivan…similar to “Don’t you set down on the steps cause you finds it’s kinder hard, ” from Mother to Son by Langston Hughes, which is one of my fave poems.
That is a poem I used frequently with my students. Langston Hughes had a way with words and metaphors.
Absolutely!!!!!!
There is a lot of impermanence in life, but we learn something from every venture, no matter how small or how challenging. Keep on keepin’ on! http://ohtheplaceswesee.com
I agree. We just need to move our mind along with the body into the next moment.
Wonderful Ivon, and I’m so glad you received material and bounty which re-energized your efforts.
Hi there I like your post.
Thanks ! nice post !
Opportunities are all around for those that ask and look.
It is a matter of keeping my eyes open.
I have felt like quitting everything so many times lately. Sometimes, we need to quit, move on, be renewed if possible.
I agree. As much as I miss being in the classroom, I do not miss the bureaucracy from afar. It has been rejuvenating.
“Things are never static. They move along into the next moment.” was the sentiment I needed today. Thanks for an excellent post.
You are welcome. I needed it as well.
You write well, I enjoyed your post.
Thank you.
Great message. Thanks for the encouragement – I needed it today. I have to remember the closer you get to the summit, the harder the climb. The last bit of the climb is the most challenging but the biggest reward isn’t until you get to the top.
The last few steps leave us gasping.
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Thank you. I won’t.
I’ve always loved this poem.
It is beautiful with a definite message. Glad to have you back. I enjoyed While My Guitar Gently Weeps this morning. Harrison had such a great voice and word choice.
Ivon, we present to you the imperfectly and belatedly awarded Daily Good Cheer Award for 9/25/2013.
We fell behind due to laziness. But were pushed into action to reward you the award by reading your poem. We shall not surrender, and will continue to award our award.
We have not yet begun to award awards! John Paul Jones might have said that, maybe…
Of course we are proponents of not quitting. Cheers.
http://wp.me/P3NHOl-Kw
Thank you. I am glad you are proponents of not quitting.
Such a beautiful poem. Thanks for stopping by my blog and for following! Linda.
Thank you and you are welcome Linda.
I love this poem too.
It is a wonderful reminder.
Ah, I needed this reminder. I had forgotten about this wonderful poem–how?! So pleased for you that you’ve hung in there. Keep going. Et merci beaucoup.
Bienvenue et merci aussi.