I encourage everyone to watch this video because there could not be more truth about this issue. This is one of my favorite videos on the Internet because its about something that I truly care about. Our education system is light years behind our time. With all this innovation its hard to believe that education is something that has fell so far behind. This is a social issue that people need to come together to solve. We wonder why people hate school, and feel not good enough. That’s because they are restricted to one way of learning and expressing. When people have these restrictions on them they make it define them and their capabilities. For someone who loves to learn and experience its saddens me to have to go to school everyday and not learn one thing. I really want to spread my concern for this issue so people become aware of this issue that is affecting the future of our society. 
 
Let me start off and say that growing up I did love school, and I was close to my teachers. Especially in elementary, I wanted to go to school on the weekends. However, looking back on it I realized how early my test anxiety started. I was having test anxiety at the age of 5 (grade 1) over spelling tests, and math tests. These tests gave me no enjoyment (duh). Everything I enjoyed learned, and retained in school especially in elementary was unconventional. I never learned anything out of a textbook. No, I was obsessed with activities and the unconventional ways of learning. I loved playing with the cubes while learning addition, subtraction. I loved that we planted flowers to learn about photosynthesis. I loved the projects we got to do to learn about other cultures in social studies. The math fair project I got to do in grade 6, which was so, much fun.  I remember filling a jar up with water and measuring how much was in it everyday to learn about evaporation, and when we burnt sugar in grade 2 to learn what chemical reactions happen when you add heat to sugar. Learning about composting in grade 4 using Red Wiggler worms. I remember these activities so clearly because I am all about experience and activities always have helped me learn. It was exciting because I learned but also got to explore my creativity as well. Field trips were always my favourite, not because I was missing school but because I know it was going to be really cool, fun, and I was going to come home to tell my mom everything I learned that day. I know they have started to remove tests out of elementary schools, which I think is great. The only downfall would be if they also don't change junior high's, high schools, or post secondary these kids will suffer from more anxiety and depression because it will become a lot and overwhelming. Especially if they didn't experience any paper tests in elementary. SO its simple, lets change those too. 
 
I never understood why as soon as Junior High, and High School came activities shattered and everything was test based. Of course we still had the occasional project, and experiment in science. However, rarely did the project or experiment information go towards our exams. I don't think there was one question on my science PAT in grade 9 about my experiments in class. I was so anxious in these years because I needed Honors to be accepted, to be smart, capable, and successful. I did get Honors throughout junior high and high school, but did I actually learn anything? If it wasn't for some amazing teachers, I probably wouldn't have learnt a thing. But again, nothing I learned came from writing a test. I always performed worse then what I actually knew because I was so anxious. I had some pretty awesome teachers in junior high and high school that really made classes engaging. For the most part, I liked going to classes especially when I had a good teacher who liked what they were teaching because you'll always learn the most by people who are passionate. I remember my grade 12 English teacher and how she made a class that was always so difficult for me easy and enjoyable. For once in my life, I liked english. Anytime before that, english always made me feel dumb, that I wasn't good enough and you know what? all that structure crap you do for essays, not needed in university. I never understood why I could get marked so poorly on Personal Response. Key word PERSONAL. It was an opinion, and an experience and I got marked on that? Never understood. Then they tell you well do a creative response. So now they are marking you on something you made up and found so interesting, and were so excited to write about and tell you its not that good. As result of that, your destroying the creativity of students. If they are going to be grading anything it should be punctuation , but have you noticed how small of a portion that is on the marking rubric.  ANYWAYS, my grade 12 English teacher did the opposite, I felt like my ideas were acknowledged, I was able to explore my creativity, and that she genuinely cared about everyone’s success in the class. We defiantly need more of this. 
 
The problem is not teachers though, they that have to work through a system where they are confined to these curriculums that are created by people who have probably never taught a day in their lives. If we gave teachers the opportunity to be creative in their classrooms I guaranteed they would be more passionate in what they are teaching. Give them the concepts they need to teach, but let them go about it there own way. Stop telling them well you HAVE to have a project in this class you HAVE to read Shakespeare, you HAVE to have an exam after every chapter blah blah blah. Let them create the learning in the classroom, stop restricting them. 
 
Going into University was one of the biggest turning points in my life about education and its a reason for this post. First off, they are a business (a pretty greedy one I would add) not a school. I hate school now, I’m furious about it because I seriously don't learn anything and I DON'T feel like I am being prepared for my future. Before people say well "do you like what your taking at school." I'm not opposed to what I am taking in school but even if I didn't like it I've had teachers like my grade 12 english teacher who could turn a boring subject for me into something I loved. I had an amazing prof my first year university who taught Economics. I did not care about economics, and I was dreading going to that class. It ended up being my favourite class that I enjoyed going too, and I made sure I got the same teacher for the next level.  You know what people in university who hire teachers look at? Credentials. "Oh well he's been working in accounting for 20 years he can definitely teach" WRONG. These universities need to make sure that theses teachers know how to teach, but you know how they do that? When they get the results beck from final exams and realize everyone did poorly but its too late anyway. I find that the teacher makes all the difference in school, and that is the number one thing about university, THE TEACHERS DO NOT CARE. I had many accounting teachers tell my class in a direct and indirect way that we would not enjoy our jobs in accounting. I am sorry, but even if you believe that you do not tell a classroom of students who are $10,000 into their accounting degree that there not going to like there jobs. I could take every single class online and it wouldn't make a difference because the teachers don't teach you anyway. Everyone there is there for a paycheque. I am a business student; we should be working on collaboration, networking, and team building. Textbooks don't do anything for us. In addition, the stress level in University is WAY beyond line. Its unnecessary stress because the school doesn't care that we have families, or our personal care. I remember when my school was so excited for a 24-hour study space for finals. Do you understand what this is telling people? Pretty much that the school is aware that people loose sleep for finals. Its ridiculous around finals, kind of scary actually. We are a bunch of robots. Its like this is the only thing that matters in life. Its so wrong. Let alone all that, but now you also have to spend thousands of dollars just to go through the stress. Also, I want to reach out to those who feel stuck in their degree or don't want to pursue what their chosen major is that its okay. You don't have to go into what your taking, never let school determine what you are capable of because then you'll just feel limited. Getting a university diploma/degree is safe in Canada because most employers require it, but it does not mean you are going to be living at a lower level then everybody else if you don't go to school. It is all mind set, and I truly believe that. I am in my third year accounting student, I've done an accounting job, but I'm on the fence of being an accountant. I also let school determine my success and capabilities for way to long, and I won't let it anymore. So if your feeling stuck, things will work out just stay hopeful. 
 
My Advice
Obviously, I know that change is not going to happen overnight, but things have already started to change, we just have to accelerate the process. Education is light years behind modern times, and we have a lot of work to do to get it caught up. However, its not going to happen if no one cares about the issue. There are so many countries that have changed their education systems, so why can't we? Lets focus on collaboration, creativity, and implementing many types of ways to learn a concept for different types of learners. I mean we've been taught about the different types of learners. Their is visual, hands on, books, and yet those learning methods were taught to use through one structured way, when there was a class full of students who learned differently.
 
To Current and Future teachers- 
Be passionate, and try not to let the structure of the curriculums limit you in teaching your students. You have no idea what power you hold, and how you can easily affect a student. You are capable to be hero's for children and help them learn things that they WILL remember for the rest of their life. Also, its so vital for you to love your job. For those people who have teaching as their Plan B option because I hear that so often, DON'T. Not only will you hate it because its a lot more work then you think but you'll also will not care, and you need to care about your students when your a teacher. 
 
To Students- 
Try and come out everyday and learn something. Don't worry about the grade because it does not determine how much you learned, or what you are capable of. All grades do is create unhealthy competition between peers, and tries to put you on a hierarchal scale. Search and try your best to get into classes with teachers that you heard were good, because you'll come out learning something when you have a passionate teacher. Its okay to feel lost and to not know what you want to do in the future, everything works out in the end, and your D that you got in english in your first year university is not going to matter. You are capable, and strong. You as well need to passionate and be hopeful in your capabilities. 
 
 
This is an issue that I'll continue to voice my opinion on in hopes that maybe when I have kids or when people my age start to have kids that the education system will be different for them. I love learning, and I don't want school out of all places to suck out the fun out of it. I am very hopeful that eventually this will change, and that education will finally be caught up with all this innovation. I hope you guys read this, and realize the importance of our educations system and why it has to change. This might be all over the place, but I had so much to say and I didn't know where to start. Please share the video I posted to people around you to make them aware as well. I apologize for the late blog post but I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend. <3 

​If you read my last post on How to Get out of a Rut you'll know that I have been doing little things to change up my day to day routine. For one, I have changed up my fitness routine with the Nike Training Club App. I usually go to the gym every Monday and Thursday as both of those days have classes I go to. There are a couple of other classes I do on other days but not consistently. Basically, the other days are up to me on what workouts I want to do. I figured out that one of the reasons why I became unmotivated to go to the gym if there wasn't a class going on was because I never felt prepared on what I wanted to work on that day. This became a struggle for me because I never really liked machines, and I didn't just want to do cardio on the elliptical or treadmill. So I started to do some research on workouts to do at the gym and I came across this app. The app provides workouts for you that you can do at the gym, home, or outside. Your basically with a virtual trainer and they walk through the workouts for you. This app definitely helped with my problem of not being able to know what to workout for the day.

​Another thing about the app is that all the workouts are usually between 30-45min which is really awesome especially when your feeling rushed but still want to get a workout in. You also can choose a plan and the app will filter the workouts to what you prefer. My workout focuses on tone and strength and all my recommended workouts are based on those two things. The app sets a schedule for you also that you can adjust incase you do other workouts off the app. It also tracks your progress and gives you health and fitness advice. 

​One of my favourite things on the app is the fact that its all floor work and you only need small equipment such as hand weights. In addition to that they also have a section on the app where you are able to play your music and still be able to hear the trainer to know when to switch workouts.  I like that the workouts are continuous intervals. They give you a great work out and they are more focused on a target area. 

The one downfall I found, which is not really with the app itself but the fact that if I continue to use the app I'm probably going to have to buy wireless headphones. Since you have to be looking at the screen to see what the trainer is doing it becomes difficult when you have your phone/iPod attached to your headphones. I just started using the app for about two weeks now, and I do like it but I have been doing it at home without headphones. 

​I am still getting to know all of the app but they also have Nike club events that you can find to attend in your area. You can also find friends who are in the community as well. 

Overall, I do think that if your struggling with finding a workout routine, or just some workouts to do that this app is cool to check out. If your like me and can get a little intimidated by the gym and just feel lost, the app will make you look like a pro. The best thing about the app is its FREE on the app store. Everything is better when its free, and is student friendly. There is all kinds of different workouts from yoga to high intensity. I would definitely recommend downloading the app if your looking to find or change up your fitness routine. If you guys would like to download the app click the link below. I hope you guys enjoyed this, and I'll talk to you all next week :)

​

Do you ever find yourself lacking motivation or drive to do anything for a duration of time? this has been me for basically all of March. I've felt that I have been stuck creatively, mentally, physically and emotionally. I hate falling into ruts because I feel like everything is just at a halt. I lack motivation in going to the gym, personal care goes down, eating habits are not the greatest, school becomes overwhelming because of procrastination, and for me I contemplate my whole life.  Unfortunately, what I've learned is that ruts are inevitable because life isn't perfect and neither are we. I find that people enter ruts a few times out of the year especially in the winter due to the weather and being stuck inside most of the time. The positive thing about being in a rut is that once your out of it, its like you reinvented yourself or you come out with a free mindset. Throughout these blog posts I really wanted to be honest about myself and things that I go through because I sometimes think that people can fake their lives on social media. Its good to be positive and feel happy but its also okay to feel lost or stuck in life as long as you continue to try and find motivation to kick start you up again. There are a few things that I've tried to get myself out of a rut which some of them worked, and others didn't. However, there are 3 things that I find myself consistently doing that usually help motivate me and get me out of a rut. 


Read- I seem to find myself reading way more often when I'm in a rut. Probably because I can't find the energy to do anything else and it helps keep my mind busy. However, for me I read a lot more in hopes to find answers to why I may be feeling a certain way and to find inspiration/motivation. This usually helps as the types of books I read are self -help so they are very practical and put a lot of things into perspective. If your not much of a reader another thing I find helpful is to watch videos or search the webs to find some inspiration. For me, I usually look at someone on youtube that I envy or I think has a cool life and that usually is a good little kick start to getting me out of a funk. 

Plan something your looking forward to- I find this really helpful because it helps to motivate you to get things done. Planning a trip somewhere gives you motivation to make money, work out, finish tasks quicker and on time, and keeps you in an excited mood. Now, it doesn't have to just be a trip that might be a couple months down the road. It can be a dinner date at a cool restaurant that you have to reserve for next week, or a night out with the girls, In addition to that, you can also have a year end goal to look forward to and every time you fall into a rut, remember that goal and calculate how far you are from it. If you're far from your goal it will motivate you to pick up the pace, and if you're close it will motivate you to keep going. Overall, whether its something big or small having something to look forward to keeps your spirits up when things don't seem like they are going right. 

Change up your routine/space- This is probably the best piece of advice that I have on getting out of a rut. Changing up your routine brings excitement and motivation to try some new things. This could be something like changing your exercise routine, trying  new makeup products or skin care products, taking a new route to school, or finding a new way to write your school notes. You can also change up the space around you like redecorating your room and moving your furniture around, reorganizing, changing pictures in frames, or even something as simple as changing the background of your phone/iPad/Laptop. There is something about having new space or routine that makes your feel fresh and ready to conquer life. I'm currently changing up my workout routine, as well as organizing my room and work space to give it a new vibe. This has honestly helped me so much when it comes to getting out of a rut so I would definitely give it a try.

I am currently in the process of getting myself out of a rut so that is why I wanted to share what I've been doing. The number one thing you have to do is realize when your in a rut. After that realization then you'll be in the right mind set to help get yourself out of it. Set yourself goals and write down new things you want to try, read, or change up. Keep track of your mood and whether these tips have been helping you so that you don't fall deeper into your rut. Along the way you will discover different things that help you through down times and then you'll know exactly what you need to do next time you feel lost or stuck in your life. I hope you guys found this helpful and remember that were not perfect and that we will have down times but when we rise above we become stronger individuals. Have a good weekend everyone!! 

For anyone that knows me, knows that I love to read and my favorite genres are usually those that are self-help or teach me about life and people. This week I finished reading The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman and it gave me amazing insight on how people receive love in all different ways. The novel answers the question of why getting married seems to change your relationship and why so many couples find their relationships plummeting. Although this novel is written for married couples it is universal and can be directed toward any relationships. Gary Chapman has many other books that discuss the 5 love languages in regards to kids, teenagers, and all different kinds of relationships. I first heard of the novel on a video on Facebook. A couple were talking about it on the Steve Harvey show, and for those who have seen that video know the basis of what its about. 

Basically the book teaches us that people all receive love differently based on these 5 love languages; words of affirmation, receiving gifts, quality time, acts of service, and physical touch. Each of them are pretty straight forward on what they are but here is a brief description of each: 

For anyone that knows me, knows that I love to read and my favourite genres are usually those that are self-help or teach me about life and people. This week I finished reading The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman and it gave me amazing insight on how people receive love. The novel answers the question of why getting married seems to change your relationship and why so many couples find their relationships plummeting. Although this novel is written for married couples it is universal and can be directed toward any relationships. Gary Chapman has many other books that discuss the 5 love languages in regards to kids, teenagers, and all different kinds of relationships. I first heard of the novel on a video on Facebook. A couple were talking about it on the Steve Harvey show, and for those who have seen that video know the basis of what its about. 

Basically the book teaches us that people all receive love differently based on these 5 love languages; words of affirmation, receiving gifts, quality time, acts of service, and physical touch. Each of them are pretty straight forward on what they are but here is a brief description of each: 

​1. Words of affirmation- Affirming people with words such as "you look good today" or "I appreciate when you ______" or "you make the best breakfast" 

​1. Words of affirmation- Affirming people with words such as "you look good today" or "I appreciate when you ______" or "you make the best breakfast" 

​1. Words of affirmation- Affirming people with words such as "you look good today" or "I appreciate when you ______" or "you make the best breakfast" 

​2. Receiving Gifts- Whether they are expensive or not it shows that you thought of the person. For example, picking up a flower on your way home from work because it made you think of the other person or surprise dinners or any gift that is thoughtful.  

​3. Quality Time- Giving the person your undivided attention for a period of time. No distractions, no technology, just indulging in conversation, and good company with the other person. This can be as simple as going on dinner dates and not being on cell phones, going for walks, or doing something with the other person because you know they would love to do it with you even if you don't care that much to do it. Just spending time together and exploring thoughts and feelings on various topics. 

​4. Acts of Service- The things/activities people do for you. Basically, "actions speak louder than words." For example, your significant other might feel loved when you cook for him/her or when you fix their car. Little acts that help them out during the day goes a long way.  

​5. Physical Touch- This is not just intimacy, it can be little kisses on the forehead,  simply putting your arm around your love when your out, holding hands, little touches as you walk by them, or hugs. For kids, it can be hugs or even play wrestling. 

​Gary goes on to explain that the reason that relationships fail is because we fail to learn and understand our spouses love language. This was such a interesting concept and really changes your view towards peoples actions whom are close to you. For example, you realize that people have or do show you love but in THEIR love language which could sometimes be foreign to other person. Its also quite enlightening towards yourself, as you begin to discover your love language. I feel like this book is key to changing relationships for the better, which it already has. When we learn each others love language we are able to love better and our relationships become healthier and stronger. To me, this book changed my perspective on relationships and opened up my eyes on how to love the people in my life better and vise versa. I definitely recommend this book to anyone, especially if you feel like your struggling in any kind of relationship. Gary Chapman has helped couples at the borderline of divorce to help improve their marriage. Love is one of the best feelings in the world, and something that humans naturally need to be healthy and happy. 

I figured out that my primary love language is quality time. For me, it helped me discover why certain things bothered me that people would do, or in contrast what people did that made me feel loved. For instance, I loved when we went out for supper on my birthday because I got to spend time with my family or even when my friends took me out. In contrast, when I felt left out from my friends it hurt as I didn't feel like I was loved or cared for which wasn't necessarily true. People have different ways of showing love, and it may not be through quality time like me. I could ask one of my friends "hey I would love to take you out for dinner for your birthday" but maybe they would like a gift, so although they said sure they could still feel unloved if I didn't get them a gift (Assuming their love language is receiving gifts). Until I learn this about my friend, I'll be loving them in a language that is foreign to them.   I  think everyone can learn from this book as its very universal. I am defiantly going to be reading more about the love languages through Gary's other books. He also uses many real life examples to make the learning of the love languages quite easy. 

I love books that open your mind to things about people and life as it gives you some great insight on how to get the best out of your life and the people in it. I hope all of you decide to give this book a read! ​​For more information information on The 5 Love Languages By Gary Chapman click the link below. Other than that, I hope you have an amazing weekend<3