Lessons My Parents Taught Me

Writing Don’t Be That KID! At School and the Don’t Be That KID! At School Resource Guide was a “labor of love”.

When I taught 4th & 5th grades and as a school administrator, I always thought that building positive character values was as important as teaching the core subject areas. What good is being an “A” student if you aren’t an “A” person? I realize that there aren’t enough hours in the day to include it all, but parents and teachers, working together, can infuse the key character education principles into their children’s daily lives.

My parents instilled positive behavior traits in my brother, Steven, and in me. My parents taught us:

• To love and cherish the family. To appreciate their strengths and overlook their weaknesses. Because after all is said and done, it’s your family who will always be there. To laugh with you in your joys and cry in your sorrows.
• To value our friends and to work hard at establishing close relationships. Because our true friends will always be there. To share our happy occasions and give support during the difficult times.
• To be successful in anything we hope to accomplish. Because by always giving 100% of ourselves in everything we do, we will automatically be successful, no matter what the ultimate outcome.

Don’t Be That KID! At School is dedicated in memory of my parents, Jack and Lorna Podolsky. They would have loved the book and resource guide!