Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started

Tag: education

IT’S OCTOBER-WEEN BOOK, BLOG & TRAILER BLOCK PARTY!

Hi and “WELCOME” to Rave Reviews Book Club’s OCTOBER-WEEN BOOK, BLOG & TRAILER BLOCK PARTY at Fiora Books!

Here’s What I’m Giving Away Today!

One $10 Amazon Gift Card

# of Winners For This Stop: ONE

The lucky winner is Jennie Fitzkee!

My name is John Fioravanti and I am a writer – among other things! I am also a proud member of Rave Reviews Book Club and RWISA. To date, my wife, Anne, and I have self-published four of my books through our publishing company that we named Fiora Books. What follows is a showcase of my first offering to the literary world.

Partners in love and in business.

My First Book: A Personal Journey to the Heart of Teaching

Trailer created by 4 Wills Publishing
Back Cover Blurb:

This is a story about decency, family politics, family, fear, and triumph.

Teaching is the canvas but the portrait is so much richer and more colourful. This book will capture and absorb you. Fear of failure is a powerful motivator and as John Fioravanti battles and defeats his demons you will find yourself cheering for him as if he were contesting a sporting event.

Teaching is not a discipline confined to schools, and the lessons in this book about planning, listening, empathizing and sympathizing have applicability to all professions and walks of life − from a police lieutenant training officers to a sales manager teaching sales representatives and everything else in between.

John Fioravanti shaped, elevated, and improved the lives of thousands of young people. After you’ve read this short story, you’ll be fulfilled and uplifted.

John signing a book for his mother at the book launch event.
Signing a book for my Mom. I was so happy to have her there for the launch of my first book!
Background Story:

Near the end of my teaching career, Kenneth Tam, a former student and friend, visited me at St. David Catholic Secondary School at the end of the school day. He and his parents had created their own company to publish his novels and those of his mother. Kenneth asked me to author an inspirational book for them about my career in the classroom. I felt honoured to be asked yet perplexed as to how to approach this project.

After some soul searching, I proposed that I write honestly about my journey in struggling to become the teacher I wanted to be when I decided to enter the profession. Thus, the project became autobiographical in nature as I talked about growing up and identifying the factors that led me to the momentous decision to teach. The story follows the ups and downs I experienced and reveals the demons that drove me on for thirty-five years.

John Fioravanti reading an excerpt from "Journey" at the book launch.
Reading an excerpt the night of the book launch in the library of St. David Catholic Secondary School where I taught

After the book was launched, one of my colleagues shared with me that he thought the book was very personal – in a tone that expressed surprise and perhaps some disapproval. I smiled and pointed out that this was the purpose of the book and that’s why we inserted the word “personal” in the title.

Among my intended audiences were people thinking about entering the profession and those who were in preparatory studies, as well as rookie teachers. I hoped the book would give them the courage to pursue a great vocation. It wasn’t long before one of these people gave me her feedback.

I was walking along a hallway in our school heading for the Staff Room when I was stopped by a young lady who was supply teaching at our school that day. She had a copy of my book on top of the stack of books she carried in her arms in front of her. She thanked me profusely for writing the book and claimed that it was just what she needed to quell the panic she felt every day in the classroom. Then she hurried off to her next class. I felt so humbled by this experience. Even if no one else read this book, I could retire a happy man!

Available at:

Amazon.ca / Amazon.com / Indigo Books

Love of Country

What does “Patriotism” have to do with “Education”? Hugh Curtler explains quite eloquently within the American context something that I think applies to democratic countries everywhere. Please, read on…

hughcurtler

 

Back in July of 2012 I wrote this post about the relationship between education and democracy, a relationship I, like many others, consider essential. A part of that discussion is about patriotism, and given today’s sudden interest in the notion, featuring many who have no idea whatever what the word means, I thought it timely to trot out the post and ask readers to consider it once again. I have modified the post a bit to bring it up to date.

Years ago John Dewey wrote a book titled Democracy and Education in which he argued convincingly that a democratic system required an educated citizenry. In fact, Dewey went so far as to insist that the purpose of education is to turn out citizens who are enlightened enough to select their leaders and understand what they are up to. It’s not about jobs or self-esteem; it’s about gaining…

View original post 838 more words

It’s Okay… Share Your Happy!

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

~ Buddha

 

This well-known quote resonates with me in a powerful way, so I decided to explore the importance of applying it in our day-to-day living. It is a simple concept, yet we often have difficulty living this exhortation to share ourselves with the world. Continue reading “It’s Okay… Share Your Happy!”

Hey! Think For Yourself!

“People tell you the world looks a certain way. Parents tell you how to think. Schools tell you how to think. TV. Religion. And then at a certain point, if you’re lucky, you realize you can make up your own mind. Nobody sets the rules but you. You can design your own life.”

 

~ Carrie-Anne Moss

 

 

We are, to a greater or lesser extent, the products of our society. How could we be otherwise? Carrie-Anne Moss, Canadian actress from British Columbia, claims that we can, indeed, become our own persons.

 

She rightly points out, that from the time we are born, our parents, families, schools, television, and religion – to name only some societal influences – contribute to the socialization process of each of us. We are socialized in the sense that we are trained to behave in certain ways, so that we may ‘fit in’.

Continue reading “Hey! Think For Yourself!”

Detours Often Unplanned

road sign says detour below a winding snakey arrow.
Some are planned… some are not…

 

“Are Your Students Better Off?”

While browsing a LinkedIn group for educators, the National Education Association, I came upon a provocative discussion that began with the question I just quoted above.

Herm Allen posted the discussion question to challenge teachers to reflect on the benefits students may have gained in their classrooms this year.

As I read through the short article, Mr. Allen was putting emphasis on the experiential component of a teacher’s classroom.

He linked the reader to another of his coaching articles, Experience Counts, where he spoke of his days as a student.

The thing that resonated with him the most was how a teacher made him feel as a student. That struck a chord with me, because there were a few teachers I had who made me feel worthwhile and inspired great admiration within me.

These were the folks who, quite unknowingly, helped me decide to dedicate thirty-five years of my life to educating students. Continue reading “Detours Often Unplanned”