Paying it Forward
This idea of Paying It Forward has always resonated with me perhaps because of the influence of my own upbringing. I remember my dad telling me a story when he was growing up of his mother, my grandmother who heard of a needy family nearby and she delivered a home cooked dinner to them on Christmas even though her own family were struggling financially. She was the ultimate Pay It Forward example that she passed down to her children and then my parents were that same example to me. It is part of my own fabric that I am all about the message of Paying It Forward.
As a mother, I thought a lot about the importance of being a positive role model for my son Ryan. As Ryan grew up we did a lot together to help others such as collecting donations for a family who lived on our street that had a fire in their home, playing Scrabble with Eva, a legally blind woman who was an amazing role model for us as well, volunteering at a local soup kitchen, as well as other activities that fostered acts of kindness towards others.
As I learned more about David Vaughan, I knew he lived by this example too. This was the impetus for “Dave and Danny Pay It Forward” so I created a character based on David and how he teaches his son through the examples he demonstrates throughout the book. I felt that a children’s story would be a great platform to pass along this message.
For the past nine years, I have worked as an Instructional Assistant at South Elementary School in Andover, MA and for the last four years in a second grade class. As a teacher I feel that it is important to be a positive role model for children and I have shared many stories with them about individuals who I have met who are role models to me. At the top of my list are people who strive to help others and who have the courage to walk through adversity when faced with challenges in life. I often weave in real life stories of these individuals and engage the children in discussions. I love to hear their stories as well because they often have an amazing perspective about such topics.
As a mother, I thought a lot about the importance of being a positive role model for my son Ryan. As Ryan grew up we did a lot together to help others such as collecting donations for a family who lived on our street that had a fire in their home, playing Scrabble with Eva, a legally blind woman who was an amazing role model for us as well, volunteering at a local soup kitchen, as well as other activities that fostered acts of kindness towards others.
As I learned more about David Vaughan, I knew he lived by this example too. This was the impetus for “Dave and Danny Pay It Forward” so I created a character based on David and how he teaches his son through the examples he demonstrates throughout the book. I felt that a children’s story would be a great platform to pass along this message.
For the past nine years, I have worked as an Instructional Assistant at South Elementary School in Andover, MA and for the last four years in a second grade class. As a teacher I feel that it is important to be a positive role model for children and I have shared many stories with them about individuals who I have met who are role models to me. At the top of my list are people who strive to help others and who have the courage to walk through adversity when faced with challenges in life. I often weave in real life stories of these individuals and engage the children in discussions. I love to hear their stories as well because they often have an amazing perspective about such topics.