By Belinda Strebel

The 4th Annual A to Z Literacy Dodgeball Tournament has left me a bit breathless. From running the halls Tuesday morning looking for players, fielding Connor’s hourly dodgeball questions, finding kids last minute players and trying to imagine new and fun ways to make this year’s event the greatest yet…I am exhausted. But, in the very best of ways. The slow trickle of kids coming into my room Monday, growing into a wave of enthusiasm on Friday afternoon, reminds me that giving up is never an option. When you are in the business of telling kids that they can make this world a better place, throwing in the towel and blaming a slow start on apathy is not the answer. Running the halls and being a crazy, flexible, creative, persistent problem solver is one of the best ways to show kids how to continue on even when things aren’t going their way. Because I truly believe that kids can change the world for the better; they just have to see some examples.