Deadline in Less Than 7 Hours – An Important Bribe (Plus: Happiness Research for Economic Crashes)

Hey Tim,

Jet Set Life has got you covered. Updating my Facebook status as we speak and encouraging all our Jet Setters to do the same! Good luck and we’re all proud of you and the work your doing!

Best,

Rob and Kim

hi tim, great cause! i’ve spread the word via http://ping.fm to my twitter, facebook, etc: http://twitter.com/rdyson

most inspiring teacher: mrs gonzalez in 7th and 8th grade. she was so passionate about teaching that every one of her students was into the material. as US-born cuban she wanted to make sure we understood the ramifications of communism and dictatorships.

Hey there Tim! Another aspiring Four Hour-er here! The more I read your book the more I get amped up for the possibilities of finding my own muse and achieving my dreams! So, thanks a lot for your hard work and willingness to show others the way!

I have retweeted on my own network, and attempted to have my sister Felicia Day (of The Guild internet series fame) raise awareness on her own blog and twitter feeds (no guarantees though!), which get much more visibility than my own! This is such a good charity. As I worked all the way through school, I know how hard it is to get a decent education when you don’t come from the most affluent roots.

Although my degree itself was in Computer Science (UT Austin), I initially entered as a history major, completing my Senior Thesis on the Mongol Military system, before falling into the “You can’t make money with that crap” trap, and stumbling into an all-to-comfortable tech job.

My Senior Thesis advisor, Dr. Lamphear, was and is an incredible man, and his guidance on my thesis was invaluable in showing me how to tap my inner creativity, work against deadlines, and from personal example, how to live a good life (as an Africanist, he was involved in many peace talks and political movements across Africa). Although he’s now retired from teaching, I do try and keep in touch with him from time to time.

Cheers!

Ryon D.

Hey Tim!

Decided that this was too good an offer (to help and be helped) to pass up. My Facebook status has been updated (visible to over 1900 individuals) and I tweeted about it (visible to much less). There’s also a Facebook note in the works…

As for the teacher that most impacted my life, I’ve got far too many to mention (my life’s gone down a number of different paths already, and I’m only 20). The one who most influenced the path I’m on now, though, is Charlie Keil, my first-year Cinema Studies professor. I joined the class on the recommendation of a friend, hoping to add “watching movies, especially film noir” to my otherwise more typical-Psychology-student life at U of T. But this prof was incredible — energetic, passionate, motivated (and motivating) — he led me to see films in a different light. He’s the only professor I’ve actually cared to reach out to during my three years at U of T, and I’m deeply thankful for how he opened my eyes to a “brand new” art form (which, ironically, has been a part of my life since before my earliest memories).

Good luck, Donors Choose!

Tim,

I have been a strong believer in Donorschoose and while i am not a cardmember because I am a poor starving student who has stayed debt free, I do have several friends who read my blog and should GOTV for donorschoose. I also updated my facebook status with the Karma line and have had two friends already comment and vote on it.

Sincerely,

David Baker

Tim, I am amazed in the differences in quality of public edu. available even in the small town where I live. I sure hope this word gets out. I updated my twitter status (which updates my facebook status) Great. Idea!

One teacher, Mrs Geary, in my High School changed my life through her encouragement and belief in my talents as an artist. I would not be who I am today without her impact on my life.

John

twitter account http://www.twitter.com/johnflurry

Hi Tim,

I had already voted in the American Express Member Project, and this post persuaded me to change my vote (I previously agonized over which of the final 5 would provide the greatest and longest lasting benefit). I agree with you that education may be the best way to permanently change the course of the future for the better, and I have passed the word on to all of my friends.

The single greatest impact that education has had in my own life has been the guitar lessons that my grandmother paid for when I was young. It could have very easily been a passing fancy for me, but she always believed in my ability. To this day, it continues to be a source of spiritual strength, creative exchange, and an instrument of social change for me.

Hi Tim,

Done, done, and done. Glad to help out! I voted on the Amex site as well as updated my LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter profiles, that’s notice to somewhere around 900 or so people. . .yeah!

Biggest educational impact of my life? Well, there are two actually. . .and since you didn’t specifically say which “single” experience, and neither were my teachers, I’m gonna run with it. . .both play into one another, though as you’ll see. . .

The first impactful event took place when I was a freshman at Southern Illinois University. For whatever reason, a number of us freshman were crammed in the basement of our dining hall to hear a few folks give us the low-down on what life was going to be like in our new home of Carbondale, Illinois. Several people spoke that day. . .but I remember only one.

He was a tall, and powerful lookin’ guy. . .someone you knew you wouldn’t want to mess with. . .and someone who looked even more menacing from my seated position on the floor, kinking my neck to get a good look at this man that was well over 6 feet tall. He was also wearing a suit — when we were all mostly clad in shorts due to the August heat in Carbondale — he was definitely a “presence”.

I don’t recall his whole talk, but one aspect of a story he relayed to us changed my life forever. He mentioned that when he was a student himself some decades earlier, he got a bit sidetracked at one point, had a bit too much fun, and found himself on the opposing end of the university’s Registrar. In other words, he was asked to leave school for awhile to sort things out. . .

. . .and yet while this disappointment was embarrassing, and no doubt, a blow to his ego, it gave him the greater resolve to come back and finish his education. And he did just that. He finished. AND, he finished with Dean’s list honors on top of it.

However, despite this achievement, that’s not really the highlight. Nope. The highlight is that this towering gentleman many years my senior, decked out to the hills, and noticeable successful, was now an administrator at the same school that asked him to leave many years earlier. Wow, talk about a turn of events.

Now, I can’t remember exactly his position, but my fuzzy memory has always put him near the top. . .a board member. . .or someone in the President’s office. . .something like that. I can’t recall exactly, but he was. . .SOMEONE. . .and he was telling us to never give up. To never surrender our dreams, and to never let anyone else tell us we cannot accomplish something we set out to accomplish.

It was one of the most amazing lessons I ever learned, and I really wish I knew the name of this gentleman so I could thank him for influencing my life in the way he did.

The irony, and second part of this story, is that when I too faced this same problem, not too many years after that little lecture in the basement of our dining hall, I remembered his words, and they stuck with me. So when I met with my adviser on my way out the proverbial door of the university, she turned to me at one point and said directly: “I don’t think you’ll be back”. I have never forgotten those words, and I THANK her every day of my life for saying them to me.

I’m not sure whether she really thought I wouldn’t be back, or whether she was trying to light a fire under my rear, but I saw it as a spark and it ignited in me the wake-up call I needed to turn things around.

So when I did get that chance to redeem myself not long after that fateful meeting, I too performed much better, graduated, and later went on to get a second degree (go figure) from the University of Minnesota where I scored a number of Dean’s list recognitions of my own and. . .GET THIS. . .even went on to become an academic adviser, sharing with panicked students also in the last weeks of their tenure as official students and soon-to-be “probationers” my story about what really matters: dusting yourself off and getting back on the horse.

I loved sharing that lesson in humility with students, and now (gulp!) many more, and it made me as their adviser much more human as a result.

Even the great Michael Jordan has acknowledged that without failing he could never succeed in the way he does. What a great lesson.

Good luck with the attention-getting fund drive!

Cheers,

Doc

First, this is an awesome project! My mother is a completely creative public school teacher and she has spent so much of her income to make learning interesting. Can you believe the only supplies she was given one year was 1000 sheets of copy paper!

I posted this on my facebook status, because word of mouth from a person you trust is always the best way to get people to take something seriously. I live in the south where this still works:)

I have had a number of amazing learning experiences but one of the best was in the class of Robert Gallagher. He changed the way I thought about how a class could be taught. I think he had ADD and he had to sustain his interest which sustained ours. First. he never lectured for more that 10 minutes and he let you know exactly how long he would so we could concentrate on his efficient lecturing style. Second. He made us apply everything we learned in the lecture immediately through group work. It could be a discussion, it could be artistic, dramatic, pretty much any way to make us meditate on the ideas. Third. He put every worksheet or reading we were going to need for the entire class in one book. What a fantastic idea because he and we always had everything we would ever need for any activity with us–super efficient. Third. We were always rewarded with a party. Even if it is 10 minutes in 50 you will work really hard for 50 minutes for 10 minutes of fun!

Hi Tim!

Thanks for posting that – I updated my facebook status, tweeted all my friends and sent an email round, all of us Sydney-siders are just waking up : )

Hmm the teacher who influenced my life the most is not a college professor nor was she probably a certified teacher, but she made such a massive impact I will never forget it.

My family and I ran away from Russia during the fall of the soviet union in 1991, I was about 5 and did not speak a word of English when we landed in NYC. The first school I went to was a tiny brick mess of a school in Brooklyn, there an elderly teacher/aid took me under her wing.

While all of my designated teachers where mean and frustrated by me smiling and nodding at everything they said, she would sit with me in an empty classroom for hours teaching me English and comforting me. She also sparked an intense love of reading and writing in me that has never left to this day! Though I left the school after 3 years I will never ever forget her.

Everybody deserves to have a teachers like her – somebody who believes and supports you no matter what, and no matter the resources or the frustration doesn’t give up on you.

I hope this project wins, no child should ever be denied knowledge and resources.

G

Hey Tim, would need to acknowledge you as a great teacher. The best lesson would be to choose unreasonable goals and plan small.

Mrs Newborn was my best teacher.

She taught us English and Drama, but she also taught us to step out and be vulnerable, to value the contribution of others (no knocking), to cheer for others because it lifted people up. But above all she taught us that life was a gift and enjoying it required declaring yourself in and going for it.

Don’t have an AMEX card but did tweet yr request @eco2oh

Great cause, great initiative and as usual excellent execution.

Dean

Hi Tim.

Thanks for putting out the call to action! What a great way to really get the word out for a very necessary cause. I have updated my Facebook status, wrote a note and put it on Twitter. Then I asked everyone to pass it on.

I really believe in education and wish that more people would make it a priority because funding America’s education today means a better future for EVERYONE!

I had an amazing teacher who started me out right in 1st and 2nd grade – Mrs. S. When people comment on something as simple as my handwriting, I give her all of the credit. She taught me that I could do anything and I still believe that today.

I later had a phenomenal experience in high school that stays with me to this day. It was a high school volunteer trip to Mexico that enabled us to go and build 2 homes for 2 families there. What a huge honor it was to provide homes for these families. That experience really just expanded my heart on a global scale.

And finally, I just recently started volunteering once a week in a underprivileged neighborhood school to help those children who struggle to meet grade level of children their same age. I have been able to arrange my time and schedule to allow me to take time to do something to make a difference for someone else.

So I’ve had amazing teachers and experiences in schools, now it’s my turn to give back to them.

THANKS AGAIN TIM!

Hi Tim.

Thanks for putting out the call to action! What a great way to really get the word out for

a very necessary cause. I have updated my Facebook status, wrote a note and put it on

Twitter. Then I asked everyone to pass it on.

I really believe in education and wish that more people would make it a priority because

funding America’s education today means a better future for EVERYONE!

I had an amazing teacher who started me out right in 1st and 2nd grade – Mrs. S. When

people comment on something as simple as my handwriting, I give her all of the credit. She

taught me that I could do anything and I still believe that today.

I later had a phenomenal experience in high school that stays with me to this day. It was a

high school volunteer trip to Mexico that enabled us to go and build 2 homes for 2 families

there. What a huge honor it was to provide homes for these families. That experience

really just expanded my heart on a global scale.

And finally, I just recently started volunteering once a week in a underprivileged

neighborhood school to help those children who struggle to meet grade level of children

their same age. I have been able to arrange my time and schedule to allow me to take time

to do something to make a difference for someone else.

So I’ve had amazing teachers and experiences in schools, now it’s my turn to give back to

them.

THANKS AGAIN TIM!

Voted!

Updated Facebook and Twitter!

I had a number of incredible teachers growing up. Surprising considering I grew up in a town of 4k. The most influential and amazing of my teachers turned out to be my high school music teacher and choir director (due to the size of the school system, she taught music to both Jr. High and High School, and even grade school for awhile), Roz Strange (pronounced “Strang”). She could make the most rigorous of vocal exercises interesting or fun. She taught us the “why” behind the methods we use to create the sounds we did (good and bad). She wasn’t afraid to make mistakes, and assured us the same was ok of us as well.

She took what kids she could (there were no try-outs) and transformed us into something amazing conquering Handel’s “Messiah” (Hallelujah Chorus).

“Everyone can sing”, she’d say.

I still think of her when I sing these days, even when it’s just to sing my little girl to sleep.

I tweeted, voted with my AmEx card, Dugg it, posted about it on a popular forum, emailed it, and signed up for Stutter and Stutter’d it.

I absolutely love causes that have to do with education. Just like Tim said, education is the answer to every other problem.

Interestingly, I don’t have a favorite teacher/class/school project – and that’s one reason I’m so passionate about this cause. I always did well in school, but I did well because I’m naturally competitive – not because I was ever motivated by a teacher.

One of my good friends and I got to talking and somehow the subject of science came up. I told him I never cared much for science, and he said if I’d learned it “the right way” I’d love it. I asked him what he meant, and he told me about a friend he has who runs her own charter school.

His friend hired an expert to come in one day and give an exciting day-long science lesson on many scientific fundamentals. The expert did it in a fun way, and people could leave the course answering questions such as “What methodology do scientists use to answer questions?” or “How can I prove theories and equations that up until now I’ve only memorized?”

The class was set up to be FUN. It was set to make students understand – deeply and profoundly- what goes on underneath those formulas and equations that other students have to memorize and spit out.

Even though the course was given to 6th and 7th graders, Chad told me I should get a copy of the DVDs that this particular man sells because I’d be able to get just as much out of them as he did (and he’s a very intelligent 31 year old).

Now, Chad and I are not necessarily typical people – we’re constantly reading and trying to learn more. But what about the “average” adult? (I’ve read statistics saying that over 40% of adults don’t pick up another book once they leave college – I know how statistical validity goes, so I’m also basing this on my own personal experience – it seems to be accurate.)

THIS is why I’m so passionate about education. I mean, think about it. These 6th and 7th graders were given ONE COURSE that forever changed the way they see the world. They look at television screens and understand how images come up. They really understand what happened when an apple fell on Newton’s head. You learn things like that and you can’t possibly see the world the same as you did before. This one day… one course… altered the lives of this woman’s students forever. It’s HUGE!

I was going through DonorsChoose and looking at some of the projects, and I was blown away by how plain awesome the teachers were. One particular one that I had to donate to was one in which the teacher wanted to buy visual flash cards for her students because she discovered how well they retained information by using them. I just read a book on superlearning which confirmed that our subconscious filters everything via visuals, and I thought it was SO GREAT that this teacher made that realization and felt it important to bring it to her students.

That’s the kind of stuff I’m talking about – it’s teachers like that who alter people’s lives permanently. This post has gotten so long that I won’t start to get into the benefits of how phenomenal education is for less privileged people – but MAN… this is just such a freaking awesome cause, I love it!

Tim, your blog is quickly becoming a source of stuff I always want to forward to everyone I know! (Oh no I don’t want to be thought of as one of those spammers! But your stuff is always so important I just HAVE to share it!)

Unfortunately, I’m not an AMEX owner, but I Dugg and Stumbled this, added your recommended message to my Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace status messages, and even wrote a personal email to about a dozen family and biz colleagues.

The teacher who has been most influential on my life was my high school French professor, Alec Hodgins. I was in his classes 3 out of 4 years and became pretty close. His teaching helped give me an appreciation for a foreign culture that much of our country is afraid of for some reason. He was an early source of great world music, literature, and life philosophy, and also provided a great deal of travel inspiration for me, just as you have. I was lucky enough to have my first trip abroad on one of his class trips—spending a week with a host family in Cannes and a few days in Paris with classmates. The travel seed was sown! My interest in Thailand was first stoked when he shared about his experience taking his family there for an extended vacation. That interest was reinforced by your advice about geo-arbitrage, the positive experiences of dozens of other friends, and now I’m making it real and going to live abroad in Southeast Asia for the year ahead!

Hi Tim,

Done! Voted, Tweeted, and Facebooked.

Thanks for bringing this cause to the attention of your enlightened readership.

The class that was most inspiring for me came after college. I had the opportunity to teach English at a small rural university in the mountains of Haiti… but truth be told, I was woefully unprepared!

Rather than give up on me… my students helped me improve my Creole, so we could better converse and learn together.

Through a year of teaching, I had only one student absent from one class. Students were up studying by candlelight before dawn to cram for finals… just like in the US I guess, with less Dr. Pepper and pizza.

I’m now on a “mini retirement” in Rio… look forward to comparing notes soon.

Take care,

Brian

Hi Tim,

Long time fan of the 4HWW. I’m continually impressed by how effectively you use your high profile on the web to impact important causes. Let’s get this done.

I signed up on AMEX as a guest, and blasted facebook and twitter to try to get the vote out.

Here’s my thoughts on my education:

Sure, it’s a cliche, but education truly is a lifelong journey. The lessons that I learned from high school teachers almost ten years ago are increasingly clear (and applicable!) as I encounter new experiences and obstacles. I can’t remember a single thing about biology, but my 10th grade science teacher taught me a ton about the right way to conduct myself in the world.

A teacher’s impact isn’t in the material that he or she presents; instead, they act as an incubator for ideas, morals, etc. Aside from (and in concert with) your parents, teachers are the main influence in a young person’s life. Even when you take into account how our crazy society awards risk rather than honest hard work and dedication, it’s still ridiculous that teachers make so little. Not to get into politics, but hopefully that’s something that will change in the next administration.

Hi Tim,

Your challenge prodded me to take action where otherwise I wouldn’t have. So I thank you for that. I just sent an email to 35 of my biggest spheres of influence asking them to vote. I shared my passion for education and how easy it is to make a world of a difference. I posted the link on Facebook and added it to my Facebook status.

Father Malo. Yes, he was a priest. As an incoming freshman to my Catholic high school, Father Malo greeted me with a huge smile and an exuberant personality. His class soon became the favorite part of an otherwise painful freshman year. What truly separated this jovial, middle aged celibate priest apart from my other teachers occured during one 10 minute “lesson”. I remember it vividly to this day. He called on a student in the class and had him sit on a stool in the front of the room. Out of nowhere, Father Malo began to call him names, bully him, and physicall abuse him. Me and my classmates sat there while tears beginning to role down the student’s face. No one in the class knew what was going on. My love towards my teacher were being twisted…I didn’t know what to do, feel, or what the heck was happening. I looked around the class to see what others did as Father Malo called him every bad name in the book. And then my teacher spit on this classmates face. I wanted to melt in my seat out of fear…what should I do, I thought? Then Father Malo turned around to witness a group of shocked faces and told the class that this will be a common scene in high school. He explained that we need to stand up for those who cannot defend themselves. He said that we cannot let bad things happen in front of us, such as what had just occured. In that 5 minute lesson, he taught me more about honor and justice than I have ever experienced thereafter. Father Malo was an example of bravery, passion, and intensity. I still look back on that moment and admire him for his intense desire to teach us, despite breaking every rule in the book. He was a maverick and a leader. He led by example and through experience. I love him for that and will never forget him.

Done. Tweeted, seeded all over Facebook via status and personal messages, text-messaged, emailed, and even got a friend to post a noticeable announcement on his site (www.enterandexcel.com – mine’s a work in progress at the moment). So glad to be able to help make greater opportunities available to kids!

My best teacher was my piano teacher. When I was much younger, my parents worried that I wasn’t practicing the assigned pieces enough. When they asked her about it, she just asked, “Is he playing?” “Well, yeah – he plays all the time.” “Then it’s fine. The important thing is that he’s playing.”

I didn’t find out about that until I was in college, but it was still one of the most profound lessons I have ever been taught – that I don’t have to follow the pack, that it’s okay to find my own way. She taught me to find what is unique to me. As a result, I have performed in such varied places as Milan, Glasgow, Mexico, Los Angeles, and New York. I thank her to this day.

Tim –

Vote complete, and I’ve posted the link to my LinkedIn profile that has these statistics:

Your trusted friends and colleagues – 673

Two degrees away – 109,700+

Three degrees away – 5,161,200+

I would like to dedicate my vote to my high school business law teacher; Gene Longinetti. He was a true NR before his time. He had made millions in real estate (and continues to do so) and became a high school teacher to fulfill a passion he had to share his experiences. I will never forget rolling past the teacher’s parking lot full of beat up Oldsmobiles and Chevrolets and one bad ass Mercedes S-Class. I knew exactly who’s car that was. He wasn’t the 50 year old with a red BMW – he was using techniques of the NR to make coin in real estate while teaching us 16 year old brats. Those were the days of Bud Fox and Gordon Gekko – Mr. Longinetti didn’t need more yachts to water ski behind – he spent his time and energy enabling a new crop of successful students – I was lucky enough to be one of them.

He not only taught us about the law – he taught us the importance of doing what you have a passion for and not wasting time doing work for work’s sake. He ran his classroom that way – I learned the ways of the NR in the 1980’s and have benefited ever since.

Here’s to you, Mr Longinetti – I salute you.

Rob C.

I am going to send this to all the people in my address book and posted it on my linkedin group…As well as call some people on the telephone as this is mission critical and time is short…I grew up in the projects in NYC and went to public school…if it were not for “Free” lunch I wouldn’t have eaten. If it were not for a caring Guidance Counselor who always went above and beyond many times I would not have been able to get home on public transportation. The Guidance Counselor also made sure I knew that I was talented and gifted and I had a great future ahead of me. As a result I graduated ranked #1 in my class of over 1000 students. I was also nominated for a United Federation of Teacher’s scholarship that helped fund my undergraduate college education at Dartmouth. I am eternally grateful for all the support and love and when you support this, you support other people just like me, talented and gifted whose lives will be forever changed. Thank you !

No Amex so no vote from me, but I Tweeted so a few more folks should get the message.

My favorite teacher… that’s a tough one. I’d have to say the one I haven’t met yet because I’m not prepared enough. I’m just trying to learn this life’s lessons so I don’t have to repeat any.

Hey Tim-

Did the usual facebook, myspace, etc. Also sent a mass email out to family members seeing as they are the most affluent people I know and the ones most likely to carry an AMEX card.

I am currently an ESL teacher in Taiwan, and this has inspired me to challenge some of my adult students to participate in this project. Although many people in Asia don’t use credit cards, I believe it will start an interesting dialogue about education in the world. Thanks for spreading the word!

Hey Tim-

Did the usual facebook, myspace, etc. Also sent a mass email out to family members seeing as they are the most affluent people I know and the ones most likely to carry an AMEX card.

I am currently an ESL teacher in Taiwan, and this has inspired me to challenge some of my adult students to participate in this project. Although many people in Asia don’t use credit cards, I believe it will start an interesting dialogue about education in the world. I’ll be sure to post the results on my blog. Thanks for spreading the word!

Tim – I made it in with 4+ hours to spare, and forwarded to my business buds.

The teacher who most influenced me, is the HS history teacher had by all 3 of my sons, who was also the baseball coach for 2 of them. His name is Mike Ludwig, and I am proud to call him my dear friend. I have known him almost 10 years now.

He has helped me to raise these three young men, and instill into them, values which include: hard work ethic, sportsmanship, respect for classmates / teammates and tradition, and a strong drive to win fairly, and to always do the best that one possibly can. Do the work, it’s worth it. Play fair. And a tip of the hat to the student or team who bests you, they helped make you better.

Wish you would take a few minutes to check out, and possibly promote, my cause….

http://www.operationfirstresponse.com/ofr_005.htm. This story will bring tears to your eyes, guaranteed.

Thanks, I know you are busy (as usual)

First, this is an awesome project! My mother is a completely creative public school teacher and she has spent so much of her income to make learning interesting. Can you believe the only supplies she was given one year was 1000 sheets of copy paper!

I posted this on my facebook status, because word of mouth from a person you trust is always the best way to get people to take something seriously. I live in the south where this still works:)

I have had a number of amazing learning experiences but one of the best was in the class of Robert Gallagher. He changed the way I thought about how a class could be taught. I think he had ADD and he had to sustain his interest which sustained ours. First. He never lectured for more that 10 minutes and he let you know exactly how long he would so we could concentrate on his efficient lecturing style. Second. He made us apply everything we learned in the lecture immediately through group work. It could be a discussion, it could be artistic, dramatic, pretty much any way to make us meditate on the ideas. He told us how much time we had and then we would have to report the results to the larger class. Third. He put every worksheet or reading we were going to need for the entire class in one book. What a fantastic idea because he and we always had everything we would ever need for any activity with us–super efficient. (I use this as a teacher) Third. We were always rewarded with a party. Even if it is 10 minutes in 50 you will work really hard for 40 minutes for 10 minutes of fun!

After sharing the link and making it my status on Facebook, I decided to leave a note.

As an educator for five years, I’ve seen the difference that quality materials can make in classrooms and for kids. When kids have nice things (this is one of the few times I’ll cave to that idea), they believe that they are worth it, and their self-confidence leads them to better performance in the classroom. I couldn’t wish for anything better for them.

Hey Tim,

What a great cause! I have notified my group Athletic Body Club on facebook only 6 or 7 hundred people but hey it something right!?

I personally, do not have an American Express! (STUPID IRISH CREDIT CARD) but im sure some of the people on my facebook group have and I told them to pass it on to any that DO have AMEX cards!

I liked the hurl in your blog picture a couple weeks ago! It looked familiar!

I was actually on my FIRST mini retirement (ok I was binge travelling lol) when I bought your book! Got the book in LA airport on the way to Auckland after which I was 4 weeks in Aus and a week in Dubai!

I’m a black belt in TaeKwonDo and international boxer and have competed international loads of time but money and time off work are always a factor that restricts my travelling/training time. . NOT FOR LONG! I have begun working on my muse and I am following your book to a T. Bring on the FHWW ?

Have worked a heap of hours in the past (I’m actually a tradesman/plasterer by trade and have been slaving on a building site since I was 12) and I personal train a few people/athletes in my spare time (possibly not the best utilisation of my degree in sport science haha)

Always wanted to learn MORE German and learn Spanish!

I have never read a book that was that inspiring and opened my mind to all the things I CAN have and WILL have.

—

Bryan Kavanagh

Thanks for caring about public school education and staff, Tim. What a pleasure to read all the inspiring comments (51 at this time) from people given the opportunity to think of teacher.

For 16 years, I was one of those public school teachers/coaches and though I’m not in the “real” classroom any longer, I still am teaching through my various websites. As for my favorite teacher, that’s easy: ANY teacher who genuinely cares about young people deserves our support and encouragement.

Through FB, my blog & my list of 8,300 I shared your request to spread the word. Indeed, these are dark times for many parents, children & public schools. In Florida, the county where I used to teach is down 4300 students in the last two years. It’s easy to think only the inner city schools are at risk, when today almost every public school is at risk. At my 7-year-old son’s grade school, a guidance counselor sadly shared the other day just how large her list has become of parents needing help paying their rent (mortgage payment).

Tim, especially in these darker times for many people, thank you for carrying the torch, lighting our journey and reminding us there’s much more to life than the material “stuff”.

Just a thought,Tim, but wouldn’t it be amazing if instead of awarding 10 lucky winners to a private 30-60-minute call where you allow them to ask you anything in the world that (they) defer, asking you instead if you would do a video (or LIVE 🙂 visit to a classroom (near to you or near where you’re traveling today, this week or this month :), spreading your most positive message to the staff and children?

I would love for EVERY single young person to feel your positive energy.

Thanks to all who make your blog even more special 🙂

Mike

I’ve twittered and facebooked my our request to vote. thank u for bringing the contest to my attention. It feels nice to participate.

I’m lucky to have had a top-notch public school education. Oddly though, there wasn’t one individual teacher that I recall having had an impact on my study habits or my life. My strongest influence came from my parents who would sign my homework (even though the teachers or the school never required it), pay me to do current event articles on the weekend and buy me books as rewards. That said, I did like how frank my high school math teacher was – Mr. Cher who always expressed his disappointment in poor grades and pushed for us all to excel. He’d never curve an exam b/c he knew that 100% was not too much to expect.

I’m an Amex holder so I voted. Then posted the voting instructions on my Twitter site.

My school days started in a small Catholic school in a tiny Mississippi town. In first grade, I had a teacher, Ms. Reagan, who was young, blond…..great looking. She was my science teacher and my male classmates and I sat everyday for one hour listening intently to every word. I learned more science that year than I learned in four years of college!

Voted.

Vote is in. I don’t have a card, but immediately called my mother who does and asked for her card number while assuring her my financial situation is fine 🙂

The most influential teacher in my life was Professor Steven Walker from Brigham Young University who brought literature to life, gave me the confidence to question, and taught me that life experience was more important than academic accomplishment. I’ll always treasure a letter he wrote to my husband and I personally congratulating us on our marriage. A truly gifted teacher who has a passion for teaching.

Thanks for the post,

Cherie

To Whom Is Updating Their Status On Facebook…

You can copy the following so that it fits in the space…

_______ “is clicking here to help give 100,000 students $1.5 million for education. No joke and no exaggeration. http://www.membersproject.com/project/view/V8EWJV”

Be good.

T

Posted on facebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=693074722&ref=profile

First, I would have to mention you as a great teacher, I wouldn’t be on the blog if I didn’t read the book… everything after reading 4HWW is owed to your writing as the catalyst.

My greatest teacher is my mother. I had many great experiences and individuals throughout elementary, secondary and collegiate schooling, but far and away I learned the most and experienced the best from her. She was always around and always had an active interest; she couldn’t fail.

Eventually she became a teacher herself (she actually finished her degree at Arizona State the year I was a freshman there), so she had a knack for it.

I agree with you in your thinking that societies ills will only be solved in the long term through education.

I also would say that the greater hope would be if we all could work less, more parents could be their child’s best teacher.

Thanks for your work,

Brian

I changed my facebook status and sent an email to close friends and family reminding them that if Los Angeles doesn’t support it’s schools we can get ready for huge crimewaves.

Then I went on to explain that I’d have to move in with them, kids in tow.

(also had to do this using ie, you site crashed my firefox)

Dear Tim, I _really_ hope you get the necessary votes!

I did everything I could do!

1) Made an adwords campaign! http://cvk.ca/tmp/ad.png [Someone actually clicked on it while I was writing this post] 1) Changed Facebook Status 2) Tweeted about it 3) Told a few close friends explicitly 4) Changed Windows Messenger Status 5) Changed GTalk status 6) Changed Yahoo Messenger Status 7) I tried to looking for my floormate who has a decent sized blogged, but he’s out of town 🙁

I think the education system has so much potential, and that we’re undervaluing the effect it has on our children and society! There’s so much research we could be applying to improve our schools. For example, studies have shown that teaching Esperanto can significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to acquire secondary languages, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaedeutic_value_of_Esperanto. I envision schools which base their curriculum off of hard data and experimentation =)

My grade 12 French inspired me about romance, philosophy & culture. At the time, I was deeply involved in robotics, software engineering and mathematics, and I didn’t really care about his french class – I often would just ignore his lessons and settle for passing marks.

He never took it personally though, he respected me for who I was, and started actually showing interest in my hobbies! I showed him some of the robotics that I was working on and he was completely astounded and said I was going to be very successful in life.

However, then he started to surprise me! He had this amazing passion for french and french culture, and I couldn’t help but be dawn in to his world. One class, he brought in his guitar and played bilingual love songs and sung! Another class, he had recently watched his wife give birth, and he told us the entire story! Including how he broke out crying after delivery, it was very beautiful.

Through his eyes, I started seeing a completely different perspective to life, a view far more romantic, passionate, and lively. I think he’s responsible for some major decisions I’ve made recently, including to do a lot of traveling and explore culture. And traveling has -completely- changed me =)

I still go back to visit him when I came. He now has 2 kids =) I don’t think he’s ever going to be anyone ‘famous’ but he’ll always have affected his students and me.

Good luck Tim, best wishes!!

I have updated and pointed as many people as I can to the link. I will try to push as many people to vote.

I Loved every day in school and quite possibly every single teacher made school better and gave me something to think about. I can remember a few of them but can always thank all of them.

Love the site and still reading the book.

Tim I came up with a website idea to spread the word. Check it out.

BONUS:

The greatest teacher I have ever had lives by the name of Ildefonso Gonzales. His professional teaching and his views on life taught me lessons that a book, school, or teacher will never teach you. I live my daily life through one of his quotes:

“Si intentas y fracasas, segui intentando. El unico fracaso es cuando dejas de intentar.”

“If you try and fail, keep trying. The only true failure is when you stop trying.”

Enjoy!

-Carlos

Hi Tim,

I am glad that you are supporting a worthy cause. I have voted and posted on my facebook wall and notified all friends. I have passed this information on to my wife and she is campaigning as I write this.

I think my best memory from grade school was the Desert Winds Steel Drum Band. It was a very unique program that our school music teacher put together and funded himself.At the time, I remember thinking that there must be nothing like it in the whole world.

I have kids of my own now and they certainly have a number of great programs but nothing that exotic. It was really interesting considering the music room was a trailer in the desert and here we were playing this tropical styled uplifting music surrounded by dirt, dust devils and saguaro cactus.

Anyway, I would really like to participate in the phone interview! After reading your book I liberated myself from 45-50 hrs a week to 20hrs by taking contract position (wohoo 1099). Now I am working on automation efforts. FYI – I noticed that you are speaking in SF on Oct 25th. Any chance you would give a jobless guy a free ticket?

If not, I am willing to take the Karma goodness and run with that. Keep up the good work.

-Robert.

Now, on to the bonus points 🙂

So I have personally had several inspirations in my life and I would like to share just two of my mentors here with you.

1.Randall Card: This man was my Information Systems Technology teacher 3 of my 4 years in high school. On the first day of class he said “I am supposed to teach you technology. Because this school does not specifically tell me what I am supposed to teach you in the fields of technology, then I will interpret that neglect as an opportunity to make my own lesson plan as we go.” He continued by defining for us (all guys) the term “Technology”. TECHNOLOGY: The use of tools to simplify one’s life.

He said, “this does not necessarily mean mechanical or physical tools, so emotional and cognitive tools are included. Let us go over all the simple tools really quick: “Lever, Inclined Plane, Wheel & Axel, Screw, Wedge & Pulley”. He handed us a 2 page breakdown of all the 6 simple tools and told us to read it for homework. Then he said “Now we can move on to the intellectual tools and if anyone asks, you already learned the 6 most common tools and their applications on the first day of class.”

His first ‘real’ lesson was to write a quote on the board. He said “I will write a tool on this board every day at the beginning of class and you will all get 10 minutes to digest it before we discuss it for the remaining 80 minutes.” His first quote:

“Give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, he’ll eat forever”

This first 5 minutes struck a controversial, deep and everlasting chord with me and I haven’t been the same since. Every day of class continued the same, and some even had us get really emotional as we accepted the new pieces of wisdom like a foreign medical object in a hospital.

I have gone back to my high school and looked up Randal Card all over the place, but I cannot find him. I wish I could tell him 5 years late how much he has helped me.

2. Terry McGonigle: My senior year of high school, I still hadn’t tried anything extracurricular other than the extremely informal but fun *cough cough* chess club *cough cough*.

Because my father has been an actor since before I was born, and he has been in many major hits, I decided maybe I could try my hand at theatre.

I had always been afraid and intimidated by the theatre teacher who was at our school before Terry. She had won our school 8 consecutive state championships (GA) in theatre, but all the student actors seemed like the Jackson 5 with the amount of pressure they endured.

I had to choose an elective for senior year so I chose theatre based on the fact that there was a new teacher who would teach the other half of the classes so our previous teacher could focus on the championships.

I met Mr. McGonigle on the first day of class and he and I hit it off pretty quick. He was funny and I was a funny senior ready to be a class clown. After he saw my urge to participate in something he asked me to be the lead role in his play which had already been cast with 45 actors who had experience. I was shocked, but I took the role and the other teacher got so upset at him and me when she found out someone without experience was the lead role. I studied relentlessly for 2 months before our first play and was a nervous wreck. I went on with the show and after our 3rd performance I was on fire. We did 11 performances that year and I formed a tight bond with McGonigle, but none of the people I worked with on the play. This may seem sad, but the lesson here is, if you truly want to do something, sometimes you really do not even need the proper credentials or promotional following to do it. Sometimes you can slip right in just because you are the right person and destiny aligned. Also, when you get there, you may only leave with the experience. I could have left with 45 new friends, but they had been doing this stuff their whole lives and were jealous that I made it ahead of them. Also, I was on another level, I wanted to leave high school with a few very close friends instead of 45 distant friends, which is what they were to each other. I still talk to almost all of my real close friends to this day and I accept when we venture our different ways.

I think to not let someone go the path that their heart takes them is inhumane and also very very common. I feel that enabling fervent young mentors to educate the younger leaders of the world is a way to build a Utopian society, or a greater focus on the needs and honest wants of the common good. I want badly to be a part of something big, even if nobody knows I’m involved, I want to help each child individually, and I feel that a close brother or sister like figure would be the ideal patron for that cause.

Thank you Tim for the awesome opportunities and I pray I can impact education, children, and the lives of others in the way you and several others have impacted me.

Thanks all!

Jeremiah Smith