Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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The moment I have been waiting for since my junior year of high school is almost here-student teaching. Starting Jan. 5, I will be Mr. Rudloff, student teacher at Lincoln Public Schools for Beattie Elementary, teaching third grade and kindergarten/first grade special education. There were some moments where I felt like this day would never come. Now that the day is practically here, I cannot help but feel anxious - yet excited - about the upcoming experience. While I am confident in my content...
Early on this summer, I was faced with one of the most difficult decisions of my young adult life thus far. For the past two years, while at college, I was employed by an organization that essentially provided for my basic needs while at school. The employment was a great deal that provided me with a generous amount of financial compensation in return for my labor and efforts. And, in complete honesty, I loved what I did for my job. The organization continually told me how much I was valued and...
When I entered my senior year of high school, I knew I wanted to pursue a degree in education. I was adamant that I wanted to complete an endorsement in elementary education. However, I waivered on other endorsement areas to add to my degree program. As I ventured through my senior year, I constantly fought the internal battle of choosing an endorsement in early childhood education or special education. At that time, I had the opportunity to be a teacher’s assistant in the preschool classroom an...
A couple of months ago, I found a saying that spoke to me. I do not know if or where I found, saw or heard the saying, but it resonated with me. I quickly jotted it down in my phone, accompanied with other ideas; I knew I would return to utilize the phrase soon. As I was trying to decide what to write about, I scrolled through the notes on my phone and the saying resurfaced. “No one can take away from you what you put in your own mind.” Upon further research, this saying is part of a larger quo...
Around a month ago, I got a much needed haircut. The day before my appointment, I mentioned it in passing to the residence life office assistant as I picked up the mail. I disclosed that it was my first time getting my haircut at this place, so the end result could be interesting. The office assistant replied with a statement along the lines of, “Well, they say there is nothing more honest than a child or a drunk.” After a quick chuckle, I realized how accurate that statement was -more so about...
The ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions is the definition of the adjective resilient. Since March, resiliency has been shown on many levels, at many ages and in many different situations. Whether being released from a job, experiencing financial struggles, sent home from school, forced to homeschool, battling an illness or standing by someone’s side as they fight an illness, nothing has been easy. Since March, life as we know it has been turned upside down, s...
I do not consider myself a conservative and I do not consider myself a liberal - I do not identify as either. I see myself as a person for humanity who believes in doing what is right and finding the good in people. I believe people have different views, perspectives and ideas that make them unique. None of these ideas are right or wrong. People come from different backgrounds and that needs to be celebrated and embraced. It may be difficult to understand, but learn about them, ask questions,...
Antelope County Ag Society members approved continuing plans for the 2020 Antelope County Fair during Monday’s regular meeting, in Neligh. Directors agreed to let 4-H and FFA events to be held on the grounds, but participants will be required to sign a waiver. Fair entertainment, including bull riding, concert and demolition derby, are still scheduled at this time. However, a decision on those events will be made in the future, depending on directed health measures released later this month. T...
Recently, a friend shared a video with me they were required to watch for class. With little explanation, I clicked the link, which directed me to a Ted Talk titled, “Why does it take so long to grow up today?” The video begins by spewing statistics comparing milestones young people experience from today to 50 years ago. Marriage, children, education and other relatable milestones are compared in the video. As expected, ages where these milestones are reached from 50 years ago to the pre...
“Being negative and critical is easy, showing positivity and maintaining a positive mindset is where the real work begins.” These were words I used in an interview at the beginning of the month. When applying for a promotion for an administrative role in residence life at college, I was asked how I would maintain motivation and help motivate my resident assistants for the upcoming year. Without hesitation, I responded with, “Maintaining a positive mindset ...” It was the core concept I relied...
The art of woodworking has experienced an industrial transition that calls for work to be fast, seamless and reproducible. However, when this becomes the primary focus of what should be an art, the personality and story is lost behind each finalized product. While reproducible, cheap furniture is an industry demand, Clearwater is home to a business that works against the grain and provides a unique, quality product for the area communities. Clearwater Custom Cabinets, owned by Allan Drudik, can...
To freely offer to do something. This short phrase-volunteer-describes the one action that many organizations, businesses and communities rely on to ensure the successful outcomes for their vested interest. In this particular definition, the reader easily assumes "freely" describes the act where no money is exchanged to reimburse the individual for his or her time, knowledge or energy. However, shouldn't the word freely also describe the willingness and self-efficacy to enjoy and complete the...
Sitting down in your favorite chair next to a warm, crackling fire in the fireplace enjoying a good, intellectually stimulating book is a form of relaxation. Well, in today's world, that book is commonly replaced with a phone, tablet or other electronic device, playing a mind-numbing game of Candy Crush or an application with a similar objective. When considering this, has reading become an activity of the past? The skill of reading, which used to be a sign of knowledge and education, is...
When I submitted my column this past month, I presented the piece to one of my education professors to receive her input. As luck had it, the dissertation she spent three years researching and writing for her doctoral program focused on the transition from high school to college. Furthermore, her research focused on college freshman not being legitimately prepared for the academic struggles college presents. As she read through my article, she circled questions I presented in my writing that...
After I graduated in 2018, I worked in the Antelope County Extension office the summer before my freshman year of college. Since I just graduated high school, I figured it would be a seamless transition from going to school for eight hours a day to working for that same period of time. That thought could not have been farther from reality. I attended the same high school as my mom. Even though there is 22 years between our graduation dates, the school looks fairly similar from her graduation...
I have watched, listened, and examined the Ted Talk, "Every Kid Needs a Champion" by Rita Pierson, at least 50 times. It may be the nerdy teacher in me, but I like to evaluate every piece of information the seasoned educator with a doctoral degree has to offer. The core message Pierson offers is the crafting of relationships is key to success in not only the classroom, but in any child's life. This message can be taken further than the four brick walls of the schoolhouse. Relationships are all...
Fourteen years ago, I remember sitting at the top of our long gravel lane that hugs the side of the Royal Road. I was sitting in the passenger seat of Dad's beat up, white 1999 Dodge pickup. I eagerly waited for Terry to pick me up in that big yellow bus with the number '96' stuck to the side. That bus would drive the short eight miles to town and deposit me at the front doors of Clearwater Public School. I would eagerly enter the building, wait in line, and go directly into Miss Grebin's...
