"Do right. Do your best. Treat others as you want to be treated."- Lou Holtz

Sometimes, authors and teachers can acquire topics to write about and discuss in the most unlikely places. Such is my topic today!

I have the good fortune to live just a few miles from a little post office in Ingomar, PA, which is in the north hills area of Pittsburgh, PA.  When I published my first book 15 months ago, Student Teaching: The Inside Scoop from a Master Teacher, I was sending out quite a few promo copies to colleges and universities.  I used 3 other local post offices until I walked into the Ingomar Post office.  After my initial encounter with the people in this post office, I will only mail my packages, books and letters with Ingomar Postmaster Mark Wahl, and the other two staff members Dave Werthman and Carol Milnes; and I am only one of hundreds of patrons who feel allegiance to these three individuals.  In fact, when I was there on December 22 for an impromptu books signing outside the office, Mark had arranged to greet the last minute customers with live music, cupcakes, cookies, and soda.  Many people simply stopped by to drop off Christmas cards, lottery tickets, and home-baked goods to their favorite trio of postal workers. 

So, now you are thinking: what kind of place must the Ingomar Post Office be to inspire such loyalty from customers?  And how can I apply their magic formula to my classroom or business? 

Special is a word that is so overused, so I will describe the post office and its atmosphere as unique.  I know that Disney World is supposed to be the happiest place in America, but I must tell you that the Ingomar Post office runs a close second. Customers are greeted with a daily cute joke or pun which posted on a dry erase board.  Every patron is also a friend, and just like the TV show "Cheers", Mark, Dave, and Carol know everyone's name. The old-fashioned mailboxes are still along the wall, and cheerful greeting cards are on a rounder, offering a few fun minutes while waiting in line.  If a person walks in as a stranger, he walks out as a friend.  All three employees exude friendliness and kindness, as well as a sincere interest in their clients.  The fact that Mark, Dave, and Carol are real people, with no pretenses, doing the best job they can in the most cheerful way possible, is what makes this tiny post office so much fun.  Even when long lines are out the door, people don't complain,
because they know that they will be treated with kindness and respect, as well as humor, when it is their turn at the counter. 

Being at the Ingomar Post Office is like stepping back in time, when life was slower and when owners of mom and pop stores knew their customers and their community.  When I was a little girl, my mother would send me to the corner store for a loaf of bread.  The owners knew my family and me, by name, and they even knew even my age.  They would ask about the health of my parents, and I would walk home, after providing exact change for that loaf of bread.  Shopping for that loaf of bread was a very satisfying transaction, from the welcome to the conversation. The atmosphere of the Ingomar Post Office allows patrons to have that same kind of experience as adults.  It is a pleasure to walk into the post office and to enjoy the service and friendliness of an era which is gone, but not forgotten.

What can classroom teachers, and even business people learn from the tiny hole in the wall that is the Ingomar Post Office?  My answer is simple and direct. 
*Put the best YOU forward. 
*Look students or customers in the eye.
*Be your authentic self. 
*Establish positive relationships through conversations, even small talk.
*Do the best you can do every day on the job, whatever the job may be, and  complete your work with grace and humor.  
*Make students/customers feel that they are important, and that you are happy to see them.

The Ingomar Post Office has won many awards.  I have posted some pictures below, including a shot of the Post Office Cup (sort of the Stanley Cup for the USPS) and you will see that all of the patrons lined up to get photos with The Cup!  A picture of some of the hundreds of CONGRATULATIONS awards, as well as pictures of Mark and Dave and Carol are also included.  I am thrilled that my two books, along with the book of my former student Jill Cueni-Cohen, are on the shelf in a place of honor for all patrons to see.  

Kudos to the Ingomar Post Office, for being the happiest post office I know!  And kudos to Mark, Dave, and Carol, for humor, diligence, respect, caring, and kindness. Their positive attitudes set a great example for others every day, and good attitudes are contagious!  

Our books on the shelf at the Ingomar Post Office

Dave and Carol 

Awards 

Pictures of patrons with The Cup!!

Dave, Elvis, Mark

Grady is LOVED - by Dave! 

As always, I welcome your comments or suggestions. 

Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books.  Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self.  However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired! 

Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book.  I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading.  Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com .  The website www.gradygetsglasses.com IS UP AND

RUNNING!!!.  Signed copies ARE available!   

Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl 

Connect with Dede!

Twitter       @dederittman
Periscope   @dederittman
Facebook   Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules
LinkedIn   Dede Rittman
Google +   Dede Rittman
Tumblr      The Bunny Teacher
Instagram   dede_rittman 
Pinterest   Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Visit Dede's webpage for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER.  Signed copies are available 
www.dederittman.com 

Dede is the co-host of The Total Education Q & A, which can be heard on Blogtalk Radio at

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/totaltutor

"Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value." ~ Albert Einstein

Nothing pleases a teacher quite as much as working with students to guide them toward success, and then discovering years later that they have, indeed,  become successful.  I adored both teaching and my students, and I never knew that my love for my students and my passion for teaching would come back to me full circle through the success of so many students!  Dozens of my former colleagues at North Allegheny were also my former students; a VERY big deal to me!  I continue to be so proud of each of those teachers, and so many other former students who are doctors, lawyers, business people, CEO's, great parents, golf professionals, entrepreneurs, and even on Broadway!  I am thrilled for them all!

I recently reconnected with a former student who is not only a respected journalist, but she is also an award-winning author. Jill Cueni-Cohen (whom I knew as Jill Cohen when she was in 10th grade Academic English class - by the way, a talented writer, even then) was assigned to interview  me a few months ago regarding my book for teachers, Student Teaching: The Inside Scoop from a Master Teacher.  At the start of the phone interview, Jill said "I am so excited for this interview!  You were my TEACHER!"  I replied "Is this my Jill Cohen with a new name?"  We chatted for over an hour, met for dinner a few times, and even worked together for the Total Education Network, covering the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA, on the anniversary of 9/11 in September. We conducted heart-wrenching interviews of family members of those whose lives were lost on the day, and cried together during those conversations.  For those who do not know us, Jill and I are very outgoing, and we made many new contacts when we were together for those 3 days.  One of our new friends met us and commented on our dual power and energy, telling us  that we were like "fire and an explosion!"  Jill's passion for investigating and writing have made her award winning book Like it Was Yesterday: A Journalist's Files Since 9/11 a must-read. Unlike other books about 9/11, Jill's book delves into the changes in the American lifestyle that have occurred since that tragic day.  (Available at: http://amzn.com/0976472910

The book is also on sale at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA )  I am so proud of Jill and all of her successes in parenting, writing, and life.

The Jill/Dede "fire and an explosion" enjoyed a book signing together on Saturday, December 19, at Kelly O's Restaurant in Pittsburgh's Strip District.  As usual, the diner was packed, (GREAT food and a really fun atmosphere) and hundreds of people streamed in and out of the restaurant as we sold and signed books in the lobby.  As if witnessing Jill's success was not enough, I must share with you that the owner of the restaurant, Kelly O'Connor, is also my former student, in the same class as Jill - North Allegheny, Class of 1983. Kelly has also enjoyed more than a modicum of success, as she owns two great restaurants, and has even been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the Food Network. ( http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/haluski-at-kelly-os-0128304.html  and 
http://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/diners-drive-ins-and-dives/500/regional-classics.html ) Kelly O's is a Pittsburgh institution - in North Hills and in the Strip District. Kelly's service to others extends far beyond cooking and customers.  As Kelly O, the woman behind the business, she sponsors toy drives for the needy and participates in dozens of charitable activities. Her two restaurants are truly a part of the Pittsburgh community. 

What a GREAT morning- the teacher and her two former students, each enjoying, promoting, and celebrating the successes of the other two. Kelly hugged me and said "I KNEW that someday, sometime, we would reconnect, because you had such a profound influence on my life all those years ago.  I am so happy that you are here!"  Kelly is a Pittsburgh superstar, a great parent, and a smart businessperson, and she was happy that I was there!  Very touching! 

I, too, am so happy - and grateful - that I have reconnected with two terrific former students, 13 years my junior, who were delightful kids in tenth grade,  and became superior adults. I am so grateful to see that they have made good choices and  that both have flourished. I love that they both value other people, and that their lives have made such a difference in their service to others; through writing, cooking, and caring.  I am humbled that they think I provided a bit of positive influence in their lives.  I am so pleased to bond with Jill and Kelly once more, as friends, and to celebrate the adults they have become, as well as the successes they have earned.  As I said at the beginning of this post, nothing pleases a teacher like knowing that her students have become successful- in business, in life, in relationships, and becoming good people.  Helping students to become the best they can be is the preeminent part of being a teacher.

As always, I welcome your comments or suggestions. 

Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books.  Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self.  However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired! 

Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book.  I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading.  Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com .  The website www.gradygetsglasses.com IS UP AND

RUNNING!!!.  Signed copies ARE available!   

Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl 

Connect with Dede!

Twitter       @dederittman
Periscope   @dederittman
Facebook   Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules
LinkedIn   Dede Rittman
Google +   Dede Rittman
Tumblr      The Bunny Teacher
Instagram   dede_rittman 
Pinterest   Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Visit Dede's webpage for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER.  Signed copies are available 
www.dederittman.com 

Dede is the co-host of The Total Education Q & A, which can be heard on Blogtalk Radio at

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/totaltutor

Saturday, December 19, at Kelly O's in Pittsburgh Strip District.  L to R - Jill Cueni-Cohen, Kelly O'Connor, Dede Rittman  

"Empathy is a skill like any other human skill. If you get a chance to practice, you can get better at it." - Prof. Simon Baron Cohen

Although I am now working as a writer, speaker, and entrepreneur, I do not think I will ever be able to stop being the teacher I was for 37 years.  The adage. "Once a teacher, always a teacher" could be my mantra, and I am OK with that.  I sill LOVE teaching!

I find my inspiration for writing these weekly posts in everyday living, stories of the past, the media, and from friends.  I like  sharing a truth or experience from my own life, or sometimes, teaching a lesson.  I have written many times in the past about both kindness and empathy, and I think I found exactly the right story to puts those two qualities in perfect sync. 

Perhaps you have seen the story on the news about the 8 year old girl from Schenectady, NY, named Sa'fyre Terry who lost her entire family in a fire, and she herself, was badly burned and disfigured from the fire. She even lost a hand and a foot to infections from her numerous reconstructive surgeries; and she recently had a tracheal tube removed so that she can speak again.  Sa'fyre lives with her aunt, who has become her guardian.  The aunt bought a Christmas card tree for her at a thrift store,  and Sa'fyre asked if, perhaps, she might receive enough cards to fill the tree if her aunt posted her picture and her special wish for Christmas cards on Facebook.

The response to Sa'fyre's request has been nothing short of earth-shattering! Albany News 10 reported that a two-ton tractor trailer truck delivered over 18,000 cards and letters and 400 packages to the little girl - her mail for one day!  As I read through the various reports on Sa'fyre, I found that many classroom teachers made writing letters and cards to the young burn victim into a class project.  I applaud those teachers, as I do believe that empathy can and must be taught.  In our computer-driven and fast-paced world, it is important for children (and adults) to stay connected to other human beings, and this little girl provided the impetus for teachers to share some important lessons. Classroom teachers made lesson plans for their students by sharing Sa'fyre's story; helping the students to feel her pain and sense of aloneness (her father died while attempting to save her, and all of her siblings died in the fire); and further stirring students' feelings of empathy by presenting and discussing the idea of losing all of one's family members and possessions. Additionally, these teachers taught the lesson of kindness, as they had their students reach out to young Sa'fyre through their sincere words and handmade cards, all with the purpose of comforting the little girl. If I were still in the classroom, I would have taken time out of class time to share these kinds of teachable moments. I hope the teachers also talked about the wonderful feeling that happens inside a person when reaching down to help someone up! 

Sa'fyre has already received teddy bears, handmade jewelry, a tiara, stuffed animals, books, and more. I must confess that I was so taken with this story that I sent Sa'fyre a funny reindeer card along with a copy of my new book, GRADY GETS GLASSES.  I hope the rhymes and the rabbit will lift her spirits- just like writing her a note and sending it to her lifted mine!  Her address is Sa'fyre Terry  P.O. Box 6126 Schenenctady, NY  12306


I am so happy to share this story of empathy, kindness, hope, and inspiration with you during this holiday season. 

If you would like to see more about 8 year old Sa'fyre, follow these links:  

http://abcnews.go.com/US/girl-lost-family-fire-christmas-cards-presents/story?id=35675085

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-safyre-terry-christmas-cards-20151212-story.html 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/09/us/girl-arson-christmas-cards-feat/ 

As always, I welcome your comments or suggestions. 

Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books.  Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self.  However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired! 

Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book.  I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading.  Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com .  The website www.gradygetsglasses.com IS UP AND RUNNING!!!.  Signed copies ARE available!   

Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl 

Connect with Dede!

Twitter       @dederittman
Periscope   @dederittman
Facebook   Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules
LinkedIn   Dede Rittman
Google +   Dede Rittman
Tumblr      The Bunny Teacher
Instagram   dede_rittman 
Pinterest   Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Visit Dede's webpage for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER.  Signed copies are available 
www.dederittman.com 

Dede is the co-host of The Total Education Q & A, which can be heard on Blogtalk Radio at
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/totaltutor

“What this world needs is a new kind of army – the army of the KIND.” – Cleveland Amory

Although December in the Christian world is the season of Advent and peace and goodwill toward men, turn on the news and you will see hate and fear, death and anger.  I am here today to share a happy and poignant story about kindness, because you need and deserve it!  As for me, I feel great writing about something that is both happy and touching. 

If you are the parent or teacher or sibling of a child with special needs, you know that more than anything, that child wants to be included and be accepted as "one of the gang."  A very special football coaching staff and all of the teams in the  Eastern Panhandle Youth Football League in Martinsburg, West Virginia, make a dream come true for 9 year old Shariff Williams during every single game.

Shariff has been diagnosed with both autism and Tourette's Syndrome.  Both he and his twin brother Malachi were born prematurely, and doctors were not even sure that Shariff would live, let alone, walk or talk.  Shariff LOVES football, and he wanted to play the game on the Panthers team with his brother. The coaches not only made that happen, but players from the opposing team know that on the first play after halftime, Shariff will be handed the football, and they know that number 6 is not be tackled on his run to the goal line. In their efforts to give a player and his family a special moment during each game, the coaches have taught lessons of helpfulness, caring, and acceptance to not only the Panthers, but also to the entire youth football conference, the parents, the spectators, and the community. 

And isn't that a great lesson to share?  And it all started with one little boy who just wanted to play football on the field with his twin brother.

I know that times are difficult right now, and that fear and hostility surround us as Americans.  I urge you not to let either of those qualities define you as a person.  Instead, let's look for the good and celebrate the positive.  We can all be a little kinder, and kindness can make someone's day. Let's take a moment to appreciate the small things that make life living, as well as the "little-big" things that can change a person's life. . . things like allowing a 9 year old who was never supposed to run or talk to play football with his twin brother, and even to score a touchdown during every game.

Take a look at this clip and the big smiles from the whole family, especially Shariff and Malachi. !  And I guarantee a smile for you as well. 
http://www.today.com/news/twin-autism-forms-special-bond-brother-football-field-t59691

As always, I welcome your comments or suggestions. 

Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books.  Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self.  However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired! 

Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book.  I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading.  Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com .  The website www.gradygetsglasses.com IS UP AND RUNNING!!!.  Signed copies ARE available!   

Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl 

Connect with Dede!

Twitter       @dederittman
Periscope   @dederittman
Facebook   Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules
LinkedIn   Dede Rittman
Google +   Dede Rittman
Tumblr      The Bunny Teacher
Instagram   dede_rittman 
Pinterest   Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Visit Dede's webpage for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER.  Signed copies are available 
www.dederittman.com 

Dede is the co-host of The Total Education Q & A, which can be heard on Blogtalk Radio at
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/totaltutor