The Secret of Success

[Greg Newton]

What is the nature of success? How do you define it? Is it a job well done, or is it a goal achieved? Is it a combination of them both?

Ater a very stressful six or so weeks with little sleep, I am finally though with the S.C. SkillsUSA competitions for this year. I spent a lot of hours working with kids during and after school to prepare them to compete. Along with that I have had to organize four of the contests behind the scenes, talking with potential judges, setting up scoring rubrics, scrounging equipment and resorces, while trying to be fair and equitable. Lori also helped me by cooking chile everyweek to help sell hotdogs to raise money for competition.

This year, my students took Gold in CRJ, CPR/First Aid, Prepared Speech and surprise of surprises, Firefighting. We took silver in Prepared Speech, Extemporaneous Speaking, Job Skill Demo, and Firefighting. We also took a bronze in CPR/First Aid. Nine of twelve students medalled. It is very rare for one instructor to have so many medal winners.

I especially take pride in the medals for public speaking which is open to all professional skills, not just CRJ students. I take pride in this because even though I am a certified teacher, I only have a two year criminal justice degree and was told in high school I didn't have what it took for college. I was also told that hotel management might be a good career for me.:angry:

So what is my secret in training young people for state and national competitions? I throw my heart over the bar. I depend on the Lord, I work like a dog, and I go the distance. I give of myself. I also look at the prize. This isn't about winning. This is about training these young people for skills in the work place and for life. This is about giving these young people the kind of schooling that you don't find in a textbook, although I emphasize that too.

So what are YOU waiting for? What goals do you have? Do you do your chosen work as if unto the Lord? What are you empassioned about?

Tonight I am going to enjoy a well deserved rest. I am going to eat pizza and icecream and maybe enbibe a rare glass of wine. Tommorrow is another day to keep moving foward. I've neglected my body some with little sleep and eating fast food, but it is time to hit the hammer hard and get into some really fantastic shape.

You see I have few passions in my life. First is the Lord. Two are my wife and child. Three are my students at school. Fourth is my passion for Transformetrics, one I've put on the backburner for a few weeks. It is time to show some folks, even for a guy like me who is already fairly built, just how much more Transformetrics can do. How about you?

Greg Newton

[Dr. success]

Greg,

That's a very uplifiting post. You remind me of Sydney Potier in To SIr WIth Love. Teaching kids is one of the most important jobs in the world.

[GB]

Greg,

Good Job - congratulations.

GB

[MikeNY]

Greg congradulations, your true success is being a good man, father and teacher in life; you have have a good heart. Success is usually lots of hard work and disciplne.

[John Peterson]

Greg My Brother,

I'm thrilled for you. And I am equally thrilled for your students. The truth is, your students are blessed to have a distinct advantage, YOU! YOU, my friend have a passion that brings out the best in all the students you have contact with and because of that, and their love for you Greg, your students want to succeed and in a sense, give back to you. If this were not the case there is no way that 75% of your students would 'medal,' BUT THEY DID. And one big factor is that they did not want to disappoint you, Mr. Newton. Believe me, because of who you are and what you have done you have set your students on the path of lifelong success. Congratulations my friend.May God continue to bless your efforts.

---John Peterson

[April]

Successful students are the product and the reward of great teachers. CONGRATULATIONS!

Whatever you were told about your abilities in high school just goes to show that guidance counselors don't know everything. There are a lot of reasons kids don't perform well in high school, including that they are just plain bored. Whatever you are doing now as a teacher, you obviously have the ability to motivate your students.

[Johnny]

Congratulations on your accomplishements Greg!

[JoeJustice]

Magnificent!

Congratulations, Greg! Its really great to know there are still some good teacher out there. There is a lot of wrong with my generation, but as long was we have teachers like you who have care and patients, we'll be alright.

I'll raise my glass to you and your students.

Enjoy your rest, you earned it,
-Joe

[Greg Newton]

Thanks Guys,

The rest was all too brief. Today we started making the prepartions for Nationals in June. I think I started something last year. All of our instructors have caught the fire. We had a variety of medalists from ten different programs. We had ten gold, ten silver and five bronze - way above any other Career and Technology Center in S.C.. Five of our instructors will be taking students to Nationals. What myself and the Mechatronics teacher next door want to prove is that it was no accident we had students medalling at Nationals last year. That is the next challenge. We are also inspiring other instructors around the state to raise the bar.

Three years ago at the dinner we had for the S.C. delegation at Nationals, the S.C. Skills USA Director told us that we needed to get out of the mindset that we would bring students to compete but to not win. Last year we decided to put S.C. on the map, and we did. The trick, once again, is to prove it wasn't a fluke.

Greg

[tom]

Good job, Greg. I admire your work.

I hope you enjoyed your ice cream and . . . . . wine?

I think you're a little off there - you're supposed to mix it with 7-Up, not ice cream.

Tom

[JoeJustice]

Cutting wine with soda?? Your wife making your drinks for you, Tom?

-Joe
:rotfl:

[tom]

Hey, don't laugh at my college education. I observed some of the finest frats in the country.

Tom

[JoeJustice]

I am kind of snickering at the idea of Greg having a wine a cheese party. I find out he's effete wine drinker and all this time I thought he good 'ol boy :beer:

-Joe

[Greg Newton]

Allright, allright, I'll admit it. I opted for a Heiniken with my pizza instead of wine.:beer:

Also, lest anyone raise an eyebrow because of my Christian beliefs, I do drink the occasional beer or glass of wine, but only on rare occasions.

Too, thanks Tom. Coming from an educational professional that is high praise.

Greg

[JoeJustice]

I knew it! I knew my buddy Greg wasn't a wine swiller!

Personally, I'm a big fan of beer :beer: And have yet to find a contradiction with that an Christianity. But with that said, I'm not a drunkard. Some people associate all drinking with drunkenness.

Alas, I digress. I've taken this thread way off topic! :act-up:

-Joe

P.S. I actually enjoy wine too.

[DT man]

Big Time Congrats, Greg.

You have proven that dedication to a goal and clean living are successful and productive virtues. Your success with your studients duplicates your success in physical training. Many now say, your photos put Atlas to shame and I agree! Just as impressive is your results in guiding students to success in multi discipilne instruction. You loom large as proof positive that the priciples set forth in the Atlas course and refined here by John in Transformetrics, are beneficial to all aspects of personal success. And I might add, your goal of improving others is the highest goal one can achieve. Your students will remember you for the rest of their lives, as the one who led then to a success levels that benefitted thier future. In spite of all the religious leaders who now preach the "holy way". Your dedicated, successful efforts in helping others to a higher level of achievement, is truely the closest one can be to performing a God sent mission.

Hey, if you weren't such a great guy, you would be easy to hate...(Just Kidding)

It's an inspiring achievement you have done and represents the highest kingdom we can acscend to in this life.

Again congrats.

[John Peterson]

Greg My Friend,

Your students medaled at the nationals last year because you had instilled in them a belief in themselves and their instructor. They love you Greg and appreciate all you have done for them and they don't want to let you down. I am certain that your students will do very well at the nationals. And it is wonderful to see that the other instructors have "caught the fire" too. God Bless You Greg.

---John Peterson

[Greg Newton]

Thanks DT and John. My students and I are still processing everything that went on this weekend. Three of my students who competed finished out of the winner's block and they were pretty discouraged. I teach these kids to throw their heart over the bar and they did.

Too, in one contest there was some pretty obvious collusion going on. I was at another contest, so I couldn't address it. BUT, and this is a big BUT, other than for them to tell me the facts and no suppositions, I didn't want to hear anything about cheating.

Friday, I gave a group of them the "Man in the mirror" speech after this happened. I was pretty fired up my ownself, and I was trying to encourage the ones who were going to compete Saturday. Today they asked for that speech again.

Basically the man or woman in the mirror is you. YOU are the one responsible. YOU are the one YOU answer to. You should NEVER say to that man in the mirror, COULD HAVE, WOULD HAVE or SHOULD HAVE. And, you never will have vain regrets if YOU have the COURAGE to step up to the plate and reaching deep down inside, give it your absolute best. Sometimes circumstances won't favor you. Sometimes another's best efforts eclipse yours. But, if you do your best, there are no regrets then, because win, lose or draw, you have the satisfaction of a job well done.

Greg Newton

[John Peterson]

Hey Greg,

The moral foundation that you are giving your students is even more valuable than the other great skills you are teaching them. If they listen and apply what you are teaching them they will be better people for time and eternity.


---John Peterson