Jameis Winston tells Birmingham students: ‘You are smart.’

No.1 NFL draft pick Jameis Winston made a surprise stop at Birmingham's Ossie Ware Middle School today. (Photo: Chanda Temple)

No.1 NFL draft pick Jameis Winston made a surprise stop at Birmingham’s Ossie Ware Middle School today. (Photo: Chanda Temple)

By Chanda Temple

The gym at Birmingham’s Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School erupted into cheers this afternoon as No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Jameis Winston entered.

Winston, newly recruited to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, first joked about how the students could thank him for getting them out of class. He smiled. So did the students. But then things turned serious as he told students he was there to discuss three things: good grades, the way they carry themselves and confidence.

He asked students how many of them have good grades. Some laughed. He saw it as a teaching moment, encouraging students not to laugh at students making good grades because those students may be president one day.

“Don’t be ashamed about making good grades now,” he said, adding that good grades will lead to scholarships. The Hueytown, Ala. native received a scholarship to play at Florida State University, where he helped the school win a national championship and he was named a Heisman Trophy winner.

“I went to school for free, man!” he said.

Jameis Winston talks to students about the importance of having confidence, staying in school and making good grades. (Photo by: Chanda Temple)

Jameis Winston talks to students about the importance of having confidence, staying in school and making good grades. (Photo by: Chanda Temple)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Put down the promises and pick up the payoffs

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By Chanda Temple

I was watching TV late one night and saw an interview with NBC’s Hoda Kotb. Her comments on  The Nate Berkus Show had me reaching for my notepad.

She said: “Someone once said the way you spend your days is the way you spend your life. So if you are dissatisfied with your life, just change Monday. And then you change Tuesday, Wednesday and a week.”

If that’s too tall of an order right now, think of how doing just those simple things will change you.

Still not convinced to change? Think of this: If you continue to drag into work on Monday, for example, that’s how you’ll live your life, she said.

So pick up the broken pieces at your feet and get ready to create another great masterpiece. Your future is waiting on you.

Note: This post is part of my #MakeMovesInMay series, a challenge to do things that will improve myself and others in May.

Chanda Temple is a former reporter now working in public relations. She blogs at  http://www.chandatemplewrites.com. Follow her on Twitter at @chandatemple.

#MakeMovesInMay means cleaning out the clutter

On this Motivation Monday, take time to clear out the clutter. (Image via Flickr)

On this Motivation Monday, take time to clear out the clutter. (Image via Flickr by Sean MacEntee.)

By Chanda Temple

In sticking with my challenge to #MakeMovesInMay toward better living, I finally tackled the stacks of papers piled up in my home office because clutter can stunt creativity.

Scribbled on notepads were quotes I’d collected from interviews, TV programs or social media. As I started to read them, I thought they’d be perfect to share today for Motivation Monday. May they help you on your journey of self improvement.

A comeback is not a go back

Once you make it, don’t try to go back and show others what you have done to prove you are worthy, says life coach Tim Storey on Oprah Winfrey’s “Super Soul Sunday.” Stay focused on the present and not the past.

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Happy Teacher Appreciation Week, May 4-8

And this is why teachers rock. Assistant Principal Tronci Southall-Mason makes a little boy's day after giving him an unsolicited push on the swing in Birmingham, Ala. Photos by: Chanda Temple

Assistant Principal Tronci Southall-Mason makes a little boy’s day after giving him an unsolicited push on the swing in Birmingham, Ala. Photos by: Chanda Temple

By Chanda Temple

I work for Birmingham City Schools in Birmingham, Ala., where the smallest things yield big changes.

Take the other day on a school playground where a little boy sat in a swing with a sad face. The play area was full of children’s laughter and conversation. But there sat the little boy, sort of slumped down in his swing with a solemn face.

His assistant principal was giving a tour to visitors and noticed the little boy’s face. She asked him if anything was wrong. He said no. She asked if he needed a push. He still said nothing.

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Make moves in May

 

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By Chanda Temple

It’s 4 a.m. on the first day of May 2015 and I’m up thinking how will I “Make Moves in May.”

I know I’m not alone. Every time the first of the month rolls around, we promise ourselves that “this is the day I’ll do” this or that for improvement. And by the third day, we’ve fallen back into old habits.

Well, today is M-Day and it’s time to get serious. So for the next 31 days, I’m committing to making moves that will not only change my life but I hope will impact others. I’ll occasionally tweet about my journey and use the hashtag #makemovesinmay.

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Motivation Monday: Will you accept the 42 acts of kindness challenge?

 

Birmingham School Board member Sherman Collins Jr. challenges citizens to do 42 acts of kindness in memory of late wife

By Chanda Temple

“Clink! Clink! Clink” go the quarters as Sherman Collins Jr. drops them into an expired parking meter next to a stranger’s car.

“That should help somebody,” he says as he buys $2 worth of time and moves to the next meter in downtown Birmingham.

His actions today come with a special meaning. He’s doing them in honor of his late wife, Katrina Bethune Collins, who was always helping strangers in the smallest of ways.

“She wanted to bless people,” Collins says. “She’d buy people lunch. Feed expired meters. It didn’t have to be someone’s birthday. She would buy flowers and take them to (people’s) grandmothers.”

Birmingham School Board member Sherman Collins Jr. with his wife and their children. Photo credit: Special

Birmingham School Board member Sherman Collins Jr. with his wife and their children. Photo credit: Special

Sherman Collins Jr., a member of the Birmingham Board of Education, challenges citizens to do 42 acts of kindness in memory of late wife

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Books-A-Million contest seeks young authors and artists

Know a high school student with artistic talent? Encourage them to enter Books-A-Million new publishing contest. Image by Joan M. Mas via Flickr/Creative Commons.

Know a high school student with artistic talent? Encourage them to enter Books-A-Million new publishing contest. Image by Joan M. Mas via Flickr/Creative Commons.

By Chanda Temple

Books-A-Million is looking for aspiring artists and authors for its first publishing contest.

Students in grades 9 -12 may enter original poetry, short stories, essays, novels, photography or art for a chance to be published and appear on the shelves at Books-A-Million. Entries must be submitted by March 27, 2015.

Submissions must be at least 40 pages and no more than 800 pages. Entries can be the work of one student or several students.

All entries must be submitted by a faculty representative, with a maximum of five entries per school. The winning schools will receive publishing packages that include help with design and layout, as well as in-store placement. All royalties from book sales will go directly back to the school.

The first, second, and third place winning schools will also receive a donation of books of their choosing. at $3,000, $1,500 and $500, respectively.

Want to know more? Visit http://www.bampublish.com/contest for an application and contest rules.

Chanda Temple is a former journalist now working in public relations. She blogs at http://www.chandatemplewrites.com. Follow her on Twitter at @chandatemple.

A Birmingham coach scores big in basketball and blazers

Emanuel Bell, coach for the girls basketball team at Wenonah High School in Birmingham, Ala, always wears a suit to the playoff games. He's won two straight state championships in the last two years. Photo: By Chanda Temple

Emanuel Bell, coach for the girls’ basketball team at Wenonah High School in Birmingham, Ala, always wears a suit to the playoff games. He’s won two straight state championships in the last two years. He’s now in the running for the best dressed high school basketball coach. Photo: By Chanda Temple

By Chanda Temple

Birmingham, Ala. – Emanuel Bell was dressed for battle when he entered the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex arena to coach the Wenonah High School Lady Dragons to victory in the state 5A basketball finals on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Forget jeans and Jordans. His combat attire was a pressed black suit, white bow tie and polished Stacy Adams.

Fans noticed Bell’s sharp look as soon as he stepped onto the court. And so did al.com, which has him listed as a contestant in its poll for the Best Dressed Basketball Coach in the Alabama high school basketball playoffs. Voting is open now through12 p.m. on Friday, March 6. Go here to vote.

The Lady Dragons are also in the running as Best Girls’ Basketball Team in a separate poll. Go here to vote.

Bell, who’s 60 years old and has been a coach for 21 years, said he’s honored by the recognition and hopes people will vote in both polls. Votes may be cast daily. Here’s a closer look at his dressing skills off the court.  

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Want to be better in business in 2015? Have a PR plan

Don't cut corners when you are planning a public relations strategy for your company. Consult experts to make sure your plan meets all of your needs to deliver a message with punch. (Image from Flickr/Creative Commons via Niuton may. )

Don’t cut corners when you are planning a public relations strategy for your company. Consult experts to make sure your plan meets all of your needs to deliver a message with punch. (Image from Flickr/Creative Commons via Niuton may. )

By Chanda Temple

If 2015 is the year you promised to improve your business, it’s not too late to start.

On this second day of February, what are your new year’s resolutions to building a better business? Gaining additional capital? Expanding your product or services? Broadening your consumer reach? While all of these are great goals, don’t forget to do an honest review of what you have and create a list of what you need.

“No company is above a once-over! No matter how well a business is going, there are always ways to improve,” saysKrista Conlin, founder and president of KC Projects PR in Birmingham, Ala. “Employees are much more agreeable to change at the beginning of the year. So if there are moves to be made, now is a great time.”

One thing that you should definitely include is a public relations strategy with new, fresh and creative perspectives, says Conlin. Here, she offers five tips to get you started:

Always be prepared

Expect the worst and hope for the best. If the unthinkable happens, panicking can only make things worse; especially from a public relations perspective. You want to have a broad strategic plan that includes as many scenarios as possible, no matter how improbable the scenarios may seem.

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