My Reading #TeacherTattoo

Yes. I got a tattoo! My first one.

And yes, I'm a teacher. An English teacher, who is enjoying a 3 year position as an instructional coach.

So naturally, I wanted my first tattoo to represent me and my passion...which is reading.

A tattoo is a chance to promote something publicly (depending on where it is) and permanently, because well...it's a tattoo after all. :)

And what better message to promote to all who might see this tattoo than Carpe Librum, which means "Seize the book" or as I like to say...:Seize every opportunity to read."

And I don't care what you read. Fiction. Non-fiction. Young Adult. Picture books. Romance novels. Celebrity Memoirs.  Print books. E-books. Graphic Novels. Comics. Classics. Video Game Directions. Instruction Manuals. Magazines. Newspapers. Blogs. Advice Columns. Recipes. Anything.

Take every opportunity to read, for whatever your reason.

Read to get lost in a story.
Read to experience something through another's eyes.
Read to understand new perspectives.
Read to learn something.
Read to become smarter.
Read to expand your vocabulary.
Read to laugh.
Read to cry.
Read to bring others joy.
Read to connect and share in the larger community.
Read something- anything- not because you have to, but because you want to.

Find joy in that choice. Find joy in the simple act of reading.

So, I will proudly share my reading tattoo with everyone I meet. Spreading the message of seeking out reading opportunities. It's that important to me.

I've had this design in mind ever since I decided to get my first tattoo. One of my favorite movies is Dead Poets Society, and the words Carpe Diem have been prominently featured in my classroom for years. Of course, that means "Seize the Day," but I love this literary version better.

I'm already planning my next tattoo. Of course, it will have something to do with my passion as an educator. And it will be somewhere I can show others, because for me...that's the point.

If you're an educator and have gotten a tattoo to reflect your teaching passion, I'd love for you to add a comment and/or image of your tattoo on Twitter, using the hashtag #TeacherTattoo

If you don't yet have a tattoo (or don't plan to), then share your passion in other ways and help make the world a better place.