I have a thing for Wonder Woman.
She inspires me with her grit and determination. I love that she fights for truth and justice. I appreciate that, in spite of her super-human strength, she has the heart of a woman.
We encounter passionate, intelligent, fascinating, wonderful women every single day. These women may not chase down bad guys in shiny red boots and may not wear tiaras to work, but they get stuff done. They are employees, wives, sisters, daughters, caretakers, volunteers, mothers, partners, bosses and lovers. They are real women—awesome and inspiring women—with stories to share.
I’ve made it my personal mission to share stories of wonderful women in hopes of empowering us to come together to honor and support one another. Please join me as I feature a different #RealLifeWonderWoman each Wednesday on my blog at raditowrite.com.
Let’s build a tribe of women who lift each other up. Let’s be women who do the right thing. Always. Even when nobody is looking. Let’s bring passion and goodness and share our collective strength to bring positivity to our homes, workplaces, schools, churches, communities and our world.
Let’s BE Wonder Women!
Kelly
Please let me introduce you to Martha Rush…
Martha’s a high school teacher, speaker and author of Beat Boredom: Engaging Tuned-Out Teenagers. She’s no ordinary teacher, she’s an extraordinary educator!
This #RealLifeWonderWoman doesn’t believe in bored students who just regurgitate information fed to them by dull lectures. She is passionate about helping teachers deliver interactive, interesting content so students understand and retain knowledge.
She uses her superpowers to engage and inspire her students and teach educators across the nation how to more effectively share information. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Martha and hearing her speak, and am eager to introduce this #RealLifeWonderWoman to you.
KR: Tell me about what brings you joy and fulfillment.
MR: I absolutely feel a rush when I am teaching, and my students are engaged and “getting” what we’re doing. It’s so rewarding to see the light bulbs turn on, to hear their conversations and to hear comments like, “This was really interesting,” or “I didn’t know how much I would like this class.”
I love writing and speaking to adults as well, but nothing gives me the same charge as connecting with high school students. I find them energizing, refreshing, and funny, and they fill me with hope for our future.
KR: We all have inner superpowers. What are some of yours?
MR: I would say I am tenacious. If I encounter a barrier or a problem, I absolutely have to work at it until I have overcome it. If a lesson goes badly, I can’t sleep until I’ve figured out a way to do it better. If I seen an injustice, I try to set it right immediately. I’m also empathetic. I can often sense what is going on with teenagers and predict what they are going to say; I remember very well what it was like to be them. I have a lot of energy, and friends tease me about trying to squeeze 26 hours into every day. It’s true.
KR: Tell us about an influential woman in your life and how she inspired you.
MR: There are so many; it’s hard to pick just one. One was my maternal grandmother, who was incredibly intelligent and well-educated. She graduated from law school in the 1920s, when she had already lost both her parents, which just seems crazy to me. But she was also very kind, very connected to my mother, and never condescending. She spent a lot of time watching me and my brother when we were kids, so she taught me that wisdom and intelligence don’t have to be showy – and that family and career are both valuable. Another is a former colleague, now retired, who just exuded energy. She was so funny and connected to kids, and she helped me see how I could be a “warm demander”—with high expectations but also strong relationships.
KR: If you could have one super-human power, what would it be?
MR: I would be able to do two things at once! I would love to have Hermione’s time turner, so I could truly be in two places at once and stay on top of my schedule.
KR: What words of wisdom would you give to your 20-year-old self?
MR: Relax more. Take more vacations, especially outside of the U.S. Never stop using Spanish. I would also tell my 20-year-old self to definitely have children. I wasn’t sure at that age, but parenting our two sons is definitely the most fulfilling thing I’ve done—and it made me a better teacher as well.
Learn more about Martha at martharush.org.