Monday, May 4, 2009

Welcome + E to the familE

Through a conversation Sam and I were having a little while ago we came across something that struck us like lightening. It was about the importance of having motivation, intensity, commitment, traction, acceleration and excitement as absolute fundamentals in teaching. Well, not just teaching but everything we do in life. If we are not inspired and have a burning desire to ignite students about what we are teaching then how can we expect students to get involved and be excited over their learning? I have always believed that we get what we give. As teachers it begins with us, modeling to students the value and power about connecting learning to the real world and how this is relevant and meaningful in their lives too. Showing that we are excited gives an effervescences to what we demand from those we teach.

So what E word can bring all of this into one compact punch?

E N E R G Y

Energy is how we can inject life into the classroom. Invite students to be a part of the excitement and create a positive presence in the classroom that sends a buzz down the school hallway. I believe that energy is like the sun. A ball of flames that lights the way. The sun is something that we know is there but can not directly look at. The sun makes our eyes squint and impedes our vision. But when we put our sunglasses on we have a clear vision of what is before us. The sunglasses I talk of are the 4 Core Elements. It is looking through this lens that everything around us becomes aligned. It is through this lens that our eyes can make contact with the sun. Energy is all around us. It gives life to everything we know and without it everything dies. First it is teaching that dies and then consequently learning dies with it as do dreams, hopes and aspirations to be and do and give more. Maybe my analogy can be put more eloquently, (over to you Sam) but I think you get my meaning here.

It is important to note that Sam and I are always developing our beliefs. The art of teaching is never conquered. We are always looking for ways to improve and grow everyday from our new findings and then learn from those findings. I guess it is the energy we have that carries us through wanting to learn more and give more in what we do. When that energy fades like a sunset on the horizon we will both know when to leave the profession for a boring desk job that requires zero thinking or excitement.

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