Happy Christmas

One of the biggest benefits to teaching is the holidays. No, I don't mean the actual time off work, although it is a welcome break. Rather it is the infectious joy that comes from being around children during special occassions. It is a time when you cannot help but become caught up in their excitement and enthusiasm. At Christmas, we are also able to let go a bit of our need to achieve, we can relax and forget about deadlines and merely do things because they are fun and we know the kids will enjoy them. In the New Year try to remember that and let it guide you through the more hectic times and perhaps give you some clarity. Maybe the need to always be accomplishing something and our mania over due dates and expectations is largely self made. In the long term we will finish what we need to do and what doesn't get completed on time can wait for another date. Try to keep things exciting and fresh. Have fun while you are learning together. Happy Christmas and all the best for 2011.

Life As A Theme

In an effort to develop a more holistic approach to education, many boards and individual schools are pushing character development in the curriculum. Often, each month has a featured theme such as caring and kindness, responsibility or empathy. While this may be well intentioned, it can often become lost as just another concept kids learn and then throw away, like long division. If you are involved in this project please be sure that kids understand that these traits are not like a light that you can turn on or off because someone is watching. Rather they are all interconnected and come from an awareness of others, from being able to see and hear others deeply. We may recognize one particular characteristic each month, but when we truly practice mindfulness, when we move away from ego and start to see the rest of the world, our whole being radiates all of these qualities with no effort at all. In fact, we can't help but show them in everything we say and do.

A Treasure In Stories

There is a legend about a powerful warrior who spent most of his life conquering and pillaging kingdoms and monasteries. In one such monastery he had little trouble breaking through the gates and massacring many of the monks. However, suddenly an old monk jumped out in front of his horse. The warrior angrily shouted. “Old man, do you know who I am? Do you know that I can run you through with my sword and not give it a second thought?” Calmly the monk replied, “Brave knight, do you know who I am? I can let you can run me through with your sword and not give it a second thought.” It is said that at that moment, the knight was so overwhelmed he dropped his sword and vowed to follow the master.

Stories such as this are wonderful ways of teaching about true power and insight. Kids love old legends and folk tales and they have many opinions about the meaning of this and other similar stories. When you are teaching values, go back to the traditional stories from cultures around the world. They are a storehouse of wisdom and will be the springboard to many an engaging and rewarding conversation.

What Do Your Kids See?

As teachers we like to use words. In fact, words are an integral part of the job. However, as teachers we also tend to use too many words. Simple advice turns into lectures. Corrections become sermons and requests are often a chance for us to mount a soap box. Remember that kids are people and most people have no desire to be on the receiving end of byzantine babble and self important pontification. There are times when the fireside chat is in order, but a general rule of thumb is that simple is better. Kids will remember how you carry yourself long after they have forgotten your words.

See Yourself

When you look at you kids, take a moment. Do you see them as being the same as you? Or do you put up an immediate barrier that divides pupil from teacher, or child from adult? Yes there are differences in experience and knowledge, but the fact is that we all come from the same source, whatever that may be. In this life we all have the same joys, the same hopes and the same struggles. Your student anguishing over a homework assignment is no less stenuous than your own stresses about finances. They are disimilar and yet the same. Please don't minimize the concerns of your students. At one time in your life they also, were overwhelming to you. Now you have moved on to other issues. But to use an overworked cliche, We are in the same boat. Let's help each other in the journey.

Simplicity

Teaching is really very simple. You have ideas to share, ways to help your kids open to the world, explore their curiosity. It comes from a caring two way communication about life and all it's wonders. In the morass of paper work, guidelines, deadlines and expectations; in your effort to avoid mistakes and offending anyone, to be politically correct, please never forget what it's all about. You are a conduit through which truth can flow to those in your care. Even if you must perform superhuman tasks to meet all that is expected of you, in your heart and your actions, keep it elemental.

Welcoming Back

For those fortunate enough to be returning to the classroom next week, and I do mean fortunate, please consider the following. Come on, we all love our summer break, but if you really are in teaching for the right reasons, you are also more than happy to be with the kids again. Just remember, a car needs time to warm up in the morning. Workers do not generally find memos shoved under their noses immediately upon waking. Neither can our kids come back from the summer life to the reality of school without some time to adjust. There will be plenty of time to put pencil to paper. Make this first few days a time to make the children feel truly comfortable with going back to school. Help them to get to know each other, while you get to know them. Have some fun, make them glad they are there. Show them that perhaps this year, school will be a little different. Maybe they will start to discover something good about themselves they weren't aware of. All of that school work will keep. What you do in the first few days will affect the entire year and then some. Be creative and above all, have some fun.