It’s time that we got back to loving school again!
The last two years have been rough on students, educators, and families. We’ve had to deal with a lot. All of the time and effort wasn’t wasted, but it has zapped our energy. It has also somewhat zapped our love for school.
Not only do we need to get our energy levels back up this year, we need to find that love and passion for school again. It’s time that we get back to LOVING school again!
So, how exactly do we do that? Well I hope that it started with a nice restful and calm summer for you. My goal this summer was to spend some time relaxing, recuperating, and reflecting. I’ve had a chance to do all three, and I hope that you have too.
Knowing that you are entering the year a little more rested and relaxed, the next step is reigniting your passion for school. I spoke with many educators, who amidst the distractions and difficulties of the last year, lost their way.
You need to find that certain feeling that makes you excitedly hurry to your classroom each morning. You need to again be immersed into learning with your students. You need to engage in a way that you haven’t been able to.
Start by getting to know your students. Start by finding out what they are excited for as they return to school. Build your passion for school from their passions. Find out what drives and motivates them and use it to drive and motivate yourself.
Right now, we have a unique opportunity. Students know what school was like before the pandemic. They especially know what the experience was like throughout the pandemic. It’s now time to give them something that they haven’t experienced before.
Start a book club with students just for the joy of reading. No tests. No comprehension questions. No book reports. Just reading and talking about a book that you love!
Kickoff a Secret Society of Writers in your class or school. Let students gather together to write simply because they love to write. Again, don’t tie the work to assessment, but give students the chance to publish their writing for the world. Their passion for sharing will drive them to improve their writing.
Start a photography club with students. Take beautiful pictures and share them with an audience. Make art with them and share it. Again, not for the sake of compliance or for a grade, but rather for the sake of learning and creating together.
It doesn’t matter what passion you bring to the classroom, only that you walk back into school this year with that spark. Find your passion again. Help students to find their passion for school once more.
It’s time that we got back to loving school!
Rich