Teacher Finds Inspiration to Inspire Students
Apr 4, 2009 Teaching 3766 Views
Now, 10 years later with a full credential and a Master's degree, I still often find myself at a loss for inspiration. I never give up though. On those days that I am discouraged and unmotivated, I try and get away from the daily routine. I put aside the lessons I had planned (as much as is possible to stay within my responsibilities) and I focus on the things that I truly enjoy: guitar, art, poetry, reading, songwriting, nature, etc. Then I tap into that wonder I have for those things and bridge it to the material I have to teach. For example: if I have to teach reading data on a graph, I make a graph about the different guitars there are.
I adapt my lessons that day to whatever is really giving me personal inspiration at that moment. All people (even small ones) are attracted to a leader or performer who is passionate about what he is doing. Kids want to emulate that energy. I remember going to see REM in concert in my 20's and being so drawn in to what singer Michael Stipe was doing onstage. I didn't understand the wierd symbols on the screen or the strange movements he made, like hitting a metal chair with a wooden rod on the off-beats on "World Leader Pretend," but I tapped into his passion and energy for what he was doing, and when they left the stage I screamed for an encore. It was like a moth to a lightbulb, the lightbulb was passion. The world is so full of boring people. It's important for leaders, teachers, writers, performers, and artists to share an influence that is NOT boring with this starved-for-passion world.
Discouragement that saps inspiration is the teacher's biggest enemy. By tapping into and bridging my passions with my students, I am able to get through those tough days when I have to methodically put one foot in front of the other and keep remembering that I got into the profession to make a difference. With a brief look inward, it works every time.
Article source: http://eslarticle.com/pub/teaching/1026-teacher-finds-inspiration-to-inspire-students.html
Most Recent Articles
- May 16, 2018 Teaching English to Japanese Learners
- Mar 14, 2018 Teaching Reading
- Feb 20, 2018 Facts about Volunteering Teaching in India
- Nov 17, 2017 Recall Vocabulary or Recall Krashion?
- Nov 16, 2017 Teaching Tips – Drama Activities for Younger Learners