There are times in my life when patterns emerge out of no where, & cause me to begin thinking very deeply about who I am, where I am going, & what I want to do when I get there. This has been the case the past couple of weeks. I have been reading Teach Like a Pirate for the past month & the more I read the book, the more drawn I am to this philosophy. I don't know if I am really drawn to it, or that it feels very natural to me. I have thought of myself as an out of the box thinker. I am willing to try anything once (except for skydiving or jumping from extreme heights). I challenge myself to look at the bigger picture and then separate it into smaller puzzle pieces that when put together, can create a more beautiful picture then I originally began with. Most of the time, I become frustrated with the process before I get to see the product. Every once in a while, I stay the course and get to enjoy the beautiful outcome.
I stumbled upon this blog post from Marc & Angel called 10 habits You Must Quit to Be Happy a few days ago. As I looked through their list of habits, I found that I have all of these 10 habits that show them selves from time to time. Some are there more than others, but several are apparent more often then I would like to admit. I find myself being a much happier person when I am just being me. I do not know why I have let these habits come into my life and steal my happiness away. I see these habits in many different significant areas of my life. Work, home, professional learning opportunities, & many more areas that I did not realize. Extremely eye opening read for me!
Within a couple of days of reading this blog, I found another blog that dropped me to the floor like a rock. Dr. Justin Tarte wrote a blog post called My Challenge to You & when I begin reading it, it was very eye opening. Many of the quotes that were listed, I have either said outright, said in a different way, or thought but never actually spoke. Even though I have not personally met Dr. Tarte, I know he was talking directly to me. I must change my own thinking in order to make the impact that I desire in education. The negativity must be pushed to the side in order to positively effect student success.
These three experiences are challenging me into becoming the educator I need to be. To teach with passion everyday! To stand in the gap for those with differences despite how others may view me. To leave the negativity to those that enjoy gossip & drama. To be happy & grateful for the person I am, & what I have to offer the world. A great man once told me that I would always be under-appreciated for how intelligent I was. He said it was my cross to bear. I have reflected on these words many times. I may not be appreciated by those who do not understand why or what I do, but those that it matters to will always see the true me & what I can do. Teach Like A Pirate gives me validation for who I am as an educator & a person. I must shed those things that bring me down in life, so that I may become the pirate in education I am destined to become.
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