When it came to choosing a profession, I was born to inspire 'love of learning' in people of all ages. Though I had no clue of that at the beginning of my career, upon reflecting back, there's no doubt about it.
Let's take children for example. When it came to encouraging the young to enjoy each morsel of knowledge that would, in some way, enrich their lives, I was a natural. Once settled into my classroom, the mind of each child got caught up in the sense that this year would prove unlike any other for this reason ... Instinct suggested that their teacher's state of wonderment matched their own. As boredom was never an option, young minds opened to learning as eagerly as mine. To illustrate the validity of this point, here is one thing I learned that delighted me to no end ...
The year was 1968. It was the day after Labor Day, which proved to be the first day of my second year teaching fifth grade in an affluent, midwestern suburb. At a quarter before nine, the first school bell rang, clearly announcing to teachers and children, alike, the brand new start of another academic year. And just as the energy of the sun warmed the bright blue sky above, my heart surged with the warmth that energized my smile, which would welcome twenty-five young minds to connect with my own. Upon hearing the first bell, I cast one last glance around the classroom and surmised that every bulletin board had been as colorfully readied to kick off the new year as I'd felt prepared to energize 25 youngsters to absorb the three R's with a flare for fun that never failed to surprise ... not just the kids but their pied piper, as well. :)
Interestingly, my energetic approach to imparting knowledge had not consciously occurred to me. In retrospect, I simply injected this element of enthusiastic delight into teaching as openly as I'd shared my delight in every new aspect of life. Simply put, curbing enthusiasm did not work for me. Never did. Never will.
So anyway while the early bell is ringing, my classroom is looking ready to party; my daily lesson plan is set; the blackboard, being freshly washed, is so black as to show my name written in cursive, every bit as bright as I expect to extract brightness from every head that's sure to snap to attention while I am reciting twenty-five names, aloud. You see, I've got something up my sleeve that these children do not suspect. I know more than their names. Before laying eyes on them. I can match each name with a face. :)
I have spent my last week of summer matching and memorizing a class list of alphabetized names with photos of faces, found in their files. And though we'll mix up the seating arrangement before the end of this first week, these 25 minds, which I'm charged with controlling, will be seated in alphabetized order for this reason. Right from the start, I want them to learn who is in charge and who is not. :)
Immediately after these children file into my classroom and while they remain in a tidy line against the wall, each boy and girl will be instructed to sit down as their natural leader calls out the roll. And thus in this orderly fashion, my small but significant physical presence will captain a shipshape, academic arena in which an environment, humming with mutual enrichment, rules the day. Simply stated, that is my plan. And my plan works like a charm for this reason. There is nothing more inspiring to a group of unruly children than a leader's self confident approach toward ... Leadership, combined with mutual respect. As it is rare for a teacher to match names and faces before twenty five children file in, I'll attract the attention of every brain in my class as soon as the first child takes a seat.
So let's imagine twenty-five wiggling ten year olds, lined up against the wall in single file. Next, let's imagine my smiling presence, glancing down at a list of names, starting with the letter A. Imagine me walking right up to a specific child, my smile, beaming with recognition while reciting that child's first and last name, aloud. Imagine me 'commanding' the attention of the class as a whole. Imagine me welcoming each child by softly placing a gentle hand on each surprised shoulder, while the friendly twinkle in my eye sends this message ...
I am The Child Whisperer. I be The Child Whisperer, because a child whisperer is what i'd needed when life scared me senseless at the age of three. You are safe with me ...
In retrospect, I've yet to encounter a problem with any child that could not be soothed, over time, with the nurturing hand of love. Somehow, my love is conveyed so naturally that children instinctively place their trust in the fact that our heartfelt connection will remain intact, no matter what comes to pass ...
I guess you might say there's an innocence about me that adults might see as naive while children sense a permeable vulnerability that delights in experimenting with personal growth. Teaching creatively came so naturally to me that I didn't think of myself as the adult in charge. I just dived in, took charge and smiled, laughed, listened and taught the way I'd wished others would have spoken to me. Though well prepared, I did not teach as carefully as I taught 'caringly', remembering, first and foremost, that people have ears, and ears are passageways toward deeper feelings, which may go unseen. The fact that I chose my words with care and proved a sensitive listener does not suggest my being a perfect teacher. (Stories of human imperfection to come.)
Anyway right from the start on that first day of school, my class learned to respect the fact that a creature as small as me proved a powerful presence in each of their lives. As to what this small creature learned in return? I learned that a classroom of children could trust and love me before I'd ever given them reason to respect me. And here's how that went ...
Our school had a first-day tradition, which continued throughout the year and worked like this: When the early bell rang, every child on the playground assembled into his or her designated class line. As letters had been sent to each child's home, every child knew where to line up. While hundreds of children were falling into formation, teachers left their classrooms and walked outside, each to stand at the head of his or her class. On the first day of school, each child knew which line to stand in, but no child knew which teacher would walk up to the head of that line and lead that specific class into the school. Though reputations are known to precede introductions, I had no clue that four lines of fifth graders were holding their breath as a quartet of fifth grade teachers walked out of the school, onto the playground. So okay, here's where I'm about to learn something new that's going to delight me to the max ... Here's an example of action speaking louder than words ...
Upon stopping at the head of the line that proved to be my class, decorum became pandemonium as that line broke into ten year olds, jumping with joy, cheering aloud, while three other lines, slumping slightly, filed quietly into the school. While quieting the delight of my heart and my class, I thought OMG, they love me without even knowing what's actually in store for them once I get them inside my room and begin to entertain their brains with learning as never before! This year is going to be the best! We're going to have even more fun than I'd ever imagined! And as attitude is everything, I was right on the mark!
As our attitudes were positively focused, one and all, our heartfelt eagerness to learn couldn't be beat! At the end of that year while extending a tearful hug to each my beloved children, their very pregnant teacher/friend said ... I took home so many funny stories about all of you, this year, that my family laughed and laughed. At that, one ten year old, named Amy, piped up with, Well ... we took home lots of funny stories about you, too!
I hope never to lose the sense of childlike wonder that admits openly to fear, one minute, and then in the next, recoups my sense of logic so quickly as to laugh in a self effacing way at myself. As certain fears persist for good reason, showing them to you, from time to time, does not embarrass me. On the other hand, when given the opportunity to laugh a fear out of my mind, even temporarily, I'll grab on to any positively focused line that you may choose to send to me via the comment box ... And as post by post, you watch me discover, confront and resolve deep seated fears, perhaps my openness will inspire you to look into your own ...
When next we meet, I'll tell you a funny story that took place on parents' night when I was a first year teacher ... I mean, it's one thing to gain the respect of children, it's quite another to maintain the respect of one's peers ...
Let's take children for example. When it came to encouraging the young to enjoy each morsel of knowledge that would, in some way, enrich their lives, I was a natural. Once settled into my classroom, the mind of each child got caught up in the sense that this year would prove unlike any other for this reason ... Instinct suggested that their teacher's state of wonderment matched their own. As boredom was never an option, young minds opened to learning as eagerly as mine. To illustrate the validity of this point, here is one thing I learned that delighted me to no end ...
The year was 1968. It was the day after Labor Day, which proved to be the first day of my second year teaching fifth grade in an affluent, midwestern suburb. At a quarter before nine, the first school bell rang, clearly announcing to teachers and children, alike, the brand new start of another academic year. And just as the energy of the sun warmed the bright blue sky above, my heart surged with the warmth that energized my smile, which would welcome twenty-five young minds to connect with my own. Upon hearing the first bell, I cast one last glance around the classroom and surmised that every bulletin board had been as colorfully readied to kick off the new year as I'd felt prepared to energize 25 youngsters to absorb the three R's with a flare for fun that never failed to surprise ... not just the kids but their pied piper, as well. :)
Interestingly, my energetic approach to imparting knowledge had not consciously occurred to me. In retrospect, I simply injected this element of enthusiastic delight into teaching as openly as I'd shared my delight in every new aspect of life. Simply put, curbing enthusiasm did not work for me. Never did. Never will.
So anyway while the early bell is ringing, my classroom is looking ready to party; my daily lesson plan is set; the blackboard, being freshly washed, is so black as to show my name written in cursive, every bit as bright as I expect to extract brightness from every head that's sure to snap to attention while I am reciting twenty-five names, aloud. You see, I've got something up my sleeve that these children do not suspect. I know more than their names. Before laying eyes on them. I can match each name with a face. :)
I have spent my last week of summer matching and memorizing a class list of alphabetized names with photos of faces, found in their files. And though we'll mix up the seating arrangement before the end of this first week, these 25 minds, which I'm charged with controlling, will be seated in alphabetized order for this reason. Right from the start, I want them to learn who is in charge and who is not. :)
Immediately after these children file into my classroom and while they remain in a tidy line against the wall, each boy and girl will be instructed to sit down as their natural leader calls out the roll. And thus in this orderly fashion, my small but significant physical presence will captain a shipshape, academic arena in which an environment, humming with mutual enrichment, rules the day. Simply stated, that is my plan. And my plan works like a charm for this reason. There is nothing more inspiring to a group of unruly children than a leader's self confident approach toward ... Leadership, combined with mutual respect. As it is rare for a teacher to match names and faces before twenty five children file in, I'll attract the attention of every brain in my class as soon as the first child takes a seat.
So let's imagine twenty-five wiggling ten year olds, lined up against the wall in single file. Next, let's imagine my smiling presence, glancing down at a list of names, starting with the letter A. Imagine me walking right up to a specific child, my smile, beaming with recognition while reciting that child's first and last name, aloud. Imagine me 'commanding' the attention of the class as a whole. Imagine me welcoming each child by softly placing a gentle hand on each surprised shoulder, while the friendly twinkle in my eye sends this message ...
I am The Child Whisperer. I be The Child Whisperer, because a child whisperer is what i'd needed when life scared me senseless at the age of three. You are safe with me ...
In retrospect, I've yet to encounter a problem with any child that could not be soothed, over time, with the nurturing hand of love. Somehow, my love is conveyed so naturally that children instinctively place their trust in the fact that our heartfelt connection will remain intact, no matter what comes to pass ...
I guess you might say there's an innocence about me that adults might see as naive while children sense a permeable vulnerability that delights in experimenting with personal growth. Teaching creatively came so naturally to me that I didn't think of myself as the adult in charge. I just dived in, took charge and smiled, laughed, listened and taught the way I'd wished others would have spoken to me. Though well prepared, I did not teach as carefully as I taught 'caringly', remembering, first and foremost, that people have ears, and ears are passageways toward deeper feelings, which may go unseen. The fact that I chose my words with care and proved a sensitive listener does not suggest my being a perfect teacher. (Stories of human imperfection to come.)
Anyway right from the start on that first day of school, my class learned to respect the fact that a creature as small as me proved a powerful presence in each of their lives. As to what this small creature learned in return? I learned that a classroom of children could trust and love me before I'd ever given them reason to respect me. And here's how that went ...
Our school had a first-day tradition, which continued throughout the year and worked like this: When the early bell rang, every child on the playground assembled into his or her designated class line. As letters had been sent to each child's home, every child knew where to line up. While hundreds of children were falling into formation, teachers left their classrooms and walked outside, each to stand at the head of his or her class. On the first day of school, each child knew which line to stand in, but no child knew which teacher would walk up to the head of that line and lead that specific class into the school. Though reputations are known to precede introductions, I had no clue that four lines of fifth graders were holding their breath as a quartet of fifth grade teachers walked out of the school, onto the playground. So okay, here's where I'm about to learn something new that's going to delight me to the max ... Here's an example of action speaking louder than words ...
Upon stopping at the head of the line that proved to be my class, decorum became pandemonium as that line broke into ten year olds, jumping with joy, cheering aloud, while three other lines, slumping slightly, filed quietly into the school. While quieting the delight of my heart and my class, I thought OMG, they love me without even knowing what's actually in store for them once I get them inside my room and begin to entertain their brains with learning as never before! This year is going to be the best! We're going to have even more fun than I'd ever imagined! And as attitude is everything, I was right on the mark!
As our attitudes were positively focused, one and all, our heartfelt eagerness to learn couldn't be beat! At the end of that year while extending a tearful hug to each my beloved children, their very pregnant teacher/friend said ... I took home so many funny stories about all of you, this year, that my family laughed and laughed. At that, one ten year old, named Amy, piped up with, Well ... we took home lots of funny stories about you, too!
I hope never to lose the sense of childlike wonder that admits openly to fear, one minute, and then in the next, recoups my sense of logic so quickly as to laugh in a self effacing way at myself. As certain fears persist for good reason, showing them to you, from time to time, does not embarrass me. On the other hand, when given the opportunity to laugh a fear out of my mind, even temporarily, I'll grab on to any positively focused line that you may choose to send to me via the comment box ... And as post by post, you watch me discover, confront and resolve deep seated fears, perhaps my openness will inspire you to look into your own ...
When next we meet, I'll tell you a funny story that took place on parents' night when I was a first year teacher ... I mean, it's one thing to gain the respect of children, it's quite another to maintain the respect of one's peers ...
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