Every now and then, my passion meter gets close to zero. Near the end of the first semester it can get very low. I use different things to keep me going during the school year. Sometimes I read old emails from parents or notes from students. They put a smile on my face and get me through the rough spots of s school year. However, there is one thing that never fails to recharge my passion bar; my camp pals!
I just got back from having dinner with some great people. I seriously love these people! For the past three years I spend a week of my summer working with students at a leadership camp. I work with other teachers and college students. Many of the college students are majoring in education and camp is a great learning experience. During the week, I really get to know the other Senior Conselors (Teachers) and Junior Counselors (College Students)as I spend long hours talking about the students and the way they have grown during the week.
I love getting together with these people because it is exciting to see how there semester went. We trade stories and share the ups and downs of education. Sharing laughs with these people is the perfect medicine for a long school year. I can joke with Mike about smiling too much or teases my awesome JC Torie and have her tell me I'm sassy. Talking to Ryan and Emily about classroom stresses and goofy parents and chatting with Val about student teaching in my classroom next year are things I just love doing. I want to give a shout out to Brynn, Olompia, Laura Dee, and the rest of the gang that showed up to re-connect.
My camp friends get me fired up every time I'm around them. I get to be surrounded by great teachers and students that are passionate about education. As teachers, we are so busy inspiring the little bodies in the desks, we forget to keep the fires burning within. As we move forward to the new year, take a moment and check your passion meter. You might need a fill up.
This is why I am so thankful for my PLN. I haven't had the opportunity yet to teach in my classroom; finding an available position has taken up much of my energy and sometimes it has chipped away at my passion meter this past year. However, all it takes is a well-timed blog post about other individuals reflecting on their experiences from the Twitter stream, or a message of encouragement from a friend, and I am filled with hope and renewed passion. It is good to have passionate friends who keep us grounded.
ReplyDeleteI love being around people that inspire passion. I agree with Miss Cheska, my PLN does this for me often! Wouldn't it be incredible if you built a school culture that fueled culture this way?
ReplyDeleteGratitude for the good blog post My Passion Meter. It was very helpful for me. Keep sharing such thoughts in the future as well. gratitude for sharing the such information with us,
ReplyDeleteScience Dissertations