Teach from your soul

Please pardon the potential rambling which is sure to weave its way in, but I have been putting a lot of thought the last several months, actually years into what makes up great teaching.

It seems like everyone has an opinion on the matter. There's those that are strict, by the book teachers, and on the far other spectrum, there are those that are much more of the anything goes mentality. 

I have been at my school for 14 years, but in the last few years I have grown restless. Our school has as part of its mission statement to "be yourself" which is something I strive for not only for myself but for my students.

Sadly, my department has adopted more of a cookie cutter approach to teaching which involves very little other than Harkness style discussion. Don't get me wrong, I love discussion based work , but I believe there has to be variety too.

As a teacher, I am passionate about the life I have chosen to lead and I want that passion to translate to my students. Being told how to teach is soul crushing and removes individuality from the classroom.

After reading Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess, I was almost in tears because I finally felt like a found people who understood why I teach the way I do. I finally found some kinship among people who don't feel silly dressing up as part of an activity or even converting the room into a stage where the Boston Massacre is recreated or where students stumble upon a Civil War encampment.

I use lessons as a way to create memorable events for students, lessons that they will absorb and remember for years to come. In the end, I want to teach in a way that stirs my soul and taps into creativity. There's nothing better(and sometimes frustrating) than being jolted awake by one of those "aha!" moments where you think of a more engaging way to allow students to discover and learn the material. Even though I have been teaching for over 17 years, I still get a bit giddy about approaching something in a new and interesting way.

I know that my students appreciate and have enjoyed their experience in my class. Even the ones who just couldn't "get" history have come back through the years to express gratitude so I know I must have done something right.

I honestly do not know what my future holds in my current school. Perhaps this is all the gentle nudge that I need to pursue my real dream of teaching on the road through my site.  If you have not checked out my vision then please visit my information page. I would love and appreciate any feedback.

Until then, I feel as if I have to do what I know works for the kids and what gets them excited about learning history.  Isn't that our real goal, to create lifelong learners?