This week is a long week for many students at my school. 6th grade is at camp all week in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The 6th, 7th, and 8th grade drama club is in tech week and has performances on Thursday and Friday night. As a moderator for the drama club, I am seeing first hand that tough schedule that these students are going through. They are challenging themselves to see where their passion lies and to break out of their comfort zone into the world of theatre. I have been impressed with their work and commitment.
One thing that has truly been great for me is that I can share my passion of theatre with my students. I can show them new ideas that they may never thought and they are giving me guidance and support to challenge myself even more. Being placed in a position of leadership has been truly great for me. Seeing students being creative and learning while being in a position of leadership has been something I needed to see within my educational career and beneficial for me as I face the question of “What’s next?”
One important part of my educational career that I need to keep reminding myself of is to keep the passion for what I do. Participating in the drama club keeps my passion flowing. Drama club reminds me that I do what I do for my students. My students need to always come first when I make decisions regarding education. Helping to moderate drama club or other activities that interest students is critical. My passion builds from knowing more about what my students want and how to better connect with them.
Yet, I am at the point in my career where I need to decide how and where I want to share my passion. I need to see if this is the time for me to continue on into a “lead learner” position or continue serving my students as a classroom teacher. I need to discover if my passion could carry over into a whole school or within my classroom. I need to decide my “What’s next”.
Perhaps this upcoming decision will build my passion to continue serving students by whatever path I take. My passion has to be seen in every action within my classroom. I have to keep focusing on my students and my joy of education. My passion comes from the connections I create with my students. I know that the relationships that are made with students is what drives me to be even better than I am today.
Passion for education has grown for me over the past 2 years. I have found myself growing my PLN and finding the best techniques for connecting with my students. I’d like to believe that I am showing my passion daily in and out of my classroom. My PLN has been instrumental in building my passion and I am extremely grateful for their support.
I want to continue to show my passion. I want to show my students that they deserve the best that I can give them and that I believe in their success and their abilities to create, discover, and grow as innovators. I want to be there for them and their needs. My passion may take me out of my comfort zone in the same way that theatre is taking my students out of their comfort zone. Wherever my career in education takes me, all I know is that my passion will be for the best of my students.
Cottos Corner for Education 