My epiphany on that fateful day in late 1991, was one of those hinges
in my life. It was a moment when my destiny heading toward selfishly
ever-lengthening my scholarly resume skidded to a halt, made a right angle
turn, and then lurched forward in a new direction ever faster toward selfless
servant teaching. The result was that I increasingly saw little status in my
status quo. I became less cautious, more spontaneous, and intensely more
inclined to be aware of and compassionate toward and passionate about each and
every student. Since that moment, I enter the classroom with more of an
optimistic "oh, my" rather than a melancholy "ah me." I've learned that there
is nothing shallow about optimism, nothing more profound than cheerful
confidence, nothing more elevating than natural exuberance. They endow a
life-enriching gratitude for what life has given us rather than a life-robbing
bitterness and anxiety about what it hasn’t. I learned that the passionate
heart is bottomless; it is huge, vast, and limitless; it always has an upbeat;
and, there is so much warmth and gentleness there, as well as how much space.
Teaching with passion is about optimistically having great expectations
of the coming of the dawn. Expectations take control during the times when you
lose yourself in whatever you're doing, and thus they exert a powerful
influence. When you truly expect something, it's like programming your heart
and mind to seek it out every chance it gets. Expectations have a way of
becoming reality even in the moments when you're not aware that you're making
them happen. Your genuine expectations of others work in a similar fashion. The
expectations you have for someone else are communicated to that person in a way
that can easily override whatever you do or say on a conscious level. Whatever
I truly expect to happen, then, has a better chance of happening.
Teaching with passion means you don't leave yourself a way out. It
means you won't walk away morosely from your vision. It means you'll do
whatever it takes to make your vision a purpose in life. It means to challenge
your excuses and rationales when you hit the challenges. It means you have to
can your "can'ts" each and every day. It means you have to will yourself to 'I
will' each and every day. It means overcoming your fears with your faith. It
means not hiding from yourself and working on yourself. It means always making
yourself your first and best student. It means you won't let you disappoint
yourself. It means having is a deep inner burning "yes" and an empowering
force to say "no." It has a "stay the course" power. It offers the power to
see beyond what's in front of you today, to imagine, to invent, to create, to
become was is yet to be. It means knowing that teaching is not an event, but a
journey that develops day by day, not in a day. It means always to be ready to
change. It means to accept inconvenience. It means not falling into a boring
routine. It means practice and learn and grow, practice and learn and grow,
practice and learn and grow each and every day. It means hang in there come
what may. It means a lot more. But, first, last, and only teaching with
passion means no exit strategy.
Teaching with passion, when you're in a groove, when you have the
faith, when you're optimistic, when you are expectant, is a willingness to go
the extra mile. You'll go beyond where others are willing to go; you'll make
the most out of every moment; you'll give more than a little more than others
are willing to give, be a little more patient, have a little more curiosity,
take a little more responsibility, learn a few more things. And, it all makes
all the difference in the world for making a difference in the world. Teach
with passion and you cannot be stopped. No obstacle is too great to overcome.
You don't listen to the "experts" who say it cannot be done. You are completely
focused and driven, and nothing can discourage or distract you. You get it
done. Passion adds power to your possibilities. You don't just think, you don't
just believe, you feel and you know.
That's what it's all about!
Make it a good day.
--Louis--
Louis Schmier www.therandomthoughts.edublogs.org/
Department of History www. halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /\ /\ /\ /\
(229-333-5947) /^\\/ \/ \ /\/\__/\ \/\
/ \/ \_ \/ / \/
/\/ \ /\
//\/\/ /\
\__/__/_/\_\ \_/__\
/\"If you want to climb
mountains,\ /\
_ / \ don't practice on mole
hills" -
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