Do what you will with that divine realization...
The past two days in class have been learning experiences for me, as usual. I really enjoy teaching my class. My only gripe with my current situation has nothing to do with where I'm at or what I'm doing; it's only that I'm fully aware that the powers I have could be used for far greater purposes. I feel like I'm on the sideline, even though I know that the key to life is to know that you're actually in the spotlight all the time, regardless of how you feel about where you are.
When I got to class yesterday, I rewarded the first student who showed up by letting him pick the writing topic for the morning. He suggested everyone write about a sacrifice they had to make in their life, whether it was for another person or a personal sacrifice to achieve a longer-term goal.
Later in the day, we were reading an article together as a class, and they mentioned the Japanese fish fugu, which is a deadly delicacy. If it isn't prepared perfectly, it can kill you with its poisons. I first learned about this fish, as I did most things, on The Simpsons. Homer eats fugu that might not have been properly prepared, so he has one day left to live. He makes a list of activities and tries to do everything he's ever wanted to do.
This morning I asked the first students what they wanted to write about, and they drew a blank. So I decided that because today was April 24th and yesterday we had read about fugu, I wanted them to write about what they would do if they knew they had one day left alive. The most common themes were spending time with family and friends, eating whatever they wanted, and doing whatever they had always wanted to do.
In the afternoon I gave them a listening exercise where I told them the story of Bill, my sister's friend who died eight years ago today. It was a very unexpected shocking death for which no one could have prepared. He didn't know he had one day left to live. No one gave him time to make his list. I kept the story down to fifteen minutes, unrehearsed and on the spot, although I knew it very well. I almost cried a few times, but with a smile on my face. I had the students write their responses to the story, and they were very positive and most importantly, life-affirming. I hope they're all having a great time being alive this afternoon.
If you want to read more about Bill, go to www.rememberingbilly.com
If you want to read more about how he influenced my life, please go to the April 2010 tab on the right and find the web log entry titled "Forever Young". That says what I have to say about him and the vital lessons he taught me with the example of his own life.
In short: GO FOR IT! ENJOY IT! SHARE IT!
The past two days in class have been learning experiences for me, as usual. I really enjoy teaching my class. My only gripe with my current situation has nothing to do with where I'm at or what I'm doing; it's only that I'm fully aware that the powers I have could be used for far greater purposes. I feel like I'm on the sideline, even though I know that the key to life is to know that you're actually in the spotlight all the time, regardless of how you feel about where you are.
When I got to class yesterday, I rewarded the first student who showed up by letting him pick the writing topic for the morning. He suggested everyone write about a sacrifice they had to make in their life, whether it was for another person or a personal sacrifice to achieve a longer-term goal.
Later in the day, we were reading an article together as a class, and they mentioned the Japanese fish fugu, which is a deadly delicacy. If it isn't prepared perfectly, it can kill you with its poisons. I first learned about this fish, as I did most things, on The Simpsons. Homer eats fugu that might not have been properly prepared, so he has one day left to live. He makes a list of activities and tries to do everything he's ever wanted to do.
This morning I asked the first students what they wanted to write about, and they drew a blank. So I decided that because today was April 24th and yesterday we had read about fugu, I wanted them to write about what they would do if they knew they had one day left alive. The most common themes were spending time with family and friends, eating whatever they wanted, and doing whatever they had always wanted to do.
In the afternoon I gave them a listening exercise where I told them the story of Bill, my sister's friend who died eight years ago today. It was a very unexpected shocking death for which no one could have prepared. He didn't know he had one day left to live. No one gave him time to make his list. I kept the story down to fifteen minutes, unrehearsed and on the spot, although I knew it very well. I almost cried a few times, but with a smile on my face. I had the students write their responses to the story, and they were very positive and most importantly, life-affirming. I hope they're all having a great time being alive this afternoon.
If you want to read more about Bill, go to www.rememberingbilly.com
If you want to read more about how he influenced my life, please go to the April 2010 tab on the right and find the web log entry titled "Forever Young". That says what I have to say about him and the vital lessons he taught me with the example of his own life.
In short: GO FOR IT! ENJOY IT! SHARE IT!
If you read "Forever Young"
you'll find out how I found this beautiful music
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