The Why to being a Teacher and Coach

First of all I would like to thank everyone who has reached out with positive thoughts and comments on my first blog post! One of the things I want to accomplish through this blog is I want my thoughts, actions and what I encounter daily in the classroom and on the field to reach others! I think there are so many great things that students do today whether it is athletically, academically or socially that we do not hear about and we need to do a better job of sharing this! (Check out this great organization LifeVest!)

That being said, this brings me to the why I am a teacher and coach. Ever since I was in Middle School I remember wanting to help and reach out to those who are younger or less fortunate. Whether it was through Church mission trips, youth sport camps or babysitting, I always enjoyed being around and helping others. So as I think back to why I got into education, I think I have had a passion for it for a long time and a lot of that stems from the values and practices that were ingrained in me through my parents. Whether it was my mom inviting me to work with some of her students with Special Needs or my dad always looking out for what is best for everyone in the Grafton Little League, helping others was just part of how I grew up.

This brings me to what has occurred in our classroom the first two days of the school year. Every day these students amaze me and to see their willingness to share ideas and experiences with each other is truly inspirational. Today in our classroom I did an activity where students had to "cross the line" if the statement was true. The activity statements varied from things such as "If you like fruity pebbles", to more personal such as "have you been bullied" and "have you ever intentionally hurt someone". There were some more general and personal questions but the students participated willingly and truly enjoyed the activity and did not want to stop! During our discussion after one student made the statement, "I enjoyed this activity because I looked at myself and things I have done and questioned things that I would have never thought about before. This activity challenged my thoughts." This was a 10 year old who made this profound statement and reflection based on a simple "get to know your classmates activity". This moment in our classroom was a true moment of learning and WHY I got into education.

The last thing I will leave you with today is to continue to spread kindness and spread the great things going on around you! Whether you are intrigued to now start a blog, join Twitter and create a professional learning network, or pick up trash on the side walk, continue to spread kindness and positive things that are going on in this world!

This video is something that I shared in our classroom today and we had a great discussion around as well. But I will let you create your own discussion around this video.