Week 3 reading
What are you doing these days to express your passion?
I have always lived life with passion, and when I felt my passion for the activity I did for a living wane, I changed careers…4 times in 56 years. Now I am about to enter number 5, since I will be moving from the Visual Art Teacher of elementary and middle school students, into High School Digital Design Instructor. This is my first leap into the unknown, without a parachute. Literally, I got a job doing something I barely do. Let me rephrase that… I got a job teaching something I barely know!! Now those of us in education know that is really a leap of faith.
To make that leap I have begun two additional courses while still completing this Master’s with Full Sail. I am also taking (auditing) Photoshop and Illustrator courses! Love the community college for having what you need when you need it. My passion is to remain an educator who is working at the cutting edge of technology, and learning CS5 just before I begin to teach it only seems crazy to other people. I have learned to trust my ability to do what needs to be done, with God’s help, when I am in His will. I would not have presumed to try to teach something I don’t know without clearly seeing His hand in it. And as our state motto says, With God, all things are possible! So really, I suppose my passion is truly for God, and I just do what comes my way, as I try to walk in His will. His passion for me is something I feel, and that passion lights my life in service to others. Our urban students will benefit tremendously from the light I can bring them via this new tech program, and the Adobe programs I have been fighting to get into our tech arts programs for a couple years. I am blessed to be the beneficiary of the vision of others and the potential to change lives is a daily reality because of these blessings.
How could I be anything less than passionate with such a great calling?
Lynne,
ReplyDeleteWOW! It is important to have a passion for all we do. People see our passion and they draw from it. The fact that you seek God's will in all that you do is a tremendous blessing to you and those that you serve. With his hand in it, great things come owe of it. It's amazing how these chapters of our reading build off one another and apply even to the simplest of things. Passion is so important to family, marriage, careers, dreams and mentoring. Passion for ones purpose adds to their light and they will shine not be cause of ego and greed, but being a contributor to the live of others who will have a passion. Then the process or "circle" start over. It's sad to say that, it's also what's missing in our society. People don't always seek out their passion or purpose, they just do because of money, need or to keep up with the rest. In turn they lose their passion and purpose.
I am glad that you're living your passion and allow God to guide you, I know that you're a wonderful example. Amen!
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ReplyDeleteCan I just say Wow!? Very impressive Lynne. However, somehow I think that you would be great doing pretty much anything. A few years ago, I got very disenchanted with the system of education and became very dissatisfied with what I was doing and how it made me feel. I was becoming very negative towards everything and felt like I really needed to make a change. I decided that I was going to leave education and go back to school to be a pharmacist. I moved in with my cousin near a good pharmacy school, looked into taking the prerequisites that I needed, and got a job in a pharmacy. I never found my passion in it and ended up within a few months going back to teaching. Teaching something that I had almost no knowledge about, but I loved it and did fine. I am sure that you will to. If not, I am sure that you will simply move on to the next place that your passion takes you.
ReplyDeleteI am sure you will do great with the job, if you keep God's hand in it. It really can be a test of faith to begin new things but I am sure it is for the better. As far as learning something just a few weeks before your students, I have heard many success stories if you keep a positive attitude. My uncle owns a music store but his daughter didn't learn how to play piano until she was 21. That is when she needed a job and he told her she could teach a piano class for him. As long as you stay a week ahead of the students, you are fine. Also, you will understand their pain and frustration for it because you are learning with them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your encouragement! I do believe it will all be fine. I am at the conference this week, learning what the new tech concept is all about. Two catch phrases that already reassure me are, "Ask three before me," and "Eyes on me". The students are supposed to teach each other, learn from each other, and if they have to ask me, I will send them to the source to learn for themselves, without doing it for them. The concept is to build independence into their learning! I am all for that! I'll keep you posted, but this looks a bit like Roxanne Santiago's concept of finding other resources before they ask her, in the art room. A great way to build a love of both learning and teaching.
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