Do what you love; you’ll be better at it. It sounds pretty simple, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t get this one right away – LL Cool J
There is value in feeling valuable. It is a great feeling to know that the things I love to do are appreciated by others and worthy of investing my time in. There is something liberating about recognizing that my joy can guide me to the things that I do well.
I have been having some amazing learning experiences with my students lately. In my lunch groups, I have witnessed groups of kids, and individuals, go from bouncing off the walls, and bouncing off of each other, to sitting quietly, working together, and focusing intently on the task at hand.
The best part is that it has taken very little effort. It has been fun.
So what changed?
What changed for me is that I decided to use activities that are naturally compelling for my students. For example, with the help of local artist, and sidekick, Darrell Fusaro, of the Culver City Cartoon College, I have been supporting some of my students in creating their very own comic books.
I can see how important it is for my students to engage in creative activities, with the freedom to follow their own intuitive hunches, and to interpret and express reality in whatever way they feel called to do it.
Their natural curiosities, questions, and insights have lead to great group discussions that touch on everything from business to friendship, from love to war.
Art works like magic for young minds. When I place art supplies in front of my students it does not take much prompting for them to get busy creating.
Suddenly their minds are excited, they start synthesizing information from their classroom lessons, sharing their thoughts with their peers, and creating something that gives them great satisfaction.
The experience of being in these groups with all of those imaginations firing is a joy unto itself. I leave these experiences recharged and inspired. It is the unexpected ripple effect from these sessions that has really blown me away.
I have a fourth grade student who had been getting in trouble for drawing cartoons during class time. Drawing cartoons has been a natural joy of his since I met him in when he was in kindergarten.
It was the perfect opportunity to take something that was getting him in trouble and shine a new light upon it.
The results have been inspiring. By supporting his vision for success in the area that he naturally loves he has been more willing, and better able, to accomplish the things that he had been avoiding.
He has come alive with natural enthusiasm.
Natural enthusiasm is so much more effective than attempting to use my will to push myself to do things that I don’t enjoy, or to get rid of parts of myself that do not seem to fit with what other people expect of me.
When I write, surf, and play music, it is much easier to go home, and do the little things, such as paying my bills, that are required for successful living. This same principle holds true with my students.
When they are being supported in doing the things that they love, they are much more apt to go along for the ride with the things that they do not naturally gravitate toward.
When I collaborate with educators, like 5th grade teacher Jan Glusac, at El Rincon Elementary, I witness an exchange of mutual respect and appreciation between teacher and student.
I see that her students feel heard and I see that they are willing to go the extra mile to learn. A simple nod of approval to a student, reminds them that what they bring to the table has value.
This simple gesture can make all the difference in the world. It is evidence of an attitude of inclusion rather than exclusion. It lets a child know that even if what they enjoy is not appropriate in a certain situation, it continues to have value and can be celebrated as such.
Every one of us has something we love to do. Taking time to indulge our inner yearnings for inspiration goes a long way toward making life great. This is how we tap into genius in our everyday lives.
When I come to school inspired and enthusiastic, it is inevitable that my days go more smoothly and other people respond in ways that remind me that life is good.
Recently, Mr. Fusaro was working with some of my students, showing them how to put a price on the front of their comic book.
During the session Mr. Fusaro had created his own comic book, called Lots of Luck 4 only a Buck. Feeling as inspired as any of the students to be creating something of value out of something he loves to do, Mr. Fusaro exclaimed, “Now we’re in business!” I could not agree more.