No, that's not the title of a cheesy informational movie about how to play racquetball. It's my dream. I'm somewhere around halfway through his "First Days of School," and was zapped by inspiration and awe for about the millionth time when he said:
"At 4 o'clock, I go play racquetball, drink margaritas, and teach my Itlanian bride how to cook Chinese food. You don't see me dragging out at the end of the school day groaning, 'I can't take this any longer'...The reason teachers are so tired at the end of ths chool day is that they have been working...The person who does the work is the only one doing any learning."
I've been preparing for the beginning of the school year at my middle school by setting up 5th grade band demonstration nights, applying to march in local parades, sending out letters to my students, thinking through curriculum, etc, etc, etc, this serves as a great reminder. Instead of thinking about teaching in terms of what I, the teacher, am going to cover, I should be thinking about what my students will accomplish and experience. I can whip up all the snazzy powerpoints full of the most exciting information, but as long as the students are not doing work, they aren't really learning. That's not to say that I don't think I should prepare these kinds of things, but every lesson I prepare should be centered around students doing something, working toward a goal.
This section hit me particularly because I have been mentally preparing for long, arduous days that result in me feeling exhausted and lost. But maybe it doesn't have to be that way? Obviously, I'm going to find out. I'm going to work hard to prepare myself, but I have a renewed desire to make sure that my preparation is centered around I want my students to accomplish and experience. This obviously benefits my students, and it certainly benefits me. And my racquetball game.
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