I recently saw this video of a grandmother riding a roller coaster for the first time. (If it doesn’t brighten your day, then nothing will, and you might as well go back to bed.) That got me thinking of all the firsts you experience with your students—the first time a child understands one-to-one correspondence, the first time a child hangs upside down on monkey bars, the first time he recognizes that particularly difficult sight word, or the first time he uses scissors correctly. What a privilege it is to be able to witness so many remarkable moments in a child’s life!
The grandmother on the roller coaster also reminds me that we’re never too old for new firsts. I’m not recommending that you immediately book your first skydiving lesson (unless complete and utter terror is your thing). But challenging ourselves to tackle new tasks and concepts makes us better, well-rounded people. And it helps us relate to our students!
My most recent first? I built my own couch out of wood pallets. Give me some power tools, and I can conquer the world!
What new task or concept have you tackled lately?
Thanks for the positive and inspiring blog, Kim! Instead of settling with
“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” we need to constantly
work to reinvent ourselves.