September 18, 2013 - Enthusiasm

I started teaching yesterday at White Oaks Secondary School in Oakville Ontario. I am teaching on behalf of Humber College. I go into the classroom to teach a college level course at high school. The students have the experience of the college experience in a "safe" environment. I am teaching Botany (Plant Science) this semester.

I have about 12 students. Perhaps 5 are engaged. 3 are putting in time and will likely put in time for the rest of their lives. 4 are either challenged, or have been told they are challenged and have accepted that label and are living it.

The 3 putting in time piss me off. They all have "comfortable" family lives but don't see what their parents had to do to get to where they are. All three are smart (I believe everyone is smart equally, and with the right motivation and teaching can excel) and have potential. They all want to "do something" rather than learn. And the "doing" they do is sloppy, ill prepared, and hardly ever cleaned up.

I am going to interrupt myself here and tell you I took a course last week. I should have been bored, as I "already knew everything". I had a blast and because I sat with a open mind - I LEARNED SOMETHING FASCINATING!

The 4 people that have been labelled "challenged" - well, I don't know what to say. One is absolutely smart. He is skilled in the practical application of the landscape trades and can explain verbally everything he is doing. He has a poor vocabulary, and I believe been intellectually beaten down by the establishment. The other three have similar experiences.

The five engaged ones take notes, listen, ask questions, participate. They have goals, although not likely to tell their peers. They are the silent majority.....

I gave them my favourite lecture. Enthusiasm. From the Greek en thios - or inner God. I told them they need to find their WHY for no matter what they do in life. When you have a WHY, the HOW just falls into place. It really is that simple. I haven't followed that for almost 25 years, but I have regained my course direction and am working that was as we speak.

The final part of my lecture on enthusiasm is the suffix of the word. IASM. That stands for I Am Self Motivated. Emerson said, "Do the thing and you shall have the power". I tell my students that day 1 of class it is easy to be motivated.The middle of the semester is when you have to dig deep, find your why, and get the work done. When you get the work done, the power will fill you.

I've enjoyed the past few years of reflecting on myself and changing myself. I am trying to become the man I want to be.