āDo not ask what the world needs.Ā Ask what makes you come alive and go do it, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.ā ā Howard Thurman, from Meditations of the Heart
The meaning of this quote to me has changed over the years.Ā When I was younger I struggled to make sense of the part, āthe world needs people who have come aliveā because I believed the world needed more environmentalists and I was determined to become a lawyer and fight for the environment!Ā I have come to realize what ācoming aliveā means and I want to live in that space of being present and aware, and share that love with others.Ā Coming alive means to know yourself, to be aware of how you are feeling in this moment, and to be authentic in what interests and impassions you.Ā I am interested in nature and feel impassioned for saving the environment; however, my true passion is actually working with children (preferably in a nature setting!) because I become recharged, inspired, and stoked whenever I am with children.
My goal as an educator is to guide students to find, nurture, and grow their interests and passions in life.Ā I believe education is supposed to be interesting and exciting, and I want to create a classroom where students feel they can explore and learn about their own interests as well as become excited about content we are all learning.Ā One example of how I will implement this philosophy in my classroom is through project-based learning, where students choose a topic that cultivates curiosity and passion in them so they can pursue and learn deeper about that topic.Ā By having students pursue their passions whenever possible, education becomes fun, engaging, and inspiring.Ā I believe by encouraging and nurturing our children of today to find their passions, we are building an alive society that will pursue their passions and follow their dreams.