Week 8: Enthusiasm - It's contagious.

The final chapter of Part One ends the book like it begins.   Enthusiasm.  As Dave says it is one of the main columns of teaching like a pirate with Passion.  Setting new course to uncharted areas, and striking out on your own and letting others follow your wake.  Keeping your enthusiasm from beginning of the school day to the end of the school day can be one of the most challenging pieces of teaching.  Finding a way to keep this enthusiasm, can be just as important as knowing your content.  It could be teaching about planar trigonometry or the proper use of commas, it is enthusiasm that will keep your students on your side.  I know from my experience, it was the days that I was most tired were the days the students would recall at the end of the year.  If it was from jumping off lab tables showing the whoosh of the H+ gradient to produce ATP, or making the students march along to an Acid Base Cadence, students were eating off the energy I was expending.

So how is it that you keep your own enthusiasm?  How do you produce the same mystifying tricks and exploding lessons every period of the day?  I have a couple ways that I pull enthusiasm from.  First I think of this:

Yes this is Scripture, but go with me on this one.  I take this to say this.  Every thing you do, a new day, a new period, a new lesson, a new 10 minutes is brand new.  If that is the case then every brand new event deserves the same effort and enthusiasm of the last event.
Secondly, music is a huge motivator for me.  Different types of music, will effect me differently.  I would not say that I have one song that gets me the most enthusiastic, but an eclectic mix of music.  I primarily try to bring in music my students have not heard of before.  Lots of Indie Pop, Beatles, and even Classical Rock.  Put on something like this before a lesson,

here, and I am ready to go.

So how is it that you keep your enthusiasm?  What music, thoughts, or images keep your fire alive?  Share it out, then continue to spread the enthusiasm.  Like Dave said, after you have found a way to keep your enthusiasm, be patient zero.  Start an enthusiasm virus that spreads, and will not stop.  The students will not know that hit them.  The culture of the school will change, and those that are not willing to jump on board will stick out.  Those teachers then will either have to join the crew of passionate, immersed, enthusiastic pirates or walk to plank and be marooned on their own island.

Share out your ideas, create a sign, post your favorite pick me up songs.  Be sure to include the hashtag #SummerTLAP in your tweets and posts.  As always, here is the Google Form for WISD employees.  If you have gotten behind, that is okay.  Just catch up, and you are still a part of this crew.

Finally, one last note.  The second part of the book is all about the how of teaching like a PIRATE.  Next week I am going to want you to post your favorite hook(s) or idea(s) that you have pulled from the book.  So keep reading, and look forward to reading your thoughts. It has been wonderful to be on this journey with you all.