On Teaching Life Skills

I want to create learners.  I want my students to look at every minute of their lives as opportunities to garner wisdom.  Regardless of what their faces say when I'm talking to them, I want their brains to be spinning.  With 3 snow days and a holiday in the last 2 weeks, I feel as if we've played a lot of "catch-up" without being able to enjoy the learning process. 

As a high school student, I was always the one who completed the task just to get it done.  I am so not the example I want my kids to follow.  If I could go back, I would ask loads of questions.  I wouldn't take my teacher's word for anything.  I would be that annoying student who is never satisfied with a simple answer.  Last semester, my most difficult hour (like pull my hair out every single day kind of "difficult") asked me what I know now that I wished I had known in high school.  (What a great question, huh!?  And what a great opportunity!)  I told them I would have to think about it.  I didn't want to waste such a golden opportunity on whatever first popped into my head.  So I thought about it.  Then I forgot about it (happens more often than I care to admit).  About a week later, they asked again.  By then I had formulated an answer that I deemed worthy. 

I told them I wished I had gotten out of my comfort zone more.  I told them I wished I had tried out for cheerleading, taken an art class, played volleyball one more year, taken AP English my junior year instead of opting for the class I knew I could get an "A" in, actually participated in some of the enrichment activities offered to me...  The list goes on and on.  Aside from all the "me focused" things, I told them that most importantly, I wish I would have spent time with kids who were not like me.  I deeply cherish my high school friends.  Always will.  I just wish I would have looked at the kid sitting next to me in college algebra and asked her questions that showed I cared. 

Every single eye was glued on me when I told them my high school "regrets."  And more than that, several of them said, "That's great advice, Mrs. Carlson.  I'm going to do that."  And they meant it! 

It's sad that opportunities like that don't come up every day, but I've certainly learned to take them when they're available.  I preach to my kids to live life to the fullest and enjoy every minute.  It's a good thing when I take my own advice.