it's you I like

I was thinking about distance learning and Zoom classes and sharing with a friend the many challenges. So much of what it means to be an Education for Life teacher is about magnetism and energy. It's not as much about what we do, the lesson we prepare or the activities we offer but who we are as individuals and the energy and attitude we bring into our classroom. How do we get that to go through a computer screen?

When I began my journey as an EFL teacher I spent a lot of time looking at what other more experienced teachers were doing and trying to find ways to bring that into my classroom but I felt like I kept coming up short. I couldn't be like those other teachers and gradually I realized that "being a good teacher" was much less about any outward performance or product and much more about being myself; bringing my whole, authentic, fully-present self to the classroom in each moment. It wasn't about being perfect, it was about being me. That is in essence what we want for our students as well. We don't need them to perform or produce or achieve in accordance with external measures or goals. We want to encourage them to be fully themselves and to help them express and embody that in the highest most expansive way possible.

When I was sharing about the challenges of creating that connection and transferring energy and magnetism through a screen my friend said, "Well, if Mr. Rogers can do it, so can you!" It was a revelation to me. It's only because I'm used to sharing and interacting and connecting in a particular format that doing it through a screen felt impossible but it's not! Fred Rogers shared such a beautiful connection, a calm and friendly energy that actively engaged the viewers. His presence and the lessons and conversations he shared continue to influence many people today. 

From this article by Deborah Farmer Kris, "In his gentle way, he communicated his belief in the inherent dignity of each individual, reminding us that “You are special to me” and “It’s you I like”:

It’s you I like,

It’s not the things you wear,

It’s not the way you do your hair

But it’s you I like.

The way you are right now,

The way down deep inside you . . .