On being AUTHENTIC in Life and in my Classroom

What’s on your mind, Anne?

I read the words on my social media page, and smiled. If only you UNDERSTOOD what was on my mind … ‘Workshops’ begin this week. Professional Development Days are scheduled for next Wednesday and Thursday. A new school year begins in 15 sleeps. Summer has come and is slowly waning. It was the best one of my life… and that says it all.

That’s what’s on my mind …

New curriculums. New changes. New policies. New this. New that. Sighs … I know, I know … Teaching is a science built on concrete results and methods to increase our levels of learning and performance in a World that moves too fast for many. We need to s.l.o.w. down.

I’m still SCREAMING to the World that Teaching is about creating lasting human connections. Trying to reach every student’s capacity to feel empathy, sympathy and do better. My family and I just finished binging Ted Lasso on Netflix. Did you watch it? You should. It’s not about soccer – it’s about reaching that small nugget in every individual – that piece that makes a person ‘tick’ … It will help you understand how everyone has a path, riddled with success and despair, and why we NEED to work as a collective to become different and better people.

It’s no different at school. As I embark on my last SIX teaching semesters before my new beginning, I hope to have the courage to teach authentically. With heart. With passion. With knowledge. I wish more students could come to me and feel the trust to build connections with me. I always manage to teach the curriculum. I want to help many more young ( and not-so-young people ) realize their importance in the World. It should also be about something other than the science of Teaching and those SMART goals. It needs to be about AUTHENTIC goals. ( This is what my TED talk will be about, by the way. I am trade-marking this way of thinking. )

When I look at my life or work, are my goals AUTHENTIC?

Active
Unique
Truthful
Honest and Helpful
Exciting
New
True

Impactful
Creative

These goals can’t be measured with a score number but with a quiet introspection of one’s actions and thoughts. I’ll start there and see what happens.

Have a day filled with AUTHENTIC moments that bring you back to the core of your person.

Stay tuned for my TED talk. Register for my upcoming webinar pertaining to AUTHENTIC goals.

It’s going to be a great year. It already has started .

Anne/August 21th, 2023