Running with a Lesson
“Come on dance with me — I’m levitating.”
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Artist: Dua Lipa
Album: Future Nostalgia
Song: Levitating (2020)
Teaching can feel like flying.
Flying high
on the friendly sky
Flying high
without leaving the ground, no
— Marvin Gaye
In the music world — You’re cooking.
In the bodybuilding world — The Pump.
In the hockey world — Standing on you Head
In the running world — Runner’s high
In the tennis world — Playing Unconscious
So, you’re flying. You’re feeling good. Your students are flying. Feeling good. They are picking up what you’re laying down. All of it. You are all a jolly bunch of Dwarves, existing together within the lesson, the activity, the game, the read aloud…..Now What?
DON’T STOP!
You need to tell time and schedule to buzz off. Now don’t miss lunch or art, gym, or music. You can’t have your kids miss the bus or their ride home. That’s all common sense. But here’s what you can do. You’re going to have large chunks of time in the classroom with the door shut. You are in charge. No matter what schedule you put together — you need to say screw it.
If your gut is saying, “I should keep going.”
DON’T STOP!
If it’s saying, “This feels good.”
DON’T STOP!
When your students are riding a galactic vibe during a lesson, the last thing you want to do is stop. NEVER tell them to stop unless you have to. You have an entire year to complete whatever bullshit you need to complete. When the vibe is there, keep going until you feel the buzz is diminished.
You’ll feel it in your gut.
The gut never lies.
This is teaching. This is why your students will remember and love you forever. Don’t kill the buzz. I wish I could appear on your shoulder and whisper, “Don’t stop.” You just have to feel it. That’s a part of growing as a teacher. When you feel the energy and you feel the electricity in the room, you’ll know.