Doesn’t Labor Day Weekend mean, “It’s a good time to participate in some rewarding labor”?
This weekend I am having a meeting with a great teacher I know to chat about turning my latest book NERD GIRLS into a student play for her drama club to perform. They have a rockin’ theater program at this middle school, the kids love the book and all sorts of people are fired up to take total ownership over crafting this into an original production.
Plus, they get to write the script with some oversight by me, the book’s author. It’s a real cool twist on some of the ways motivated teachers can get hordes of students to participate in their own education. Personally, I could not be more thrilled. Their motivation and energy gives me motivation and energy. (Isn’t it crazy how the reciprocity of that seems to work?)
And, once it’s done, I plan on trying to publish the script free of charge, too, so that other school drama departments can replicate the production should they wish. Heck, maybe we’ll add in a musical number or two as well. Watching middle schoolers sing and dance always brings a smile to my face. (I know I’m supposed to laugh with the kids – not AT the kids – but hey, sometimes, well… middle school kids just make me LAUGH!)
In a way, Labor Day Weekend has always meant “It’s a good time to participate in some rewarding labor” to me so demz da plans. Hope everyone else is doing something that energizes them this weekend.
Have a happy 3 day-er.
Is it okay to feel good? Is it okay to be FIRED UP? Do we spend enough time genuinely recognizing the joy that is the teaching profession?