The Spark of Learning: A Larger World

One of my favorite moments from the Star Wars movies is when Luke is introduced to the concept of The Force and Obi-Wan Kenobi tells him, "You've taken your first step into a larger world." I love that moment, because as educators, those are the moments we live for! The "aha" moment when a child realizes that there are things they have never dreamed about or thought about or known about. Those are the moments that can change lives and even the world. Who knows what journeys those moments will lead to and how many others will be changed by that person? It's the "spark of learning" that educators have the noble task of spreading to as many students as possible!

During teacher appreciation week, I posted about some of my favorite teachers. One of my former schoolmates made a comment that one of the teachers was the first person to make him realize that there were places in the world outside of our small northern Michigan town. I hadn't realized until he said that how much that teacher had impacted our entire class. He was an outsider, a nonconformist, and in many ways a rebel. He didn't stay long in our sleepy little town, but his impact is still being felt. That's the kind of educator that I want to be and the kind of educator that I want to celebrate! One who challenges the status quo and not only thinks outside the box, but throws the box right out the window. As Dave Burgess would say, a Pirate of Education!

This month, many students are moving on to another grade level or building or maybe even graduating from high school or college. Those students are truly taking a step into a larger world. I hope they take with them a love of learning and excitement for challenges that will stay with them for a lifetime. As educators, one of the most important roles we have is to show our students there is always something more on the horizon to learn and experience. If we've done our job well, they will travel to those horizons and continue to search for new ones in a larger world.