Becoming: Heroes and Gifts

The Journey Good morning friends and Happy Friday. One of the things I like to do for my students is check in and reflect on what we are learning. I try to do this each week. (: For the first few weeks of the semester, we are looking at Young Adolescents.. I sometimes refer to them as "them";..My friend Sara Powell coined this phrase: "Young Adolescents are Becoming".... I love that word, becoming, as a visual. (Think about it, think about you; we are all becoming really.) They are "becoming" . who they are, learning new information, new ideas, learning about what inspires them, examining who they are individually and collectively. As you read the characteristics of young adolescents and as we explore the characteristics of gifted students, our task ahead is to consider how we can use what we know about them to create experiences and opportunities to help them "become." Two things come to mind for me. The first is "heroes" or those who influence our lives personally, politically, socially, through the arts and sciences of content, through their life work, their stories, their visions. One of my heroes is Martin Luther King Jr.. His passion, compassion, his perseverance, and commitment opened my eyes to the injustices that still exist and must be shared, addressed and redressed, and the possibilities that all of us must play a role in making our classrooms equitable and empowering. The second is gifts... what are our gifts, our passions, and skills that we identified when we were in middle school and still love today. I always loved art, crafts, sewing, drawing... About 15 years ago I took some watercolor classes with a friend. I then picked up acrylic painting. What I have decided is that when I engage with one of my gifts, it brings me joy. I encourage each of you to consider your heroes and your gifts and find ways to reflect and honor each one. Our lives can get complicated, busy, and we can sometimes forget that there are those who came before us or surround us whose lives sparked an interest or a passion or a reminder that what we do matters;.... we sometimes forget the gifts we have chosen and how much joy they bring us and bring to others. As future teachers, you will be someone's hero, you will spark someone's interest in your subject area, you will inspire and model for students how to engage with, communicate with, and pursue content, and ultimately their dreams. Our task is awesome, profound, and I am so happy to be walking with you on this journey as you "become" the next generation of amazing, needed teachers. Enjoy your weekend. Set a goal to do something fun every week and find someone to thank for being your hero. You all are mine! Sincerely, Dr. Ruppert 1/13/2022