I get asked quite often what my secret is. How I get them to listen. How I get them to behave. How I get them to like school, to blog, to share, to work hard. People ask me what ido that is s different, what is it that promise these kids so that they work so hard.
I guess it is time for me to share the truth; there is no secret. I don't have a trick. (And it is not because I get the special class list with all the nice kids, although I happen to think all of my kids are nice.). But I believe in those kids. I believe in their desire to learn, in their ability to learn, and in the adventure of learning itself.
I believe it is their time to be in the spotlight, their time to talk, their time to discover. I believe it is my time for quiet, for planning, for guidance. My time to be excited with them, to be a little goofy, and to be sincere. It is not my time to fill these empty vessels because they are far from empty when they come to my room. They are not clay to be molded or slates to be written. They are children with dreams, ideas, and so much desire to explore that I have to step out of their way at times and just watch and learn.
So there is no secret, far from it indeed, what I do anyone else can do. The question is just whether they want to or not.
