This is a "Word Cloud" created from a couple of my "greatest hits" blog posts. I see influences, lots of teaching-related words, and points I've pondered with you, my readers.
In many ways, this is also my "mind cloud" for any given day.
Input = seeing, hearing, doing, feeling, reading...
Output = thinking, talking, writing, sketching, representing...
As we go through our days with input/output... breathing in, breathing out... do you wonder about all of the things that pass through your mind's "cloud"? We can focus, slowing down our breathing, to intentionally input information into our minds. But how many things "run through," seemingly without notice or deep thought, yet affecting us?
Researchers seem to believe that we have somewhere between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts each day--and that can depend on how deeply we think (actually process) each thought. Of those thoughts, many are said to be thoughts of the past or future, recalling what has been or imagining what will be... neither of which are in our control at this moment--the present.
Are you present in the present?
One way to practice being present is simply to slow down, breathe, and take in a moment. Whether you are being still, truly listening, allowing yourself and others to be honestly seen, allowing your heart to breathe in and expand in silence, you will find yourself in the here and now. This is how you learn to control those tens of thousands of thoughts that cross your mind each day, so many of which are a waste of time and energy.
You can, of course, decide on a focus to put your "mind over matter," including in your constant quest to improve your work. As a person for whom teaching is part of her identity, I strive to learn about teaching in order to add to my "mind cloud."
The more I learn/read/study, the larger the important "words" or ideas in my "mind's cloud" will become; those that need to remain will surround these ideas; those that fade away can be stored on my computer's cloud for reference!
This is one of my favorite quotes (from Brian Tracy):
“Read an hour every day in your chosen field. This
works out to about one book per week, fifty books per
year, and will guarantee your success.”
To assist with this, I went to Goodreads.com and set a reading goal for the year: 50 books. While choosing some books that are "professional" in nature, I know that as a literacy coach and teacher, most anything I read will somehow help me to be successful at work (and in life).
Using a site like Goodreads helps me to find this focus to reach my goal. It allows me track my progress, compliments me when I am ahead of my goal, and gently reminds me if it looks like I'm off course. I can also see what others are reading/want to read, write and read reviews, rate books, and receive recommendations for books I might like based on my reading habits. But my favorite thing is seeing the screen that shows me what I have read so far this year:
Not only do my reading habits suddenly become visible, so do my preferences. And, in case I don't have this self-awareness or fail to notice my own patterns, Goodreads lists for me (on my home screen) the genres it thinks I prefer and suggests other titles in which I may be interested.
I can also list books that I am currently reading or want to read. This allows me to do a couple of important things that "wild readers" do: I can see if I am finishing (or abandoning) books, notice my commitment and actual engagement in allocating time to read, and create a plan for future reading (what's next?).
People who know me well often comment on my love of books and grin when I suddenly quote an author (usually an educational researcher) and share learning from a certain text/author/workshop. My friend and fellow instructional coach, Deb, even thinks I should do a workshop session on professional books just to "gab it up" and tell people all about the professional books I have read and loved over the years. (I would love that!)
So this causes me to return to my original thinking about my mind as the original memory "cloud." As a visual learner, I love to see these patterns in what I am reading, to use my blog and other writing tools to record my reflections, and to find focus for what stays in my mind's cloud.
This is a never-ending process of growth, which is why we might look back and wonder why we dropped a given strategy. It might seem like we might have forgotten some things, but maybe it was just our minds' memory clouds remembering the best and most important. (see blog post on "Spring Cleaning")
My job as a literacy coach supports this, as I get to spend my days with interesting, thoughtful teachers who are willing to talk about what we are thinking and learning together--which is what coaching is all about: sharing the input and output to make sense of the complexities and theories of teaching.
The coaching process helps us to make informed decisions about what stays in our minds' "memory clouds" for ready access when planning for, responding to, and teaching our nation's children.
wonderful blog and so many great ideas to ponder, not to mention book titles to check out and read!
ReplyDeleteChris, thanks for sharing these thoughts. At work, I often find myself typing - responding to email or searching - while people are talking to me. I'm definitely not present in those moments. I have to reprimand myself and tell me to stop and look at the person speaking to me. (Don't worry, I don't talk to myself out loud.) This is a great post for me to think about.
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