This summer has been a great time for me to catch up on both professional and recreational reading. I was especially excited for my summer read The Zen Teacher by Dan Tricarico. I was attracted to the title as I personally strive for creating focus and simplicity as a teacher, mom, wife, and my many other adult roles I carry in life. I have a history of burning myself out mentally in the past so presence and awareness has been a main priority. Thus...The Zen Teacher seemed rather fitting for a person like myself. The book starts off by giving a general explanation of Zen and focuses on some of its primary elements. After each short chapter you are asked to complete a Zen teacher assignment such as taking 5 minutes to do nothing, finding what your happy place is, decluttering a room, or even taking time to notice something different. These may sound like simple tasks but sacrificing the time is hard to do in our fast paced world. With the help of this book and completing the tasks I was able to recognize what Zen practices I have already aligned in my life. These include writing in my journal every morning, running, yoga, knitting, 5 minutes of meditation/breathing daily, etc. Ok, great right?! But what really struck me and got me thinking was...I can share these simple practices with my students! I haven't thought about Zen in my classroom or how I use it because I have been primarily focused (and overwhelmed) on how to use the programs/technology I teach in my classroom. I have only been teaching at my new position for one year so still learning and getting comfortable with it. In order to understand what my day is like picture this; I teach Digital Arts to grades 7&8 for 5 periods a day in a room with no windows, in the dark, in a room filled with 35 desktops and an overhead projector! Definitely not "Zen"! And definitely not in an environment I am accustomed to teaching in! This has me some motivation to inspire and lead my students into some guided Zen moments before gazing into the computer screen for 45 min. This could include drawing or writing in our handmade journals, taking a quick walk outside, doing some brain yoga (below is a you tube tutorial), or even just stretch! I will let this organically happen next year and listen to what my students want to do. The less structure and planning that I do the more meaningful and inspiring moments take place. Kacey
2 Comments
Laura Holtkamp
8/2/2017 05:38:56 am
I cannot wait to see the Zen unfold next year. I'll be in to find my Zen too!
Reply
Kacey
8/2/2017 10:17:39 am
I hope you come in LOTS to visit!!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Kacey and Katie@2sistersteach ArchivesCategories |