My guest yesterday was Dan Gemeinhart, author of several great books including Some Kind of Courage, a Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee a couple years ago. Mr G is a former teacher and school librarian who still has his "teacher voice"--no microphone needed as he visited with five fifth grade classes at a time in our cafeteria.
Gemeinhart spoke to the students about his life as an Army brat, sometimes fitting in and sometimes not. He spoke about choices he had made, some he had regretted. He told the students that they are writing their life story with every choice they make.
That's daunting to think of, isn't it? Especially when I consider all of the choices I make in a day:
To hit the snooze, or not
What I eat and drink
How I choose to move throughout my day
The words I choose to say--or not
The tasks I choose to attempt
The tasks I choose to accomplish
The people with whom I interact, and how
The time I spend at work
The media I choose to consume--and produce...
In a Psychology Today article, the author referenced studies that say we make 35,000 decisions a day. A day. That's a lot of chances to get it right, even if we make the wrong choices sometimes. Chances to work towards the goals we dream about.
Thanks for the reminder yesterday, Mr. G. The students were listening, and this teacher librarian was, too.
Excellent advice. Sometimes both adults and kids don’t get that neither dreams nor goals happen to us. Of course, the life story we’re writing is a wonderful way for students to see themselves as writers, too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great opportunity to have Dan Gemeinhart talked to your fifth graders. Amazing that we make 35,000 decisions a day.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a memorable visit. That 35,000 decisions a day is huge.
ReplyDelete