Eleven months ago I began a journey of practicing mindfulness every day and we've reached day 334. Yesterday, I talked about healing and its relationship to progress. Today is a new day.
It was a Saturday morning in Omihachiman (which is in the Shiga prefecture. I live in Osaka...), I was tired from the two-hour commute, and I had 15 minutes to prepare for my first-ever class, which was a rowdy bunch of kids. The next 3 classes were also 1-hour kids classes and each time I had to learn new curriculum, set up the classroom, and figure out the pacing of everything within 12 minutes. It was a 5-hour circus ride and by the end of it I was physically and mentally exhausted.
This first day taught me a very valuable lesson. Despite just being thrown into the lion's den and being on the verge of panicking, something clicked and I managed to get through it all. I was already there so I thought I'd try making the best of it. I had a bunch of little ones to look after and so I thought their education was the most important thing I should focus on. It didn't matter how I would do it, just that I would try. That thought alone, that I'd simply try, was what got me through that day. No matter how much we prepare, how well we think we know something, or what the odds of success are, the most important thing is that you try.
This showed me the value of acting for the sake of others. Sure, I have my own uncertainties and problems to deal with, but my students aren't related to that. It's my duty to educate them no matter how sad, frustrated, or unprepared I am. If I am not ready, it's on me, but that doesn't mean I can run away from my responsibilities. I have to fulfill my role as a teacher and role-model no matter what. Some days I don't know how I'm going to teach a lesson and when it comes time to teach I still don't know. Yet something interesting happens when it comes to being in the heat of the moment. In trying you end up coming up with random sparks of inspiration that help you make new games, find ways to explain things in a simpler way, or make the lesson more engaging and fun for everyone. This is something that can't be taught in any training. It has to be experienced.
In life, we'll experience so many things that we may hesitate to do, but we can never fully prepare for anything. We have to just do it and learn from the experience. Courage isn't the act of being brave, it's being able to overcome our mental shackles. Acknowledging the higher importance of our duty and answering its call isn't achieved through perfection. It starts with being willing to try. My first day SUCKED, but it also helped me see this. Learning how to apply this lesson is what this mindfulness practice is all about.
Peace
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." - James Neil HollingworthOne thing as a teacher that can make or break your ability to teach a class is uncertainty. I remember my first day teaching. I finished my training and was looking forward to gaining some real-world experience, but I figured I'd be able to monitor some classes and be able to actually see how it's really done in a real context before it was my turn...NOOOOOOPE!
It was a Saturday morning in Omihachiman (which is in the Shiga prefecture. I live in Osaka...), I was tired from the two-hour commute, and I had 15 minutes to prepare for my first-ever class, which was a rowdy bunch of kids. The next 3 classes were also 1-hour kids classes and each time I had to learn new curriculum, set up the classroom, and figure out the pacing of everything within 12 minutes. It was a 5-hour circus ride and by the end of it I was physically and mentally exhausted.
This first day taught me a very valuable lesson. Despite just being thrown into the lion's den and being on the verge of panicking, something clicked and I managed to get through it all. I was already there so I thought I'd try making the best of it. I had a bunch of little ones to look after and so I thought their education was the most important thing I should focus on. It didn't matter how I would do it, just that I would try. That thought alone, that I'd simply try, was what got me through that day. No matter how much we prepare, how well we think we know something, or what the odds of success are, the most important thing is that you try.
This showed me the value of acting for the sake of others. Sure, I have my own uncertainties and problems to deal with, but my students aren't related to that. It's my duty to educate them no matter how sad, frustrated, or unprepared I am. If I am not ready, it's on me, but that doesn't mean I can run away from my responsibilities. I have to fulfill my role as a teacher and role-model no matter what. Some days I don't know how I'm going to teach a lesson and when it comes time to teach I still don't know. Yet something interesting happens when it comes to being in the heat of the moment. In trying you end up coming up with random sparks of inspiration that help you make new games, find ways to explain things in a simpler way, or make the lesson more engaging and fun for everyone. This is something that can't be taught in any training. It has to be experienced.
In life, we'll experience so many things that we may hesitate to do, but we can never fully prepare for anything. We have to just do it and learn from the experience. Courage isn't the act of being brave, it's being able to overcome our mental shackles. Acknowledging the higher importance of our duty and answering its call isn't achieved through perfection. It starts with being willing to try. My first day SUCKED, but it also helped me see this. Learning how to apply this lesson is what this mindfulness practice is all about.
What is your duty?
Peace
 |
| Teaching your first class is a lot to take in at once, but if you make it through your first day, you'll be fine. |
How do you overcome fear? Leave a comment below!
ReplyDeleteHave a great day~