According to Wikipedia, Zen “favors direct understanding through insight and meditation.” I see the Zen of teaching as direct understanding through knowledge and reflection.
I think the reason that I felt so happy with teaching is because I found my rhythm. I figured out what I needed and what my student needed and everything fell into place. Sure, I had to make adjustments and learn new things along with my students but that was part of the rhythm. Here are some thoughts that helped me (some may be clichés but they still helped me).
1. Stop fighting the system all the time and use my energy to help myself and my students to cope with regulations that seem misguided.
2. Look for the fun in learning and help others find it too.
3. Look for the positive things that are happening around me.
4. Share victories with others. Too often everyone seems to like sharing the negative and it is easy to get into that same practice.
5. Find others who enjoy teaching and learning and surround myself with these people.
6. Avoid negative thinking people.
7. Trust my instincts. If some strategy I am using doesn’t feel right, the odds are that it won’t help my students either.
8. Listen to my students. Many times they know what they need but don’t feel like anyone is listening to them.
9. Try to see the big picture. This helps me understand why the administration sometimes makes the decisions that they do.
10. Look for ways to make things better.
11. Share victories with others. Too often everyone seems to like sharing the negative and it is easy to get into that same practice.
12. Remember the joy of teaching someone something new.
13. Enjoy the feeling when someone understands the new concept I am teaching them.
14. Be willing to look at something in a different way and not get stuck in doing things only one way.
15. Stop having tunnel vision and being egocentric. Remember the world is bigger than I think but closer than I know.
What thoughts have helped you enjoy teaching? Please share!
Image: 'A soft summer night in the marsh'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/95572727@N00/3248978863
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