A is for Adventure

When I was thinking of words that begin with A in education, I came up with the usual “apple” and “achievement” but I wanted something different. I wanted something fun because learning should be fun. I think that is why I’ve always loved learning because when I was growing up, it was fun and exciting so I’m thankful that I never lost that feeling. I want that same feeling for my students.

When my children were little and we would go somewhere fun, we would tell them we were going on an adventure. It may be an adventure somewhere locally or we would be going on some kind of road trip but wherever we ended up, it was usually an adventure.

I think it is important that I tell my students that each lesson we do is an adventure and it will be fun because any time you come away with more knowledge than you started with, it is fun! Every adventure may have some unknowns, uncertainties, and even bumps in the road but that is what makes it an adventure. If we give up or complain about it, it takes the adventure out of it.

Every adventure is more fun when we work together and help each other. When I go on a hike with my friends, we stay together. If someone has some trouble, we all help each other overcome the obstacle. There is nothing that we can’t do as long as we stay together. I believe that in the classroom too. We can tackle anything as long as we stick together.

Too many times, I feel that students think they are heading out on a new adventure all alone. Society has somehow made them believe that they need to do it alone and I totally disagree. The important this is the result and how we get there can be done the hard way or the easier way. Whenever I go somewhere unknown, I always feel better if I’m not alone. Why wouldn’t we expect students to feel the same way?  “A” should not stand for “alone.”

I also think that how we look at something can affect our attitude. If we look at a challenge as a fun new adventure, we are putting ourselves in the right frame of mind to tackle the task. The more successful we are, the more willing we are to take risks and try harder. I want my students to find success and be willing to risk learning new things. I want them to find the adventure in learning.

What would the letter “A” stand for in your classroom? Please share.