Creating Moments

Education is more than learning facts and receiving good grades. It is more than remembering dates of historical events, chemical equations and Shakespeare. It is the moments that you experience that stay with you forever.

“High school students log more time in classrooms than anywhere else. Yet most adults will not recall learning experiences.”

-Heath, 2019

To this day, when I think back on my high school experience, I do not remember the facts and subjects that I was taught — I remember the moments that I experienced and how they made me feel.

• FUN — I remember going to prom and staying up all night in the tree house afterwards with friends.
• CHALLENGED — I remember building rockets with the Science club, but nothing about the physics of the design.
• HAPPY — I remember our school band winning the highest award in the Statewide marching band competition during senior year, but I do not remember the songs we played or the training that went into the performance.
• PROUD — I remember studying for weeks leading up to my AP Calculus final exam and receiving my highest grade of the year at 86% and being so happy with myself and proud, but I could not tell you what was on that exam.

“Our lives are measured in moments, and defining moments are the ones that endure in our memories.”

-Heath , 2019

Life is a series of moments that stay with us forever. Some are more vivid than others and some fade with time. Take a moment and think back on your high school experience. What do you remember? What stands out to you? Is it a particular subject or equation, or was it a conversation, person, project, or event?

As educators, we should consider the importance and power that particular moments have on students’ lives. Why shouldn’t we create memorable classroom experiences that could rival those of prom or homecoming? We should not leave these moments to random fate, we should strive to actively create authentic opportunities for these moments in our classes. As educators, this should be equally as important as the facts that we teach.

With COVID rampant around the world right now, many organizations are changing and simplifying the way they are doing things — for many schools this means teaching online. The distance that this brings for the students and the teachers is felt around the world. This is a moment in history that will be remembered.

So it is up to us to decide how we deal with it and not let it impede on our students’ high school experience. We have the power to create moments — regardless of circumstances or cards we are dealt.

Do we want the only memory our students have of their high school experience to be COVID and staring at a screen all day? Yes- this memory will be burned in their brain because how could it not.

But what if we take control of this narrative and turn it into a positive? You cannot control your emotions as they are an automatic response to actions, but you can control your feelings around them (Burchard, 2017).

Emotions fade, but feelings last. Control your own narrative and you can control those feelings. Create a narrative for your students and perhaps you can bring them a bit of joy along the way.

Many schools are cutting the requirements of their programs for the time being due to the challenges that COVID brings. While this may create stress for some — how will we cover all the required material? I view this as an opportunity to break the mold and change the narrative. Use this time to create unique experiences that otherwise would not have happened because of COVID. Connect with schools around the world, get the families involved in their child’s learning, teach the importance of connection, communication and empathy.

“In life, we can work so hard to get the kinks out that we forget to put the peaks in.”

-Heath, 2019

As an educator, you control your class. Remember, while your subject content is important — chances are it very well may not be what the students remember. They will remember your passion about the story, not the details of the book; the recycled garden they built, not the equation for photosynthesis.

So, do not be afraid to be innovative with your teaching strategies and use the tools at your disposal. Take a risk and try something new!

Challenge students with projects that require them to connect with classmates in new ways and be creative within their home spaces.

Be ok with letting certain details go to focus on the bigger picture.

The challenge for teachers is to not accept all the constraints that COVID is putting on our profession, but rather utilize this experience to provide a memorable moment(s) for your students within your realm of expertise.

While we cannot control what is happening in the world right now, we can control how we handle it. We cannot control our emotions, we can control how we feel in response to them. Push yourself as educators; challenge your students’ creativity; create an experience in your “classroom” that students will remember so that when they tell their kids about their high school experience, they will have more to say than “I survived the pandemic”.

Citations

Burchard, B. (2017). High performance habits: How extraordinary people become that way. Carlsbad: Hay House.

Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2019). The power of moments: Why certain experiences have extraordinary impact. London: Corgi.