Sharing Our Passions with Children

A whole new way to choose teachers

Why do so many children hate school? Why do we remember maybe one or two teachers who really left an impact? Why does it often feel like we truly are just being babysat, even in high school?

What if the goal of school was something far beyond simply getting through a curriculum? What if it was about igniting the passion of learning inside of children? How would we do that?

We would certainly change the curriculum and teach based on how each child learned. But what if we also chose teachers differently? What if most teaching jobs weren’t even full-time? What if most people we learned from were those who were doing what they loved in life and also shared this love with children?

(Please note that both my parents were passionate teachers who loved their work and the kids they taught. There are many great teachers out there but there are lots of things that we can look at here for improvement.)

Sharing our Passions

Imagine that the person teaching history is actually a history buff who is passionate about the deeper social happenings throughout time. Imagine that they are intrigued with how our past can shape our future. Imagine that they have hundreds of interesting little tidbits that are particularly intriguing to them. Imagine if this was who we learned history from in school.

Sometimes we would see this passion in an art, music, or drama teacher. One reason is that these are things that “not just anyone” can teach. You actually have to play instruments to teach it. You can’t teach drawing if you personally cannot draw. And so, within the arts, we often would get a taste of people sharing their passions with the younger generations.

I see this a lot in my friends who have homeschooled over the years. My friends teach the basic “Three Rs — Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic”. Beyond that, they look around their community for opportunities that would inspire their kids to learn and grow.

Sometimes it might be going to Uncle Jack’s garage and learning how a car works and helping with oil changes and tire replacements. Or it might be spending time with a local potter, photographer, or artist.

A friend of mine, who just started homeschooling this year, knew someone who was passionate about geography, and who is now hosting a Monday class each week for two hours where she shares her love of geography with all the homeschooling kids in the area.

Natural Context for What We’re Learning

It’s a very different experience because the kids tend to go deeper with each person than they would with someone who was simply presenting a curriculum. A person with a passion shares so much more than just what they are passionate about. Without even meaning to, they share how this is part of their life. They share how it’s part of their philosophy for living, how it’s changed the way they see things.

They also have stories from their journey to get there. These stories are what really stick in our minds. They are what truly plant seeds of possibilities in our futures. Plus, we simply love stories. This is the most wonderful way to learn.

What About Academics?

It is easy to see this in the arts, and English class, and learning other languages. But what about calculus, algebra, and the sciences?

Well, I personally have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. I have owned DVDs called “The Joy of Calculus” and “The Joy of Numbers”. I will happily sit down and ponder great mathematical questions and play with numbers all day. When I first found out what calculus really was, I was gobsmacked! My brain actually loves the mental gymnastics of complicated algebra.

I am actually passionate about mathematics!!

Similarly, my dad was a science teacher. He was often criticized by his superiors for going off curriculum to do great weather experiments and go deeper into what they were studying. He was so passionate about what they could explore, he just did the experiments with the kids and apologized to the establishment later.

The Joy of Learning

It often becomes a philosophical question as to what the point of an educational system is. Is it to run children through a particular curriculum and see where they end up? Or is it simply to instill the joy of learning within them — regardless of what they choose to learn?

I love the idea of simply igniting the joy of learning. We generally have forgotten the vast majority of the content of what we learned in school shortly after we take the test and definitely a few years later. So, is the content really the point?

Or is the point to simply be around people who are passionate about life? To experience people who continue to grow and expand in their craft — be it pottery, mathematics, music, drama, or science.

Ya… I don’t read

There was a time when I had teenaged foster children living with me. I remember the first time we all went to a big bookstore. As we walked in, they asked, “What do we do here?”. I stared at them for a minute because I didn’t understand the question.

“What do you mean? Just think of a topic that you’re interested in, go to that section, and look through the books.”

“Ya… I don’t read. There isn’t anything here I’m interested in”, was their reply.

To the 11-year-old girl, I told her that there would be books here on the Spice Girls (this was in the late 1990s). To the 13-year-old boy, I told him that there would be books here about basketball. (I’m not being gender-specific here. These were just their personal interests at the time).

Their eyes lit up and they were gone. An hour later, they had lost themselves in a bookstore sitting and reading and learning about what they were interested in.

This is the spirit that I believe is so important to nourish in school. The content is practically irrelevant. Our natural desires will light the way as long as the joy of learning is there.

And who best to learn from than those who truly love what they do.