Bringing Your Passions Into The Classroom

Don't separate teaching entirely from the rest of your life. Rather, use the rest of your life to enhance your impact in the classroom!

By Mollie Moore

teacher playing outside with students

Who were your favorite teachers as a child? You may still remember their names, the grades they taught, and perhaps even the setup of their classroom. But without a doubt, you recall something extraordinary about them. Something makes them stand out in your mind. What is it?

I would wager that whatever it is has something to do with their passion. Nobody was ever remarkable for his/her passiveness or mediocrity. No, enthusiasm and zeal make a person stand out. So what were they passionate about?

  • Biology?
  • Books?
  • Sports?
  • Photography?
  • Justice?
  • Relationships?
  • Music?

How did they bring that passion into the classroom in such a way that it either made you love that thing too, or gave you greater appreciation and respect for it than you’d previously had?

What Are You Passionate About?

Now, what are your passions? Are you already including them in your teaching somehow? If so, tell us about it! If not, what are some ways you might begin to do so? Your students may remember studying butterflies in your classroom, or the mental math tricks you taught them to add and subtract quickly, but the ones who remember you decades from now will remember the things you loved.