I've been spending time for about a week reading every single post by Krissy Venosdale of venspired.com and she has gotten me completely ready to jump into a classroom! What did I get out of most of her posts? Passion! Not only the obvious (that she loves her job), but the more important parts passion plays in a classroom. When a teacher can discover a student's passions and design lessons around them, that is when education comes alive for that student. Create a lesson or project that means something to them as an individual, and they won't ever forget what they've learned.
Another example of passion, the Moore OK tornadoes. Here is my facebook status from today:
I love the way Kidd Kraddick spoke of the schools in the tornado [this morning]. In a world where the teachers aren't even allowed to hug their students, these teachers were found on top of their students blocking them from debris. They didn't do it for a bigger salary, they did it because they love their students. Personally, I've been reading blog posts lately about having a true passion for teaching and sharing in your students' passions. If that isn't passion for your students, I don't know what is. Please pray for the Moore schools today.