Knowing the power of passion vs. using its power for transformational purposes are two very different things.
In education, what we "do" does not always align with what we know and value. The gap widens as we are told to "meet the standards", "prepare for the tests," and "cover the curriculum". Passion, creativity, and initiative are not lessons you can teach are not neatly packaged in three ring binders; nor do they exist as extra curricular projects when the "basics" are done. But you can create the right conditions for it to thrive.
Passion, energy, and initiative are gifts that people choose to give or withhold day-by-day and moment-by-moment. Engaging these gifts requires managing and organizing our classrooms in very different and distinctive ways. Inspiring people to give generously of these talents and gifts requires a very different way of looking at our work.
We should all be looking for ways of creating the conditions for learning as an education organization, a classroom teacher, a leader or as a coach. We should always seek to create an environment where people (ALL people) feel entrusted with the mission and equipped with the tools, training, and systems to succeed.
This should not require adopting "new strategies, new techniques, or new tools". It will require us to "let go" of the lessons and learning paradigms that have shaped our behaviors and actions for nearly a century. It will require us to funnel our energies in the classroom in different ways.
It is pattern of learning that ultimately must become ingrained as a way of classroom life.
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