I BELIEVE...in Inspiration & Passion
Inspiration: a process of mental stimulation to act on or feel something creative
Passion: a strong fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything (a passion for teaching)
Success: the accomplishment of an aim or purpose
Everyone deserves to work from a place of passion and inspiration including our students who have visual impairments. When one works from passion and inspiration, the results of his or her work are far better than the results of one who lacks passion and inspiration. Let's get real, working with someone who is simply clocking in and out because they "have to" as opposed to "want to" creates two extremely different work and living environments.
Passion and inspiration for a career manifests in different fashions. Below you will read about individuals who share career choices and the responsibility we hold as educators, specialists, and parents to fill our children's tool bag with skills to also work from a place of passion and inspiration.
A Passion for Travel
A long time friend of mine enjoys photography and travel. In a recent conversation, she shared that she went back to financial planning due to a schedule which allows her ample time to fulfill her passion for international travel. Simply put, she works 9am-5pm to make money so she can fulfill her passion of travel.
A Passion for Assistive Technology
Individuals have abilities to perform many different tasks, but what sets this individual a part is his being clear on his passion. In our recent encounter he said, "Sarah, I'm a great cook, I can teach someone to cook and clean, choose their clothes, read braille, and all the daily living skills necessary to be independent because I live them every day, but what I LOVE to do is teach technology!" After this statement, he was bursting with passion for teaching assistive technology and sharing the ways in which it can change a person's life. This is the sort of statement that gives one what I call "the gooseys" and makes one want to hear more!
So...we have one individual who works to live out her passion and one individual who lives his passion through his work of changing lives. In both situations, passion and inspiration are involved.
Our students rightfully deserve the opportunity to experience working and living from a place of passion and inspiration. How do we get them there? What is our responsibility? The BEST place to start is The Expanded Core Curriculum: the curriculum necessary for students to have equal access to the academic or core curriculum.
- Compensatory
- Orientation & Mobility
- Social Interaction
- Independent Living
- Recreation & Leisure
- Career Education
- Assistive Technology
- Sensory Efficiency
- Self Determination
Without the above skills, our students will struggle to compete with peers and will not meet their full potential of building a successful, passionate, and inspired career. We must, without doubt, teach through the ECC in order to give our students the skills necessary to experience working from a place of passion and inspiration. The more experiences our students are provided through education and exploration, the more opportunity our students will have to discover true inspiration and passion to obtain success.
I BELIEVE in working from a place of passion and inspiration. The fruits of your labor will show whether you are simply clocking in and out because you "have to"/"don't want to"/"dreading to" as opposed to "want to"/"can't wait to"/"excited to". Our students deserve for us to show up and teach from a place of passion and inspiration so they can build a successful future.
Find your passion & get inspired,
Sarah D. Bussey
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