Passionate Theme of the Day: Firsts

"I am not a teacher but an awakener.” ~ Robert Frost

Good day passionate people. Today is the first day of school! Yes, another summer is ending and it’s time for fresh, clean, blank notebooks, new a-ha’s and awareness, new friendships and new discoveries. I LOVE the new school year.

What’s cool about teaching is that I also get to learn so much from the students.  I take this gig seriously (but we have some serious FUN as well), and I apply my coaching skills, marketing mindset and natural curiosity in the classroom. I encourage discussions, ask LOTS of questions and hold my students accountable for their end of the learning dynamic.

I let them know right up front that it’s NOT the Kammie Show and that my classroom is a two-way communication zone. I consider myself a facilitator vs. a talking “waa-waa-waa-waa-waa” version of the Charlie Brown teacher (member her?). 

The first day of school marks a new beginning. It’s an entrée into a discovery zone. We gain new wisdom, learn more about our values, our likes and dislikes. We figure out how to get along with a roommate that is completely the opposite of us. Fumble our way around a new campus. Meet people from different cultures that speak different languages and dress differently than we do.

There are so many “firsts” to celebrate today! A fresh clean semester is upon us. I actually prefer to live life according to an academic calendar year. It makes more sense, taking breaks during holidays and having FUN and downtime over the summer.

That being said, what projects are you focusing on for this new semester? We’ve got four months until the New Year is upon us. Are there any “firsts” you can explore now, that will help you reach your end of year goals?

Here are a few “firsts” I am exploring this semester:

~Sign-up for 1st salsa lesson
~Sign-up for 1st NIA session at the wellness center
~Create the back cover copy for my book, first chapter and outline to send to my mentor/editor for feedback
~Create new time management system (streamline time online, it’s getting ridiculous!)
~Take a creative writing or personal essay class
~Explore one new place in the city each month (vs. hitting my favorite jaunts)
~Read/complete one new book per month (not start 3 and finish none)
~Learn/explore/begin meditation practice & stick to it
~Expect and accept abundant gifts and surprises around each new bend

So what new endeavors will YOU explore this semester? What new projects, classes, programs, relationships will take you one step closer to your end of year goals?

Let’s think back and also celebrate some of the other “firsts” that helped get us where we are today. Take a few moments to reflect and say THANK YOU for the people, places, experiences and a-ha’s that have helped educate us and move us forward.

How about some of these:

~First time you rode a bike (mine was blue with ribbons dangling from the handle bars)
~First time you played a sport (softball/soccer)
~First kiss (thank you Joe K.)
~First crush (ahhh…Ted F.)
~First date (thank you Mike T.)
~First time you made love (yuummmy!)
~First heartbreak
~First best friend
~First time you traveled abroad (Toronto)
~First teacher that challenged you to be BIGGER/BETTER (Ms. Sally L.)
~First blog post
~First blog comment (thanks Lisa)
~First book that changed your life drastically (Dark Side of the Light Chasers – Debbie Ford)
~First time you spoke in front of a group of people and received their energetic applause and support
~First time you said NO when you used to say YES
~First time you were published online or in print for the entire world to see
~First time you thought you’d dislike a class/presentation/discussion and were deeply moved or transformed by it
~First conversation with your mentor
~First time you thought you couldn’t and did
~First rock concert (Bon Jovi!)

I’d love for you quiet folks to jump in and share a first of yours…either one you’re celebrating from your past or one you’re focusing on for your future.

The first time we attempt anything can be scary and exciting and energizing all at once. But it shakes us up and keeps us from falling into that dark and dingy place otherwise known as the “comfort zone”.

Go out and try something for the first time this week. You don’t have to take a class to be a student…there’s delicious heaps of knowledge and wisdom all around us. And if you can’t think of anything on your own…go check out TED …he’s got new wisdom to nosh on that’ll stuff you full of creative ideas for days…

Peace and first day of school rocks!
Prof. Kam