My last reflection focused on the topic of intention and how I experience intention in my life.  After watching the video, Cipher in the Snow and reading the book 601 Maple Street, I can see how intention has a life changing impact on students that I work with day to day.  These intentions can be both positive and negative.

Of course, it is easy for me to have positive intentions, which begin as thoughts, with kids I connect with from the heart.  These are the students that are easy to show my principles from my Children’s Principles of Learning.  I can easily be welcoming and caring, provide open communication, as well as having high expectations for their learning.  I find it effortless giving these students encouragement rather than praise.  My intentions are well know where they are concerned.  Overall, these students know that I care about them and I will look out for their best interests.

The thoughts that quickly pop into my head and are very uncomfortable for me are the negative ones.  These thoughts send out vibes or intentions that do not value the core of the student.  In the movie, there were many comments and thoughts that were negative about the boy who died.  Although they seemed exaggerated, I found myself relating to them.  I have had the same thoughts that I have verbalize about students that I don’t connect with from the heart.  Just this past week, I found myself talking about students similarly to the staff in the movie.  While watching it, I was absolutely floored by what they were saying.  Yet, I am guilty too.  I need to become aware of these thoughts, stop them, and change my thinking.  Eventually, my thoughts would become positive, leading to positive intentions; the ones I call my core teaching principles.  Thus, these students do not know that I care about them.  I need to focus on my future intentions so I will look out for their best interests as well.

The Principle of Intention

In my Master’s program, Teaching and Learning, I read a chapter entitled The Principle of Intention by Paul D. Houston.  Intention is a transforming process that moves from thought, to verbalization, to written word.  Once a thought enters the mind, it can turn into an intention or return back to where it came from.  I believe worthwhile thoughts, which turn into action, come from the Devine.  This can be seen personally and in the classroom.  Since I was a youth minister in the 90’s, I have relied on listening to the Divine voice or the Holy Spirit.  I have heard both the whisper of the Spirit in prayer, as well as opportunities that have lead me to new and satisfying opportunities.  My life intention has always been to make a different in the world.  At one point in my life, I had a part time job that I didn’t feel was fulfilling my life intention.  I quickly moved on and a teaching position opened up that aligned with my desire to make a difference and help others.  I have continued to be able to live my life intention by working with struggling readers.  I often here a whisper in the back of my mind that helps me reach out to challenging students throughout the day.  My list of intentions or beliefs include going to bat for students who struggle, being friendly and fun, challenging students to believe they CAN do it, and holding them to high expectations to name a few.  Having put these intentions and other intentions on paper, continue to breathe life into them.  An area that I struggle with when it comes to intention is allowing me to be open to energy vampires.  I can easily be reactive when people come to me with problems or situations.  I feel like I have to jump in and solve their problems.  Instead, I could allow people to delegate their problems upward, rather than giving their problems to me.  Thus, this would allow me to be proactive by aiming my energy towards what I want to see happen. All in all, I truly believe my personal will is aligned with my divine will.  Thus, helping my intentions become more focused as I walk my journey.

Welcome to my blog.  Let me take a moment to introduce you to my site.  My name is Beth Nord.  I am a Title 1 teacher for grades K-3 and my primary focus is reading intervention.  I will primarily blog on topics, happenings, and reflections about education that are of interest to me.  If you would like to ask questions, dialogue, or offer ideas on my topics, please feel free to respond.  I am working towards my Master's of Teaching and Learning from St. Mary's University of Minnesota.  This blog is an opportunity to push myself farther in my learning and reflecting.  So, here I go on a new adventure!  Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

Beth