Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.
—Oprah Winfrey
Value the passion—yours, the children’s, the families’. Children live their passions with reckless abandon, and they are passionate about everything. Adults rein in their true and deepest emotions and censor their passionate beliefs to conform to the expectations of others. When do people lose their ability to be fierce with passion, to show their unbridled emotions about what they believe? Are you passionate in the belief that all children learn through play? Do you passionately find ways to communicate that belief to others? Don’t be afraid to use the word passion in reference to your beliefs about children and your work. At one center, together we formed a mission statement that included the desire to be “a place where children and adults are passionately engaged in playing, learning, reflecting, and becoming change agents for society.” Never apologize for your passion. Value it.
In loving memory of Gryphon House author Leanne Grace, MEd, we are sharing pieces of her inspirational writing every Wednesday. Leanne was the director of professional development at Hildebrandt Learning Centers and a lifelong advocate for early childhood education. She inspired the early childhood community to prepare children as lifelong learners with her ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. One person can make a difference, and Leanne did just that. She will be sorely missed.
Topics:
