As noted in a previous post (at some point) when I work with anyone in the work field, as well as my own students, knowing ‘why’ you’re doing what you’re doing is imperative. Throwing a dart at a dartboard with no ‘bullseye’ is not highly recommended (at least from my vantage point). One of the best ways (in my opinion) to truly hone in on your purpose is to tie in various personal passions into the form role we portray in the workforce. These could be anything from music, movement, cooking, art, horticulture, etc.
For me, one of my passions is music. I compose, play the instruments, and publish my compositions within the musical realm (i.e. Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Pandora, etc.). Now, back to tying your passion(s) into your professional role. Oftentimes, what I teach my students inspires a song idea in my head. If so, I compose and record my song. For example, my class does the novel, “Iceberg” by Jennifer Nielsen. As I am fascinated with the lore and historical significance of Titanic, the ideas began flowing.
One aspect that came to my mind was the frantic environment as the minutes ticked away and the boat began submerging into the Northern Atlantic. Hence, time was running out for everyone aboard. So, I came up with the title “Closing Fast” (i.e.) time was running out for all passengers. The song is linked on this post.
https://lnkd.in/eTb8g5ce
Then I’ll provide my students a form of assignment/assessment. In this case, it was a writing prompt to connect the song’s mood, tempo, etc. to content from the story/novel, in this case. You can see a paragraph provided below.?
The song, “Closing Fast” by Brian Dalton ties well with the thematic elements of “Iceberg” by Jennifer Nielsen. For example, the entire song has an upbeat tempo, much like a heart beating after a long run. It seems obvious that the passengers aboard Titanic in real life, but also in “Iceberg” would be moving frantically as water began rushing in and aboard the world’s grandest ship. Most impactful is the song’s CODA at the end. This portion of the song is relentless. I can truly envision people running, falling into the icy waters, crying, and searching in vain for a lifeboat. Then, there is an abrupt end to the song’s score. It is here that the full weight of the disaster comes to heart. The ‘light’ has been extinguished for more than half of the souls aboard the ‘ship of dreams’. Ultimately, beginning at 11:40pm on April 14th, 1912, the window of life was “Closing Fast” for approximately 1,500 souls . . . specifically in 2 hours and 40 minutes!
#inspiration #motivation #purpose #education #leadership #consulting #professionaldevelopment #bestideas #whatinpiresme
Brad Waid Rochester Community Schools Wade Stanford Neil DeLuca Ed.D.
