Curiosity, life long learning, and Leonardo da Vinci

I'm Brian Martin, I'm a second grade teacher who find so much joy and fulfillment in what I do. Being in the classroom for almost 20 years, I know all about the time, effort and energy that you are continuously pouring into those you serve. That's why each week, I'm going to bring you an inspiring message to give you a little joy, and help fill your cup back up. Thank you for being here, and welcome to the teaching champions podcast. What's going on everybody, I hope this finds you striving and thriving and doing absolutely amazing. It's been a good week, my friends, a winner in one for many of us. So I hope that all of you have managed to stay safe and warm. And one thought that has been at the forefront of my mind this week, is the fact that sometimes we just don't have it. And what I mean by that is, many of you are go getters, you're motivated, you bring positive energy. But sometimes, all of that runs a little low. And that was plaguing me a little bit lately. This week. It's the middle of the school year, it's report card time, the weather hasn't been the best lately. And I think just the busyness of life in general, can leave all of us feeling a little depleted at times. Now, I show up for the students as all of you do. But it's those extra things that I just didn't have the motivation for lately. And celebration for the Olympics, my school is doing a big school wide theme. And there's a lot with the decoration of the school, there's different activities going on, etc. and sounding like a Debbie Downer right now, my enthusiasm wasn't where it necessarily could have been. But there were others that have gone all in on this, and have been doing a lot of extra to try and build it up for the students and create a positive school culture. So I've tried to follow their lead and tap into their enthusiasm. And that's had a positive effect on my mental state. And we might not always have, we might not always have that push that desire to lead the way. And that's all right. But we always get to choose how we handle those situations. You see, I can choose to close my door and complain about all these activities. And honestly, that's just going to put me in more of a negative mind state. Or I can look to those people who are finding joy in making the school more festive. And I can look at those rock stars who are making small videos to promote different activities. And I can feed off their energy, it's a choice. And one of those choices is only going to bring down my spirit, and one of them is going to lift it up. So if you feel like you're coming up a little short on that energy this week, look around and see the people who are spreading that shine and see if you can feed off their energy. Now originally this week, I was going to dive into the topic of being a lifelong learner, and how we can revitalize ourselves through learning new things. And then doing a little research for the podcast, I stumbled upon a book titled how to think like Leonardo da Vinci by Michael gelt And truth be told, I knew the bare minimum about Leonardo da Vinci. But as I've dived into a deeper exploration of the man this week, I'm completely blown away. Many consider him to be the ultimate renaissance man and an accomplished scientist, a mathematician, an engineer, inventor, anatomist, a painter, a sculptor, and architect, a botanist, a musician, and a writer. Not only was he the artist of the Mona Lisa and the Vitruvian Man, Leonardo da Vinci conceptualize the parachute, the glider the helicopter with landing gear, Da Vinci did in depth study of human anatomy, and made several important discoveries. And he did so much more. And in the book, how to think like Leonardo da Vinci, Author Michael gulp shared some things All of us can do, they can feel our creativity and love of learning. And first, he said that Leonardo was always curious. He said, Leonardo wouldn't just accept things for the way they they were, he would ask why Leonardo found wonder and amazement, and the world all around them. And he was always looking to discover why things were the way they were. Everywhere he went, he carried a notebook around with him. And he filled it up with pages, filled with thoughts, ideas, questions, and things that he saw from the world around him. When he faced an obstacle, he would try to look at it from multiple different perspectives, and see if a different perspective would offer a different solution. And Goethe said in the book, that Leonardo would seek out feedback, and he would listen without being defensive without judgment, and he would take and learn from it. And we should be fostering our own curiosity, whether it's in the workplace or outside of it. And if we observe and watch the world around us, there's so much for us to explore and learn about. And Gilbert says in the book, one way to spark curiosity, is to sit down for a chunk of time, and write down 100 questions that you want to know more about. He said, It seems like a lot. But once you get in the flow, the questions will start pouring onto you. And then, within those questions, look for themes. And these themes can help direct you and what you might want to learn more about. He then said, Pick 10 More power questions from these hundreds, and really explore them. And when I look at it, through the lens of within my classroom, some questions that I asked myself, and you might want to ask yourself as well. When are you and your students finding the most success during the day? Who are the people who make you feel the most energized after being around them? What is one thing that you could start doing stop doing? Or do differently to improve the quality of your teaching? Who are the people that inspire you? And they can be right in your own school? Or they can be someone that you've connected with through social media? Who is responding positively to your teaching? And who was? And what type of teacher do I want to be? How close am I coming to being that teacher? One of my weaknesses, my blind spots, and what are the areas that I want to improve upon? And finally, what is something that you're grateful for today? What is something amazing that's happening right in front of you today? Be curious, seek out answers. There's no better time to explore things that you want to explore than right now. And a little side note on curiosity, I was listening to several podcasts that Michael gulp was on. And he talked about how formal education systems are set up to teach students the answers are more important than questions. And I guess I would ask, Is he wrong about this? Is school set up more to get answers than the seek out great questions, and it's just something that we should all think about. gelt also says that the Vinci was big on seeking out new experiences, continuously pushing himself into new arenas, expanding his knowledge, Leonardo found joy in being a beginner and understood that mistakes were part of the process, and looking at his mistakes as how we can learn from and grow from them. And we should be trying new things, we should be seeking out new experiences, and finding joy in that learning process. One of my closest friends has recently embraced seeking out new experiences. He started coaching tennis this year. And he's also embraced theatre and acting. And there are two very different things. But these two things, he's found a lot of enjoyment in them. And these are things that he's made a positive impact on others with. And honestly, when I talk with him, you can hear that energy and that excitement that he has, by taking part in these in this easy for us to get trapped in doing the same old, same old who ever has a lot of spare time right now. But even if it's just a few Minutes a Day, exploring something that you find enjoyable learning a new skill, taking a class, doing yoga, painting, writing, and doing it for yourself to find that enjoyment in, it can be revitalized. It can breathe new life into you. And it can unlock creativity within you. And a little added bonus by seeking out these new experiences. It's a good reminder for us of what it means to be a beginner. Because it's important that we remember those feelings of being a beginner so that we can relate them to our students. And a third way we can channel our inner DaVinci is to be mindful of experiencing life through our senses, to be a keen observer of the sights, the sounds, the tastes, the smells. And the book, Michael gulp says listening to a wide variety of music, and really diving into different artists. He talks about having chocolate tastings with a friend, where you buy all these different chocolates, you line them up, and you take your time, tasting them and experiencing their different tastes. He talks about doing the same with wine, which, and some days, it doesn't sound like the worst idea. And Gallup said the Vinci was very mindful of experiencing life through his senses. And as he experienced them, he expanded his horizons, it helped fuel a greater sense of appreciation for him. And we can find inspiration within the walls of our schools through our senses as well. It's a report card time for myself. And I've had a few late nights at school recently. One night, I had been staring at that computer screen for a while, and I just needed to get the blood flowing again. So it took a few minutes, and I did a few laps around the school. And everyone was gone for the night. So it was quiet. And if you want to talk about some inspiration, take a walk around a primary building, and just look around. I've said before that I work with all ladies and these women crush it. I'm more of a meat and potatoes guy when it comes to creativity. And sometimes these ladies take it to a whole new level. And when I walk around, and I see inspirational messages that are written on whiteboards daily for the whole school to see, when I see a Christmas tree that's men put up this decorated on Valentine's Days theme. And I walk around, and I see the students work this covering the walls, from tributes to Black History Month to tribute to the Olympics. It's inspiring, it gets my wheels turning. And during the day, sometimes I just need to get a few steps in and release some energy that I've been keeping it. So on my break, I'll do a quick lap around the building. And I hear these teachers, and I hear these students. And you can feel that learning this taking place. And it's so refreshing. And it's happening in every classroom is happening in every school. There's always going to be a to do list that is a mile long. But sometimes slowing down. Being mindful and paying attention to the great things that are happening all around you can be invigorating. So if you're feeling in a rut, and you need a little inspiration in your day, try learning something new. Be curious, embrace it. Ask questions and seek answers. Put yourself out there and try new things. Embrace and feel what it's like to be a beginner again, slow down experience all around you with your senses. Sometimes it feels like the negative is always front and center. But if we consciously make an effort to experience the joy, the amazement, the wonder that's all around us. We can find a little extra pep in our step. Now I want to share some great news about the road to awesome family. If you enjoyed this podcast, I strongly encourage you to check out Dr. Daren Peppard new podcast leaning into leadership. What's really cool about Dr. Pepper is he has a wide range of experience from being a teacher to an administrator to a super tended, and now as a consultant, he travels across the country, and he sees all these different school districts and then amazing things that these districts are doing. So that's a lot of experience. And it's a lot of insight to be able to draw from and share with us. So I highly recommend that you check out leaning in the leadership by Dr. Dan pepper. And I just want to say thank you for being here, for being part of the teaching champions community. And if you think someone would benefit from this podcast, if you could share it with them, I truly appreciate it. The teaching champions community is all about supporting, encouraging, and lifting each other up. And always remember, whether you're from rural America, to urban America, to Canada, to Spain, to Bahrain, we're all on that same team. We're all on that same mission. And we're always better together. And my challenge for you this week, is to be curious about yourself. What have you always wanted to explore? What do you want to learn more about? What do you want to experience? Identify that thing that you keep putting off? Open your mind, take action, take those steps to pursue it. As the great Leonardo da Vinci said, learning is the only thing the mind never exhausts, never fears, and never regrets. Keep being amazing, my friends, and as we go into the week, May you step into your strength, may you step into your shine, and let's build our champions up. Have a great week, everybody