The Pursuit of Happiness

The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776.  Notably, this document was written AFTER the Revolutionary War began.  In fact, the Declaration was read by George Washington to his troops on July 9, 1776…long after the fireworks and elephant ears.  If you have never read this document, take the time to do so.  The second paragraph contains verbiage about our “Unalienable Rights” and “among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”  Notice what this last line states as well as what it does not state. You have a right to life.  You have a right to liberty.  What you DO NOT have is a right to be happy. How’s that?  You do not have a right to be happy;  you only have the right to pursue happiness.  So what makes you happy? Pursue it, because no one else is going to pursue it for you.  Sure, other people can do things for you that make you happy, but ultimately, it comes down to your own pursuit of this state of mind.  Unalienable rights cannot be denied, transferred, nor taken away. Thus, your desired level of happiness is yours to pursue. 

The classroom is no different when it comes to happiness.  Happiness does not come with the job, it isn’t in the contract, nor do they teach it in “teacher school”.  While people can get in a great deal of trouble preventing anyone from having liberty and life, there is absolutely no penalty for someone who does not make us happy.  Happiness is an individual thing.  So, how do you find it in the classroom? You don’t find it – you create it. You make it happen.You pursue it. How – by making the environment a happy place. From Angela Maiers’s 12 Things Kids Want From Their Teachers, 12 things were identified that will make the kids happier.  If the kids are happier, the teacher is happier.  Here are the 12 things (I love affirmation of prior preaching) = Greet your students each day,  Smile at your students, Give students your attention, Help your students have a vision for the future, Give your students challenging work, Get to know each student by asking them questions about themselves, Let your students have time to process and reflect, Hold your students accountable to higher standards, Make an effort to notice your students’ progress, Allow your students to ask questions, Engage your students in each lesson, and finally, Trust your students and believe that they can do it!  Not rocket science folks…but it will take a pursuit.  

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The Browns play TONIGHT against the Cincinnati Bengals in round one of “The Battle of Ohio”.  Either way, a team with orange helmets will win…hoping that team is the one without a logo.