#sol18 post 16 March 17th

Background

I am going to have a little fun today so bear with me.

Yesterday the new Avengers: Infinity War trailer was released so clearly I had to watch it with my students every period. I am a comic book and superhero nerd and, while the movie will never be as amazing as the comic series (one of the only series I still have from childhood) it should be a super fun movie. Judging from my students’ reactions to the trailer they are pretty excited too.

I am not going to make this into a post about the differences between the movie “Avengers: Infinity War and the Comic “The Infinity War” aside from saying that both really revolve around the quest for a weapon that is so powerful the wielder of it will control the universe.  Through the collection of various gems (stones in the movies), the wearer is granted control over various aspects.

Ok so now that is out of the way, as I was thinking about my excitement for the movie and the upcoming props and other things that will be coming out such as a wearable toy replica that I will buy, and wear, I started to think about ways to connect both the concepts of the infinity gauntlet, a tool of ultimate power and being a teacher. An equally powerful, potentially universe changing tool.

Space Gem

In the comics, the space gym alone grants the user the ability to teleport, to be anywhere whenever they need to be. I think our job as teachers is to help our students realize that they can go anywhere they set their mind to, that they have the potential to reach the stars if they choose to.

Power Gem

The ability to channel all the energy of the universe. Teaching our students to channel their talents and skills, to build their strength and achieve goals is a lifelong skill. Voice and Choice is a great way to allow students to find and build that strength.

Soul Gem

The most powerful in the comics the power over life and death. I saw a post the other day that talked about if students would go to class if they didn’t have to. I think most elementary kids would but by the time they get to junior high and high school we need them to want to come and that is not going to happen if the school does not appeal to their “soul”. If they are having struggles with academics, teachers, peers, all these issues can either lift them up or drag them down. We need to be aware of our students, connected and know their stories.

Reality Gem

The ability to alter reality, heck if that is not what school and teaching is, the ability for one to alter their reality. To make choices that can change the course of their life. My students often say this is grade 7 or 8 it doesn’t matter…but what does matter is building that work ethic, that love of learning, of reading that will help students change reality in the form of leaving into a book or changing reality by literally achieving their dreams.

Mind Gem

Greatly strengthens mental power. I was thinking about this and made the connection to mindfulness and growth mindset. I am not a big believer in “the secret”. I do not think to visualize something means you will get it but I do believe it is a start.  I do believe teaching kids to have grit, to work through failure and to keep in “mind” that success comes from failure and learning from failures is often the strongest most lasting kind.

Time Gem

This one is all us. We want to help our students achieve their dreams to become powerful only limited to their own choices. We need to give them the time to grow, the time to learn the time to see they are valuable and their potential is limitless. As the teachers, we are the holders of the time gem, we can’t control our students’ pasts, but we can be present and help them decide their future.

This was fun, if you read it, thanks for indulging me haha.