Observing & Imaging
Observing goes beyond looking at something. When a person is observing something, they are actually seeing beyond what is there. They are painting images in their mind of their take on what they are looking at. When asked to observe something, I tend to over think what I am really looking at and wind up seeing the object as what it’s meant to be seen as (I am not a very creative person). I am, however very good at painting images of things in my mind and visualizing what I am told, what I am reading and/or listening to, or what I am looking at. When I first started thinking about observing and imaging, I thought the two went hand in hand with one another because when you observe something, you have to paint an image in your head (or in some way visualize) of what you are truly trying and/or wanting to see. Then I realized that I am good at creating images in my mind, but am lousy at observing anything. I now look at the two as entirely different.
When asked to observe something in a different way in this week’s Zoom In assignment, I just about flipped out. Seeing something in a different way, when told to, is very difficult for me to do. I tend to over think about things when I look at something and then wind up seeing things for what they are. Once I finished reading about the reality of observing something, I feel as if I now look at things a little differently. As I type, I am looking at things on my desk and am trying to force myself to see them as something different and I can’t. I can’t force myself to see things differently. For me, really observing something has to come more natural.
Painting an image in my mind is much easier for me. I love to read so that I am able to visualize what the characters look like and actually “see” what is happening in the story. I won’t necessarily see what another person sees either. I am also a huge lover of music. Through music, I am able to visualize certain situations and build a vision of either what’s going on in the song or a vision of emotions that are related to a particular song. My mind is the one thing I feel that gives me the little creativity that I possess.
In my classroom, I am always painting images of lessons, activities, and things I would love to see my students create. Through these images, I create lesson plans that I actually have my students carry out. Some are beyond successful and some I fail at. Regardless, the images that I paint in my head build a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement within me. When my students see my enthusiasm and excitement, they too get excited. If the lesson is a dud, my students tend to feed off of the creativity of the initial lesson that I presented and actually give me ideas that help me to either build a new lesson or help to make the failed lesson a success. I truly believe that my student’s creativity is dependent on the excitement that is demonstrated by the teacher. I have learned this because my students are people which whom I have observed. With my students, I am able to see them as more than just kids. I am able to “see” them as creative minds that I too learn from.