Teaching in a Beta State of Mind

Teaching in Beta State of Mind

August 12, 2020

This week, I uncovered my own beautiful question. I didn’t have to look far since it has always been there inside of me. However, I needed a little help from Warren Berger’s, A More Beautiful Question, and the Chief Creative Officer of IDEO, Paul Bennett, to bring my beautiful question to the surface (Berger, 2014, p.217).

How do I perpetually find inspiration so that I can inspire my students?

This question resonates with me every single day. I’m not just a teacher; I’m also a lifelong learner. My passion and curiosity to find new methods to enhance my teaching practices, as well as, inspire a mindset of continued growth for my students and myself, are what fuel my beautiful question.

I’m about to embark on my 15th year of teaching, and I have already completed one master’s degree. At this point in my career, it is easy to be complacent and teach on autopilot using the same lessons, methods, and tools. I know, however, that is not what is best for students. My passion for learning new strategies and approaches, especially when it comes to implementing educational technology, is the reason I keep exploring. I cannot ignore my beautiful question.

My curiosity keeps me in a beta state of mind (Wang, 2016). I look for ways to improve and redesign my teaching practices. My work as an educator is never a finished product since I am always asking questions. How can I engage my students? What is the right tool for this learning objective? What if I applied to MSU’s MAET program?

My beautiful question is filled with passion and curiosity. Take a look at my creation below to learn more about it.

References

Berger, W. (2014). A more beautiful question: The power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas. New York, NY: Bloomsbury.

Naglik. M (2020) Passion, curiosity, and a beautiful question. [Buncee] https://app.edu.buncee.com/buncee/a3f03cbc3b0249be9fadf21cd0ba6ca5

Wang, A. (2016, December 30). Thomas Friedman's advice to millennials. Runnymede Capital Management. http://blog.runnymede.com/tom-friedmans-advice-to-millennials