you don't have to be a genius

*expansion of a conversation started on Google+

A recent conversation at lunch had people talking about whether its really worthwhile to go to high school, whether there's any point in furthering one's education when there don't appear to be any jobs available. It's hard not to feel completely useless and defeated as a teacher when you hear a conversation like that. What am I supposed to do then if that's the way people think and that's the mentality they're passing on to their children? What chance do I have as a teacher if no one wants to learn? How does one attempt to motivate and inspire from this place? Sometimes they think I just don't understand because I'm from another culture/country when really I have valuable perspective to offer. And not to say that everyone here is close-minded or anything. I've found this mentality wherever I go, that things won't change so why bother trying. It can be hard for people to see their responsibility in making change happen.

But that doesn't make it all my responsibility either. Its just another lesson in "don't take it personally" which is something I haven't quiet mastered yet. I just care so much and want things to be better for people that sometimes I get frustrated when I feel like I'm working my hardest to make things better and that isn't enough. I just want to be great! I want to move and motivate and inspire and I want to see and feel results! Is that to much to ask? The short answer, yes.

This talk by Elizabeth Gilbert that I recently watched presents an interesting perspective on greatness and creativity in particular. She talks about how our culture puts the responsibility for creativity on the individual. So if you create something amazing, you're a creative genius but if you then make something awful, it's because you're awful and have lost your greatness. No wonder so many artists and writers suffer from mental illness. What human being could possibly handle the responsibility of the sort of greatness and creativity we value and expect and produce that all the time. Her suggestion is that we return to the ancient Greek and Roman understanding, which is creativity as something outside of the individual person that comes to us as a spirit from some unknown place for unknown reasons. If you do something great, it's not because you are a genius, it's because you HAVE an awesome spirit or genius guiding you. And conversely when a person really bombs it's because their spirit genius is not stepping up, not because the individual is a failure.

So all of this has me thinking about what I can reasonably expect from myself as a teacher. About how much responsibility and expectation I put on myself to be great, to be some sort of teaching genius EVERY DAY! Okay, so obviously when I put it like this it sounds absurd and impossible. But like creativity, our culture supports this myth of teacher as savior. This blog talks about the teacher as savior stereotype in books and movies as "..one teacher saves the students—not through structural change, but through individual pluck." Just not realistic given the number of outside influences that impact a teachers work in the classroom.

So what if I used that same concept of the creative genius spirit and apply it to my work as a teacher. It almost feels like I can breath again. I just keep showing up, doing my part and hope that my genius shows up too and helps me create greatness, helps me inspire and motivate my students. But if it doesn't, I keep showing up anyways. It's no longer about personal success and failure in the classroom. I don't have to be a genius, I don't have to figure it all out and be the best teacher in the whole world. The Universe isn't interested in results anyway. I just have to be a teacher and if that's what I'm meant to be doing, the Universe, the genius spirit or whoever will do the rest, showing up when needed.