TED Ed Club with My Seniors

     I just applied to be a TED Ed Club leader at my school.  My goal is to bring it into my Senior Financial Literacy class.  We will start off the year working on finding out what we are passionate about or as Sir Ken Robinson refers to it - our "Element".
     I want students to think about what they want in life and out of life.  But...I want them to think about how cultivating that passion can positively effect those around them even more.  They need to think beyond what will give them the most money because we all know that that doesn't equate to a happy life.  There needs to be some sense of fulfillment that we get out of our life's work.  It will manifest itself in many forms.  Each specific to those that pursue it. The bigger pay off comes from pouring into another without expecting anything out of it and seeing them succeed.  I want my students to experience the internal reward that comes from paying it forward.
     In the 2004 Olympic Games, Michael Phelps swam in the qualifying 4x100 medley relay.  When it came to swimming in the finals Michael had the fastest time and was automatically in the relay, but he stepped aside for a fellow swimmer to swim in his place.  Ian Crocker had been sick during the week and did not perform as well as he could have.  Phelps gave up his place in the relay to allow Ian to redeem himself and have a shot at the Gold Medal.  The relay ended up winning Gold with a World Record time.  Phelps still received a Gold Medal, since he was on the qualifying team, but so did Crocker.  Many times in life the time and effort it takes us to extend a hand or chance to others seems like a set back at the time, but it often works out better for all involved in the end.
     Student's need to understand that sometimes the path that leads us to where we need to be may not be the path that they believe they were meant to take.  Each experience prepares us for the next path on our journey.  Sometimes there is a path that we did not anticipate that comes before us that may be better or worse than the path that we envisioned.  That may not be all bad, since just over the hill is path that is beyond their their wildest dreams.
     In this world of immediacy that we live in, I hope to help my students see that some things are worth the wait, relationships with others are building blocks to success and our life may end up being different than we dreamed.  And...Life is definitely more fulfilling, if we pursue our passions while living it.
     In the spring, I want to host a TEDx Youth event to shine a spotlight on some of our students passions.