A Special Event Sharpens Purpose

It’s amazing how a special event sharpens purpose.

I don’t run just to compete in races. That’s a lot of pressure, and I think running would be less fun if my only purpose for running was racing.

On the other hand, racing is an important part of my running life. Races are a blast. It’s so much fun to be in an event with hundreds of other people who all enjoy running and who are getting together to run as a community. There’s a powerful sense of belonging and camaraderie. I also love pushing myself to the limit to see how fast I can go.

Perhaps even more importantly, at least for me, is the way races sharpen my focus for training. Daily runs can be monotonous and having a race to look forward to keeps things interesting and gives training days more purpose.

For example, if I’ve got a half marathon on the horizon (even far off in the distance), I can be more intentional and motivated to get in a long run each weekend. I also make sure to mix in some tempo runs, where I work at sustaining a comfortably hard pace for a longer period of time. When I have some 5Ks coming up (Join me in the Dover Race Series this year!), I make sure to mix in more speed work.

As I said, I don’t run just to race. Running is some of the best mental health medicine I’ve found. I feel good after (and sometimes even during) a run. It gives me energy in the present, and it’s good for me in the long run. It’s a way I get in some social time with a couple of running buddies. So, there are plenty of reasons to run without preparing for a race. But they sure do help.

Purpose in the Classroom

In the classroom, it’s easy for work, even really high-quality work, to become monotonous. When I taught third, fourth, and fifth grades, reading was one of my students’ favorite times of day, but even so, it sometimes felt like it needed a shake-up. So, we might have a reading celebration day where kids would prepare to share a mini-project from a favorite book to get other kids interested in reading them. In writing workshop, we’d almost always have a sharing celebration when we finished a unit. We’d publish our final pieces, sometimes individually and sometimes in a class anthology, and then celebrate by reading our pieces aloud with each other. After an independent research unit, kids would put on presentations to their classmates to share what they’d learned.

Just like races in running, events like these give a boost in purpose and motivation to daily work. Even when you’re reading books you like and writing about things you care about, the day-in and day-out reading and writing can be a bit like pounding out those daily miles. You know it’s good for you, and you want to do it, but it can be a bit of a slog.

You might especially consider how to time one of these celebrations with the start of a vacation. Having a final showcase to work toward helps energy stay focused and high even in the last few days before a break.

Some More Examples

I’ve tried all kinds of these special events and have seen tons more as I’ve worked in schools. Here are just a few:

Fifth graders had a class sleepover to celebrate students’ study of the American Revolution. The students planned the event with the requirement that the afternoon and evening be filled with Revolutionary War themed activities. Students created and played a version of dodgeball (the Patriots vs the Redcoats, of course). They watched the musical 1776. A teacher’s husband, who was a gourmet chef, prepared beef stew, in the style of the 18^th century.

Third graders celebrated their biography study unit with a wax museum. Each student dressed up as the person they studied and posed as museum statues. Visitors came along and students recited a short “autobiographical” sketch they had written.

High school students in a forensics class had been studying various scientific processes and skills throughout the semester. Their culminating event, which also counted as their final exam, was to investigate a crime scene, putting all their new knowledge and skills to the test.

Middle school band students put on a final showcase event at a local music hall where they accompanied a Buster Keaton silent film. Students dressed in black pants and white shirts and were up on stage directly under the movie screen. This event became a perennial favorite with parents, kids, and community members looking forward to it each year.

It’s amazing how just like a race does for runners, a final performance or showcase event can strengthen learners’ (and teachers’!) focus, attention, and sense of purpose.

So, what’s something fun you might do with your students to offer more authentic and exciting purpose for work? Not sure? Ask your students for ideas!

To read more reflections about what running can remind us about teaching and learning, click here. You can connect with me on Strava here.

Author

Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson has been an educator for many years. A public school teacher for 15 years, he has also taught preschool, coached swim teams, and taught university graduate level classes. He now works as a consultant providing professional learning for teachers throughout the US and beyond. In 2004, Mike was awarded a national Milken Educator Award, and in 2005 he was a finalist for NH Teacher of the Year. In 2020, he was awarded the Outstanding Educational Leader Award by NHASCD for his work as a consultant. A best-selling author, Mike has written ten books about great teaching and learning. His latest book is Rekindle Your Professional Fire: Powerful Habits for Becoming a More Well-Balanced Teacher. When not working, Mike can be found hanging with his family, tending his perennial gardens, and searching for new running routes around his home in Durham, NH.

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