Somedays, I just like my job. For my second lesson today, only one of my students showed up, which although an initial disappointment, allowed me to really work with this one girl. She plays soccer in the area, knows most of the players on Carolyn’s old team, and is just generally passionate about soccer. So, we spent most of our class discussing the future of women’s soccer, the flatback four, playing professionally versus playing for fun, and all other such things. As often happens, I began to think that this was irresponsible of me as a teacher, that we should be discussing grammar and vocabulary. But truly, she wouldn’t stop talking about soccer.
I really think that this is such a great way to learn. When someone is passionate about a topic, they are so much more focused on articulating themselves, in learning the proper vocabulary and grammar, and they have so much more fun with it. As I continue to teach, I believe that I will find the most joy when I am able to tap into the passions and goals of my students.
