Play

I believe that in order to have a fulfilled life, you need to have play! Life with money, and success is nothing without the memories and laughter of play spent with family and friends.
I have had an on going debate with a colleague over the merits of playful literature in the classroom. I feel that the poetry of Shell Silverstein (and other comedic children's poets) is very much a necessary component of teaching poetry to children. My colleague disagrees and feels that the writing we expose children to should only be deep and meaningful. As a person who has always liked reading novels and writing short stories more than poetry this goes against everything that I believe it! I feel that introducing students to funny poems that they can enjoy will allow them to find a type of poetry that they enjoy, and will encourage them to read more! Isn't that what we want, for them to read more?
This conversation started a debate about the kind of books we allow kids to read. I think its good if they read Captain Underpants or ANYTHING if it means they are loving to read! My colleague disagrees and feels that they should be reading only books that makes them see the world in a better light. While I do feel that reading deep literature and literature that brings out more in them is important, I also feel that reading something that brings out laughter and pleasure is equally important. Kids need to see that laughing and playing is a part of themselves that they shouldn't forget about. What's wrong with seeing a Will Ferrel movie to blow off steam? After seeing a stupid movie that makes you laugh for two hours, its easy to forget the important stuff thats going on, even if only for a little bit.
We should all encourage that our family and friends take a few moments to enjoy life! Take a walk, play a game, see a funny movie, go on a vacation! These are the things that we remember from our childhood, and these are the things that will be remembered when we're gone! Not how much time we spent at work, or how much time we spent cleaning, but the valuable time we spent with the people we love, having a good time at play.

Meaning and PlAY

When we met in class to discuss Daniel Pink, I was sure I was an advocate for the "play" group... While I still feel that play is one of the most important part of life, it was so informative to talk to my classmates about Meaning! Our conversation flowed so easily as we discussed what our purpose in life is, and how important it is to reflect on who we truly are! Through our talks, it seemed clear to me that I need many components of what Daniel Pink discussed to find true meaning in my life. It brought me back to my original thoughts of "Play" In order to find true happiness and meaning in my life I need to play! I need to spend time with those that I love- My Fiance, my family, my friends, my students! My time and FUN with them is really what gives my life meaning!