The Experience of Being Compelled...

A compelling experience is to feel so moved by something that it urges you to think and feel beyond the experience and own it within your life. We have all felt this way in different moments, and these moments stick out in our minds as significant because of the compelling experience. It could be a movie we see, a song we hear, or a conversation with a stranger, but it changes us.

I think about a compelling experience I recently had in my decision to move to Florida from Michigan. The beach, new people, and the future unknown all enticed me. I moved with a friend I've known since middle school and had reunited our friendship after college, when living back in our hometown and through conversations about doing bigger, better things with our lives. While I would never regret my decision to move, I have recently had a falling out with my friend I moved here with and we are going our separate ways. I watched the movie, "My Sister's Keeper," and was so touched by the story. It made me think about how precious time is, and how I want to put as much time into the personal relationships in my life, which I hold dear. Now this is not a story of how my friend and I have reconciled, because we haven't. It's actually how I focus more of my time and energy on the people in my life who I love and love me. I heard this quote today in another movie, "Post Grad", "What you do with your life is really just half of the equation. The other half- more important half- is who you're with when you are doing it." This philosophy shapes me and my whole purpose for living. I was moved by these two films, and embrace their themes.

This type of experience is hoped for by teachers when trying to interest students in learning.
When a student feels moved, it encourages them to take ownership of their learning. When a teacher can have a breakthrough with their class and the students get a feeling in their hearts, a moving moment, a light bulb goes on, and they are intrigued and COMPELLED... a teacher has truly done their job.

This blog will explore the ideas and themes of compelling experiences through the arts and in relation to education and creating these moments within the classroom.