What would Rocky do?

As my students began to prepare for this year's Field Day event, I told them to keep one question in mind: "What would Rocky do?" I used the Rocky movies to not only to motivate them to win, but also encourage them not to give up. So whether they were pulling on that tug-of-war rope or running in a relay race, they were determined to succeed.

To my surprise and delight, my team of 8th grade students also embraced the theme song "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor. Just imagine 90 students walking out to Field Day (many with "What would Rocky do?" written on their shirts!) with the entire school watching us while this song blasted from my speakers. It was pretty amazing. As I listened to them sing this song again and again over the last week of school, the lyrics really resonated with me.

I had always been a huge fan of the song going back to my high school hockey days, but I have come to think of this song as a good metaphor for teaching today. Despite what many people think, being a good teacher is not easy. I will use this blog to write about my experiences as I take on the challenge of engaging my students with scientific inquiry while adhering to state and national standards and providing them with technology and 21st century skills.