Remember when you were in school? Remember how you had a favorite subject, and then there were the other subjects that were OK, but not the best, and of course there was that one subject you struggled with and simply didn't want to deal with? Let's start with that subject you didn't want to deal with (hated it). Are you picturing it? Do you remember now? Was it math? Was it science? Was it history? Was it English? Was it social studies? Was it gym? Was it shop? Take a minute to close your eyes and remember how you felt every time you had to enter that classroom and deal with that one subject you just hated remember to open your eyes afterwards so you can continue reading).
I wish I could travel back to the day I met Coach Steve DeGennaro (R.I.P.) at Lafayette High School, record his speech, and play it back for George L. Rosario the 1st grade student. You see, while my science teachers, math teachers, history/social studies teachers, language teachers, English teachers, shop teachers, and all other teaching professionals were great, and taught me a lot, it wasn't until I sat down on the gym floor on my first day of high school that I truly understood the importance of all these subjects. Funny thing is that he wasn't going to be my gym teacher, but was just filling in for the gym teacher that day. Coach Deej was best known for his work with the several highly successful athletic programs he supervised at Lafayette.
I learned that all of the schools major subjects are connected to each other. I learned that if the science teacher learns to work with the language arts teacher, and they both learn to work with the math teacher, and all of them work closely with history teachers and physical education teachers, and all other teachers to develop a curriculum that connects all these subjects to each other, students will get into a flow that will help them learn more constructively. I remember that one of the most difficult times for me in school was the moment in between classes, when I would switch from math to science, or history, or English, or social studies. I remember that my only escape was the moment I stepped into the gym because in my mind, it had nothing to do with learning and everything to do with fun.
I also remember that I had a moment of revelation when Steve DeGennaro (Coach Deej to us) told me that to play basketball at a winner’s level, I needed to understand math (statistics, distance, time and probability), science (trajectory of the ball, air in the ball, speed of travel, kinetic and potential energy when dribbling the ball, etc.), language arts (communications, ability to read the playbook, ability to read and comprehend the rules), and even history (knowledge of the sport’s background, understanding of what cultures actually play the sport, understanding of why the rules are what they are today). Coach Deej taught me that all school subjects are connected, and that they all work with each other to make us better at whatever we want to do. No other teacher before him had ever shared that with me, and it truly changed the way I looked at school and learning.
I am not a teaching professional, and this is not a blog post about teaching as a profession. But as a real estate professional with Coldwell Banker in New York City, as a private consultant for many firms, I do train professionals in my field (real estate), and I believe in the importance of continuing my education in order to grow my business. I use math, writing, reading comprehension, science, social studies, history and even physical education when I list and sell a home in New York City. I am the best at what I do because I make it a point to learn something new every day.I emphasize this point when I speak to my children. I constantly tell the kids that all their classes are just as important as the next, because they all work together. I don't think I would be as good as I am at my business if Coach Deej hadn't helped me make that connection on my first day at Lafayette High School in Brooklyn.
It’s funny how a man who is not a teacher by trade has so much respect and passion for learning. I have a lot of respect for educators. From Coach Deej, to all the passionate and dedicated teachers I've crossed paths with, to my beautiful wife Athina Rosario, who wows me with her ability to get elementary school children to listen to her. My wife is an elementary school teacher and a damn good one, and I have lots of respect for her because I know I could never do that job as well as she does. She knows how to instill a passion for learning in her little students that some teachers simply fail to focus on.
This is a passion that is shared by all successful professionals in the world. They all have a passion for learning and growing, and therefore always have something fresh and innovative to offer their profession. I believe this passion for learning starts with a single teacher who sparks that revelation that everything we learned in school, and that which we continue learning even after we are done with school is connected. That is what Ms. Athina teachers her students, what Coach Deej taught me, and what I try to teach when I do public speaking engagements, private teaching sessions, team development seminars and one-on-one mentoring. I know that to inspire that passion for learning and growing in others, and to continue growing my business, I have to keep that passion alive in myself.
So today I say to all that are reading this, if you want to be better in your professional and personal life, take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself for you to learn something new. There are people in this world that are passionate about growth, and even more passionate about sharing their experiences with you.
If I had to pick one idea to base my personal and professional growth on, it is that we have to learn and share what we learn with passion, so that others will feed off of that passion and develop their own love for learning. I am passionate about learning, and about sharing my experiences with others. I believe that this passion will make me a stronger Realtor each day, and help me motivate others to want to seek personal and professional growth with passion. Imagine how amazing our world would be if we all focused on becoming better people every day, and were passionate about sharing our own growth and experiences with others. Go learn something new every day, be passionate about it and then teach it to others.
I’d like to end with a quote from John F. Podojil. I believe it captures the essence of my respect for all the people that have ever taken the time to teach me something new.
"Teaching is not a profession; it's a passion. Without passion for your subject and a desire for your students to learn and be the best in the world, then we have failed as a teacher and failure is not an option." -- John F. Podojil
George L. Rosario
Real Estate Salesperson
Coldwell Banker Kueber
The Greater NYC Area
www.GeorgeRosario.com
Google my full name, "George L. Rosario"
R.I.P. Coach Deej, Steve DeGennaro (March 18, 2012)
Live with passion.
No comments:
Post a Comment