Talented & Gifted

In August 2005, I had the pleasure of making my first hot air balloon flight.  We were in Santa Rosa, California, and the flight was a surprise from my husband.  The quote on the side of the equipment trailer, “When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”, uttered first by Leonardo da Vinci, is true in so many ways.  Besides the literal, longing to experience that floating, inspiring ascent again, I have realized that it is also a metaphor for what I would like my students to feel about learning.  Imagine, if you will allow me to paraphrase…”When once you have tasted truly engaging learning experiences….”Okay, I admit, that may be a bit corny for some reading this, but I bet you know what I mean.  That’s how I want my students to feel about learning–excited enough by the experience to seek out those opportunities again, and again.