When you think about starting the school year, you can look to many sources for inspiration. There are favorite authors, scripture, fellow homeschool families, great educators, and fishmongers.
Yes, I said fishmongers!
Handling fish all day long should be a miserable job (thankfully I wouldn’t know firsthand) but there is a fish market in Seattle that no one would describe as “miserable.” The fishmongers at Pike Place Fish Market may not ENJOY all aspects of their job but they certainly bring a lot of JOY TO their job. And to everyone who visits as well. They laugh, joke, and fling fish. They make sure their customers have a great time.
In 1997, John Christensen, owner of ChartHouse Learning, visited this unique market and watched the fishmongers in action. He noted four simple practices that could be applied to a variety of jobs. I propose these practices could be applied to homeschooling. Because rose-colored glasses aside, teaching children day after day can be a lot like selling fish – repetitive, hard work, and, let’s be honest, sometimes plain old stinky! Here are the principles to find joy in the journey:
BE THERE. The fishmongers gave each customer their undivided attention. In our world where distraction is the default setting, this is not easy. And juggling the needs of several children and a home can make it seemingly impossible some days to feel like you’re giving undivided attention to anything let alone anyone! But if we make an effort to be mentally and emotionally present in our interactions with our kids, it will build the communication and relationship necessary to teach like we need to. Be there. Be all there. Fully present in the moment.
PLAY! Flinging fish and flying jokes gave the fish market a playful air. From observing this, Christensen concluded, “You can be serious about your work without taking yourself so seriously. Play is a mindset more than a specific activity. It allows you to throw yourself with enthusiasm and creativity into whatever you are doing, in a way that is natural, not forced. ‘Playing’ with ideas helps you find solutions to everyday challenges.” (FISH! Philosophy, Charthouse.com) For young children, playing is part of how they learn. For everyone, an ultra-restrictive environment can stifle growth and creativity. Of course we have to take teaching our children very seriously and loosy-goosy-play-around-all-day would be a detriment to them. However, play certainly is an important aspect of life and learning. There should be room to explore, tinker, laugh.
MAKE THEIR DAY. The fishmongers recognized and thanked their customers. Their goal seemed to be to make their customers feel appreciated. What a great model to teach our children! What would my home environment be if everyone really tried to make everyone else’ s day special?
CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE. The attitude the fishmongers chose made all the difference. The attitude we choose in our approach to our day and to our children can make all the difference. It can make all the difference for us- life is so much better when we can find joy in the journey – and for our children. Imagine the powerful impact on a child’s life to watch an adult exemplify choosing a good attitude no matter what.
This is the time of year when homeschooling seems exciting, new, and fresh! But when the new-and-fresh wears off and it feels more like old-and-stinky (kind of like fish) we would do well to remember those fun fishmongers and the lessons they live out every day. Those four simple practices that make them successful at selling fish could help make us successful in joyfully teaching our children.
Copyright © 2013 J. Hoffman / GSN (NV)
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Email: JHoffman@GlobalStudentNetwork.com
Sources:
www.charthouse.com