Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, prepare to be amazed by the wonders beneath the Big Top. I present to you… “The Greatest Show on Earth.” A successful classroom is much like a thriving circus, an orchestrated performance in which anything is possible. Teachers, students, and classrooms are not unlike the circus performers and Big Top- they share similar principles and values. Most importantly, the primary objective in each scenario is the engagement of every single person.

English language arts classrooms can sometimes become a three ring circus, bursting with activity and energy. The teacher becomes the ring master, calling attention to the spotlighted objectives and inviting the audience to enter a world of knowledge, possibility, and even magic. Wait!  There is much more. The flap of a curtain and the flash of sequins transform the ring master into the trapeze artist. Collaborating with his partners, the man on the flying trapeze glides through the air relying upon others to toss and catch him. Teaching relies upon just such a continual balance of pushing and pulling because teachers and schools function as one complete troupe that together can amaze the audience.

Once again, the teacher undergoes a rapid costume change.  His roles are infinite. This time, he appears before the crowd as an animal tamer. Teacher leaders are willing to stick their heads into the mouths of technological lions and dance with pedagogical bears. Though new theories and developments can be intimidating, the teacher leader faces them without fear; he is confident in his competency. It requires massive amounts of time and practice, but taking initiative as an educational leader is just one more act for a teacher.

The show must go on.  Once more the teacher adorns a new costume. Now he is the juggler in the center ring. He methodically arcs one ball after another between his hands and soon it appears that he has hundreds of balls in the air at once. However, the juggler has a secret; he has been planning and practicing for years. Teaching requires the division of attention to seemingly hundreds of tasks at once; however, planning and organization allow the competent teacher to complete the routine without letting a ball drop.

Many things go into making the classroom the “Greatest Show on Earth.” The teacher continually assesses the students and himself to ensure that everyone is progressing. Furthermore, the teacher fundamentally recognizes the importance of education in the lives of students. A performer realizes the role that he can play in the lives of his audience, opening their minds to new worlds and possibilities. The best performance is interactive, engaging the audience to challenge their beliefs and construct new realities.

What is the appeal of the Big Top, the draw of the clowns, the magic of the flying trapeze?  It is the same reason we continue to pursue knowledge our whole lives. There is always something more to do, something more to see, something new to try. We have seen the lion tamer and the juggler a hundred times before, and we have watched the trapeze artists fly through the air with the greatest of ease (or so it seems). However, the show continually evolves and improves. As the teacher and students grow, so too do the limits they are willing to push. We revisit past successes and pursue future achievements with renewed vigor. The circus allows us to revisit a time of innocence when our thirst for excitement was boundless. A successful classroom should instill the same passion for adventure and exploration guided by the teacher, the man with a thousand masks.