Mindful Monday: We Need More Rubber Ducks

Have you ever given it any thought? What purpose does a rubber duck really serve? 

Well, if you ask me (and I know you didn't), rubber ducks are equally as important to the way the world functions as the air we breathe. We need them! 

Hear me out.

Rubber ducks make me smile. They are silly, whimsical, and just plain fun. We need more fun in our lives. We need it just as much as we need air. 

However, who has time for whimsy? Who will take you seriously as a working professional if you are silly? Fun is for children. But are our children even having as much fun these days? Fun doesn't feel as present as it once did, and that is terribly disheartening. 

Life is hard. The last 12+ months have been exceptionally hard. Waking up each day with the purpose to change lives isn't for the faint of heart. Which is all the more reason we need more rubber ducks! 

We need more fun! We need more laughter! We need to infuse life into our students and into our classrooms.

I know there is never enough time to get it all done. I understand that there is curriculum to cover and checklists that need checking. But when was the last time you did something fun? When was the last time you heard your students laugh? You can cover the curriculum and still have fun. You can take care of business and add a little whimsy to your day. It's not impossible. It's just about being intentional. 

Wishing you a boat load of rubber ducks as we finish the year strong! 

Mindful Monday: We will Always Rise to the Surface

We all know that teaching is an exceptionally hard profession. However, this year, there are no words for the level of difficulty we have all faced. For those of you with less than 5 years of teaching experience, I promise this isn't normal. And for those that have been in the field longer, all our years of experience have only proven to be marginally helpful for a year like this. 

I would like to first commend each and everyone of you for staying this year. That even on your worst days and in the hardest moments, you came back the next day. This year has understandably gotten the best of many of our colleagues around the nation, and it is not unnoticed that you have pushed through this impossible year. No matter how overwhelmed, how tired, how unsure you might have been, you showed up. And for that, you ROCK! 

I love the mantra below and think it's perfectly fitting for this year! "I am a little yellow rubber duck. I cannot be crushed. I cannot be broken. I bounce back. I will always rise to the surface."

When I read it, I can't help but to think of each of you. Teachers cannot be crushed. Educators cannot be broken. We will ALWAYS rise to the surface. 

During these last 6 weeks, continue to lean on one another. We are each other's best allies. Support another. No one will better understand you like a fellow educator. 

Mindful Monday: Squirrels Everywhere

YUP. This accurately describes my current state: Squirrels EVERY.WHERE.

My week got away from me, and I refuse to take any more time away from my family. So, my Mindful Monday is short and sweet this week. 

It feels like we are on the downhill slide. We're half way through April, and May is in sight. So, if the end is near, why are we so busy? Why do we have so much on our plate and so many balls in the air? Why are there so many "squirrels"??? 

I'd imagine that I'm not the only one feeling the chaos of spring, feeling the pressure to end the year strong, and feeling the need to get a handle on this year. As used to this "new normal" as one can be, I can't help but question myself as to why I still can't get a grip on this year. Perhaps you, too, feel like your squirrels are everywhere and are wondering if you will ever find your rhythm this year. 

I leave you with three thoughts. 

1: Just Breathe. It's really that simple. Taking a moment for a mindful breath is incredibly therapeutic. 

2: Grace. Give yourself grace. We tend to be our own worst critics, and it's time we stop. 

3: Prioritize. You get to pick and choose how you spend your time and how busy you allow yourself to be. Be intentional with your time.

In the meantime, know that we all have squirrels on the loose. It's definitely not just you. 

Mindful Monday: Rogue Ducks

As an educator, I feel like we are always trying to "get our ducks in a row." Let's face it, there is always a to-do list. Never in my career have I ended a school day feeling like my list is complete, and I have nothing else to do. 

As disheartening as that idea may be, it's life. There is always something else to do, something else that needs our attention. There is always something new to be added to the list, and there's always that one duck, that one task, that gets away from us. 

This year, there seems to have been more rogue ducks than normal, more tasks that seem unmanageable. As overwhelming as to-do lists can feel at times, as overwhelming as this school year as a whole has been, it's easy to feel defeated. But don't! 

Your success is not measured by the number of tasks marked off your list. Success doesn't mean that all your ducks march in a single file line.

Regardless of what your do-to list has looked like this year or what you have kept tally of mentally, I assure you, it has been a success. I know this because each of you has shown up day after day. You all continue to go above and beyond. It may not feel like you always have your ducks in a row and have it together, but the countless individualized packets and resources you send home, the numerous phone calls, Remind messages, and emails you send to ensure you are keeping students and their families informed and engaged, the constant act of recreating lessons to ensure you are reaching all our students, both in person and virtual, all these acts tell me otherwise. All these investments of time, love, and energy tell me that this year has been a success like no other. 

During these last 8 weeks, focus on one task at a time, focus on what you can control, and ask for help when needed. Don't worry about the number of ducks you are trying to wrangle or the few rogue ones that never seem to fall in line. What you do is enough because you are enough! 

We've got this!