Mindful Monday: It's Okay to Pass the Baton

At the start of a new school year, administration often tells staff something along the lines of, "Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself. There’s a lot that has to happen before now and May." And while they are not wrong - there is a lot that has to happen between now and May, I no longer think of a school year as a marathon. Instead, I think a school year should be looked at as a relay race.

Marathons are long. No one can run it for you. All 138,435 feet have to be run by you, and you alone. And let's face it- not everyone who starts a marathon finishes it, despite their best intentions. 

Teaching should never feel isolating. It's not all on you to get your class to the finish line. We can’t do it by ourselves. Therefore, we must start thinking of teaching as a relay. It's something we do together where we each play a part. We each have a time to shine and a time when we can pass the baton. We have to lean on each other. At the end of the day, we are better together.

So before we start with what's sure to be another great year at 'The Creek', here are a few thoughts from Todd Nesloney’s recent blog. He writes, "The way we begin shapes the story we write." So let's write a memorable story. There’s no need to start with rules and procedures on day one. There will be time for that. Capitalize on the excitement this first week of school holds. Consider doing something unexpected. Teach them a new game, get hands on with an experiment, or start a read aloud. Get. Them. Hooked. Whatever it is, get them just as excited to come back the 2nd week of school. Here is a one minute video from Thomas Murray that I shared several years ago that speaks to capitalizing on this excitement.  

I leave you with this final thought, as you envision what this year holds for you and your students, know that it’s not about creating perfect moments, being the perfect teacher, nor having the perfect results.

Wishing you all a year filled with heart, filled with passion, and filled with purpose! 

Mindful Monday: Finding the Joy

I’ve never known anyone to call teaching easy. Is it fun? Absolutely! Is it unpredictable? Almost always. Is it ever changing? You can count on it. But easy? Anything, but! 

So if teaching isn't easy, then it must be hard. And if it's hard, then chances are it's tiring and even daunting at times. I don't say all this to get you down. Instead, I say this to remind each of you that despite the hard times, we must chose to focus on the light. It’s absolutely imperative that we find joy in the journey.

We must find joy in the everyday moments. Find joy in the small things. We can't just wait for the big moments to come along. And we certainly can't wait till the end of the year to celebrate our accomplishments. We must acknowledge and celebrate the daily wins! 

Soak it in when your students' faces light up when they realize that they get to have you as their teacher this year.

Celebrate when you are able to finish your cup of coffee before it's completely cold. 

Find the joy when you're teaching your favorite subject.   

Wishing each of you a school year filled with lots of joy found along the way.