Courage Doesn't Always Roar: A Teacher's Quest to Be Better Each Day

On Thursday, I will turn 38 years old. Wait- wasn't I just regular 8 years old? It feels like not so long ago that I was 18 years old, graduating high school- but the truth is, that was 20 years ago! Oh, how the years have flown! I know better than to complain because every day is a gift, and 38 years of them is a blessing.  I've been thinking about the lessons I've learned in these (almost) 38 years. Many apply to the classroom and all apply to life. So here are 38 lessons I've learned. (Thank you to the writers and philosophers I've borrowed from here...) 1. Don't look back.  But.... 2. The unexamined life is not worth living- always reflect on where you've been as you plan to move forward. 3. Your character is your destiny. 4. Trust your instincts. 5. "To thine own self, be true" means, among other things, that I am just not built to wear high heels and I've made my peace with it. 6. Life isn't fair and the good guys do...

Welcome Summer!  Cluttered classroom starts to clear out. Report cards folded and envelopes stuffed. A year of learning together reaches the finish And we prepare to undo the ties that connected from September to June.  Goodbyes are in the air as the artwork comes down Name tags ripped off desks and lockers. An ending. Summer is a beginning. Alarm clock-less days and camp drop offs. Reading and learning and dreaming  Planning and envisioning  Breaks at the beach, late sunsets Twilight and fireflies. Smores and sunscreen. Exhale.  Happy Summer, Teacher Friends! 

(This post is inspired by the structure Mary Anne Reilly sometimes uses in her blog posts. Mary Anne's writing so often stays with me and her posts are among my favorite to read- powerful, honest, moving, lovely.)  "As a general rule, teachers teach more by what they are then by what they say." -Unknown I. A conversation with my son's kindergarten teacher reminded me of the most important lessons teachers need to learn, including me. To talk to your child's teacher and hear such care, compassion, and such knowing- (this person gets and appreciates how special my son is) is a lasting gift. Have I done that for my students? I've tried but think I need to try harder. Think I need to make it a tangible goal for myself next year to not let the amount of "stuff" I have to teach and deal with overshadow the young people in front of me, desperate to be seen and appreciated for how special they are. Humbled by this conversation and inspired to do ...

A s I turn the calendar to June, my heart mixes with different emotions. B ittersweet to say goodbye to the year where my son started kindergarten and my daughter grew so much in her 3 year old program. C onflicted feelings about what I accomplished as a teacher and what I failed to do as well. D eadlines loom for all the paperwork that must get done to close out the year. E verything seems to stop for others who can cancel their classes or close their room to box things up while classroom teachers keep on going with students to the very end. F air? Gi ve up thinking about that, I tell myself- it does not good to get angry about how much is asked of a classroom teacher. H elp other teachers who are changing grade levels and have a huge task of moving all their belongings and learning so many new things. I want to make the last month of school memorable and happy for my students. " J ust keep swimming" Dory says, and that's good advice for a month like June where...