Day 3: Conversations

After long weekend, it was nice to get back into my classroom with no students in sight.  Teacher work days can be a blessing where I can rearrange my room and get re-organized.  Sometimes the craziness of a 7 period day really creates havoc on the organization system.  So, I came in early, turned my Pandora station up and got to work.

Needless to say, despite there not being any students, I was consistently interrupted by people just coming in to say hi.  At first I was annoyed because I had a finite amount of time and so much to do.  However, I realized that relationship building starting at the beginning of the school year and maintaining that adult contact in the absence of talking about which student needs what and what’s due when is far more important.  With each person that came in, we reconnected, talking about our lives and weekends and what our plans were for the upcoming grading period and holidays.

I also realized that as a lead teacher, I have a huge responsibility for my teachers.  They rely on that one-on-one connection with me as a person they can trust in the presence of a questionable new administration. These conversations help build those relationships and help me figure out how best to support my team.

Thus, the lesson today is always make time for conversation.  I am thankful for people stopping in to chat, just because they wanted to and not for a particular reason.

Day 2: Time

I was upset that I accidentally slept in today.  I was apparently so tired that I slept all the way to 10am and missed church.  However, I chose to use that time slowly.  I made coffee and blueberry pancakes, paid attention to my cats who insist that I am constantly neglecting them, and read the newspaper.  Then I settled in on the couch and watched a little Roseanne before the Bucs game started.

Sitting there, I started thinking about all of the things I should be doing with my time.  I sighed as my mind rattled off my to-do list so on commercial breaks I cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen, vacuumed, and finished laundry- typical household chores that usually get relegated to the weekend.  I realized in a simple two hour time span, how much I could get done in 2-3 minute spurts.

Time is the most wasted commodity that people have.  We do not spend it wisely.  We waste it more than we waste our money.  As we get into the holiday season, remember the best gift that we can give someone is often our time.  As a teacher, I find that my most valuable moments are when I can sit one-on-one with a student and just chat with them about anything.  They value that attention and time spent with them so much that it strengthens our teacher-student bond.  So today, I am thankful for my mini-wake up call on time management.  Hopefully I can continue to be reminded to spend my time more wisely and on more people rather than things.

First Post!

Here it is, my first post on a new blog! If you’re reading this part, I do hope you have read the About Me section.  It explains everything about the purpose of this blog.  I’m hoping to add more pages and information throughout the year.  I encourage you to post in the comments section about what you are thankful for this day!

So today, I am thankful for the life of my friend Shaun.  As short a time on this earth that he had, he impacted so many people in so many ways, including the scientific community.  Shaun, you always had a smile on your face and were willing to extend a helping hand despite the pain in your heart.  I wish you had let us help you and I wish we had done more.  You will be deeply missed.  I hope you are finally at peace.

I am also thankful for the people that care for our loved ones after they have passed.  The job seems to be thankless and rarely sees joy I would imagine.  People come to funeral homes and cemeteries when they are heartbroken and weary from pain.  Setting up funerals is a stressful time, especially if you are dealing with life insurance and other stresses along the way, yet these people seem to have endless patience and supply of tissues.  Their wisdom and ability to guide us through the depressing process of dealing with our loved ones remains is deeply appreciated.  Thank you for your respect of our family and friends.