Dear Wednesday,

You are here! How does it feel to be smack in the middle of the work week? I think this might cause you to be seen in different ways.  My students could not seem to agree on which color could represent you.  Several did say green, but they did not explain why.  I suspect it is because green reminds them of nature, and sure enough, Wednesday, you brought nature with you today.  We are going on a field trip (hurray!) to visit a beautiful forest and river.  We will be noticing how some of Earth’s Biospheres interact with each other.  Maybe a Green Wednesday will also help them remember to always take care of their fragile planet. Wednesday, you are the week’s summit.  After you, it is mostly downhill from there.  So you see Wednesday, you should feel pretty good about yourself.  The middle seems like a great place to be (being a middle child myself, I can say that with authority).

Thank you Wednesday!

Sincerely,

Ms.C & 5B

P.S. One of my students is really confused about the way you spell your name: Wed-nes-day.  He kindly suggests you change it to Wens-day.  🙂

Dear Tuesday,

The week continues and Monday has cleared a path for you.  Like a second child, things are just a bit easier with you. The world doesn’t seem to greet you with too much stress.  Actually, you are quite famous in your own right, appearing in book titles (Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom…one of my favorite authors ever) and song titles (Ruby Tuesday by The Rolling Stones…what a classic). Way to go Tuesday!  Many of my students picked the color orange to represent you.  Orange has many positive connotations, one of them being joy and another encouragement.  I think my students feel joy with you because on Tuesday they get to leave school a bit earlier than usual.  As teachers, on Tuesday we get to stay for workshops, faculty meetings, or personal work time. All of these encouraging us to keep growing and learning as professionals.  So you see Tuesday, you are one of those days of the week where many people are starting to feel positive and excited.  You seem to be doing your job well.   

Thank you Tuesday!  

Sincerely,

Ms.C & 5B

P.S. Don’t ever lose your cheerful orange glow and also, make sure you thank Monday, ok?  

Dear Monday,

Here you are again, ready to start us off on a new week.  It is amazing how you keep coming around, even though so many greet you with despair and frustration.  How do you do it?  You really do have the toughest position to handle in the week.  Your tenacity is admirable. Monday, if any color could represent you, which color would you chose?  Many of my students chose gray or black, attaching to them connotations of gloom and laziness.  What I think they might not realize is that black and gray are classic, elegant colors, that never go out of style…and that, I believe, describes you perfectly.  Monday, you are classy, sassy and reliable.  No matter how people greet you around the world, we know we can count on you to be there.  You elegantly appear at dawn, and quietly leave us at  dusk.  Please never stop coming around, Monday.  No matter how we greet you, we need you.  You are the graceful start to a weekly journey…it all begins with you.

Thank you Monday!

Sincerely,

Ms.C & 5B 

P.S. Did you know you were named after our moon?  Now that is pretty awesome.

They. For many, many years now, They have found their way in to my heart.  Some do it in Silence, while others use lots of Perseverance.  Eventually, They all find their way in.  I Embrace them all, and have learned not to ask too many Questions as to why They have been placed on my path. I know They are there for a reason.  I learn from them just as much as They learn from me.  That is the Balance I realize exists towards the end.  This Repetition, this pattern happens every year, and although at times I feel I am losing my Stamina, thankfully I find ways to stay strong.  This particular year, They have brought me many, many Tears.  I began to seriously doubt They would find a place in my heart.  Recently though, it seems my Invisibility cloak is losing its power, and They do see me and hear me.  They did it.  They found a way in.  Once They are in, They stay there.  We had fun on Friday coming up with some interesting thoughts about the days of the week.  Some of their thoughts will be present in next week’s posts.  I look forward to putting together what They think and what I think…Our thoughts will hopefully make you smile.    

Stamina. “The ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort”.  Physical stamina can be obviously seen in professional athletes.  Their endurance, their resistance…so powerful to watch.  For us regular humans, when a short walk becomes a long walk and a long walk becomes a run…that is stamina.  Stamina takes time and determination.  It is difficult and can be painful…but once you feel stamina’s power, you start to feel its strength.  In the classroom, mental stamina can also be obviously seen.  Students must have endurance when they read, write, listen to lessons, work through a math problem, research.  It is an amazing process to witness throughout the school year, as many build up this stamina…their determination is powerful.  Yet there are others who struggle, and their struggle is very real.  There can many reasons behind this…dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADD, ADHD, behavioral and emotional needs. Many receive most of the support they need only during school hours…leaving them to fend for themselves once they are out of our system.  It is a difficult path…but I do wish they could see how strong it will make them. If, they are steadfast and build-up their stamina, these obstacles that have been placed in their way will later become the pillars of their power…and with this power, they can become anything they dream.   

Tears.  I believe I have spilled enough tears throughout my life to fill a small pond.  Tears of frustration, happiness, exhaustion, joy, disappointment, pride, sadness, awe.  My pond is filled with all of these different tears, yet my pond of tears is crystal clear.  If I stand beside it, and look at my reflection, I can see into the deepest part of the pond. My pond is crystalline because, once the tears have been shed, I get a sense of clarity.  No matter what made me cry, after the tears have been shed, that “what” just becomes clearer, it makes sense.  Had anyone ever warned me years ago that teaching would be one of the things that could bring me to tears, I would have probably laughed out loud.  Teaching? Make me cry? No way.  Yet many of the tears in my pond do come from my career.  The world of education can be quite the emotional rollercoaster.  Juggling daily tasks, combined with being surrounded by 22 very distinct personalities, all with different emotions of their own, is a scenario that can easily bring tears.  Yes, I have dried many students’ tears and yes, my students have seen me shed tears.  My superpowers are still not developed enough to handle absolutely everything that comes my way…tears show that I am human…and I am alright with that.  

Balance.  A seven-letter word that, although easy to write, difficult to attain.  Present everywhere from balancing a healthy life style, to balancing time, to balancing  a budget.  Even our own planet works continuously to maintain a critical balance to keep us alive.  Balance.  Without it, we can easily get lost in an unsatisfying, unproductive path.  As a teacher, I am constantly struggling with balance.  Our daily schedules, our weekly events, our monthly assemblies, our yearly curriculum…all coming together to what may seem like a balanced school year, yet when you look closely, you notice…there is very little balance.  A small fraction of the day dedicated to outdoor play and another small fraction of the day dedicated to nourish our bodies.  The rest of the day is go, go, go.  The result? Tired, frustrated, unproductive humans (both adults and children alike), because being busy doesn’t necessarily mean you are being productive.    This week something in my classroom changed our usual rhythm: Student-Led Conferences.  My students have been creating presentations to showcase work they are proud of and setting goals for the upcoming trimester, while I  gave immediate feedback and help. With jazz playing in the background, the classroom had a very distinct feel. It felt calm and productive.  I dare say, it felt balanced.  I realized how powerful it is to simply slow down.  How powerful it is to find ample time to reflect on ourselves and set goals for our immediate future.  How a change in our usual routine can help us find the balance we seek and the power to feel good about ourselves.  I need to find more moments like these for my students, and for myself. Balance.  Necessary to feel content and critical for our existence.  

Questions.  Are they simply phrases that seek answers?  Questions seem to run through my mind 24/7.  Yes and No Questions….What If Questions…How Are You Questions…Will I Make It Through The Day Questions…so many questions, always there.  Our minds are naturally filled with curiosity.  Curiosity brings wonder.  Wonder brings, yes, questions. Throughout my years as a teacher, I have come to appreciate how vital it is to ask the right questions.  The ones that have more than one answer are essential.  They push my students’ thinking.  They push my thinking.  The right questions can broaden our horizons and open our minds. The words we use to formulate these questions are also just as important.  The wrong choice of words can get a response of absolute confusion….but mix the right words together into a question that has a myriad of answers, and you get a powerful response.  My favorite questions are the ones that linger in our minds and the minds of others…causing a “spirit of inquiry”.  Hoping that this inquisitiveness takes us on a journey together.  A journey for knowledge, and we all know knowledge is power.  Let these be the types of questions most present in your everyday and you might notice how powerful those around you become as they seek answers.  

Perseverance.  Present everyday, everywhere. Perseverance is messy. It is not pretty.  It is imperfect.  To persevere means you will fall and you will get up again.  To persevere means you will make mistakes and learn from them. To persevere means you will fail before you achieve success. To persevere means you are in competition with yourself.  That self who often whispers “give up…it is not worth it…it is too much”.  Enter Perseverance, looking quite ragged, beat-up, tired…but strong.  Superhuman strong.  Standing beside you, giving you the power to achieve any goal, no matter how big or small.  Perseverance wakes me up every morning and Perseverance helps me teach. It has taught me to teach them to believe…to never quit…to foster the power of not giving up. Let Perseverance hold your hand and eventually it will make you your own superhero.

Repetition.  Merriam-Webster defines it as “the act or an instance of repeating or being repeated”. Repetition. Cambridge English Dictionary defines it as “the act of doing or saying something again”. Repetition.  Oxford English Dictionary states its origins come from the “Old French repeter, from Latin repetere, from re- ‘back’ + petere ‘seek’ “.  Repetition. It is VERY present in an elementary classroom setting.  Youngsters often (very often) “seeking back” to what has already been shared, explained, or said. As a teacher, I constantly struggle on what is worth repeating and catch myself repeating unnecessary words, causing them to be ineffective…and I realize, repetition of certain thoughts can cause a mighty impact.  Repetition of other thoughts can cause a mighty demise.  If you seek back and choose wisely what you wish to repeat, you can instill a sense of power in these young minds (in anyone, actually).  Yet if you choose poorly, repetition can create an overwhelming  sense of dependency.  Repetition.  Its power can be used for good or for evil.  Repetition. As soon as it makes its re-appearance in your day, use it for good.  Whatever you may be repeating, make sure it is worthy. Whatever you may be repeating, make sure it is done respectfully.  Whatever you may be repeating, make sure it constructs an environment of empowerment to move forward and continue. Repetition.  Seek back only that which makes you and others around you stronger. Repetition.