Yesterday wasn't the best day. The troubles started early when students were ill and continued as students' excitement equaled the stormy weather outside. It was a difficult day to teach well. I thought a lot about that last night, and returned today with a focus on our collective goals and my needs to teach every child with the best energy possible which means there's no time during lessons for fooling around as that steals learning from everyone. Thankfully they heard the message, and students were right on track today completing assignments and focusing in on the study at hand. Yes, a good day!
Also I had contact with a number of family members last night, and I could feel their support in the students' attitudes and efforts today. Yes, it takes a village to care for children and teach well. And the weather was a bit less dreary since the sun peaked outside of the clouds now and then to offer a bit of warmth, and although icy, students were able to run, play, and create out on our wonderful, big playground--children, as most of us know, do need play.
Further I took off some of the onerous expectations I was worried about at the start of the week, the kind of superhuman expectations that no real life person can achieve, and I also spent a few minutes discussing Musk's amazing invention and feat with the students. I noted that they should go home and say to ask their parents if they would like to be one of the first families to dwell on Mars should they have that opportunity with Musk's future plans to colonize that planet. We likened Musk's mission to the Pilgrim's adventure, but instead this is travel through space rather than a boat ride across the Atlantic. I showed a short video of Musk describing what he does. They were impressed as was I.
Teaching definitely has its low points and high points--fortunately we moved out of yesterday's low to a very good place today. That happens and that's part of the messiness that's part of life and part of teaching too. Onward.
