A Lesson Learned

I was fully prepared to go to school tomorrow. In fact, I even did my hair so I wouldn't have to do it in the morning (saves so much time!). So when I saw that we were closed tomorrow, I was shocked. Maybe I still am. I must admit that the extra day is coming in handy with this illness I've been battling, the snow, the frigid temps, and my COMP that is due in two weeks. I am taking advantage of these days, and I'm also thinking back to the last time I was in this place.

I was so ready to get back to school after our extended winter break, that I "wanted it too much" (credit BPG for the phrase). I know you're probably thinking how can it be wrong to want it too much. I asked myself this question the night of our first day back at school, which went down as an epic disaster. Yet, after a series of reflective questioning, I realized he was right. I wanted the first day back to be so spectacular that I forgot that the best made plans don't often go as we expect them to.  Just because I had an amazing lesson plan (in my eyes), just because I was ready to be back in the groove, just because I had to cram a 4 week unit into 2, just because I...well you get the picture.  Everything was related to what I wanted, what I expected, what I dreamed, what I envisioned. None of it was based on what I knew deep down about kids: they're kids.

Kids are fickle, they're social, they're anti-social, they're moody, they're hormonal, they're apathetic, they're excited, they're lazy, they're active, they're a bunch of oxymora! I don't know how my kids will be when they come to me on Thursday. But I do know how I'll be, which is chill. I'm going to be cool, calm, collected, I'm going to go with the flow. We'll make the most of what we have on Thursday and Friday and then we'll start fresh Monday.

You see, I want it, but I don't want it too much :)