Thursday, March 22, 2012

Taking A Deep Breath

The cooking part of my classroom is a total mess.

This afternoon our class attempted/made cowboy fry bread. It took longer than I thought (post about the full lesson coming soon) and then I had to leave school just after 3:00 to get to my daughter's parent/teacher conference one town over from where I teach.

I left behind 20 unwashed plates, almost as many forks, and three fry pans that are going to need some serious attention even though they're currently soaking in soapy water.

Why I am posting about this?

For anyone who knows me, it comes as no surprise to hear me describe myself as a type-A, detail oriented person. Over the years I have learned I am learning how to take a breath and deal with whatever comes my way. My learning has been facilitated by maturity that goes with the aging process, the reality of working with children, the reality of being a working parent, and a healthy dose of yoga every now and then.

So the fact that I was able to leave behind the mess of dishes instead of crazily trying to wash them all in ten minutes or less speaks to growth in coping with my innate type-A tendencies. This blog has been, in part, a way for me to record my professional growth this year, and I hope everyone would agree that knowing when it's okay to shrug your shoulders and “let it go” is important growth for anyone working with children.

Especially pre-adolescents in the springtime.

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