Monday Morning Musings: If It Was Easy, Everyone Would Do It!

Principal ponderings...
Last week, a principal from Virginia (@_AndyJacks) sent me the link to this video clip about resiliency:

While the title of the clip is resiliency, and we could talk about being resilient and having the strength to get through anything...the line that stood out for me the most in this clip is "if it was easy, everyone would do it." I thought this was a good message for us all at this time of year. We have finished up the second trimester. We have been doing assessments and filling out report cards. We have been continuing to work our way through a new math curriculum. We have begun preparations for implementing a new writing curriculum next year. We have been trying to provide social emotional support for many students who need it. We have been completing evaluations and participating in many team meetings with parents. At the same time, we have been dealing with different family issues in our own personal lives.

As educators, we have a very difficult job to do every single day. It is hard work. There are no easy days. There are even some days where, like Buster Douglas, we get knocked down. We might feel like we are down for the count. But then, we remember why we do what we do. Why do we choose to be educators? Why do we choose to be part of a career that requires and encourages continuous growth? Because we are responsible for molding future minds. We have students in our classrooms who are at all different levels, and we get to take them from where they are to where we know they can go. That is ridiculously hard work. But, as Tom Hanks says in 'A League of Their Own', the hard is what makes it great.

I was motivated by the resiliency video clip as soon as I watched it, and I have watched it several times since that first time. This is the time of year when we need to remind each other to find that strength that every educator has within themselves. We might let ourselves get knocked down by all of the responsibility, all of the hard work that we are expected to do every single day for our students. Just remember your why. Why do you do this job? Your why is greater than anything that knocks you down. Our students need us. They always need us. Even if we are tired. Even if we are feeling overwhelmed. Even if we have too much to do and too little time. Our students are always our why.

If teaching the future was an easy job, everyone would be in education. But it's not easy. You are an educator. You are part of a very special group of people. And you are strong.

The bell has rung. It's the next round. Get up, get going. Show the world that your why is greater than your knock down. Finish the school day stronger than you started. And then find someone who is not an educator...and ask them what exactly they accomplished today.

Currently reading:
I checked out a few picture books from the school library. One book was called Stella Louella's Runaway Book. It's a great read for anyone who has ever lost their library book.

In honor of Pi Day last Monday, I read the book Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi. Great math story that mixes in the explanation of Pi.

I also read one of Cynthia Rylant's High-Rise Private Eye series books, The Case of the Fidgety Fox. I used to read all of those when I was teaching 2nd grade...guess I was a little nostalgic this week, remembering my classroom teaching days!

Events this week:
**Report cards should be completed and reviewed by Tuesday
Monday - Since it's a snow day...our Marvelous Monday March Madness Matching game will happen Tuesday morning. Check your email for instructions!
Tuesday - School Council Meeting @ 3:30, PTA Meeting @ 7:30 pm
Wednesday - 3rd grade chorus practice @ 2:25, Future Search Vision Meeting at Prescott - 5:30-7:00, Report cards available to parents online
Thursday - Student Council Meeting @ 8:30 am, 4th grade team half day math session in the pm
Friday - School Leadership Team meeting at the high school in the am

Great things I noticed last week:

The 1st graders did a fabulous job singing songs and reciting poems at the school show.
I caught some 3rd graders working outside of their classroom, mapping out the school.
On Tuesday, Ann Simeone and I were invited to a Daisy troop meeting, where we were presented with a check for $200. The girls in the troop raised some money and wanted to donate it to the library to buy more books. How awesome is that?!
I popped into Mrs. McEvoy's class to listen in on one of Mrs. Cahill's lessons about making up with a friend after getting into an argument.
On Thursday, I was lucky enough to be invited to be a community reader in Ms. Sherry's room. I enjoyed reading Bucket Filling A to Z to the preschoolers.
Community Reader Day at FloRo was a huge success on Friday! We had so many community members in our school, and students did an awesome job collecting needed items for Loaves and Fishes. We even had Ed Harding from Channel 5 news come and read to some 2nd grade classes!
The Variety Show on Friday night was so much fun! Dancing, singing, and lots of laughs...can't wait until next year! Nina and John did a great job with the family band.