Working in a school can be stressful. Being in charge of 20+ students in a classroom can be stressful. Knowing that you need to help students grow and learn can be stressful. Trying to balance everything in the last month of school can be extremely stressful. Getting knocked out by the flu during the last month of school...I think I need a new word to describe my stress.
So it's time to give myself and everyone else out there a little pep post. I am grateful to several principals that I have connected with this year and have had conversations with about mindfulness. Right about now, I need a serious mindfulness check. It's that time of year when so much has to be accomplished, and most of it is stuff that can't be completed at any other time than now. And as usual, there never seems to be enough time in a day to get everything done.
I don't know about you, but I am a list gal. I love making lists. Sometimes it's short little lists on sticky notes that I stick on my laptop. Sometimes it's lists that I build using the task tool on Gmail...love that little tool...especially because it lets me cross things off the list. More than making lists, I love being able to look at a list that has things crossed off of it.
Today, I am so overwhelmed about the thought of what my to do list needs to look like. Being sick and in bed the last few days was not part of my plans. Now that I am beginning to feel better and actually out of bed, the never-ending to do list is filling my brain and definitely beginning to cause some panic. Anyone else out there thinking about all of the things that need to be accomplished before the last day of school? Let's all help each other stop and take a few deep breaths. Let's remind each other that everything will get done. I am going to force myself to use "the three rocks" plan that my work.life.balance Voxer group taught me.
Each day, I am going to select 3 things to put on my to do list. And that is my goal: accomplish those three things during the day. If I do more than the three things, great. But all I need to do is be able to cross those three things off at the end of the day. I won't worry about what I didn't do yesterday. I won't stress about what needs to happen tomorrow. I will deal with my three big rocks today.
What are your three big rocks for today?
Currently reading:
I am excited to order two new books that will be part of my summer reading! One was written by two principals who I follow and consider to be part of my PLN group through Twitter and Voxer. It's called Kids Deserve It: Pushing Boundaries and Challenging Conventional Thinking.
And the second book was recommended by another principal from Kansas who I 'chat' with regularly. It's called Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom.
Monday - Clark/Roundtree canoe trip, Jill Greene - new PPS Director visits FR in the pm
Tuesday - Coronis/Mills canoe trip, Nashua River Enrichment with Kindergarten, School Council Meeting @ 3:30
Wednesday - Potter/Smith/Nissi canoe trip, Kindergarten chorus practice @ 9:30, Kindergarten Screening at Prescott
Thursday - Student Council Meeting @ 8:30, Kindergarten Screening at Prescott, 3rd grade Plimoth Plantation trip
Friday - High School Peer Leaders visit 4th grade in the am, Liz and Dianna at SLT meeting in the am, Memorial Day Student Council Assembly in the pm
Great things I noticed last week:
- On Monday, I was honored to be asked to give the keynote speech at the DESE Spring Convening. I had FloRo and district staff in the audience cheering me on as I spoke about educational equity and shared lessons I have learned from students.
- I popped into half day K and listened to them tell me about number bonds and how to make 10.
- I was able to walk over to the Peter Twomey Center gym and see The Bubble Guy as he wowed the 1st and 2nd graders!
- Unfortunately, the flu knocked me down last week, and I spent several days at home in bed. I heard that the paras enjoyed a wonderfully delicious luncheon put on by the teachers and specialists.
Check it out:
Here's some clips to make you smile or maybe even laugh out loud...
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