Monday, June 24, 2013

The Last Day

Today's the last day of the school year for children. Teachers will return to school for one or more days to wrap up the year and begin the new year before children arrive in September.

Tech reports and emails demonstrate that both last year's class and next year's class have already started or continued playing online academic games as well as sending notes to ensure a good year ahead or a positive end to a wonderful year.

In today's world the school year is a spiral as one year's circle connects to the next moving a child forward.

Last Friday I ended the week with hopes for a peaceful day, but in the end I planned too much and we all were overloaded, students and me, which made for a less than harmonious day.  But today, there's little on the menu--although we didn't finish it all as we ran out of time for every last chapter of every curriculum and classroom initiative, today we'll concentrate on a final assembly, last art class, time for tech choice, read aloud, play and a farewell circle.

Meeting all needs with targeted, successful energy and balance is a delicate, thoughtful process--one that will profit from a summer of rest and study.  Good teachers just like good students are tired at the end of the year. The yearly cycle gives us permission to give it our all, push, and reach during the 10-month school year. The push, in part, is fueled by the notion that we'll have time to rest and recoup during summer months--time to take a step back, reflect, assess, and continue to develop our craft as we move forward in the profession, a profession that is imperfect, ever changing and with limitless potential.  You never know it all.

So here's to a peaceful day of friendship and care, essentially the bright bow on top of the year's gift of sharing, learning, and relationship.