Hey, how about I don't update you on anything related to my health this week? Sound good?
I think so, too.
Instead, I'll divulge that I think it's very likely to snow a bit tonight and throughout the day tomorrow. Sure do hope you're able to get out and enjoy it... that's definitely my intention.
These Halcyon Days
I'm sure you feel the same as I do and can easily acknowledge that the school weeks following the Winter Break each year contain some of the most pleasant days we get to enjoy during any given school year. Never completely devoid of their challenges, they are, nonetheless, typically the calmest and most rational work days of the school year.
But, as always, they are drawing to an end. Already, sporadic reports of springtime girl-wars, lunch recess boy-fights, as well as rumors of overwrought and overworked faculty and staff are beginning to trickle into my office a little more each day. I've no doubt, we will be fully back-to-normal, both socially and emotionally, each of us in his/her own way (in my case, with my head spinning, basically half-crazed, and barely holding it together), in very short order. Soon the halcyon days will be gone once again.
As I've said before, "February [always] brings planning for the coming year, the impending pressures of upcoming testing, the rush to complete all that's on your curriculum map before it's too late, and the resurgence of the madness that inevitably must come as we work together toward the end of the school calendar." That inevitable madness is just around the corner, and, as we always have in the past, we must collectively steel ourselves to face the coming storm.
With that in mind, I'd like to encourage you, as I often have before, to keep your wheel round and your vessel full by seeking to be balanced and remain fulfilled by the things you do and the people you love beyond the confines of school. Remember: this work is hard; physically and emotionally, it's some of the hardest work there is. We are poured out here each and every day. And our work is not always as rewarding or as fulfilling as we hope for it to be, we often do not see the fruits of our labors for many, many years. But still, it's important work we do. Good work. And in the lives of our students it's essential work. I'm blessed to be reminded almost daily by your positive attitudes and demeanor, however, that deep down, even in the depths of our occasional despair and exhaustion, we're all committed to working hard to ensure the well-being and success of each student that comes through our front doors.
So be prepared for the hectic, chaotic, frustrating days to come. But also be encouraged. Remember: you possess great power, the power to change lives for the better.
I've shared a Dr. Saenz talk or two with you in the past. I think he's pretty cool. I listen to him now and then, whenever I need a good pep talk, or a reminder to keep my life in balance, or a push to recall when I grow discouraged why it is I continue to to the work that I do. I hope you'll take a few minutes to watch the video below, and, likewise, that you'll be left feeling encouraged and empowered by it.
Calendar
- Monday 22 Jan
- Magnet Monday Showcase, 2:10
- Tuesday 23 Jan
- 10% Tuesday at Fratelli, all day
- Coe at Educational Enrichment Director hiring committee, 7:30-12:30
- Thursday 25 Jan
- Faculty Meeting in the Library (PBIS), 7:45
- Coe in PHX at ADE for KDA admin meeting, all day
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