One Little Thing #sol19

One Little Thing #sol19

January 22, 2019

January is a busy school month for me.  Benchmark assessments, curriculum shifts, data analysis, professional development, and district commitments all seem to converge.  You would think I would be rested after a three day weekend.  However, with our recent bitter cold temperatures came an accumulation of ice.  Ice that threatened my ability to navigate my very steep drive.  Navigations that was critical to my arriving at school.  Arrival that was crucial on the first benchmarking day.  A benchmarking day that could not be rescheduled to accommodate other schedules.

I tipped over my morning coffee across the end table.  All of my worries piling up, tripping over each other to rise to the surface.  The weight of them feels daunting.  I think of this sign that I have on my desk… People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.  This attitude definitely needs adjusting.

How do we adjust when the pile gets heavy?  I knew a secretary once that had a sign on her desk also.  The sign said, the people that get things done are the ones who do one thing at a time.  One thing at a time.  Be present in this moment and let the rest of the moments find their own way to the present.

So up the driveway I went.  The heat’s working at home after a visit from the furnace repairman yesterday.  I spent the morning listening to children read aloud.  Learn to rest, not quit.  Just one thing at a time.

Perhaps this is the reason I’m a list maker.  The ability to scratch off that first thing and then the second thing.  As in that Frog and Toad story where Toad makes himself a list that begins with wake up.  He’s happy because he can already cross that off the list.  I have a few more things.  I woke up.  I made lunches.  I drove to work.  I assessed 100 or so students with the team.  I saw my 10:20 student appointment.  Now I’m smiling.  That immense list is still mentally there, but it doesn’t feel like a pile up anymore.  Refueling courtesy of elementary students.  That always works for me.

Just one thing at a time.  Be present.  

I hope this a reflective mantra that I can continue when the next glitch comes along.  In my mind, I feel more tired lately.  That this year, month, week, day seems more difficult than ones before.  Today, I’m shaking that reflection off and changing it to my screensaver’s mantra for the day. Go forth and make awesomeness.  

I just might.

Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating this slicing community.  Read some positive uplifting reflections at twowritingteachers.org.