Check Engine Light #sol19

Check Engine Light #sol19

September 3, 2019

The beginning of the school can be full of many logistically tasked, scheduling, getting materials together, meetings, training, planning. As a literacy coach I may be pulled into lots of desk time without noticing at first.

The first symptom is bone-tired fatigue. In the evening, I just feel exhausted. I don’t have any wonderful stories to share, no smile comes to me as I think of a charming phrase from a student. I’m in need of a tune up.

Luckily, I’ve become quite a mechanic. No, I don’t know how to fix a car, an engine, or a windshield wiper. I do know how to draw myself back to the meaning of my work.

Today, I took two steps to draw me closer to being refurbished. First I spent an hour in kindergarten. One solid hour taking little groups of freshly arrived kindergarteners on a little environmental print walk around their wing of the building. How many times did we see the word welcome? Quite a lot! We saw color names and their names. Pete the Cat and the word bus. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and the word room along with lunch and name and hamburger. At the end of the hour, the students felt like beginning readers, I had some formative assessment data, and my tank was filling up.

Returning to the literacy center at lunch time, I sent a quick email asking who would like a drop in read aloud and a grand conversation. In an hour’s time, I had an appointment calendar full of read aloud dates and the promise of a good deal of face time with some thinkers.

So here I am at the end of a day that didn’t seem so long, balanced between tasks, meetings, and some great reminders of what it’s all about, the promise of all those days of learning, doing, and listening stretching out in front of me. Importantly remembering what it really takes to get recharged. #selfcare19 as my colleagues say.

I write in the company of my writing mentors, inspirations, and friends led by the amazing team at Two Writing Teachers. We offer our Slice of Life each Tuesday. All are welcomed.