...and we begin again
There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception. ~Aldous Huxley
The start of a school year is surrounded by anticipation. Just about the second week in August, teachers, support staff and para-professionals begin to plan and wonder what lies in the year ahead. Many have already started to "set the stage" for learning and most are holding on to the remaining summer days. Time flies by faster than anyone desires. Administrators, the tech department and administrative assistants, and custodians begin to plan on July 1- if not before. They have worked all summer to prepare for the opening days. Summer is a time to refresh, regroup, and "make it better". On opening day Dr. Kossack addressed the staff with a thought provoking introduction. She shared a video that challenged listeners to "Mind the Gap" between "perception" and "reality". In other words, our master narratives vs. our personal stories. She urged us all to be cognizant of how the noise of the gap impacts the climate and culture of our school district.
As you all start this year's journey, I want to reiterate Dr. Kossack's message and remind you to keep priorities in order- don't sweat the small stuff. Let's just take one day at a time and continue to make it better. We all have many stresses in both our personal lives and our work lives. Everyone has a personal story that can impact their demeanor and actions throughout a day. Let's try to listen and notice each other. "What matters most" is something that we all need to strive to remember- especially when things just don't go the way we planned.
We start off our school year with new curriculum, new students, new programs and resources, new ideas and new initiatives. These changes can be overwhelming for even veteran teachers. Let's all agree to take one day at a time and continue to work on the aspects of our lives that matter most. If we do that, our school climate and culture will continue to be a positive one that contributes to each of our own personal stories.
Care to watch it again?
Mind the Gap Between Perception and Reality | Sean Tiffee
As teachers we are responsible for helping our students through the master narratives and their own personal stories. Together with their parents, it is our job to help them deal with all that they experience. There are good books that may interest you as you teach children about mindfulness and dealing with stress: