Finding Joy in the Chaos

I don't know when it happened. Sometime after moving to California, during the years teaching at the High School, earning my Masters and buying our first home, I realized that life was not actually a series of sprints. Up until that time, I had viewed each endeavor as a path to some end goal, where the end was the desired outcome and the path was neither to be enjoyed nor celebrated. As a teacher, I lived for the next break. As a student, I strove for the end of a quarter and ultimately the degree. As a person, I had a checklist of things to do prior to having kids. It was simply one race, followed by another, and another, and another.

Perhaps most people realize the error in this earlier than I did (I think I was around 30). But somehow, the series of starts and stops in my life had led me to look at life like a series of short races to be run, with then end being the most important part.

Let's be honest. As educators, this is trained into us. In credentialing programs, we learn to "begin with the end in mind", forcing us to think about the ending clearly prior to setting up the benchmarks for success and the engaging strategies we will use to ensure student success. And this is a good thing! And after being in 100's of different teacher's classrooms over the years, I can tell assure you that clarity of purpose and goal is essential for deep learning. We must think about the end and know what we want from our students.

However, life doesn't happen just at the end. There is joy to be found along the way.

We don't have to wait until the end:

- of the unit

- of the semester

- of the school year

to celebrate the amazing things that are around us.

The best life we can live is one where we find joy in today.

Not because today is the end of something difficult, because the difficult things will still be here tomorrow.

Not because today was the best day ever, and our rose colored glasses refuse to acknowledge the tough things.

Not because today is the last day of the weekend and anyone can find joy in that!

We need to find joy each day...because it is there to be found!

It is in the smiles of students entering your classroom.

It is in the intelligent questions that show that someone is really thinking about the learning.

It is in the small improvements we see in the student who has struggled.

It is in the friends we get to work alongside each day.

It is in the family who accepts us as we are...and loves us for it.

I love reading novels! I'm sure I picked up this habit (a good one) from my family. My mom is a murder/mystery girl, and my dad is a true crime kinda guy. I love a good meandering novel with plenty of character development and scenic description (my high school English teacher loved Dickens and is likely to blame for the books I enjoy!).

One summer, I bought my mom a mystery that had great ratings on GoodReads. I noticed she would read a chapter while sitting out by the pool and then put it down, waiting for a while before picking it up again. I was worried that it was not so good, so I asked, "Is the book okay?"

"Oh yes! I'm just savoring it. I just want to make it last." was her response.

What if we approach these last 2 months of the school year in that way? Finding joy. Savoring the time with our students. Making the memories that last a lifetime. Treasure the time, instead of wishing it away. That is my hope for us all as we hurtle towards a known finish line.

Find joy today.

Treasure the relationships.

Savor the time.

Before we know it, June will be here.

Savor it.

Kim