I enjoy walking. There is something about the feel of the sun on my face, the wind my hair and the alone time (especially the alone time) that renews my spirit. I prefer to walk in the morning to avoid the heat, so weekends are my time to get out of the gym and into the fresh air.
On my walk last weekend, I noticed a crow sitting on a light post. This doesn't seem like such a strange sight, right? Most people might not even notice such a common occurrence. But I do, because crows are my least favorite bird, maybe even living thing, in the world! Harsh, right? Apparently, I have a lot of pent up anger due to a particularly annoying crow that used to peck on our sliding glass door at 6 am every weekend. EVERY WEEKEND! And this was BEFORE we had kids!
Please!!!
So, when I saw the crow lurking in my neighborhood, my blood pressure rose and my annoyance grew (apparently I'm quite territorial when it comes to crows!). How dare this annoying creature hover over the path I was taking! I was irked.
Suddenly, the clouds parted and a beautiful hawk swooped down from the sky right above the crow. (Okay, maybe there were no clouds, but when the hawk showed up it seemed the sun shone a little brighter!) The hawk sailed in circles effortlessly, coming closer to the crow at times, then backing off, but always present. The crow squawked at him, and he still circled. Low enough to make the crow uncomfortable, and then higher to show who was the real boss of the neighborhood skies. It did not take long before the crow got the message and decided to leave his spot on the light post and dive into a shrub to take cover.
There were no crows around during my walk the next morning! (I now have a new favorite bird...it's a hawk!)
Why tell you this?
I saw you in that hawk. Oh, not in the large beak, beady eye kind of way. But in the way you use proximity with your students. You know how to work a room and engage students, redirect them, keep them focused and on-task. You don't hover. You circle, strategically, to give feedback, to connect and to help students align to what they ought to be doing. You make it look effortless, but we know that it isn't.
Today, I want to thank you for constantly engaging students, for the miles you walk each day around your classroom for the benefit of your students, and for hovering just enough to encourage but not so much that it causes anger. You are skilled! Truly skilled! Thank you!
Kim
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