In Todd Whitaker's book "The Ball" I was taken by the message and thought it would be a great way to start the school year. It is about a teacher and former student who meet up and have had challenges to deal with in recent years. Through their discussion, they realize that the need to refocus and get back to what is important.
As we've been going back into a new school year, I reflected on this before I started with my class. Students are the reason I teach and love what I do. There are many things in our life and career that can cause our focus to drift but ultimately those little bodies sitting in front of you at the start of the day, wondering what they are going to learn next, are what matters. They are the reason we spend days in the classroom getting it ready, planning intricate lessons that meet the needs of all students the best we can, and stay up late at night researching what we can do better.
As I talked to my own children the night before school started, when they could not sleep due to the anticipation of the next day, and told them I felt the same way, they were surprised. I used to wonder if that feeling of anticipation would ever go away but I think if your passion and love for what you do is there and you are focused on "the ball" in this case, the students, your passion shines through in true colours. Success for me was watching their smiling faces go out the door at the end of the first day saying they couldn't wait for tomorrow. When I got home, exhausted, I checked my e-mail only to find that some of the students had commented on our class blog, wondering with anticipation of the next day's events. With the ball right in front of me again, I was commenting back to continue their learning and with a new burst of energy, tailoring the learning for the next day for my students. If you feel like you are losing focus - just remember why we are here doing what we do and who is counting on you. The ball will be right in front of you, giving you the energy you need to continue doing the best you can for your students.
