It feels great to be moving and lifting heavy again. I just need to get back to running and maybe then I’ll start to feel like myself. I haven’t felt “normal” in a long time, but even in the coldest stretch of winter I can find ways to dust off some endorphins and prepare decent meals. January is a good month for experimenting with recipes—if one fails, no big deal; fewer flies and less food waste this time of year.
And to the Rocky IV guy: your sweaty, dramatic stare isn’t exactly appetizing either.
Work has been rough lately. The students are wonderful—I love teaching them every day—but the overall atmosphere at school is disheartening. We joke that our school is where fun goes to die. In my years of teaching, morale has never been this low. You’d think someone would notice and try to change things, but instead leadership makes odd decisions: for example, telling faculty right before winter break to buy new clothes for the return so that “pants don’t touch the leg.” Meanwhile the school’s state report card looks poor and it’s treated as if it’s no big deal.
Thankfully, some excellent coworkers refuse to let that negativity win. They find small ways to rebel and remind everyone why we do this. I shared one of those moments on Facebook—I’m not much of a “stranger hugger,” and I keep a wide personal space—but the kindness from colleagues shines through.
The next day, one of those coworkers showed up with something fun for our grade-level team. The kids saw it and smiled—kids are great at filtering out the yuck so the adults can handle the messy parts behind the scenes.
Small traditions—like after-school trips to taco places, where we vent about administration, laugh until we cry over juvenile jokes, and occasionally indulge in tequila or vodka—are what get us through. It might not be the textbook model for educating children, but those moments of camaraderie help us be the best teachers we can be for our students.
So here’s to surviving the first week back—and to only 17 more to go!
Happy Thursday.