Teacher Talk Tuesday
Great Expectations
Today, while at the gym, I got to thinking about expectations. Those little things that creep their way into our lives in so many ways and have potential to drive us absolutely nuts. Say, for example, you set out for your day expecting to complete a lofty to-do list yet only manage to accomplish half of it, bummer. Or, perhaps, you set out for a 5 mile run and quickly realize your legs or lungs have a different plan (which never has anything to do with your choices the night before, am I right, or am I right?), big bummer.
Mike and I seem to have pretty healthy expectations in life, for ourselves, and for each other. I always thought this was kind of cool about us and, of course, am super happy to have an understanding partner yet never put too much thought into why we may be more flexible in this area.
I realize why we're this way now... suddenly it all became so clear, it's because we're both teachers.
Allow me to explain...
We're currently working on dioramas in my classroom. The kids are supposed to recreate a scene from history. No need for more explanation, that's about all you really need to know. My students are rounding the corner into our final day of "project-ing" and here's what I have so far...
- a scene made entirely from masking tape (allegedly including a near death deer and one proud hunter)
- An ocean scene with a square cloud and a sun made out of play-dough which was too heavy to sit in the sky so it's currently drooping over side... in the ocean
- and, of course, tin foil... tin foil what? you may be asking... let's just say if it's far enough away (like 2 feet) it all blends together...
Suffice it to say, in order to escape a life in which I feel "unsuccessful" or "misunderstood" I've learned to loosen up on expectations... their more like guidelines in which I appreciate interpretations and, above all else, true artistry.
*A side-note to explain why I'm not a total loser of a teacher: The model making is part 2 of this assignment, part 1 was more rigorous in which my students did me proud... they were fabulous.
*A second side-note in case you're still judging me: The kids are so stinkin proud of their work and, with things like this, that is truly what I love to see. They are also learning a nice lesson in time management too so, no worries readers, there's plenty of learning happening!
Today, while at the gym, I got to thinking about expectations. Those little things that creep their way into our lives in so many ways and have potential to drive us absolutely nuts. Say, for example, you set out for your day expecting to complete a lofty to-do list yet only manage to accomplish half of it, bummer. Or, perhaps, you set out for a 5 mile run and quickly realize your legs or lungs have a different plan (which never has anything to do with your choices the night before, am I right, or am I right?), big bummer.
Mike and I seem to have pretty healthy expectations in life, for ourselves, and for each other. I always thought this was kind of cool about us and, of course, am super happy to have an understanding partner yet never put too much thought into why we may be more flexible in this area.
I realize why we're this way now... suddenly it all became so clear, it's because we're both teachers.
Allow me to explain...
We're currently working on dioramas in my classroom. The kids are supposed to recreate a scene from history. No need for more explanation, that's about all you really need to know. My students are rounding the corner into our final day of "project-ing" and here's what I have so far...
- a scene made entirely from masking tape (allegedly including a near death deer and one proud hunter)
- An ocean scene with a square cloud and a sun made out of play-dough which was too heavy to sit in the sky so it's currently drooping over side... in the ocean
- and, of course, tin foil... tin foil what? you may be asking... let's just say if it's far enough away (like 2 feet) it all blends together...
Suffice it to say, in order to escape a life in which I feel "unsuccessful" or "misunderstood" I've learned to loosen up on expectations... their more like guidelines in which I appreciate interpretations and, above all else, true artistry.
*A side-note to explain why I'm not a total loser of a teacher: The model making is part 2 of this assignment, part 1 was more rigorous in which my students did me proud... they were fabulous.
*A second side-note in case you're still judging me: The kids are so stinkin proud of their work and, with things like this, that is truly what I love to see. They are also learning a nice lesson in time management too so, no worries readers, there's plenty of learning happening!
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