Summertime is almost over for this educator. Frankly, I am back at work starting Monday because I have a lot to do to change up our program, and when I am home I tend to do the other millions of things pulling at my life before school starts. Today it was laundry, finally planting that herb garden I referred to a few weeks ago, the gym, and my favorite game, mystery menu! Mystery menu is a challenge I set for myself when I find the pantry is full of ingredients that I purchased for some Pinterest recipe that I never got around to creating. I spent the morning making a list of everything in the pantry, freezer, and refrigerator. The challenge is to use as much of the ingredients I have on hand to create a week’s worth of meals. If I get brave, I will share some of the concoctions on this page later this week. I have to say, I have a lot of half a bag of everything… so luckily it is just my husband and me.
Here is my outdoor office, the pups and I are enjoying a nice evening breeze and just getting in some outdoor time while I write and plan.
This past week both at work and at home, I am focusing on really listening. I tend to like most teachers I think, to be a person who tries to always find a solution to a problem. We listen and then we immediately go into problem-solving mode. More often than not, we aren’t telling that person or student something they couldn’t have figured out on their own. I am learning that there are problems in this life that are too big for me to solve, and in reality, are not meant for me to solve. Many times, what we need to be in the classroom and in life, is a sounding board. If I can facilitate someone’s growth, validate their challenges but let them navigate their own solutions, then isn’t that what we hope for? But that my friends, is so much easier said than done. Here’s to taking a deep breath and letting there be some silence before I decide to jump in with my own 2 or 5 cents in the conversation. Created the following quote to keep on my desk this year, to remind myself of this new promise to myself.
