The mindful teacher

The end of the school year has always provided a challenge for me. The silence of an empty room  has a certain poignancy about it. Leftover student projects litter the counters, like confetti after a ticker-tape parade. Empty hallways seem like medieval catcombs. And custodians begin clearing out rooms with a business-like efficiency. There's also the letting go. Saying good bye to the many students I've developed relationships with;  saying goodbye to colleagues who've decided to move on; letting go of projects that have been in the works for several years; Letting to of a daily routine, which I have down to the minute due to my commute and class schedule. It all involves quite an adjustment. It used to be a  difficult transition for me, taking several weeks to slow down and adjust to my summer schedule. It doesn't take quite as long now, having cultivated the tools of mindfulness and relaxation. I think of my "school mind" as a spinning top, whirling from mo...

I consider energy to be a key component of genius, and if that's true, I've known many geniuses in my tenure at Highview: people who seem to have the ardor of 3 or 4 teachers, who teach a full, chaotic load, as well as put on dances, decorate hallways, and run student councils.  Stacey Olinger, a 6th grade teacher at Highview,  is one of those people who does all that and more. All with a 1000 watt smile, too.  But even geniuses need to hit the reset button from time to time. I received an email from Stacey earlier in the year where she shared how she found a few moments during her prep time to practice mindfulness: "... The other day, I listened to one of your  mindfulness  podcasts in the middle of my prep just so I (could) re-focus and re-energize. I so appreciate your commitment to the whole child. .....you continue to make sure it is deemed important and talked about. " And on the final day of the school year, she shared with staff some feedback from a stu...