5 Things I've Learned This School Year

Tomorrow marks the end of the school year for me. This last week is always full of so many feels... Exhaustion, relief, sadness, pride...the list goes on and on. The to-do list is 9378272749229 miles long and getting to the last moment seems almost impossible. Reflection comes naturally to me. Thus, here I sit, thinking about all the wonderful things I've picked up over this incredible year.

One of the coolest things about this year for me is that I am working at the school I grew up in. A few of the people who were part of shaping my life (aka teachers) are still there, and I feel like I'm at home every day. Pretty neat.

Five things (among many others) I am taking away this year are things that I think we could all use time time to reflect on. Here goes nothing...

1. If someone gives you feedback (or criticizes you), and you don't agree with it right away, take some time to reflect on it anyway. At least then, you can say that you listened with an open heart and mind - which is a positive quality. And hey, you may just learn something about yourself. 

2. Support your kid, but don't floss their teeth for them. I watched an episode of Dr. Phil recently, and like him or not, he's right about some things. He had a mom on there that flossed her kids' teeth, did their homework and ran background checks of their friends' parents. This kid was BEGGING his mom NOT to do his homework for him because he wanted to learn. DUH. ***To be clear, my lesson on this did not come solely from the Dr. Phil episode*** Bottom line: if you do everything for your kid and don't ever let them fail or feel pain, they will never know how to deal with it as they get older. We can't expect kids to be prepared for the next step if WE do all the prior steps for them.

3. Say "Please" and "Thank You." I bought pizza for my kids yesterday as a reward for their good behavior. NOT ONE OF THEM SAID THANK YOU. Don't get me wrong... I love these kids. But their manners are non-existent most days. I've discovered how important a "please" or "thank you" is. One of the parents in my classroom said to me recently: "Thank You" doesn't cost a THING. She's so right. Be kind to one another.

4. It's okay to laugh at poop jokes. Confession: MULTIPLE times this year, I've had to hold back my laughter when a kid rips one in class. I mean... RIPS ONE (9 year olds really don't hold back). I've got a few usual suspects, and every time it happens, they are TOTALLY okay with it. The kids around them snicker and we all move on. The adult voice inside me is saying: don't laugh... just ignore it and move on. But how badly do I just want to laugh with all the kids and say, "DOORKNOB!"   "Whoever smelt it dealt it!" "Dude, that was a pretty epic one..."

5. Cheesy and cliche as it sounds, the following is totally true: Kids see the world in the way that we all should see it. With curiosity, desire and innocence. They are, for the most part, un-phased by a lot of the terrible things in the world, simply because they haven't had enough time to experience it. However, some have... and we can learn a LOT from those children. But even the kids who are struggling, or who have seen too much, see the world in a completely different light than we do as adults. We can learn from their playfulness, their genuine smiles and their unconditional affection for those whom they love and trust.

Bonus Lesson: Don't ever, under any circumstances, use the term, "Let it Go" in the middle of class. The entire class will break out into song.

Happy SUMMER!!!