Sunday, October 16, 2011

After the Honeymoon

A few weeks ago, I read an article by ASCD called, "Maintaining a Positive Attitude as the Back-to-School Honeymoon Fades." It reminded me of the volunteer work that I used to do with families of National Guard members. During long deployments, it's easy to slowly whittle away at our energy reserves. Covey refers to it as the emotional bank account, but I often think of it as compassion fatigue or caregiver burnout.

The emotional and physical "dip" that teachers experience at this time of year is directly addressed with new educators in their mentoring program. But, what about everyone else? Are you taking time for yourself? You all work so hard, caring for each child as well as each other. I am fortunate to be a part of such a devoted team of professionals, who are the hardest working people that I know.

THANKS FOR...

Author Unknown

making the difference
long, long hours
creating a sense of family
being the keeper of dreams
pleasing a lot
using good judgment
teaching for learning
making reading fun
forgiving
being the wind beneath my wings
that sensitive touch
teaching class
never giving up on anybody
believing in miracles
respecting each other
taking responsibility for all students
keeping a tight rein on discipline
striving for excellence, not perfection
being brave
smiling a lot
never depriving our children of hope
being tough minded but tender hearted
showing enthusiasm even when you don't feel like it
keeping your promises
giving your best
your wisdom and courage
being punctual and insisting on it in others
providing creative solutions
avoiding the negative and seeking out the good
being there when students need you
listening
doing more than is expected
never giving up on what you really want
remaining open, flexible, and curious
being a friend
sharing
keeping several irons in the fire
being a child's hero
going the distance
having a good sense of humor
being a dream maker
giving your heart

No comments:

Post a Comment