Today is Monday after Daylight Savings. We lost an hour of sleep and even though my first and second periods don't seem to have lost any sleep and seem full of energy, I for one am feeling the loss of that one hour. I am grateful that it will be light out again once I leave school, but today was a little challenging to get up. I arrived at school groggy with my giant travel coffee thermos in hand, and as always, a few students walked into my room to hang out before the first-period bell. Sometimes, like this morning, I was not quite ready for the teenage energy of my students at 8 am. But today as I was taking attendance while students were completing the "Do Now" activity I decided to make a choice. I often feel a lot of stress and even some anxiety or sometimes annoyance when I lack energy and my students come into the room bursting with energy and having animated conversations about their weekends. Today I realized I needed to "give 'em the 'ole razzle dazzle". I need to be "on" for my students and match, even top their energy to have a quality lesson and to feel like I'm putting my best foot forward. So my little sleep, low caffeinated self, made the choice to "razzle dazzle em" and I gave all my energy to start class and move forward. I'm glad I made this choice because my first two classes went well and I feel like I helped myself and my students start off the week right.
Your post reminds me that as a teacher, we do decide. It is important to decide to be ON. You describe this so well: I need to be "on" for my students and match, even top their energy to have a quality lesson and to feel like I'm putting my best foot forward. I also find when I decide to do this, the lesson also goes SO well. But it does take that decision....rest well so you can keep being "on"!
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