For Them? For Me? For Both! {Slice of Life}

Prologue - I attending a district PD day a week and a half ago and a colleague shared posting images or song quotes with his fifth graders to spark conversation, connection, and relationship building.  As I pondered our time together, I wondered if posting an image could help set our emotions for the day.  How could we leave the morning behind us and start fresh?  Could posting a relaxing or nature picture help adjust our mental wellness?  Could moving the morning message to an easel at their eye level improve reader-ship?

Slice - I finish giving example directions.  Students mark their answer.  I read the follow up directions and watch some students adjust their answers.  I give the examples for working independently and sigh.  The language is robotic.  We are half way through with another hour and seven minutes to go.  I'm bored.  I can't look at their responses.  I begin to wonder why I didn't do some extend our brain thinking analogies so today's exercises weren't so foreign.  I turn around and shoulders go down.  I gaze for a moment.  I breathe and look outside at the sunshine.  That roaring fireplace is still up from our morning meeting and it helped me relax and take my current situation as that.  A situation to move through so real learning and joy could happen.  

Epilogue - I think it helped my students too.  Our morning went smoothly and that's  win - win for everyone.

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for fostering this group and maybe move on with things.