And this week there is a lot to be grateful for.
Forty Pieces of Teaching Joy - Week 9
1. Seeing my Year 9 Class for the first time in what seemed like weeks!
2. Swoop Physical Theatre Company running a fun-packed afternoon with my kids.
3. Standing on top of a pyramid of awesome.
4. Watching my students attempt to flip over into human caterpillars.
5. Teamwork used to create a circular pyramid with the entire class.
6. Students who are brave enough to step outside their comfort zone.
7. The opportunity to present at a staff meeting.
8. The encouraging words of colleagues.
9. The chocolate on the tables at staff meeting. I needed it this week!
10. Finishing my reports!!!! Woo hooo!!! #ateachersjoy
11. Students that give you assessment drafts a week out from the due date.
12. Taking time to appreciate the Year 10 Art Installations. Some beautiful work!
13. The introduction of one-to-one devices beginning in my school.
14. A chance to stretch my primary school brain!
15. The story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.
16. I asked my primary school kids to think of a word to describe how they felt during our drama workshop. They respond with happy, calm, great, peaceful, safe and my favourite…. JOYFUL!
17. Hearing year 5 and 6 students declare that their superpowers included kindness, honesty, respect, bravery, JOY, courage and love. They are our future. #spiritbuilder
18. Wellbeing Week at the school I send my daughter’s to (and also had the pleasure to teach at this week! )
19. An email of gratitude from a parent.
20. Companies that get back to you with quotes the same day.
21. Staff members willing to listen to your directorial ramblings and provide much needed advice.
22. Visible Thinking Routines as tools for learning.
23. Dancing to ‘Downtown’ with year 9. Wish I could share the video here. It is epic!
24. Experimenting with our new theatrical make-up. Half of year 10 left my class with gashes, bruises and cuts! #itsadramateacherthing
25. A student who has chosen to share her personal story through a monologue. #brave #dramacanheal
26. Words that move you deeply. Year 9 read me the opening sentences of their slam poetry pieces and I could barely speak afterwards.
27. Then my other year 9 class read me their entire pieces and there was this one piece about the sun wishing she was the moon. In the last paragraph a lunar eclipse occurred and when the moon past the sun, the moon whispered, “I wish I was the sun”. Speechless.
28. My colleague who presented me with an idea for the basis of this years nativity play. (Anyone got some shepherd crooks I can borrow???)
29. Students who come to rehearsals knowing their lines. (This joy is significant because it is so rare!)
30. Two free periods on a Friday to smash through some work.
31. The plan for the house Christmas decorating competition.
32. The 6 foot blow up Santa wearing a hoola skirt…. next to a Christmas tree in thongs and a Mexican hat…. outside my classroom.
33. Keen students who stay back on a Friday afternoon to work on essays.
34. The cleaner who makes my classroom look immaculate every Friday afternoon. #ateachersjoy
35. My new infinite purpose prayer flags hanging on my classroom window.
36. Everything about the production I am working on.
37. Finding a second air conditioner at the very back of my stage space (which I kind of forgot was there) on the hottest day of the week.
38. Finding gratitude chocolate in my pigeonhole. When is chocolate not a blessing?
39. There is a kid in my class that giggles at everything…. and when she starts everyone else can’t help but giggle too. It is contagious.
40. Seeing that disconnected kid back in my class today after a very long absence.