What is most important?

I am participating in the
Tuesday Slice of Life with Two Writing Teachers.
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day.

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity

for teacher-writers to share and reflect.

My beloved colleague Connie came up to me and said, "I'm going to tell you something that is going to make you mad, and, here's the thing, you can be mad for a minute and then you are going to get over it and we are just going to get it done." I looked at her surprised, wide-eyed, perplexed - and then asked cautiously - "Well, what is it?"

Connie quickly told me what the problem was, and the necessary solution. I'm not sharing what the problem or situation was, because, honestly, it doesn't matter. Teaching days can be filled with problems like this. Suffice to say, it was annoying, and small, not a big deal.

Her preceding words echoed in my head: "...you can be mad for a minute and then you are going to get over it and we are just going to get it done."

I stared at her a moment and then I burst out laughing, amused by Connie's clear-eyed insight about me. I said "Well, let's skip my 'getting mad' part and just get down to it." We laughed together as we worked. And, yes, we got it done.

I want to celebrate Connie's approach with me.

She held a mirror up for me to see myself - and she did so in a caring and amusing way. She made me laugh about my own foibles. She was showing empathy and understanding for my expected frustration with her news, while simultaneously urging me to not get bogged down by my annoyance and, instead, stay focused on the larger goal and complete the task.

It was more important to get past my frustration and anger and to just shine in our work. 

I wonder how long I will carry this wisdom: don't let my anger keep me from doing what matters. Or, maybe I should state it this way: save my anger for that which matters. I know anger is a powerful tool for change...I don't need to squander it on the small stuff.

Stay focused.
Don't get bogged down by what doesn't matter.

Don't get distracted.

Keep on with my purpose.
Be joyful.


Thank you, Connie. Such powerful insight for me at the outset of a new school year!

SOLSC 2015 #20: Why does technology rebel when you have a deadline?

Each day during March, I am participating in the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC). All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day, every day for thirty-one days. My slices will be primarily about teaching preschoolers. Check out the Two Writing Teachers  website for lots more reflections on teaching. Thanks especially to Stacey, Tara, Anna, Beth, Dana, and Betsy for hosting this writing challenge. 

*******

It was crunch time for our Learning Showcase. I made a last minute decision to hang photos of children in the classroom.  This is the ideal way to show families what children are doing during the day...action shots....it shouldn't take very long...I'll just print them in black and white, straight from the printer...the children will love these, too....

Open Iphoto

Open Event,

Scan thumbnails,

Click on choice,

Edit photo,

Select print.

Repeat.

Open EVENT,

Scan thumbnails,

Click on choice,

Edit photo,

Select print.

Repeat.

Open EVENT,

Scan thumbnails,

Click on choice,

Edit photo,

Select print.

I double-checked that every student was represented.

Repeat.

Open EVENT,

Scan thumbnails,

Click on choice,

Edit photo,

Select print.

Repeat.

I double-checked that the photos were "queuing" appropriately.

Repeat.

Open EVENT,

Scan thumbnails,

Click on choice,

Edit photo,

Select print.

I spent some forty minutes painstakingly sorting through all my photos and sending pictures to the printer.  

I rush over to the printer.

My code doesn't work.

I run to another printer.

My code doesn't work there, either.

Why does technology rebel when you have a deadline?

I run to my admin,

"Please, I'm sorry, is there a way you could help me? I see that my photos are all queued, but I can't get any of the printers to accept my code."

"Oh, Learning Showcase printouts? I bet that is stressing you out! Let me see what I can do."

She drops what she was doing and begins to work with me, taking my computer, checking it out. Wow! Would I have been so gracious if someone interrupted me? She's amazing.

The issue is worse than she predicted.

Worse than I imagined.

Worse than I understand.

Worse than I can handle.

After many minutes, my printer code still does not work, so she creates a work-around, allowing me to print without a code. In order to get this fix to work, she reboots my computer.

"There, you can print on any of our printers now."

"But, there are no photos in my queue."

"Oh, they probably disappeared when I re-booted your computer."

Me - thinking but not saying - "But, that means I have nothing to print."

"You'll have to send them to the printer again."

Me - thinking but not saying, eyes watering, "But, I don't have forty more minutes."

"Maureen, it shouldn't take you long...let me show you some Iphoto shortcuts..."

Me -thinking - "But, I don't want to learn something new right now. I don't want to. I don't want to. I don't want to." [Yes, sometimes this preschool teacher morphs into a preschooler.]

Like an amazing teacher, 

perhaps seeing some personally unrecognizable 'zone of proximal development' in me? 

that I was struggling just the right amount?,

she continues calmly and clearly, 

"Were you sending individual photos to the printer? You should create a folder of 'flagged' photos..." 

I am swept along, following her instructions, channeling her patience. She concludes, "And how about you bring your computer to me when you have the photos in one folder and I'll print them out for you. Don't worry about this, today."

She was right, it only took me ten minutes...much faster the second time, with her insightful hints. 

The photos looked great!

The Learning Showcase was great! 

Plus,

I learned something new! I learned something new! I learned something new!

Thank you, Kate!