After the hard work of book sorting, they begin the tedious work of cleaning out the clutter. There is something very special that happens in a quiet and empty but usually hot and sticky classroom. Teachers are reflecting about the year. They think about what went well and what did not go quite so well. They think about the kids who grew exponentially and those that floundered at times. Teachers think about read alouds and mentor texts and earmark ideas for the next year.
Some days when the sun peeks over the horizon, those same teachers head back to school to review curriculum maps based on new ideas and mandates such as the CCSS. Like any learning, the CCSS make us reflect on our practice and question how we can do it better. We draft and revise. We think and plan and then we edit drafts. Then we go back and do some more research to clarify points and revise and draft some more. It's hard work, similar to the writing work our students do all year during our writing workshops. It's the kind of working that makes your mind rather than your body tired.
Yesterday, near the end of the day, when the neurons all over the room were firing fast and furiously, one of my colleagues thought she smelled something burning! I suspect she did! We were pretty hot at that point and there was an energy sizzling in every corner of that room! At the end of the day, we were as tired as if we had worked all day cleaning our hot, sweaty classrooms.
7 comments:
I like the image of something burning because your brains were all fired up and lighting a fire.
Ah...I know that feeling! It's a good feeling. The hard work that you know will pay off in the end, but oh, how exhausting it is!
There is so much to do after the kids leave to prepare for the next year. (That graphic really says it all!) "Summers off" is just a myth!
I love that sizzling brain, Anita. I recently was asked what I did all summer & when I said I planned for next year, they looked shocked. I wonder if they even believed me. Unless you're really there on the job, I'm not sure anyone will ever be convinced that we don't 'party', or 'lay in hammocks' or '?'. thanks for the words to belie this myth!
Smokin'! Your brain's on fire! Wow! Hot post today! That's the best feeling ever when the juices are flowing. You're right, people have no idea how much or what we actually are called to do with our time off! Thanks for sharing!
Ah yes, today we got SO HOT the fire alarm went off! NOW perhaps it was because there were people working on the wiring; however, I think it was the heat generated by collective "cooking" of curriculum units aligned with the Common Core State Standards!
I like how you compared the physical work of cleaning out the classroom to the mental work of curriculum planning. True, there are no real summers off, but how nice to have a different pace without students to plan for those all important days when they are there. Can't wait to see what's next for you. Nice post!
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