Lessons

One of the things I have always loved about teaching is that there is a distinct start and finish to each year. Teachers have the unique opportunity to measure growth and to evaluate areas where lessons have been learned (or, in some cases, are still being learned). As my school year is quickly coming to an end, I want to be intentional to reflect, so here are the top 5 lessons I have learned in the 2012-2013 school year:

5. Communication is key to any relationship/friendship. I think this is a lesson I will always be learning. Ignoring, bottling, hiding, or trying to push aside important thoughts and feelings will only work for so long and then it spills out into a mess. Communicating is often times very difficult, but it is the most powerful way to draw someone close or push them away.

4. Don't make assumptions. It is easy as a teacher to make grand assumptions about the intentions, or lack thereof, of my students. A pencil flies through the air, an assignment doesn't get turned in, a sarcastic comment is made and it is easy to assume the worst. However, most of the time students aren't being spiteful, they are just being junior high kids. This reminds me that most adults are the same way. Most of the time we don't mean to offend or hurt others, we are just adults doing our best to make it. Assumptions about motives just make life even more painful.

3. Keep an open heart. Sometimes tough lessons must be learned; it's part of life. The test comes with how the lessons are received. Most of the time I am stuck in my ways. I will admit, it's hard to show me when I'm wrong and I'm a challenge to teach new things to. This year I have learned that the more my heart is open to others, the more colorful and joy-filled my life can be. Relationships grow, perspectives change, the light at the end of the tunnel shines a little brighter.

2. Dance when your day looks sad. Perhaps it's just me and my goofy love for dancing, but really, some of the hardest days I have had this year have turned into some of the most memorable simply by turning on a little music and busting a few moves. It's really hard to not have a smile on my face when I am busting an awesome dance move. I guess, perhaps, the bigger lesson within this lesson is to look for opportunities to laugh, especially in the midst of a hard or stressful day. Life is too short to not laugh.

1. Ask. Friends, acquaintances, co-workers, students. etc.. they all have something they want to talk about. When I tutor students, the first thing I ask them is, "What was the highlight and lowlight of your day?" It is amazing what my students will tell me; the hurt in their lives, the exciting moments, the normal and regular days, the random things on their mind. They are simply waiting for someone to ask- to genuinely show an interest in their lives- because isn't that what we all want? For someone to genuinely care about the highs and the lows in our lives.

Life is funny. As I look back at these lessons, I realize that they aren't quite earth-shattering or deeply profound. They are simple lessons. Yet, as I think about our lives, as we grow and change, I wonder if that is what growth and maturity is all about; having patience to learn and relearn the same simple lessons of life and to help one another learn them as well.