For at least two years, our campus has been under construction, and it's horrible. It's the second week of school, and we're already sick of it. Dust, noise, inconvenience. What's more, I was asked to move yet again (four classrooms in six years) and would be moving back into the new building in two years (for a grand total of five classrooms in eight years). Of course, at the end of all this we would have a shiny new building. But right now? Total chaos. Students were whining every day about the long walks to and from class.
It was an unusually tough Tuesday. Students were coming in late and were extremely cranky when I marked them tardy. Have a heart, Mrs. Lecky! But I couldn't let the construction break the peace, flow, and productivity of my class. Never let a whining kid win—it's a slippery slope! But, then again, they did have a point. Oh no, here came the angel and the devil on my shoulders, arguing about what was best, and I could feel the stress come on me like a thick, wool blanket on a hot, muggy day.
Ah! Stop. Reset. Use your chill tools (remember all that yoga?). Slow down and feel your breath. Just breathe, girl, just breathe. Let it go and let it flow.
And there came my aha moment.
Let's do a lab—a fun lab, a walking lab! Let's see if your whining is justified! Let's get data. My teacher brain clicked into high gear. I was writing directions and a chart on the board, thinking of what the control would be. Within 10 minutes, my students were enthusiastically walking their class routes with timers and recording results in their lab books. They were calculating differences between how much time it took to walk between classes and how much time actually passed during these transitions. When they came back with their data, students worked in groups to compile it. I let them know I would submit the data to administration for bell schedule and pathway considerations. Bam! Teacher in beast mode!
I can honestly say that if I hadn't stopped and taken the time to breathe, calm down, and not let the stress rise, I wouldn't have had the room in my brain. I went from ready to pop to ready to stop and get creative. A bad day turned into good data.
Now, you may not think my reflection is the pinnacle of razor sharp thinking on your feet. But it was one day where it could have gone all wrong but didn't. One day where I felt exhilarated instead of exhausted. I felt creative, effective, and innovative. I was teaching my students to solve problems and collect empirical data that was relevant to their lives. I led them outside and asked them to move while doing math. It all came together in a way that was engaging and made sense. And I dodged a giant ball of stress. I felt like a Super Science Teacher. Sadly, that feeling doesn't come around enough, so when it does, I live in that moment for as long as I can. And it was all because I stopped to breathe and reset.