It’s Saturday and that means it is time to reflect on the week and celebrate things both big and small. Join our community and celebrate this week by linking up or just stopping by the host Ruth Ayres’ blog to read others’ celebrations.
Digging Deep
For a moment this morning, I paused and thought about not writing this post. This week was tough. I found myself really struggling to maintain the positivity that I try to always have at the forefront. I didn’t even quite feel like myself. I thought that I would need to dig deep and work really hard to come up with celebrations. But then, I started to think about what I might have to celebrate, and the list started coming. I may have been less mindful of the celebrations throughout the week, but when I search for them, there they are.
Connections
- A hug and heartfelt, almost tearful, apology from a kid who was testing his limits this week
- The laughter and fun to be had on the days that the kid with Oppositional Defiant Disorder takes his medicine and his smart math brain that impresses us all
- Hugs and a bracelet made for me by one of my Burmese students and the amount of language that the two of them are using already
- 22 students who kept reading and focusing on their books as 3 students chose to be defiant and were making noise and trying to get our attention
- The excitement over library time and a step toward many more readers being engaged with their reading
- Evidence of books being talked about and shared, especially by the student who loves Raina Telgemeier who got her copy of Ghosts this week. There are now three girls reading Smile.
- Reading aloud Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola and now seeing all the rest of my collection of his picture books in many of the students’ book bins
- Our shared reading and thinking about The Tiger Rising–I just absolutely love this book!
- Our beautiful heart maps that we will be able to get ideas from throughout the school year
- A patient and supportive grade-level partner who will take students for a time-out without complaint and will offer to have those students come in for recess with him
- Singing along to the song I use for transitions, “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars. The class knows the lyrics now and we all end up singing.
- GoNoodle–I love that this class is loving the brain breaks on this program. Our afternoons are LONG! The breaks help us to maintain our focus and our learning all afternoon.
- Our Friday game time when we all have fun together. In many ways, I think this is the most important time in our classroom all week. These students need so much work with learning empathy and treating each other well. This game time each week supports their growth as a community of learners that is learning to cooperate with each other and communicate effectively. Everyone played a game this week. No one refused to join in our game time. This was the first week that this happened.
What do you have to celebrate this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments!
So glad that you paused to think about what you could celebrate in a week that was challenging…and look at all the great stuff that you found!
Isn’t it wonderful when you reflect and realize that life is good.
You have a wonderful gratitude list. As soon as we look for the good in a difficult week the sun seems to come out.