“and for every person
the body glowing inside the clothes
like a light.”

Words don’t always come, especially on a sleepy, slept-in-a-bit morning like this one. So, this morning, I will turn instead to a favorite poem and an image that reflects what I see when I see my kids. Bright, brilliant lights on the horizon. It’s a wonder I am not blind after so many years of exposure to such light. But I can’t help but look into the light. It is what I seek. It is what I see. And that matters. For when I think of the power I possess in my perceptions of my kids, they become, at least in my 55-minutes-at-a-time world, what I regard. And I think, then, this carries implications for all teachers. Kids will be what we see. If we see them as dull, empty canvases to be filled, then that is what they are. If we see them as brilliant, unique works to be appreciated, then that is what they are. Perception matters. The next time you are in front of your kids-this morning–pause for a moment. What do you see? It matters. Every day.

Next Time

Next time what I’d do is look at
the earth before saying anything. I’d stop
just before going into a house
and be an emperor for a minute
and listen better to the wind
or to the air being still.

When anyone talked to me, whether
blame or praise or just passing time,
I’d watch the face, how the mouth
has to work, and see any strain, any
sign of what lifted the voice.

And for all, I’d know more—the earth
bracing itself and soaring, the air
finding every leaf and feather over
forest and water, and for every person
the body glowing inside the clothes
like a light.

~William Stafford

Happy Thursday, all. May you be blinded by brilliance today.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.