And I imagined a storm, beautiful and terrifying, an image I could not escape, a feeling I could not flee. A tempest in wait, emanating from me.
Five days in and all is…quiet. No parent calls. No colleague protests. No ensuing classroom chaos from students free from the compliance chains of a grade. Nothing. Things are going smoothly–too smoothly. And it is not that I expected uproar or upheaval necessarily, but there is less noise about the A’s in 211 than I thought there might be. And it gives me pause, pause to wonder, “Is this the calm before the storm?” And if so, am I ready for the storm? Tonight will be my first real test. Open house.
This evening at CHS parents will make the rounds, following their children’s schedules, meeting each teacher, ten minutes at a time. Ten minutes. I get ten minutes to sell Project 180 to my students’ parents. Ten minutes to explain my madness. Ten minutes to put doubtful minds at ease. Ten minutes. It is not enough. For, if I am not careful, I could tease the tempest from the horizon, waking the storm.
Of course, all this suspense is most likely a product of my own mind’s melodramatic muddle from what’s to come, and things will ultimately go well, but it still worries me, and I know I am in for a long, anxiety-filled day as the clock ticks on and a storm, real or imagined, gathers in the distance. For, sometimes the worst storms are the ones we imagine, the ones we create, and they never develop and dissipate from our minds as the fearful moment passes and all is clear, and we learn, shrugging sheepishly, that it was clear all along.
All that aside, things really are going well in 211. Each day is a new adventure as we make our way through uncharted territory seeking authentic learning experiences. Yesterday, our first steps into mindset were guided by what we are calling our “Quest Question” for the week, “To what degree does our attitude affect our ability to grow?” Thus, with this at the center, we engaged in a rich discussion about mindset. And, as always, I was amazed by young minds and the wisdom they show when they are given real opportunities to glow. Bright like diamonds. Man, I love kids.
Anyway, happy Wednesday, all. Thank you for letting me write through my messy mind this morning. I’m sure all will go well tonight. It helps to know you are with me. Truly. Huge shout out to my beautiful wife for capturing and sharing the image above from yesterday’s sky. It fit perfectly this morning.
