Your stress makes me stress. So, quit stressin’.

There aren’t many rules in room 206–well, any actually. But if there were one, it would be “No stress allowed.”

Though largely unspoken, but heavily implied through flexible policies and empathetic responses, there is a rule against stress in my room. Stress is poison. It impairs learning. It damages the body. It crushes the spirit. It needs a label.

When I was a kid, most of the bottles under the sinks in our home carried a Mr. Yuk sticker. It was an easily understood warning for us. Danger. Stay away. Leave alone. We did. It worked. We made it through childhood poison free. (Well, mostly. Apparently, so Mom says, I gave turpentine a try when I was two. But, in my defense, there was no Mr. Yuk sticker). So…

Anyway there seem to be certain points in the year when stress seeps into our rooms, our lives, our bodies, our spirits: grading periods. And even though I have gone to great lengths to take “grade stress” out of my room, it still pervades, it still poisons.

So, then, here at midterm, it’s no real surprise–despite my efforts to thwart it–that kids are stressing about grades. And that, in turn, stresses me out. So, yesterday, I did my best to remind and reassure them that they don’t need to stress. Yes, you can still turn that it in. Yes, you can retake/redo that. Yes, I can make exceptions. No, nothing is final. No stress.

Of course, stress-free is probably a pipe dream, but less-stress can be a reality. I will just keep working with my kiddos to keep them away from the yuck of it all. I need to make my room safe. Maybe I just need a big Mr. Yuk sticker.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…completing Learning Stories.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all. Have a wonderful weekend.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.