Release of the Guilt

I have a bad case of the guilts.  Most of the 7th grade was out on field trip today and the ten students that stayed back...I let them kinda have free time.  I know, free time for an hour, only ten kids, while about 200 of their peers were out at a field trip...

But...

I have become so programmed to feel guilty whenever I waste even 10-minutes of valuable class time. There is always to much to do... I hear the voice of admin saying, "there are always skills and standards that can be taught or practiced in those little windows of time.  Wasting them is not an option!"

Ouch!  Boy have I become one of those that watches myself and my time with my students like a hawk.  My students and those that I sat with today certainly deserve a few minutes of rest time, fun time.  We are very near to the end of the semester.  There are many high stakes tests in the next 10-days.  It is getting near winter break and...these kids have been stuck inside for more than a month now due to weather.

Can I allow myself the release of the guilt?

I hope so.  I mean, we are teaching and tending to the whole child, right?  We are all only human.  Maybe the 60-minutes today is exactly the mind-rest needed to give them the mind-space to dig deeper into these coming tests?  Maybe they will have more energy and stamina now?  I think they will.

With responsibility and accountability sometimes comes an unhealthy lack of appreciation for self-care and taking care of self. We all need to take care of ourselves so we can do what is needed when it counts.  If we are mentally or physically exhausted, there is nothing left to give...this includes on tests.

Okay, I forgive myself.  For now...

Be Mindful.

Peace.

Mark Levine

#Mindfulliteracy
@LevineWrites