I’m going to make like recess today. I’ve been thinking about that for a few weeks now. I’m on supervision duty (due to the labour dispute) at Frost Road Elementary three times a day, morning and the double recess. Each day I watch the students run out the doors of the classroom to the playground. Did I say run?
Actually, they seem to run, skip, scream, laugh, and throw themselves out the door with an unbridled abandon. Their faces are alight with joy. So much so, I want to take it with me. Yes, I want to take recess with me.
So, I decided I need to make like recess too. I wondered if I could think about that in the way I approach my work. Most of the time I love my job. I love learning. I love working with teachers. I actually like working on systems. I love making an impact. And make no mistake I love innovation. I like to dance on the edge and see how we can do it differently. I like to break down stereotypes of practice. I like to connect others to their passion. I like to help support teachers to do what they do best—teach, and teach well.
There are some days that I do not like the work I do. Those are the days when the workload seems crushing, when I haven’t had time to breathe, when I am wrestling a conceptual idea in my head that I cannot resolve or when there is little time to connect personally with those in my department. It is on those days that I need to remind myself to make like recess. Finding the joy in the moment.
So this week I am going to make like recess. I am going to practice recess each and every day. How about you?
I’ve been trying to get on the same wavelength as you are with making like recess. I got my inspiration from two places. I’ve been doing “Brain Dance” movement education at a few StrongStart and see the same joy in both the parents and children. Although the movement sequence is some what controlled, the children and their caregivers are moving, smiling, and laughing with abandon. I’m the one yelling “weeee” as we all spin on our tummies…not easy at my age. My smile is bigger than at any other time during my work day and the joyful attitude lasts until I hit my cubicle again and do my part to break down the stereotypes towards Aboriginal children and all children that live in poverty. I wrestle with issues that have been around so long that those who have not experienced poverty, powerlessness and racisim don’t see them as issues any more. Then I remember some advice I read in a fashion magazine from, of all people, Beyonce. She looks at all of the negative stessors in her daily life as insignificant in the long term. The stress that keeps you down and cancels out the joy does not move you forward and stops learning altogether. I love the joyful feeling when I facilitate joy in young children. I equate learning with joy.
If you ever want to spend some time in a grade one class we’d love to have you. School is so much fun for us, both in the class and on the playground. Or.. at least that’s what I want to believe. Karen