It's summer. I made a To Do List. It is pretty long. There are math units to plan, papers to sort, things that need to be fixed, weeds to be pulled, recipes to try, closets to purge and laundry I should fold.
Thus far, I have been off for 5 days. In that time, I have only folded the mountain of wash. It took a while but was highly satisfying. I've begun some work on the first unit for Pathfinder Math - thinking and brainstorming mostly, but not a lot of actual writing. Unlike the laundry, it is not complete, but similar to the wash, it is highly satisfying work.
Instead of my Official To Do List, I have engaged in some really important tasks, the likes of which only the slow pace of summer can provide. Thus far I have:
Thus far, I have been off for 5 days. In that time, I have only folded the mountain of wash. It took a while but was highly satisfying. I've begun some work on the first unit for Pathfinder Math - thinking and brainstorming mostly, but not a lot of actual writing. Unlike the laundry, it is not complete, but similar to the wash, it is highly satisfying work.
Instead of my Official To Do List, I have engaged in some really important tasks, the likes of which only the slow pace of summer can provide. Thus far I have:
- Finished 1 novel.
- Hosted 2 dinners at the pool and attended 1 that someone else hosted.
- Practiced driving with my son (he practices, I give feedback and enjoy the ride).
- Taken 5 leisurely walks.
- Watched countless YouTube videos with my other son.
- Spent time with family at a birthday party.
- Visited a friend with Lyme's Disease 5 times.
- Played 15 games of panjpar.
- Consumed 4 ears of corn.
You get the idea. There was a time when this list might have driven me round the bend. My sister once called me a "man of action" and, gender issues aside, this statement is one of the best compliments I've ever received.
That said, I am also a human. One who needs to rest, laugh, play, try new things and wonder. Teaching for the past two years at Science Leadership Academy Middle School has taught me a whole lot about why this matters. Most especially, why this matters to our students. As a human, I need to teach like a human. And I need to remember that I teach other humans - who have the same needs as I do.
I didn't do an awesome job at embedding these priorities into my units and classes last year. Doubling the size of the school took a lot out of all of us. But as I engage in the slower pace of my summer, I need to remember how good it feels to finish a book, to pursue my own line of inquiry, to laugh with a friend, to research questions that are important to me (I've learned a lot about Lyme's Disease and the Heinsenberg Uncertainty Principle), to play a game, to have a conversation about something interesting and to move at my own pace.
It is possible for teachers to provide instruction in a way that honors this. And as I go about my slow pace of summer, I'll be looking for ways to ensure that each class, each lesson and each unit prioritizes the humanness of all of us.
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