Friday, April 18, 2014

Take a break

This past weekend I attended an edcamp.  As I was eating lunch, a fellow attendee came to the table and began to talk about the next session he was presenting.  He was so passionate about blogging and inspired me to look at my blog again.  Blogging involves taking a risk and putting your thoughts out there, a risk that I am not always comfortable taking.   As I looked at my blog, I noticed that I had written a draft of a post called Take a Break.  I had not published it before, and after being inspired at edcamp, here goes... a post I wrote last spring...


He came in with a scowl and immediately walked over to the take a break chair.  Once there he turned it to face the window and proceeded to take the small green bear out of the toolbox.  

Great I thought.  The last day before spring break and it is going to be a long one, even though it is a half day.  I thought I should go talk to him, but the other part of me thought no, he needs some space and time to get himself in a good spot. So I waited, and while I waited thoughts like maybe he didn't have a chance to eat breakfast, maybe he had a disagreement in the car, maybe thinking about the half day and how that would impact who picked him up threw him into this mood.  This student needs and wants a set routine and today was not going to be a routine day.  So I waited.

A few moments later, he walked over to me. 

How is it going. I say

I had a terrible morning.

Well, I am glad you are here.  I said with a smile as our eyes locked on each other. 

With that, as he walked away to hang up his coat and backpack, I noticed the scowl was gone, and that on the way to backpack city, he stopped and talked to each of his classmates.  The scowl had disappeared and the social part of him had been turned back on.  And he is quite happy, and so am I.

At dismissal that day, standing in the parking lot, he was becoming anxious.  Grandpa was picking him up and he did not know what his car looked like.  I stood with him as we looked at the sea of cars.  "There he is!"  He happily exclaimed and ran to his grandfather.