I wish I was an optimist, but unfortunately if you were to ask a sampling of ten people who know me well to come up with a word to describe me “optimistic” is HIGHLY UNLIKELY to be a frequently uttered term. Seeing the world through a positve lens is not my default nature and as an educator this is a really bad quality. As a young teacher, I had a mentor who always reminded me that as a teacher my pessimistic tendancies made it vital that I make it my mission as a teacher to, “catch them being good.” It’s a mission that I forget easily. I focus on the loudest kid in the library, I focus on the pink lemonade spill on the table and floor, and I focus on the eighth grade boy playing video games in the overly crowded Tech Center. These things can really get you down. Being a prison gaurd is exhausting work!
It’s time to reboot and it’s time to remember to catch them being good. Our library is packed right now. I’ve got tables of kids writing on laptops. I’ve got frosh boys diligently working on locating primary sources for history term papers. I’ve got two girls sitting on the comfy (looking, but not truly) chairs reading copies of the book Haters.
There really is a lot to be optimistic about when you actually look for it …
Big Building, Lots of Books 