You Deserve A Medal

I'm happy to report that my positive attitude has returned!  Not 100% completely returned, but a vast improvement since the start of the week.   So, yay me!  I have to be honest and admit I've had a lot of help around the school from all my teacher friends. Earlier in the week when I sought some of them out to tell them that I wasn't feeling very  positive they sighed and shook their heads.  Some even looked a little worried.  I was, after all, the school cheerleader for positivity this year, the smiley face mascot, the annoying cheerful face reminding them to have a good day.  

So, they offered help.  They popped into my classroom to chit-chat and share stories with me.  They asked about my daughter (which usually puts a smile on my face).  They tried to get to the root of the "problem" with my sudden lack of positivity, in the hopes we could solve the issue and get me back on track.  Every little bit helped.  Each time a friend stopped by or a kind word was shared, I simply felt better.  

Yesterday I even stopped by the office to declare that I was not feeling very positive lately and needed help.  As mentioned in an earlier post, Ready or Not, our office ladies are quite remarkable.  They smile under pressure, they laugh in the face of chaos, they answer phones like it's nobody's business, they buzz people in the building, sign people out of the building, make announcements, take care of sick children, interpret lunch counts, and remind teachers to do their attendance.  All at the same time.  All with a smile on their face.  They offered a few suggestions but their bright smiles were all I needed to feel a bit more positive.

"You're One in a Billion!"

 This morning I found this on my desk:

That was the final little nudge I needed!  Maybe it was the fact that in math we've been learning about large numbers, so this particular gift was uncanny.  It also could have been that it was a gift made of chocolate, hard to beat in my book.   

The bell rang and I knew it was going to be a better day.

And, turns out, it was.  We had a great day learning more about the trappers and traders in Michigan in the 1600's, exploring more with decimals, writing book club responses, reading in the library, and typing animal research reports on laptops.  

By far, the best part of the day was one of my students receiving a medal with the picture he'd drawn for the First Move chess contest declaring him a winner.  Over 650 kids entered across the United States and he was one of twelve selected for next year's chess calendar!  Fantastic!   I watched him as he touched the medal throughout the afternoon and repeatedly gazed at it.  The whole class clapped and smiled when I announced the good news. He proudly walked around to each desk as each student "ohhed" and "ahhed" over the shiny medal. 

If I could, I would award every teacher and staff member in my building their own medal today.  I would declare my school the winner of all the schools across the United States.   They are kind, and helpful, and caring, and fun.  They are smart, and good, and have a great sense of humor.  They are dependable, and hard-working, and are generous to a fault.  Each of them are truly one in a billion.  

So here's to you, teacher friends and staff friends. 
For all we do, every day we deserve a medal.