The Grass Is Always Greener

Ahhhh... April and spring is definitely (and finally) in the air!  The days are getting warmer, the sun is shining through my classroom windows all day, and the kids are antsy.   Although they still arrive bright and chipper, eager to learn and get started on our day, within a few hours their eyes wander over to the windows and the vacant tether ball court and empty swings.  In all honesty, I also find myself looking outside more frequently during the day and have given my students some extra recesses to take advantage of the great weather, a treat for me as much as the students.  There is something to be said for fifteen minutes outside on a beautiful day.

There are only thirty-seven more days remaining in this school year, without a doubt some of the toughest, as we teachers compete with nice weather, spring sports, and kids staying up a little later at night as they morph into "summer kid".   We are all cautiously excited anticipating the approaching summer, but all to aware that it's too early yet.  There's still lots to do before the year is over.

Today, as I watched out the window at lunchtime, half-heartedly eating my salad, a student approached.   

"Your salad looks good," she offered up as a conversation starter.   

"Why, thank you," I replied. "But do you know what looks even better?"

She cocked her head and squinted her eyes, wary of a trick question.  "Wha-a-t?" she said with her voice questioning.

"Being outside, enjoying this beautiful day!" I pointed out to her.  

She nodded her head vigorously and moved closer to the window. With this, four or five students dropped their lunch mid-bite and headed to the window, thinking there must be something they were missing outside.   

"Whoa... Whoa... why is everyone up out of their seat?" I asked.   "Let's all sit back down and eat our lunch."   I stood up for extra effect.  

They shuffled back to their seats and resumed eating.  The little girl lingered for a moment longer and watched as I cracked the window open for some fresh air. Then she turned on her heels and set off for her desk.  

By late afternoon, the squirming and the talking and the lack of focus was about a 9 on a scale of 1-10.  What to do?  We tried a brain break.  But that only seemed to crank the dial up on the silliness. I explained to them that we still had lots to do before the end of the school year and I needed them to put forth their best effort.  That earned me a few yawns.  I stifled a yawn myself. 

Some days it's hard being a teacher when all the kids want to do is run and play. It's hard knowing that Michigan weather offers up a limited number of perfect days for outside.   It's hard because you want to give them that fun, but know that there is way too much curriculum still to be covered and assignments to be completed.   

As we all were getting settled on the back carpet for reading, I longingly looked outside at the newly green grass and the blooming yellow daffodils planted last fall by the PTO and students. I thought about how sometimes the grass is greener on the other side. 

Or maybe sometimes the grass is just green. 
Waiting on a gorgeous spring day for us to come outside and play and run on it.