For the first time in my life I have chosen to focus on a word as a guiding force for the year. While words like kind, encourage, and love bounced around in my mind, there was one word I kept coming back to and that word is PRESENT. To me, present means to be focused on the here and now. Acting in the moment, not reactionary per se, but with intention and purpose. Many changes await my life personally this year, my daughter begins kindergarten this August, to name one and I started thinking about the time I have missed with her being a teacher. Focusing on building my education by going and getting my Master's degree took precious time away from my daughter when she really needed me to be there with her. While I do not regret my decision to go back to school, especially with the recent increase in salary as a result of my degree, I've come to realize that while it is difficult to leave my students for a day or a class period, whatever, the time my daughter deserves to have her momma with her is critical to her development.
As a teacher/colleague, I think my determination to be present will allow for better choices and decision-making. While researching images for the word present, one will see many images of gifts, insert cliche phrase here, but I was looking for something more insightful than that. In college, I studied Buddhism for one semester, and there has been a phrase running through my mind ever since: "Don't dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." I think this attention to what is happening now will help me become a more competent leader in the classroom. Take a deep breath and be present.
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AuthorMy name is Sarah Todd and I teach freshmen and junior English in Southern California. Archives
August 2018
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