As you may know, October was designated as the official breast cancer awareness month and in September our hometown of Seattle hosted it’s annual Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure event. We were talking with a friend of ours who participated in the event and we were struck by her experience. She told us how she and her team, along with 2200 other men and women, walked 60 miles over the course of 3 days to raise money and awareness in hope of a cure for breast cancer.
They began their first day walking their first 22 miles (yes, 22 MILES!) with a skip in their step, excited for the challenge ahead. At the end of the day they were tired, but proud of the 22 miles they had accomplished. The second day, they woke a bit more slowly…Not only were their bodies tired and feet sore (they had pushed themselves the day before), but they knew what was ahead of them this day: Another 22 miles. Around lunchtime on the second day, their pace had slowed and they began to get, let’s say, “moody.” Blisters were appearing and fatigue was setting in. They were definitely pushing their stamina. After what had seemed like an eternity, they arrived at camp with another long day behind them.
On the third day of walking the wise organizers of the walk had designed the day to only be a 15-mile day. Why? Simply put: The walkers were toast. They had given all they had the first two days and by this third day, they were tired, their bodies were defeated, and their focus was starting to waiver.
The same is true for our students. Often times our students put “their best foot forward” those first few days and weeks of school, only to “digress” in attention and stamina. Much like the smart organizers of the 3 Day Walk, we need to recognize that our students will be “toast” at times. There will be times where they have given all that they have to give that day, and it may not measure up to the day before. We need to make sure that our focus stays on the entire journey, not just the one “15 mile day” that didn’t measure up to the rest. Understanding this process, this journey, will help you honor children (and you’re your sanity!) when building stamina and your Daily 5 program. Don’t feel guilty about having to back up and re-teach what it looks like to read to self or that the second round of Daily 5 only lasted 4 minutes. It’s OK to back up in order to keep moving forward and to accomplish all that you are teaching these young learners.
That third day of the walk was brutal. As the blisters oozed and legs tightened with every step, the team of 4 limped across the finish line into the arms and cheers of our supporters. They weren’t focused on the fact that we had only accomplished 15 miles that last day of the walk…They were proud of the 60 miles, the “bigger picture” of our journey.
Here’s hoping that you are focused on the “bigger picture” and that you find pride in your students’ accomplishments.
In this issue you will find another cleverly designed classroom, a new ahh haa moment, a friendship soup recipe and a peek at our locations and dates for our 2010 workshops.
Warmly,
The 2 Sisters
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