My LAST Nerve!

Today was a typical middle school day.  We got our test scores back, and my kids demonstrated a lot of growth in reading.  One of my students was so excited about her score, that she literally ran down the hall and told EVERYBODY she came in contact with!  There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a student excited about excelling.  Kids want to know that they're doing well.

I realize that there are two kind of people in this world.  People who want to be effective, and people who are effective.  People who WANT to be effective are so focused on wanting to be effective, that they don't understand the art of being effective.  They do thing that aren't practical, therefore aren't very effective.  People who ARE effective, have a practical way of doing things.  They understand that you can only solve one problem at a time.  However, IF you are proactive as opposed to reactive, you will not have to do much problem solving.  People who WANT to be effective "solve" problems, with smaller problems, that will later be a bigger problem.  People who WANT to be effective spend a lot of time solving problems.  While, people who ARE effective spend time anticipating and solving problems that never really arise....

Today one of my girls said I get on her last nerve.  She said this as I was walking down the street. I didn't hear her, but the reaction of her friends told the story like a book! She then turned around and spoke to me with this enthusiastic "HELLO", as if I didn't just bring her downstairs 5 minutes ago.  She admitted to saying it, because of a consequence that I gave her.  I explained to her that I had to follow through with my promise of the consequence, because she did exactly what I asked her NOT to do.  I told her that I'll see her in the morning after we laughed, and I'll be sure to get on her FIRST nerve then!

Kids don't know forgiveness like adults.  They don't know that those little things mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.  When kids say things about me, I overkill them with love the next day.  I want them to know that they are forgiven, and that things like that don't change the relationship we've built.  I've had kid curse at me, scream, yell, and call me every name but my own.  But, I make sure I never take it personal, and continuously show them that every day is a new day, and what happened yesterday holds no weight  in the present.

Educationally Yours,
T.W.T