Time: 1638

Opening Impressions:

1. We had a 2-hour delay today thanks to a couple of inches of snow that found its way out of the sky last night. The roads weren’t bad, but few of us could help wishing that schools would be shut down anyway. There’s nothing like getting up at 5 in the morning just to refresh the School Closings list over and over again, every 15-30 seconds. You wait for a neighboring county to throw in the towel, and you suddenly think there is just NO WAY your county would open when THAT county had the guts to close. *sigh* It’s all good, though. Our summer is still intact, unaffected by snow days being tacked on to the last day of school.

2. I came home in a much better mood today, as I think we’ve begun to find a solution to our period-six woes with my Journalism team. Thanks to a little restructuring and some strong words with my leaders (who could really give any high school paper in the country a run for their money if they really wanted to), I believe a solution is finally in sight. This has not been easy, as these students are all great people; we’ve got to get a paper out consistently, though.

3. After school today, several alums came over to visit. Let me tell you this: as a teacher, few things are more gratifying than having former students stop by to say hi. I love seeing all of you, and you know the door is always open, whether you have the best news in the world to share or if you are going through some hard times. There’s never any judgment; I’m just grateful to see you again.

The Point:

Several times today, I was reminded that when we do our best to maximize our time and our opportunities, we begin to make some pretty great things happen for ourselves. The way in which I spent the two hours off this morning was incredibly productive, and it set my day in a positive and focused way. I think the success of my morning routine really contributed to my problem-solving breakthrough later in the day. In other words, the effect it had on me was far-reaching and well beyond any of my immediate expectations once that first-period bell rang and my students came through that door. The point is this: we can’t jump to conclusions, act irrationally, or react in ways that are not constructive toward a positive end-goal. Sometimes, it takes a little extra effort in other areas to open up opportunities where we need them the most.

Three Other Things That Made My Day:

1. We uploaded our first set of yearbook proofs today! Woohoo!

2. I built a new Lego with Braeden after getting home from school this afternoon.

3. This was actually a yesterday-thing, but my friend Corey shared the New Year’s Eve Phish shows with me. Great, great music that just keeps me in this great, great mood.

Journeying Words:

“The ability to convert ideas to things is the secret to outward success.” -Henry Ward Beecher