Today

Was a challenging day in my classroom.

Why?

We took some state standardized testing.

I thought it would be an easy, relaxed day. I mean, what's easier than staying in your seat and filling in some bubbles?

Apparently, for third graders, a lot of things. It dawned on me partway through the day that kids really hate sitting still. Duh, third grade teacher! You just figured that out? Anyway.

And today, my kids challenged my patience. And even more-so, the resolutions I decided upon over this last weekend that included:

Give more hugs.

Enjoy each student as individuals. Every. Single. Day. It's way, way, way too often that I find myself standing in my classroom alone at the end of the day, crumpled notebook paper and pint-sized chairs strewn around the room, wondering if I even uttered a non-academic word to most of my students. I spend so much time trying to make sure they've learned every last little vocabulary word or name of some leaves on our Wisconsin Fast Plants that I forget to connect with them on a personal level and celebrate them as wonderful, amazing, beautiful little people. I recognized it probably sounds completely horrible that this even needs to be a resolution for a teacher, but really: we get so focused on wanting our students to do well and to succeed that it's all too easy to forget to take time out of the day to appreciate and love on them. My gentle, encouraging, humorous, silly, guiding words -- the relationship I can have with my students -- those are what are most important. Sometimes it's just though to be mindful of that in the craziness screams, "Assess! Assess! Assess!"

But tomorrow is a new day. I'll give more hugs, more smiles and more patience all around.

Not to mention, I'll totally have a spring in my step. Did you see the U.S. maps on this fantastic election day? What a beautiful shade of red all around (those of you who know me had to know this would get at least a teensy bit political considering it is the first Tuesday in November...) :) Wheeeeee!