The Positive

Last night, I attended an MfA info session. I took part in a short activity facilitated by an MfA Master, Jocelyn - whose last name I didn't get. She engaged the 6 participants in a protocol that asked us to first reflect on something going well in our classrooms this year. It was a zoom-out moment I didn't realize I really needed.

Recently, @_b_p tweeted, "I should do some planning, but I want to write." My response? "Interesting. I feel I often feel I should do some writing, but I want to plan."

Having had this zoom out moment, I realize - again - why I need to write. It gives me focus and perspective.

There ARE good things happening in my classes, but I tend to get lost in the weeds of the details of day to day negatives. These are the things I dedicate my time to -- to fixing what feels broken. Isn't it just as important to preserve what is good? And to be sure I measure accurately what is and isn't working.

What we give our attention to is powerful. If I want my classroom to be a positive space, I need to be sure I am genuinely also looking for my own positives in this practice. I need to write to zoom out sometimes. I need collaboration too, and I'm really hoping that the MfA Community can become that for me. (I feel strange putting that out there in a public post, but it is true.)

Students coming in soon. I did some writing. Now it is time to plan.