Join teachers each Tuesday to share a slice of your life.
The end of the school year for many is about marking off the days, pulling off the paper from the chain, or changing the number on the calendar. I’m fighting the count. On multiple occasions, I have erased the number that students have written on my board. Also, I have ignored the numerical mutterings of my coworkers. Finally, I have tried to stay in the present with my students. Staying in the present (aka end of the year survival) requires a lot of me:
- I must continue to be up and moving in the classroom.
- I must continue to engage students.
- I must keep them busy and working.
- I must continue to assess and encourage growth (even though any growth I promote now is for the good of someone else’s scores)
- I must continue to remind them (and myself) of the things they have to do.
Focusing on things to do is all about prioritizing (once again I am thinking of my OLW, my one little word to live by for 2015). Also, like the language arts teacher I am, I am connecting to literature and using it as a way to make meaning out of life–yes, my dear Watson, THE-ME-ssage of life is emerging here.
Lately I have found myself quoting Brian Robeson from the novel Hatchet, a novel my class read earlier this year. I keep telling my students that we are like Brian and that, “There [are] these things to do.” I tell them there is no shutting down. I refer them to the board with the tasks to do. I ask them to dive deeper into The Outsiders to pull out the themes. I push them to complete the next part of the project. I ask them to self-evaluate and encourage reflection and metacognition. Yes, there are these things to do.
As Brian changes as the story moves towards its resolution (RL6.3), he finds himself moving from thinking about “the things to look at” and “the things to sort out,” to the “things to do.” As Brian tries to deal with being stranded in the wilderness and the struggles of the secret/divorce, he finds himself distracted from the task at hand: survival. In chapter 11, Brian is changing and is realizing that he must prioritize and focus on the tasks at hand. In chapter 11, Brian reminds himself several times of the things he has to do. These little reminders keep him focused on what he needs to do in order to ensure his survival.
Like the naive Brian from early in the novel, I can get caught up in the things to look at and the things to sort out and lose sight of my priorities forgetting that, “THERE ARE THESE THINGS TO DO.”
Right now I’d like to hug Gary Paulsen for his indelible words that will help my students and me focus, endure, and persevere ultimately ensuring our survival.
Remember friends, teachers, and students:
Meandering Maya 
I am right there with you about the end-of-the-year countdowns. You have made a wonderful connection between literature and life. Wishing you the best over the next few weeks!
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what a great way to tackle the end of the year! I’ll move forward with these words in my mind urging me forward with purpose–so thank you!
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Definitely inspiring–I have “these things to do” between the end of the school year and moving, but this reminds me that life just works that way, and it’s better to ride the wave than try to resist.
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I have had “the talk” with my class. I do it for their sakes, and for mine. Yesterday I taught them the expression “fraying at the edges” and what that can look like in school, for kids and for teachers. We are working on finishing strong.
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Yes..it’s that time of year. We must persevere, and so must they. I needed to read your post today though, it was a rough day!
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Our district has reminded teachers to not remove posters, charts, or take out a box… yet. As you said so eloquently here, there are these things to do.
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School for me in DC ends on June 18th so it still seems like lots of time but it really isn’t. And it is harder to persevere now that the weather has warmed. Your mantra based on Hatchet is inspiring. So is your literary analysis of Hatchet!
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