How's Your Alignment?

A recent trip to the chiropractor helped relieve an ongoing pain in my neck (no hidden meaning here...it was purely physical!) and provided some food for thought. It seems as if that is a regular occurrence for me: seeing a lesson in the most unusual circumstances that can be blog material. Now having the discipline to write it down is my ongoing challenge, but I press on.

I thought, how many of us received an "adjustment" in our pre-planning preparations? I knew if I didn't visit the chiropractor before starting school, I wouldn't take the time once I got really busy with the new year's activities. And I'd go on in pain, uncomfortable, self-medicating, and maybe even voice a complaint to whoever is within earshot. In other words, not my usual  fun self  to be around. But having taken care of the problem, gotten my neck (and of course they find many other T-something or others needing to be aligned) snap, crackle and popped back into place, I could face the year relatively comfortable and raring to go.

So did you get some things put back into place upon greeting your media centers/classrooms/new staff/old staff? Reminders of your goals and mission and vision? Or did you start in alignment and had things throw you out of whack: what? I have lunch duty? I'm teaching what? There's no room in the schedule or calendar for my favorite little whatever? Passwords for my 200 Kindergarten students?

There's nothing like starting a new school year for getting our priorities back in alignment. We've had a few weeks (AKA Summer Vacation) to consider changes we want to make, reading blogs, gleaning ideas from Pinterest, etc. and can start fresh and new...one of my favorite things about being a teacher. Putting our behind in our past, or our past in our behind (thanks Pumbaa and Timon), we can take on a new set of students and other customers in our nice clean classrooms/ media centers/learning commons/spaces, etc. And remaining flexible to whatever else might come our way can keep us from getting "out of joint." Remember why you're there. It's not about you. We're preparing our students for life, not killing time until retirement. These aren't just bumper sticker phrases. We have to embrace it and do it.

I hope your year gets started on the right foot, or left foot if that's what the chiropractor prescribed! Just remember to take care of yourself to stay in alignment and stay grounded, Friends!