Back to School Angst? Choose Joy

In a couple of days hundreds of thousands of children will be getting back on that yellow bus and returning to the normalcy of school. Parents across America will be collectively doing a dance of joy and clinking glasses. Teachers will be sitting in curriculum meetings listening to education initiatives and new ideas that could bring success to their students if implemented. Ultimately there will be a collective feeling of joy, excitement, anticipation, and for some kids and parents - trepidation.

For some families, returning to school brings tremendous anxiety. The unknown, change in routine, increased rigor, and unpredictable social dynamics creates angst. Not every kid enjoys school. Not every kid is successful in school. And there are some kids who bring such learning baggage with them that they may have never had a successful moment in school. Sad isn't it?

So what is the best strategy for those kids? What is the most important determinant factor of success? What teaching strategies work best? I honestly don't know about what's best for every kid at any given moment. But I do know what can make or break a student in an instant - the teacher in the classroom. It sounds so simple right? It really is that simple. The teacher can decide the culture of learning that students will have in her/his room and can implement it.

One thing I noticed today as I visited my kids' school for open house; the teachers were visibly HAPPY! My kids were greeted with high fives and smiles... and even HUGS from last year's teachers. A smile, a high five, and even yes a hug (I know these days maybe that's not allowed) instantly relieves the angst. Choosing to be happy at your job, despite the fact that bashing teachers is a very popular past time, will have a domino effect. Attitude is contagious. Every day is an opportunity to choose joy and enthusiasm over rigidness and fatigue. Teaching is a profession that has the capacity to keep you mentally young. What an advantage teachers have over bankers, businessmen, politicians, lawyers, and doctors. We are in a profession where everyday we are reminded of youth and all of the possibility and potential it brings.

So today I choose joy over fatigue. I choose excitement over angst. I choose possibility over improbability. I choose to be happy in my job. I hope every teacher my kids have make the same choice. If so... we're all good.