To me, it seems very minor whether or not I tie every child's shoes or have time to hear all their stories. What matters is getting to specials on time. What matters is getting them on the right bus. What matters is making sure they learn their letters and sounds.
Or does it really?
This week was longer than most. My class seemed to have this uncontainable energy. They were loud and more difficult to manage than normal. By the end of the week, I was more than ready for Friday.
I could not remember how old I was.
I found I had written "fart chart" on my lesson plans and could not figure out why.
I was calling my kids by the wrong names.
In addition to the long week, I was frustrated with how to engage some of my students in learning or behaving better. I have been at a loss as to how to make one student pay attention and stop playing around. Another student has become increasingly frustrating since they talk and play when they are supposed to be the model student that their grades reflect. Another student who used to be defiant and rebellious now is no longer on my list of stinkers, medication makes them sleepy.
On Friday I found a parent note about the first student. This parent apologized for lack of involvement because of going through a divorce.
On Friday, my second student wrote a note to their parent during our writing time. They wrote: Dear ______, I hope you feel better. This parent they wrote to is struggling for life itself.
On Friday, I received a communication about my third student. They must be protected against an unsafe family member.
Stability and the definition of a rightly functioning family is null and void from the lives of too many of my kindergartners who spend their days being juggled back and forth between their mom's, dad's, and grandparent's houses.
I realize that maybe the little things are much more important than I stupidly thought. Their childish stories need to be heard. Their shoes need to be tied. Their dirty faces need to be wiped. Their unruly hair needs to be pulled back. They need to know that Mrs. Bauer has time, and love, for them and every little thing about them. They need to see Christ's love in me.
Time for little things, the little ones, matters more than keeping schedules or improving test scores.
