Lesson learned: The small things actually do matter

Yesterday was one of those days where I started out feeling like...

By lunch time, I was feeling more like...

And by 3:00, I felt like...

The bell couldn't ring soon enough for me. I wanted the day to end and the kids to leave. Nobody was listening, the classroom was a mess, I hadn't taught half the things I wanted to, and I felt like if one more kid did one more thing, I was going to completely lose it. Thankfully, the bell did ring and the kids did leave and it was quiet for the first time since the kids had arrived that morning. I sat down at my desk, put my head down in my arms, and just soaked in the silence.

As I sat there, I thought back over the day and tried to figure out what had gone wrong. At first, I was blaming it all on the kids—"She was just on one today." "I don't think he took his meds this morning." "She just couldn't stop talking!" "I don't know what his deal was." But then it hit me that pretty much from morning recess on, I hadn't really been using any of the good teacher skills I know I should use. I was giving way more negative feedback than positive feedback, I wasn't using wait time, I wasn't setting my expectations, I wasn't being consistent and following through with consequences, and I was giving too many warnings to some and then coming down too hard on others without much warning at all.

Why had I disregarded all of those simple techniques that I know can be so effective? Was it out of forgetfulness? laziness? stubbornness? I think it boiled down to the fact that I was tired and I just wanted my students to be good and listen on their own with no effort on my part because I'm their teacher and that's what students should do. (Yeah. That doesn't work with first graders.)

Do we do this when life gets hard? Do we blame others, blame the situation, and/or blame God before looking introspectively to see if we may actually be making things worse, or at least not making things any better? Are there some small things we are forgetting, or perhaps, purposefully choosing not to do out of laziness or pride?

Just as there are always going to be tricky students in my class, life is always going to have some difficult things in it. But, as I was reminded of yesterday, choosing not to do the small things can make a hard situation so much worse. Continuing to do the small things will make a big difference, especially when we don't want to and especially when things are hard. 

During a particularly rough day or time in life, instead of going the blaming route, maybe we can ask ourselves—Did I read my scriptures this morning? Did I take the time to pray and humbly ask for help while also remembering my blessings? Have I been to the temple recently? Have I thought about anyone else besides myself in the past 24 hours? Did I get enough sleep last night? Am I taking care of myself physically and emotionally? No? Hmmm.... Maybe this doesn't need to be as bad as it is?

Remember... "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass" (Alma 37:6).

P.S. Today was much more along the lines of Mary Poppins, in case you were wondering. :)

Lesson Learned: Sometimes it's not about the details

I've decided to start blogging for a few reasons...

1. I'm trying to broaden my horizons and try new things this year.
2. I teach first grade and some stories are too good not to share.
3. Lately, I've been finding a lot of connections between the relationship I have with my students and the relationship Heavenly Father has with His children. And again, too good not to share.
4. I need a hobby.

So, last week I put on an oh-so-flattering beekeeper suit for my students. Normally, if I were around my peers, I would have thought twice before hopping into the outfit, but when I'm in teacher mode, I will do just about anything to get my kids to learn or to get them to laugh.

My students couldn't stop talking about it. For days. "Remember when you wore that funny outfit, Miss Brown?" (Sure do.) "You looked so funny!" (Thanks bud!) "I wish you still had it so we could see you in it again." (Oh, as do I...)  So, yes, they will forever have ingrained in their little minds an image of me in a bee suit. And while I hope that they will also remember that a boy bee is called a drone and a girl bee is a worker bee and a queen bee can lay a whopping 2,000 eggs a day, I know that these facts might be soon forgotten. And that's actually okay with me.

Regardless of what content knowledge students have learned or not by the end of the year, all students should know that their teacher loved them, knew they could do it, trusted them, and expected a whole lot of them. If they know those things and have the self-esteem that will inevitably come with that knowledge, they will be able to handle whatever life brings them...even if they forget all of their bee facts.

I think it's the same with us. Sometimes I get caught up in all the nitty gritty details of life and I want to be directed in everything. I get caught up in feeling like if Heavenly Father were truly loving and caring that He would tell me where I should live, who I should live with, where I should work, who I should date, etc. I'm beginning to figure out that this is not the case. Heavenly Father wants us to be happy. He wants us to know that He loves us, that He knows we can do it, He trusts us, and He expects a whole lot from us. All the other stuff is just filler. Not to say that we shouldn't try to make good choices and council with the Lord in those choices, but just that sometimes, in the grand scheme of things, there are more important things He is trying to teach us.

Just something to think about.