Attitude Adjustment

I saw this on Twitter, over the weekend;
no clue as to source, but I'd love to give credit!

There is an album filled with pictures in our classroom.  The book is always a favorite when free choice is given.  I can't post these photos online.  I've tried to camouflage faces with pic apps, but the magic is lost in translation.

The photos have provided a side benefit for me this year-- they are a reality check.

I see evidence of joy, community, and learning in each picture (despite the documenting of behavior that I do each evening, beyond the discipline referral sheets that need signatures to be returned).
Many days, I miss it in the moment.  The challenges of the system can be overwhelmingly frustrating, the need for flexibility is exhausting.  To get up each morning and do it all over again, I need an attitude adjustment.

I've been asking myself how I can turn a difficult ordeal into an adventure for the children.  Can I woo a child out of an anger funk, or a temper tantrum, and into the excitement of learning?  Have you ever dealt with flying chairs--or shoes, fists thrown into tiny tummies, ugly words?  Usually, by this time of the year, a group of kindergartners is hitting their stride, moving forward.  This class becomes more chaotic by the day.  Their circumstances outside of my room are beyond my control, but I set the tone in room 122.

From an ordeal to an adventure.... this is my December mantra, and possibly my resolution for 2014.