Breathe
This passage is written for teachers, but I think it can apply to all of us as we transition between the different parts of our day, and especially as we sit in traffic during those transitions!
From “On to School,” in Mindful Teaching and Teaching Mindfulness by Deborah Schoeberlein and Suki Sheth
“The way you segue between your personal and professional responsibilities matters both in terms of the quality of your actual experience and its influence on what follows. Although commuting is unavoidable, the physical reality of moving from home to school provides a mental benefit – it creates a distinct opportunity for attending to the quality of your immediate experience.
Begin by setting an intention to focus on the quality of your commute, today. This means bringing mindfulness to the process so you notice your inner thoughts, emotions, and body sensations as well as your outer circumstances…. Try focusing on seeing familiar sights with fresh eyes or attending to sounds as sensations without immediately attaching meanings….
The act of noticing how your outer environment connects with your inner awareness is a core element of cultivating mindfulness…. Managing your emotions and calming your mind while waiting for traffic to move won’t get you to school any faster, but you’ll be in better shape when you do get there.
If you read my post last week about our first few days of school, you can appreciate why I needed these words today!
Smile
Even though our back-to-school transition has been a bit crazy, there were many moments of gratitude.
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I am thankful for the teachers who have made my children’s transitions to a new school year so seamless and fun! My daughter loves her new teacher, and came home on the first day proclaiming that first grade is “1000 percent more awesome than Kindergarten!” My son has transitioned to a new classroom and a new teacher, and he’s already talking about how excited he is to have a locker in his new classroom, and his teachers have greeted me every day to tell me about his day, how he interacted with his classmates, and how he ate and napped. I am full of gratitude that my children spend their days with such amazing adults.
Liam is so excited to have a locker in his new classroom!
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We hear so much lately about the laziness, disrespect, and disengagement of teenagers, but I saw so much goodness and potential in the students I met last week. Many of my sophomores, even if they won’t really admit it, had as much enthusiasm as my four- and six-year-old on the first day of school, and are excited to learn and engage with their teachers. I am taking on a new responsibility this year as an adviser to a student leadership group. I met thoughtful students in that group who want to raise awareness to stop bullying at school and online, and came to school in that first week with ideas about projects and changes they want to initiate at their school. I feel so lucky and thankful to work with such inspiring young people.
First Day of First Grade and Pre-K
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Finally, I am thankful for being able to carve out time for myself during these crazy back-to-school days so that I can manage my transition times. I live only a few minutes from school, and a few days this week I have stopped at home before picking up my children from daycare. {As I wrote last week, if I pick them up early, they usually get mad because I am interrupting snack or outdoor play with their friends.} I can spend a few moments at home, with a cup of coffee and a chapter from a book, before I pick up my children and transition to mommy time, making dinner, and heading out to activities. I am grateful for those small stolen moments to myself!
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What are YOU thankful for this week?
- A Mindful Approach to New Year’s Resolutions - January 13, 2020
- Just This Next Step - December 16, 2019
- WAIT: A Mindfulness Practice for Waiting in Line - December 9, 2019
