Happy 2024!
Devoted readers know from last month that my family celebrates Christmas. I have found it fun over my years of teaching to hear if other families also celebrate the holiday. If they do, I find out how they celebrate, and if they do not, I hear their thoughts about what they do celebrate and/or what they think about all that happens in December.
For many years I taught at a school where there was a large population of Jewish families. Growing up with Jewish friends and peers, I attended bar mitzvahs and was a part of their celebrations. I was very lucky to have many diverse opportunities, and I was never disappointed in December.
There was, however, the potential to be disappointed, and this came when I was giving a gift. This potential grew when I had worked hard at finding just the right gift, having gone to multiple stores, searching for a present that exemplified my emotions and hoping those emotions were conveyed. I could be disappointed if the person did not recognize my efforts or if they did not express their joy emphatically.
I have come to realize the amount of pressure that is to put on a gift. How much joy is enough joy to be seen by the receiver in order for me to not be disappointed? Is it the thought (effort) that counts or the gift itself (objective) that leads to the expression (result)? My family often teases about this because we know that some family members are just more expressive than others: "Boy, Grandma really loves her gift!" or "I guess that one didn't go over too well with Logan." Truly though, how much excitement does one have when receiving a pair of socks? Yet...something as simple as just the right pair of Grinch or Star Wars socks does lead to broad smiles and shouts of “Awesome!” or “Sick!” So where does my potential and then actual disappointment originate? Is it the gift or is it me? Again, that’s a lot of pressure to put on a gift, as well as on me.
It is the last week of the first semester of the 2023-24 school year. Sometimes there is a lot of pressure put on today’s learners. Eighteen weeks of a lot of different experiences in many classrooms with many variables, including outside influences. Is it the effort (studying, taking notes, completing practices) that counts or the learning (knowledge and skills) itself that leads to the result (grade)? At the middle school, a grade is recorded, the GPA is calculated, and it all starts over again. There are no credits or major requirements like at a high school, yet in many ways one could argue that it matters even a little bit more. The learning that comes from learning how to be a critical thinker, a responsible citizen, a hard worker, someone who is organized, etc. might mean more because these impact the future. …that can be a lot of pressure on a 12-year-old learner.
So let us not have that pressure; let us not have the potential for disappointment even. It does not mean lowering standards or giving up on expectations. In fact, in many ways the energy and effort increases as no one wants to disappoint those we love and respect. Instead, let us celebrate all gifts and gift-givers. Let us find joy in whatever the results are from this semester, let us use them as motivation to continue to grow, and let us encourage positivity so the next semester can be even better.
Weeks at a Glance
- Friday, January 12 - First Semester ends
- Monday, January 15 - No School: Martin Luther King Observance
- Tuesday, January 16 - No School: Teacher Professional Development
- Wednesday, January 17 - Second Semester Begins
- Thursday, January 18 - Information and Tour Night #2
- Tuesday, January 23 - 7/8 Directed Study Begins
- Special Message - Help us spread the word to neighbors, friends, family and community: Spectrum High School and Spectrum Middle School 2024-25 enrollment applications for NEW students are due January 31, 2024 (to be included in the February 15, Enrollment Lottery: Spectrum Application Link). If you have any questions, check out the website, sign up to attend an Information and Tour Session, give us a call at 763.241.8703, or send an email to the Spectrum Registrar to learn more.