“Happiness is part of who we are. Joy is the feeling”

'Merica Monday
Last week was spirit week at my school.  Our football team was playing our cross-town rivals, and we celebrated and anticipated a victorious game by wearing ridiculous outfits to support the team, school and our community.  I have never missed a spirit day opportunity to show the love I feel for my students.  Each morning, my husband would yell from the shower, "What is today?" as I was pulling on a green and purple tutu or painting my face with white polka-dots.  He has frequently shaken his head, laughed, discussed my current mental health, and taken future possible black mail pictures, but he has never stopped supporting me.  Teaching dressed as the Credible Hulk has some distinct logistical considerations (how can I make it down the rows and through the groups if my tutu is too big?), but I love showing my spirit for my school.  It brings me so much joy.  I love seeing my students dressed up, taking pictures, having fun.  That is what I cherish, I cherish fun!

Tacky Tourist Tuesday
So much is being said right now about public education.  Most of it is not very complimentary or supportive. Some of my teacher friends and I feel overwhelmingly discouraged a lot of the time.  I have heard so many times this year, "If what was happening in my classroom was what my job was about, everything would be awesome right now."  I feel exactly the same way.  My students this year are exceptional.  Having been together now for seven weeks, I have come to see things in them that inspires me.  My classroom community is doing great things.  I am teaching extremely challenging curriculum that the students often don't like, but somehow, we are managing to learn and apply and have fun.  People love to learn!
Hulk Smash on Superhero Wednesday
 Everyone has fun when they are able to learn in a way that they can be successful.  This means that some days we have to get up out of our seats and make pictures with our bodies (tableau) of the most important of the 27 grievances from The Declaration of Independence, or we have to pretend to tweet during Patrick Henry's speech, or we have to draw political cartoons reflecting Plato's ideas as they apply today.   All of these tasks are challenging, they are rigorous, and students tend to find them really fun.  I find them fun.  It also means that everyone in our community has to understand and cannot be left behind.  This is frustrating and takes time.  We laugh and share and read and write.  Then, we have to write essays and argumentation, using what we now know from our learning.  When students are able to succeed at that, they have fun.  When students understand that what you are helping them to learn and understand will help them be a successful person, they work and play and while not every
day is fun, every day makes us feel accomplished and good.  That is not measured on a test. It is not always able to be accomplished in a timetable that is set by someone who does not know my people.  But I promise, when students really learn, and are really able to demonstrate that learning in way that they find authentic, cool, or fun--that is true joy.  I cherish teaching because I have experienced that joy, and I know it is possible for all my students.



Yesterday was our annual Powder Puff Football tournament.  I have played for the last three years.  This year, I didn't do such a good job practicing (my schedule has been a little challenging) and I was really thinking about not going.  I am not very good at the game of football, and I fear that I will let my team down.  As I was sitting at the teacher tailgate before the Friday night game, so many of my friends encouraged me, and so at 7:30 on Saturday morning, I laced up my running shoes and hit the football field.  I didn't play the first two games, but then my team team needed me in the third and fourth games (against the two toughest teams).  I felt a great deal of anxiety, but my friend Amy, who was the main tackle next to me said she would talk me through it, and I could do it.  I have to tell ya'll, nobody on my side made a catch while I was in, and I made a really good tackle.  Oh my gosh, I had so much fun!!!  Ultimately our team did not come out victorious in the tournament, but we did win two games, and the game I made a tackle in was against one of the teams that will be in the championship game.  I remembered why I signed up to play---it was to be with my team, to try to have success, to have FUN!  After the game, we went to a favorite local restaurant to celebrate with margaritas and cheese dip.  We weren't celebrating our losses, we were celebrating our success in achieving the other goals-friendship, teamwork, support and fun.

I hope you will have a wonderful week, and that you will find some fun as you go about your life this week.

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