Finally out to our second recess, the air chilly and the sun warm, I take a deep breath.
There’s no time to do all the things, and I find myself rushing through so much all day long.
Even though I know rushing doesn’t help.
Even though I know that slowing down is the only way to get more done.
Even though I know it doesn’t serve any of the students I serve.
We don’t need more binders of must dos or more scripts, I think. We need more pauses. The line between a perky pace and a frantic one is too small to measure already. The less we do each day, the better the day. And somehow, the more we learn. I know there is research about this, but I also see it every day.
Usually we live a few “If you give a mouse a cookie” books each day. They start with “If your teacher takes attendance one minute later than usual…” or maybe “If morning meeting starts 3 minutes late and you have to practice coming to the circle quietly a few times …”
Today we had an “If you are ready to start math 2 minutes late, you will have to talk about it. If you have to talk about it, you will start math 5 minutes late but your teacher will still want to have all the math, so you will be getting ready for recess 5 minutes late. If you are getting ready for recess 5 minutes late, some of your friends will hurry but others will not and you will be 10 minutes late to recess. If you are 10 minutes late to recess, you won’t have time to have all 15 minutes of recess.”
I’m not saying it is as fun of a story as the Mouse and the cookie.
I watch the kids outside, running and chasing and smiling in that chilly warm sun and turn around to one of my kids who is fixing her sweatshirt.
“I love recess because…” she says as she pulls her sweatshirt over her short sleeves, “because you can meet more of the kids and also because you can have fun!”
I like recess too.
We stay out for the whole 15 minutes.
On a Thought 
I love how this slice spoke to the inner grumpiness I felt yesterday when I had to talk about transitions-again. Sometimes I need to just let things go…
Your connection to living the If You Give a Mouse A Cookie books multiple times throughout the day, had me nodding my head in agreement.
beautiful and so true! This needs to go to a major syndication to be shared with the world. I’m glad you took your whole recess. Math should never steal anyone’s fun.
I felt the relaxation that came with the break.
this is kind of perfectly written. I marked this excellent passage to compliment:
We don’t need more binders of must dos or more scripts, I think. We need more pauses. The line between a perky pace and a frantic one is too small to measure already.
and then I read with delight your “give a mouse…” discussions with your students (but not the fun way.) I so get that, I remember having those conversations too. Then your perfect last line. Great decision.
Why is it that the “education experts” never realize that we are pushing, pushing and pushing too much and too fast? I was a kid who needed repetition to truly understand (and am as an adult, too). I would have struggled so much with how we teach so much today. I try to remind myself that often. Thank you for sharing this today!
Ona, I felt your post on a visceral level. So much of the school day is regimented and scheduled beyond recognition – and yet, it goes contrary to what we know is good and right. And that’s not just for students, it’s for ALL of us. Taking the time to do fewer things well. Taking the time to breathe and step away for moments of joy.
Thank you for capturing this so well.