Finding the Joy

A couple years ago, right around this time of the school year, I felt like I was about to hit a breaking point. I loved my class of fifth graders and truly loved being a teacher, but all of the things that were slowly accumulating during that year were resulting in a lot of physical and emotional stress. (I wonder if you can relate.)

I remember sitting at my desk during my prep time, feeling exhausted and defeated. “I need to find the joy today,” I thought. And almost instinctively, I walked over to my cupboard and took out all the random bits and pieces of craft supplies we had in the classroom. On a table, I layed out colored paper, magazines, scraps, glue, markers, cardboard, and stickers and googly-eyes I had brought from home. 

After I picked my students up from their specialist class, I told them we were going to have an hour of arts and crafts time to create a winter scene. They cheered! I told them they could make it however they wanted and reminded them of our expectations on how to use supplies, share with others, and be responsible for our space. Then I put on some quiet, classical music and watched the magic happen.

For an hour, I noticed creativity and imagination flourishing. Collages and 3-dimensional interpretations of winter wonderlands were everywhere! For an hour, I saw relaxed collaboration, students sharing ideas and working together toward a common vision. For an hour, I walked around the room, smiling and giving compliments and laughing. Even my students who often struggled to participate or work with others respectfully were calm and appeared genuinely content. In those special, simple moments, I found joy in my students and in myself.

I don’t know if the example in my story is an option for you or even if it needs to be. This experience certainly wasn’t a long-term solution for the stress I was feeling. However, this one decision reminded me of the things I love so much about my job, and that carried me through the rest of the day. My hope is that somewhere, sometime today, you will also find the joy with your students.