Being the tough teacher

Today was punctuated with joys and struggles, as every day generally is. Our day had a few beautiful moments--like when we practiced the strategy of inferring with President Roosevelt's The Man with the Muck-Rake speech. How brilliant to have 8 and 9 year olds discussing the American dream and what our country must have been like in 1906 when President Roosevelt delivered the speech. I love those moments. They make the unconventionality of this school make sense.

But there were also a few moments when I really wanted to crawl in the loft and take a little snooze. A little snooze that would deliver me from the "Miss Rachel, I lost my essay..." or the "What day is it? Do I have to finish all my work by Friday?" (You mean the work that has been due every friday? For the entire year? That work?)

Those are the moments when it is so much easier--exponentially much easier--to say "Forget it." Or "Sure you don't have to finish that assignment." Or "Yep. I guess that will do." Should I tell a 4th grade dude that he doesn't need to finish everything on his schedule because he didn't keep track of his time and wasted a good deal of it all week? Should I let a lady turn in mediocre work because I don't want to take the time to sit with her and tell her I don't want anything less than her absolute best? Sometimes...yeah. I do want to take the easy road. 

Today required several self reminders...walk-to-the-kitchen-and-take-a-deep-breath-and-get-it-together reminders...that the easy road never (ever) leads to authentic learning. Which kind of stinks sometimes. I have to be the teacher who makes an energetic dude stay in for recess and finish his work because he chose to manage his time really poorly all week long. I have to be the teacher who makes a kiddo rewrite an entire assignment that happened to be misplaced since completing it yesterday. I could just smile and say that I trust him--or I could make him experience the natural consequence of choosing to be sloppy and unorganized after countless reminders to clean up his work. 

My best as their teacher is to hold them to a high standard, and if I don't give my best, I certainly shouldn't expect them to. 

Sheesh. I am glad today is over. It is hard being tough. But worth it. Totally worth it.