Eat More Fruit.

Resilience. Yes, it's part of the Growth Mindset -- the idea of picking oneself up by the proverbial bootstraps and facing another day.  Attendance improved, significantly, today, after yesterday's events.  Parents were probably more guarded than their students, knowing many more "what if" scenarios than their kids.  Bags and backpacks were searched, and the day went off with only a five minute extended homeroom delay.  

As predicted yesterday, we were back to curricular questions, instead of "What happened?" and "What if...".  By the end of the day, we received a letter bringing the community the news everyone and no one wanted.  It's never good news when a student's life is changed so dramatically because of a poor choice.  

Were things different?  Why, yes.  There was music playing in the cafeteria during lunch.   It offered a smile on a rainy and dark day for many.  I'm not sure who thought of it, but it was inspired.  Tomorrow is Friday, and this very short week that seems to have lasted ten times the actual four days scheduled, will be in the books.  

I don't believe in coincidences -- and that is certainly the case today when the folks at Edutopia offered an article entitled  "Ways to Cultivate Your Emotional Resilience This Year", on their Teacher Development page.  

• Build Community
• Know Yourself
• Create a Plan for Self Care

 Thankfully, my community has been built, and offers tremendous support.  I've gotten to know myself so much better through this blog - a  concrete representation of my narrowed focus on my educational process and planning.  It's both sobering and encouraging to write something that was read by 1400 people in 24 hours, when my usual readership is in the double digits in the same time period.  I get it.  Yesterday's blog was akin to a highway accident, visited by rubbernecking drivers, hoping for a bit more information.

Community, Self-Understanding, and Self-Care.  It's time to cultivate emotional resilience a bit further, and   I do believe that I will take the advice of the many lunch-packers at B Lunch, creating a Puzzle Box of goodness packed in my own kitchen.   Perhaps this revelation from Edutopia will encourage acceptance of my colleague who sometimes chooses to eat his pudding first, or consumes tiramisu for five straight days.  It's not crazy, it's "self care."