They're my monkeys, time to fix this circus...

Except they are my monkeys...and it's time to fix this circus!

Well, not every day can be roses and sunshine and unicorns and rainbows.  Today, was day 8 of 12 for me to teach my 1st grade bound summer school students.  Day 8 for me, but day 20 for them.  In my district, SS is 6 weeks long (Mon-Thurs), 24 days.

I should have seen the bottom falling out coming, like seeing the hand writing on a wall, or a full moon on picture day at school...it's just going to be a bad behavior day from your students so you have to plan for it.  My kiddos were on day 20, with temperatures with a heat index around 105 degrees.  It's so hot, I keep expecting my tires to melt into the concrete each day as I head home.  The kiddos are tired, I'm tired, and it's hot...a great recipe for grumpiness.  So, they are my monkeys and I had to fix this circus today.

By lunch time today, I was in grumpy teacher mode.  I'm sure you've been there yourself...whiny, complaining, nagging, allowing every little thing to bother you.  I didn't want to eat lunch with myself, much less in the lounge with other folks.  My remedy?  As my daughter once said, "If I go to my happy place, it's not so bad."  And as a former Superintendent in my district once said, "Fake it till you make it."  No matter what buttons they were pushing, it was my adult responsibility to buck up, get it together mentally, and move on.  So, after lunch, when we still had problems in the hallway sitting in a line, walking without running or touching others, tattle telling, or shouting things out just to shout, we practiced walking, we worked together to earn a dance opportunity with some Minions so we could all go to our happy place.  I kept my cool, reminding myself that's it's water on a ducks back.  So, when it's 104 degrees and all your buttons are getting pushed and your blood pressure is rising, I implore you to reach for something (legal of course) that makes you happy.  For me, it's laughing with kids, and an Orange Julius.  Find your happy place, be the difference maker for kids, because it's usually the tough cookies that need us the most.