Staff Circle

This evening I attended my first staff circle. It was really the best event I have attended at the Free School that isn't between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. All the staff meets and basically has a feelings check in. People talk about how they are feeling about school but also things that are going on with them in general. We passed a talking stick around the circle and everyone did an initial check in, then the stick kept on being passed around until everyone was passing (it took three times all the way around tonight). The circle started at 5:30 and went until 8:00. It was helpful to take a step back from the craziness of day to day school and really reflect on how we were all feeling about school, the students and each other. Also it was helpful to know about personal issues that are going on with my coworkers so I can meet people where they are at. It's like if someone is especially tired or irritable a certain day or week it's hard to know why that might be unless they tell you. We reflected on interpersonal dynamics. It is really incredible to be a witness to the relationships the other teachers have built over the years.

Other highlights of this week were another successful German class. We started out by practicing the alphabet and phonetics and ended with a reading of the "Rainbow Fish" in German. Also, I learned how to play guitar some for the first time ever. Also, my math class went well! There were three students in attendance this week and they didn't want to break for lunch cause they were enjoying themselves so much. Also I got to be a part of a class meeting of the 7th and 8th graders that was to resolve a conflict. The meeting went really well and got to the root of the problem.

I am stressed out about the museum lesson plans. I have definitely been procrastinating.