Once upon a time, people went to a family doctor. They got regular check ups and stopped into the office when they weren’t feeling well. The waiting room was pleasantly stocked with the latest magazines and comics and appointments were always mostly on time. The doctor knew their patients personally and followed up with them to make sure they were staying in good health.
Fast forward to the present day and many people don’t have a primary care physician. If they are sick, they drive to the nearest emergency room and wait their turn as patients with more urgent needs are attended to and where care is dependent on the level of trauma of the patients. It’s a hectic scenario and one that changes day by day.
Now, both of those scenarios are extremes and represent the idyllic picture we often have in our mind of the family practice and the fast paced world of the ER that is portrayed on television. When thinking of a school classroom, I think many people still have the mental image that would match the doctor’s office. Neat, tidy, and each person getting the attention they need in the order they arrived. The reality is that classrooms are more often like the emergency room. People with higher needs or trauma are often attended to first and the scenarios change day by day. Teachers aren’t family doctors anymore they are trauma informed first responders.
The amazing thing is that teachers make everyone feel like they are at the family doctor’s office, even though they may be working like they are in a triage unit. They make each child feel special, cared for, and meet the needs of ALL students whatever their needs. It may not feel like that to the teacher who feels like they just worked a shift in the ER, but they keep the tradition of educational excellence alive for each student, every year that they teach. The old schoolhouse, just like the old family doctor’s office may be a thing of the past, but the spirit is still strong in every teacher that works in the modern classroom and our students are better because of them!
“Courage is grace under pressure.” – Ernest Hemingway
“Mistakes and pressure are invetibale; the secret to getting past them is to stay calm.” – Travis Bradberry
“I turn pressure into motivation to do my best.” – Ben Carson
- Monday, October 15: Celebrate Monday Assembly 9:05 AM, Reading Proficiency Reports go home with Students
- Tuesday, October 16: Achievement Team (Kaufman) 8:15 AM, Fire Drill 2:00 PM
- Wednesday, October 17: Students Dismissed at 12:10 PM, Parent-Teacher Conferences 1:00-4:00 PM & 5:00-8:00 PM
- Thursday, October 18: No Staff Meeting, Students Dismissed at 12:10 PM, Parent-Teacher Conferences 1:00-4:00 PM & 5:00-8:00 PM
- Monday, October 22: Celebrate Monday Assembly 9:05 AM
- Tuesday, October 23: Achievement Team (Stromberg) 8:15 AM
- Wednesday, October 24: Furniture Committee Meeting 8:15 AM, Elementary Principals Meeting 1:00-4:30 PM
- Thursday, October 25: Staff Meeting 8:05 AM, Picture Retakes in East Commons. PTA Meeting 7:00 PM
- Friday, October 26: Monster Mash Dash 6:00-8:00 PM
- Wednesday, October 31: Halloween Costume Parade around the school 3:15 PM
The Spark of Learning 