Celebrating Labor Day? Me Too!
What does Labor Day mean to you?
For millions of teachers, children and their families, it means heading back to school. That’s been part of my life for 70 years now! How is that possible? Well, I began kindergarten in 1953!
During those years as a student (K-12 and undergrad) each fall I eagerly looked forward to meeting my teachers and reuniting with my friends. With a mixture of anticipation and anxiety, I watched my teachers to see what my world would be like. I knew I’d be OK if my teacher was strict, as long as she wasn’t mean. I looked for signs that my teacher had a sense of humor to discover whether his class would be fun.
Do you know this quote?
“I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. My personal approach creates the climate. My daily mood makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.”
I clearly experienced a teacher’s power as a student. Did you?
Then I became a teacher and Labor Day meant decorating my classroom and learning new curriculum. It also meant establishing routines so my students felt safe to take learning risks.
As a parent, it meant shopping for school supplies and the perfect 1st day outfit. It meant sending my children off hoping they would have a teacher who cared about them.
When I left my classroom to be the district Transition Coordinator and then the state Transition Specialist, I missed those Labor Day classroom preparations, but enjoyed the fresh start to the school year from a supportive role. I lived their back to school preparation vicariously.
The whole process started over when I moved to a college campus as Towson University’s Special Education Professor and Graduate Director. I didn’t have my assigned classroom, but each Labor Day I had a fresh opportunity to start anew - to design a new syllabus or refresh an outdated approach. It meant greeting new students and establishing a safe learning climate.
When I retired, I expected to miss the Labor Day scramble, but then… in mid summer, I began as the University of Delaware Inclusion Specialist. I was delighted to split my time between our pilot school and campus. It felt like coming home. Problem solving with classroom teachers and leaders recharged my battery. That joy continued into my consulting company…to the present Labor Day.
But this year it’s even better!
I have an amazing and expanded team. Together we prepared for Labor Day with a 5 day retreat in New Jersey. Check out our new members and our team pictures at https://amypleet.com/joyful-inclusion-team
