The Waiting...

As I sit here at my desk checking my e-mail for the one-hundred millionth time today, it suddenly hits me.  I am just like my kids.  Like my own children & my students.  I am just a kid, waiting for someone to give me feedback, acknowledgement, credit.

I spend the last 40 minutes of the school day, phoning it in as it were.  Half listening to the students, begrudingly leaving my desk to answer questions and telling them that I will "assess" their work when I grade it this weekend.  Not on principal, but just because I am waiting to see if my mom has read my blog.  And if my husband read my blog.  And if sister read my blog.

And if they did, what did they think? 

I want feedback. I want to call my mom.  I want to know what she thought.

And so do the students, so do my children, so does my husband, and mother and sister.

I see suddenly that while I am waiting to be appreciated and commended or simply acknowledged, so is everyone else and sometimes they come first.

So.  I feel like I understand a little better now why my son so DESPERATELY wants me to come see him win the race at "Rainbow Road" while playing Wii.  Why my students want me to "look at" their PowerPoint project when it is only half-way finished.  Why my husband wants me to appreciate the skill involved in scoring a goal in an MLS soccer game.  Why my mom wants me to know exactly how much money was saved in her latest bargain hunt. 

We ALL want to be acknowledged by the people we love and care about.  We want to show them, impress them, amaze them.

So.  Starting now I am going to make more of an effort to appreciate and commend the accomplishments of those I love and care about, even the small ones.  I am going to pay closer attention to the things that they want me to see.  I am going to be more engaged. 

Right after I call my mom.