My little group of retired teacher friends and I get together a few times a year. We love to play a card game called Dutch Blitz. You might have heard of it. It’s a super fast paced, card counting game that uses a unique deck of cards. It’s a lot of movement and reflexes. When we’re playing we are super competitive and the laughs abound!
There are, however, many nights when I feel at a disadvantage in this game. It takes me awhile to get into the swing of things. I come straight from work most nights and have to get up early the next day to head back to work. My kids are still young-ish and definitely still reliant on me for some things. My contributions to the appetizer potluck are usually store bought; I’m sometimes the last to arrive or sliding in late and barely shifted out of work mode. I always need a reminder of the rules of the game I’ve been playing for over a decade. By the time I get to our card nights I’m tired!
Life is busy and sometimes there are things that are just out of our control. We don’t always make the rules of life, but we can accommodate and help each other to feel welcome. At different phases of my career, I’ve felt the same way in the classroom. Family obligations, time off for a variety of reasons, and feeling like I’m always playing catch up can be so stressful. What got me through those times? Staff and colleagues who were willing to co-plan with me, offer a listening ear, remind me that we’re supporting each other without judgement. A little empathy for others can go a long way.
This year, take a moment to notice those children who are arriving at school a little late, running for the bus, forgetting their indoor shoes, lunches, and homework. Let’s extend that empathy toward them as well. Understanding that they might be figuring out their own breakfasts or lunches and packing school bags after a night with little sleep or babysitting siblings. Maybe they’ve forgotten their pencil crayons and rulers at home – it’s happened to me more than once! Offer some empathy over penalty; let them borrow materials, ask them how their day is, tell them you’re glad they made it. We don’t control the rules of the game, but we can all be a listening ear and remind them that we support and care for them at school.
I can’t remember the last time I won a game of Dutch Blitz – hey, some days I can barely remember the rules. In over ten years I think I’ve won a handful of times and that’s probably all the times we’ve played in partners. But I do remember the laughs and the camaraderie. The feeling of belonging and that my friends extend understanding to me when I need it most. And that’s the unspoken rule that keeps me in the game.
