Joan Moser
December 19, 2014
Issue #335
I recently had the honor of spending time at the hospital with friends who have been there for an extended period of time caring for and supporting one of their children. As you can imagine, their lives revolve around the heartbeat of the hospital: therapy times, vital signs, medication doses, and more. Yet the rest of their lives must continue to move forward with siblings who need to get to and from school, laundry that needs to be washed, cooking that must be done, and jobs that require their attendance. 
My friend and I were talking about how they are managing everything. She said that as difficult as it was to admit, they couldn’t do it on their own. Family, colleagues, and friends have supported them. We talked about how even though it may be difficult to ask for and accept help, most people really do want to lend a hand. Upon reflection, we both realized that our lives are richer and fuller as a result of accepting and giving help.
As I drove home that night, the conversation continued to roll around in my head. I couldn’t quit thinking about how this dialogue could just as easily have taken place in regard to schools and classrooms. As educators, even though our day-to-day lives are spent in one room with many bodies, teaching can be a lonely and isolating job. While trying to find a different approach to help a student understand a needed concept or puzzling through the behaviors of another child, we may find our own toolkit of strategies and ideas empty. Unfortunately, we often think we should have all the answers or be able to find the solutions on our own.
Sometimes it is difficult to ask for help. As we enter this time of year when either our own toolkits or those of our colleagues may be feeling depleted, why not reach out, ask for help, or lend a hand? I believe all of us would find our lives fuller and richer as a result.
News from The Daily CAFE
Supporting Small-Group and Whole-Group Goals
This small group is working on a strategy specifically related to their needs while revisiting a whole-group teaching point.
Multiplication Cards*
Students build computation and estimation skills with this simple card game
Daily 5 Boot Camp*
A weeklong Daily 5 boot camp will help get behaviors and procedures back on track after a long vacation.
* Available to members
 b-Resilient
To Have Been Loved So Deeply |
 Conferring with CCPensieve
Manually mark calendar meeting completed |
Professional Development Opportunities
2015 Live WorkshopsWe are excited about our 2015 workshops. At each location, the first day will focus on Daily 5 and Math Daily 3. Day two covers all things CAFE.
|
2015 Online SeminarsOur online seminars are perfect for those who prefer short bursts of information combined with independent learning. They also work well if you’re time crunched or unable to travel to a live workshop. During each session, we offer a seminar covering Daily 5, CAFE, and Math Daily 3.
|
Learn more about Daily 5 and CAFE workshops, online seminars, and online graduate courses.