Honesty and May Day Fun

I walked around Lake Calhoun yesterday, and I found myself in a very reflective, positive mood. I turned up my music, walked quickly, and enjoyed the weather. I wasn't surprised by the number of people, because it was a beautiful day. But it seems there were even more people there than usual, because the Cystic Fibrosis was going on. I found myself to be an unintentional participant in the fundraiser. Whoopsies! But even through all of the people and the hustle and bustle, I enjoyed doing something by myself, FOR myself. Walking. It was great, and it gave me an opportunity to think.

Today, I feel the need to write about honesty. This isn't my typical kind of post. I think the whole concept of honesty comes to mind at this time of year, because it was about two years ago that my life changed because of dishonesty, and I had the opportunity to start over. I'm a very honest person. I have told my share of white lies, particularly to Charley (she thinks every meat is chicken, matzo balls can pass for potatoes, and sausage is the same thing as pepperoni). However, when it comes down to the real issues, I'm honest. I've actually gotten BETTER at being honest in the last year or so. Not that I lied, before, but sometimes I'd hold back a little bit, simply to avoid an argument or hurt feelings. In working with my students, though, I've come to admire their honesty, and....dare I say....started to be more upfront, myself!

Now, don't get me wrong. There are times when their honesty can be downright rude. Like the time a student told me he thought I was little when I started working at the school, but now I seem like I'm normal sized. Hmmm.... So essentially, he told me I'd put on weight. He's right! But I was like, "Thanks a lot you little *#@%," Ha! Many times, their honesty is amusing. Such as the time last week, when a student told me he didn't like the project we're working on.  I'm having one of my writing groups re-write the words to Frozen's "Let it Go," to teach about long division. When I spoke with one of my students about it, he said, "You see, Ms. P, the boys don't really like this assignment."
"Why not?" I questioned.
"Well, the thing is, we don't really like to think that much. You like to think. But we don't. We'd rather just relax."
His reasoning was almost as hilarious as the delivery of the statement. He was totally polite, calm, and serious. It was as though his thought process was totally rational, and he was convinced that I would understand his point of view. It was hilarious! So, I politely and calmly stated, "Well, my friend, you don't come to school to relax. You can do that at home. You come to school to think. So get busy thinking, because you're not talking your way out of this one!" He gave me a defeated grin, and waved at me as I walked out of the room. I love my students!

I have grown to appreciate how honest kids can be. For better or for worse, they'll tell you how they feel. It's funny, because I feel like my students are far more open and honest with me than I would EVER have been with a teacher. If a teacher got a haircut that didn't look good, I'd still make a comment, and confirm that it looked great! If I had a crush on a boy in my class, the last person I would tell about it was my teacher! But my students tell me if my hair looks "poofy" and come to me if they have trouble with whoever they're "going out" with. But boy, are these kids honest, and often blunt. Do they bend the truth, if they think they'll get in trouble? Of course they do. They're kids. But if they're mad, for one reason or another, they have no issue letting it out!

Now, I decided to post about honesty today, for a reason. I think we, as adults, can learn a lot from kids when it comes to upfront, honest communication. It takes skill to be honest, and tactful at the same time, but it's something I'm working on. When I say that I'm working on it, I'm not implying that I have been dishonest. If anything, the only person I was really dishonest with in the past was myself. But I also hold back quite a bit, in order to avoid confrontation or uncomfortable situations. I did that in past relationships, and I generally found myself frustrated and annoyed...or very uncomfortable. Like the guy who asked me every time I saw him... "So...do you have any concerns about us, so far?" Ummmm.... the fact that he asked me EVERY time I saw him if I had concerns was a concern for me...Duh! But I'd just be like, "Nope, I'm good." I didn't want to deal with the discussion that was to follow, so I avoided it like the plague. In fact, I've avoided the, "What are we?" conversation several times. Danced around it like crazy, because it was so awkward, and I knew that once we had the conversation, I'd have to admit that I didn't really see things moving forward. That happened with 2 different guys...and I just let things taper off with them. Mostly because I wasn't secure enough to just come out and say, "You're a great guy, but you're not the one for me." That's an area where honesty is key, and I have gotten SO much better about it. I still have a hard time communicating what I want and need (my students certainly have NO difficulty in that area), but the last time I knew a guy wasn't right for me, I came right out and told him.  I swear, these kids are teaching me something!

Alright, before I wrap up here, I thought I'd share a project I did with my students this week. Thursday was May Day, and while that doesn't mean much to most people, it means a lot to me. As a child, my mom would help my sisters and I put together May baskets to deliver to our neighbors. We filled them with flowers and candy, placed them on the neighbors' doorsteps, rang the doorbell, and sprinted away, so we wouldn't get caught. Of course, all the neighbors knew it was us, because we became known for this little act of kindness, but we loved doing it. The whole purpose was to do something nice for someone else, with absolutely no expectation of receiving anything in return. The reward was in knowing that we made someone's day. Well, I decided to carry on this tradition at the school. The door to the classroom stayed shut most of the day, as the students worked busily, putting candy in baggies, and creating May baskets for all of the teachers in the school.   They placed them in the teachers' mailboxes, with little notes that said something like, "Dear Ms. P,
Happy May Day.
From,
????"
The major part of the lesson for the kids was that it's nice to do something for someone else, just for the purpose of being kind. They were really excited to do that. I can only recall one student asking why he didn't get candy, too, which is impressive. The others seemed content to bag the candy, and make their teachers' day a little bit brighter. With that said, they were successful. It's definitely a tradition I will continue in future years.

Totally random side note... I've had several people add me on Google+ recently. I've got my e-mail through Google, clearly this blog is through Google, and it seems that Google+ is the next step for me... It's confusing to me, though. I'm not even sure how or when I signed up for it, but I clearly recall a year ago, when I pulled it up for the first time and saw EVERY picture from my phone uploaded on the site. I'm not sure the world needed to see 40 Charley selfies... I quickly figured out how to fix that, but for some reason Google+ overwhelms me a bit. Anybody have experience with it, and have any tips for me? How does it compare to FB? With the option to add everybody, will it add everyone I've ever sent an e-mail to?That could be awkward... Ha! I'm just curious :)  Alright, no more rambling. Have a great week!