I decided later in the day that I was also going to try and keep a laughter journal, because I believe cummings is right. Some days I feel like if I don't laugh, I'll cry. I do believe that we should find something to laugh about everyday. Even researchers and health specialists talk about the physical and emotional benefits of laughter. We stretch muscles, increase oxygen flow, and heck it just feels good. (See http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/give-your-body-boost-with-laughter).
Laughter Journal Week 1:
Monday, October 14, 2013
Today I laughed with a student's parents. The first academic quarter came to a close last Friday, and that means parent-teacher conferences at my school. Now keep in mind it's been a pretty stressful year for both parents and teachers. Common core mania has taken over and teachers are overloaded with changes, parents are trying to understand the changes, and states and school districts can often make it even more confusing for everyone. Throw into the mix that this student is new to our school and district, and you just never know what could happen. I had met her parents briefly at a curriculum night earlier in the quarter and they seemed very supportive of both me and their daughter, so I had high hopes for a productive meeting. The details of the conference are not important here, what's important is the occasion to laugh, afterall, this is a laughter journal. Here's what we laughed about:
We laughed about feeling old when we tell our kids we learned math differently when we were kids and they respond by saying, "Well that's not the way my teacher told me to do it!"
We laughed about the silliness of boys and girls writing notes to and about each other when they're ten, and what those notes are going to look like in middle and high school.
We laughed about the fact that the kids think they're smarter than us, and don't realize we see and know just about everything they do... often because we've done it ourselves.
We laughed about how cute this student's biography project was, and how her mom enjoyed helping her because they talked all about Charles Shultz, creator of the Peanuts, and she could tell how much her daighter learned from and enjoyed the book. We also laughed when her father admitted to not only having been the kid who waited until the night before a project was due, but once in awhile showed up to school saying, "Oh we had a project due today?" Needless to say, they left their daughter at home tonight.
We laughed about how badly I felt that I taught a group of students (including their daughter) a hard lesson when they swore to me they read and discussed a book in their literature circle. I made them all take a test, knowing they weren't being truthful, just to prove a point and they all failed it. Mom and Dad had no pity on the children by the way. (I did and I didn't count it because I think they got my point).
I laughed inside and smiled big when they told me how much their daughter loves school and at home constantly says, "Dr. Kemp this, and Dr. Kemp that...."
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Today I laughed as I listened to two of my 4th grade students, a boy and a girl, argue over which I liked better: the Miami Hurricanes or the Miami Dolphins. One of them didn't understand the distinction between college teams and NFL teams. I don't know what was funnier, their argument, or the fact that it was over my favorite sports teams! For the record, I am a fan of both. Though born in New York, I didn't start watching NFL football until high school, and I moved to Florida in 9th grade. I've been a Fins fan ever since, though I also root for the currently pathetic Giants. I earned my undergraduate degree at The U during the glory years, and have been an avid Canes fan since the day I became a Cane. Laughing with the kids over this made today's highlight reel!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Seems like I laughed quite a bit today. That's a good thing! Lots of little things like giggly moments with my 4th graders, an article about the difficulties had by women with big boobs, and some chaos (though not terribly serious chaos) in the personal lives of my friends. But two things in particular stand out as having generated some good endorphin-releasing laughter. The first was following an invitation to write presented by one of my students. The invite itself wasn't funny. It was a cute rhyming poetry book about valentines. I always write with my kids and today was no exception. I wrote about the pressures of what to write in a Valentine or what gifts one should buy for their Valentine. I ended with a classic quote from my husband that made me (and the kids) chuckle. "I tell you I love you everyday. What do I need Valentines Day for?" What made me laugh even harder was when following dismissal, I walked into the office and found my teammate at the front desk waiting to speak to someone. On the counter in front of her, there were two good size bouquets of flowers (no idea why). I smiled and asked her, "You here to pick up your flowers?" We both laughed rather hard, and I told her about my Valentines Day writing from earlier. We exchanged memories, or what we could muster up in the way of memories, about the last time either of our husbands brought us flowers. Thankfully, what enabled us to laugh so freely, was that we both knew the other had very happy and solid marriages, despite the lack of flowers.
The second laugh came from some slap-happy adults meeting for a Boy Scout parent committee meeting tonight. There were several comments made in joking fashion about how much better the events would be with alcohol. I quipped about the need for a bar at the summer camp, someone else suggested a parents' auxiliary fund that would allow us to have gambling and drinking functions as fundraisers, and others made similar nonsensical comments. Put a bunch of working people around a conference table at 7pm after a long workday, and that's what you'll get. OBVIOUSLY, the comments were all made in jest. Alcohol and games of chance are strictly prohibited at all scout functions.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Today's laugh comes in care of childish banter amongst teacher-friends after school... a charades game of sorts. As we often do while we unwind after dismissal, a few of us gathered in one of our classrooms and recapped the highlights of our day. Though I've been trying extra hard to stay positive this year and block out the stressors I can't control, sometimes the sarcasm bug bites and releasing it with colleagues you can trust is a must. That's what I did with two of my teammates today. We couldn't help but purge the "You know what really bugs me?" thoughts we knew we were all feeling, and I acted mine out! I'm going to leave it at that because our sharing is safe. It might be a rationalization, but it doesn't feel like trash talk because we share it in a closed room to get it off our chests as a common experience, and then we let it go. I would never want one of our colleagues to misinterpret or have their feelings hurt. If you are a teacher, and you never vent with your team or a colleague you trust, you're likely a miserable teacher. Otherwise, you could be a liar. My teammates and I are very lucky. We may not always agree, but we trust each other, respect each other, and laugh together!
Friday, October 18, 2013
Though I know I laughed today, I can't quite recall any significant stimuli. There was probably more of the banter with my colleagues, giggles with my students, but no overwhelming guffaw. I finished work, packed a bag, and drove to Orlando to see my father who had surgery on Monday. Nothing to laugh about up here, but thankfully he is on the mend.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Today's laugh needs little explanation. It comes courtesy of my good friend and fellow writer, Helen, who posted this as her Facebook status today!
Enough said.
I loved the journey through your week of laughter. And my post made me laugh more than when I realized the original error. Thanks for helping us all see that laughter is available in the simplest situations. As a side note, I came to my iPad tonight to write for my blog, but was afraid I'd blow it off. Thanks for the motivation to persevere.
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