Thinking on my feet

Running sparks my life with adventure. Each time I run, no matter how long or how far, I have a new experience. The day it gets old, I will stop. I have returned lost dogs, chased my own lost dog, chased charming sunsets and sunrises, played threatening games of Frogger on the street, helped move furniture, gotten lost in the darkness of rain and snow, been to the top of the world and at times have felt like I’m at the bottom. Regardless of the day or adventure, I feel (and would argue for any other runner as well) better than I did before the run started- 100 percent of the time.

Because of a body’s remarkable ability to adapt and surprise itself, I often try to attribute this to the mind as well. Several of my blog posts are products of ideas from a run. Although one’s body is working harder than it possibly has all day, a run can put the mind at ease. Ideas spark in my running shoes and my chosen career will forever benefit from this, just as it did today.

Last year, Woodside Middle School received a generous grant and was fortunate enough to provide each 7th and 8th grader with his or her own laptop for the year. With obvious restrictions and rules coinciding with the privilege, the students have been beyond thrilled to call something their own, nonetheless a laptop. Classes have changed drastically and I am learning more about teaching just by incorporating technology each and every day.

Today, the students’ fantasy world was put on hold. Apparently when something is made in mass quantity, glitches and breakdowns are much more likely to occur. The repairs to the computers are actually quite comical, as the consultants in town are using “dignified tape” to fix the internal wiring. In reality, the students could care less about what’s going on with the computers and were just genuinely sad to see them go for the day – kissing and hugging them goodbye until Friday. As staff, we knew this was coming, but the ambush came sooner than expected. Frustrated and anxious, my mentor and I scramble for ideas for the remainder of the week as the students’ writing workshops have all come to a screeching stop – considering the entire workshops were just taken away. Before parting, I say “I’ll think of something, don’t worry,” and leave for the day.

I have a plethora of lesson plans, materials, discussion questions and videos that I can prepare any day of the week, but I wanted something original and something that related to the writing prompts the students were working on before they were bushwhacked. So, I went for a run. It didn’t hurt that we are having a wonderful nice-weather tease at the beginning of February. The night was a blessing and the roads always are. Needless to say, I think I’ve got something for tomorrow.