I am coming to the end of a 19 day break from school and I have to admit I have a small sense of dread about it. I have really enjoyed sleeping a little later, wearing comfy clothes, taking long walks in the sunshine with my dog, and reading lots of good books. Even with all of the work of hosting and shopping and cooking and cleaning, it has been a wonderfully restful time. So, of course I feel a bit of dread when I start to think about going back to work. There are a lot of things that I am not looking forward to; like hard pants, uncomfortable shoes, waking up at 5:30 am, packing lunch, and hitting a zero energy level at 3:00 every day. But I also know that I LOVE my job. Even in hard pants, I experience so much joy each day that I am at school. So, I sat down and made a list in my new 2026 journal of all joy I have at work. Joy that is found in toddler giggles, connecting with my friends, terrible dad-jokes from my boss, loving hugs, and the enthusiasm with which 4 year-olds greet their friends each morning!
If you are fortunate enough to work with young children, I promise you that there is joy in your work. It's true that sometimes we overlook it or let gloom overshadow it. As you start back to your classroom after this long break, I encourage you to Choose Joy! If you look for it,
I promise it is there.
