Once a week, in each of my daughter’s classrooms, I lead a yoga practice.
It’s a routine that stretches back to when they were in preschool and it’s one of the things I really love about my life as a mom.
Each year I ask their new teachers if they’d welcome this and each year I bite my nails with the worry that they’re going to say, “No. This is school, ma’am. We need to buck up and buckle down. Sharpen our pencils and sit up straight. We can’t have people like you namastaying all hither and yon.”
But that never happens. They always say, “Yes, that’d be terrific.”
So, this week, something even better has happened. My elder daughter’s class has to take ‘benchmark’ tests three days running. Benchmark tests are like practice tests for the test-tests. You know the ones. I could go on about them but, ahem, I won’t. Suffice it to say that the benchmark tests aren’t the better thing that has happened.
THIS is the better thing.
The wise Ms. W asked if we could do yoga all three days this week.
You got that?
All
Three
Days
!!!!!!
She thought it might help the kids feel more focused and more relaxed.
I could’ve kissed her.
This morning we had our first pre-test session.
Desk-side triangle poses.
A couple of tree poses.
A lion’s breath or two.
Every child in that classroom looked wider awake by the end of it all and I’m pretty sure not a one of them was thinking about their #2 pencils and scantron sheets.
Added bonus? I got back to my desk all vibratey and ready to roll.
(And, in keeping with my new “end every post with gratitude” rule, I’d like to say that I’m so thankful for Ms. W and all you other teachers out there — giving our kids the messages that they need to negotiate life. Not tests. Life.)
Ha! I am benchmarking all week.
Does your school do DIBELS? I would wager they do. . .if they benchmark.
Now come to my class and do yoga with us!
I am so happy to announce that I do not have a clue what a DIBEL is!!! Inhale, exhale, bluemalibu. Inhale, exhale.
You know, I used to yoga a few years ago, but somehow drifted out of it. Your post just showed me that I really need to get back into it. Thank you!
Oh, lovely! I hope you do some this afternoon!
Bravo to that teacher. It’s nice to see someone focues on the needs of the kids and not the demands of the test.
Tricia (Miss Rumphius)
I know! I’m just cheering up a storm over here…
Can we just clone you?
That is sweet of you to say, but I’m thinking there are others far worthier of cloning. Like, um, the kids. And the teachers…
How neat that you do that with your daughters’ classes. And good for the teachers for recognizing the benefit of it.
hokgardner
I’m just lucky, I think. Really. That’s what it feels like when I’m doing it. Lucky…
The world needs more teachers like Ms W
Right??!!!
Hooray to you and your daughters’ teachers! I would *love* to have a special guest star (by which I mean anyone who’s not a teacher in my class) to do yoga with us. As a teacher, I applaud you all.
And as a parent, I applaud you…
Liz, you are doing fabulous work in this world–and that’s even before you sit down to do your writing! Great story–and such a happy ending!
Robin, You are doing fabulous work running around to people’s blogs and making us feel good about ourselves. Honest to pete, honey…
Your kids go to a cool school. Yoga every week in both of their classes? Plus three days this week? You are way too cool.
Well, or THEY are. I’m actually un-cool. But don’t tell my kids that…
Very cool. I could stand to do a triangle pose right about now.
Don Devas T.
Now it’s MY turn: Could you please be a parent of a student in MY classroom?
🙂
Mary Lee
A Year of Reading