Contentment

My principal spent part of a day last week, stopping in each classroom to let teachers know where they’d be next year. My team isn’t changing and it is the first time in 5 years, I am staying put. Same room, same curriculum. That’s not to say I won’t do some things differently next year; it will be fine tuning rather than radical change.

So, it seems to be a good time to reflect on my 2016 One Little Word: contentment. In January, my rationale for choosing this word was this:

Having worked hard to “get what I wanted” I want to take some time to relax and enjoy whatever comes my way. Although I greatly enjoyed serving on the Morris Committee, I want the serendipity of reading whatever I find at the library. Now that I have the job I sought so actively, I want to enjoy being that teacher.

I am an introvert by nature and I think a lot of 2015 put me out of my comfort zone. I had to be more extroverted than I am by nature. I want to reclaim my introversion and just be happy with what I have, where I live and work. I am sure I will find something that will catch my fancy and will let it sweep me up, but for now, I am content with life and I just want to embrace that for a while.

We have 5-1/2 weeks of school left and I am feeling very comfortable in my new school. I embraced my new job, letting is sweep me up and it has been a good year. Contentment implies a simplicity and an ease of mind. As the year winds down, I am not worried about where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing in the next school year and that definitely brings me peace of mind.