Joy...always

Who would have thought that getting 8 teachers together to learn a 2 minute dance in the school's musical production of "Mary Poppins Jr" would be so supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? (Sorry, I had to throw that descriptor in somewhere.)

But seriously - Educator life goal of making a cameo appearance in the school play complete. (But hey, if the opportunity presents itself, I'll do it again in the future...just sayin'...it doesn't have to be a one and done thing.)

Check out the whole dance HERE. :)

Best bloomin' chimney sweeps around, eh?

What strikes me about this group of fabulous educators, led, of course, by our principal (third from the left), is the constant JOY they emanate and the energy they bring each day to their classrooms and lessons. In a Catholic school, joy should always be what grounds us in the education of minds and hearts.

And I think as we prepare for Catholic Schools Week, we need to remember this. It's likely, from time to time, that many of us will lose that sense of joy, even if ever so briefly. (Trust me from personal experience on this one.) We get caught up in deadlines, paper grading, student misbehavior or frustration, lack of time, too many meetings, parent communication, etc. etc. etc. And then, we get disheartened, frustrated with ourselves and our students, and we wonder, Am I really cut out to be a teacher? (Spoiler alert: The answer is most likely yes.)

To be joyful is a choice, and it comes from first being filled with joy from knowing and loving God, letting our hearts be filled with the Holy Spirit. It comes from Mass, and prayer, and time, and commitment. It comes from surrounding ourselves with good people, others who have discovered their same God-given purpose in Catholic education. And it comes from helping our students recognize and find that same joy in their own relationships with Jesus.

So, as we gear up for Catholic Schools Week, we need to lift one another in prayer to our Father and ask that He fill our hearts with joy and gratitude so that through our work as educators we continue to make Him known, loved, and served.