From Overwhelmed to Having Fun

     I've been awake since 2:05 am thinking about how I want to teach this week. Since 3:35 I've been at the computer trying to make it happen. But after a word battle with a word splash program called Wordle, I don't have much to show for it at 6:05 am, and am feeling overwhelmed.

     I took a break and looked at what it is I want to teach this week; reading, math, science, social studies and language arts for my 2nd grade class. I set each book down on the couch, spreading them out next to each other. Then I asked myself what was the important lesson from each subject, how I could make it fun for my students to learn the lessons, and how I could make it fun for me to teach each one.

     Asking myself how could I make it fun immediately made me feel better and more relaxed. We already have built a big ship in the classroom. Now the next step is figuring out how I will address "my crew" tomorrow morning with the adventures we'll be taking this week.

     I know in social studies we'll be traveling with Ponce de Leon to discover the coast of Florida. Now all I have to do is determine what activity, challenge or project I can create that will make learning this historical fact engaging and an authentic experience that will last long after the test and this year.

    Then I do the same thing with the other subjects by integrating them into this wonderful experience.

    Now, instead of feeling overwhelmed, I feel playful, and feeling playful is having fun, and having fun opens up my brain versus shutting it down from feeling overwhelmed.  

    So how do you go from feeling overwhelmed, as a teacher, parent, student, child, doctor, lawyer, butcher, baker or candlestick maker? Start asking yourself how you can make what you have to do enjoyable. How can you make this thing you're trying to do fun?

    Think like a child, be childlike. It's a much more intelligent and fun way to think and live.