From a very young age, my mom used to chide me for my worries. I would always ask her, 'But what if...?' and she would say, "What if the world ends tomorrow? Then what are you going to do?" I never had an answer for that one. I always thought she was silly one, and had no understanding of me.
It's hard not to worry. It's become such an integrated part of our culture to think long-term, make the right decisions, consider your actions and worry for the best. And I've found, in life, that it is only when I stop worrying that the best things happen. If I had worried my way to the moon and back, I would never have made it here to China, and had this wonderful opportunity to study Montessori.
I was shown a beautiful commercial today from Japan, that focuses on the negative impact of worry in a classroom. One of the biggest concerns teachers have focuses on the issue of worry -- When should I worry? Do I worry too much? Do I worry too little? We feel so responsible for our children, they are OUR children, in so many ways. And so we worry. But sometimes, we need to step back and look at the bigger picture.
Parents are always looking at the little things, and worrying about what the little things mean. I believe that's inherent in becoming a parent, for many. But as teachers, we need to be able to look at both. We need to be able to understand the little things, and piece them together into the big picture, to give the parents a better understanding of their child. This video highlighted that message perfectly, and I hope it means as much to you as it meant to me.
Until the next time...
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