Small, Glorious Moments

It was a late summer day, and I was taking a relaxed run through College Woods, a small, beautiful patch of wilderness tucked behind the campus of the University of New Hampshire. Normally I stick with road running where I’m less likely to trip on a root and where I can control my speed more easily. But sometimes, a run in the woods is just what I need. It forces me to slow down since I don’t care what pace comes up on my watch.

I had just crested a small hill and was looking straight ahead when it happened. A red-tailed hawk, who was perched on the branch of a tree just to the side of the trail, launched itself right in front of me. It was about 10 feet off the ground and about as far in front of me. It sailed ahead of me and then up into another tree. The rusty red tail and striped wings were gorgeous. My heart soared.

Small, glorious moments like this happen every now on a run. A deer runs across the road in front of you. The sun rises over a lake just as you round a corner. A family of turkeys pokes their heads out of weeds to watch you as you pass. An unexpected burst of energy carries you up and over a hill, and you feel like you could run forever. You can’t plan for these small moments, but you can cherish them when they happen. They’re part of what makes running so amazing.

Small, Glorious Moments in the Classroom

Small, glorious moments happen in the classroom too. A student has a sudden breakthrough and understands an idea that had been eluding them. A kid who you’ve been trying to connect with softens and lets you have a real conversation with them. You’re stuck in a meeting, and the class has a productive time without you, leaving the guest teacher impressed. Students are having a difficult time understanding a concept and a classmate makes a comment that helps other kids understand. Someone cracks a joke and everyone dissolves into giggles.

Here are a few more examples.

I was observing in a first-grade art classroom. As I sidled over to a table of students, a six-year-old boy looked up at me with a twinkle in his eye. “Why do golfers wear two pair of underwear?” he asked. I had no idea, though maybe you’ve heard the answer. He smiled. “In case they get a hole in one.” (Don’t you love it when a small child throws down a dad joke?)

I was heading to the office of a high school I was working in. I turned the corner and almost ran into three kids (sophomores, I think). Startled, a boy jerked his head up, took one look at me and my pink tie and blurted, “That tie is fire, bruh!”

Three fifth graders were having lunch, and I asked if they could join. They invited me to sit and taught me how to play a game: fingers up. Everyone starts with five fingers up. Players take turns making true statements about themselves such as “I’ve never been down a waterslide.” If anyone has been down a waterslide, they have to put a finger down. Turns continue until only one person has any fingers remaining up, and they’re the winner. In a few minutes, I learned so much about these boys. One loves UNC basketball, another has visited family in India, the third’s favorite soccer player is Ronaldo. We shared funny stories and laughed a lot. It was one of the highlights of my day.

Students in a calculus class were being encouraged to pick and choose problems to work on that were challenging–ones that would “make you sweat a little bit” in words of the teacher. “But what if you get stuck?” asked a student, her voice tremulous. Other kids leaned in, also worried. (These kids were in Calculus. They’re used to being successful, and their teacher was encouraging them to try problems they weren’t sure if they could solve.) “Cry a little bit,” said the teacher, “then move on and try another.” The class chuckled and the anxiety dissolved.

Keep Your Eye Out for Them

It’s so easy, when running and teaching, to get so laser focused on getting through a workout or a school day, that it’s easy to miss these little precious moments. But it’s these moments that make running and teaching so joyful. So, as you move through the school day, keep your eye out for these small, glorious moments. Take time to really watch and listen to your students as they work during the day. Chat with kids walking through the hall or as you move through the lunchroom. In Rekindle Your Professional Fire, I encourage teachers to appreciate these small, glorious moment and even jot them down somewhere, so you don’t lose them.

When we’re truly present with our students and remember to appreciate the funny things they say and the little moments of joy and humor that happen spontaneously throughout the day, we keep our own professional fires burning just a bit brighter.

For a bunch of free resources about keeping your professional fires kindled, check out this LiveBinder.

To read more reflections about what running can remind us about teaching and learning, click here. You can connect with me on Strava here.

Author

Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson has been an educator for many years. A public school teacher for 15 years, he has also taught preschool, coached swim teams, and taught university graduate level classes. He now works as a consultant providing professional learning for teachers throughout the US and beyond. In 2004, Mike was awarded a national Milken Educator Award, and in 2005 he was a finalist for NH Teacher of the Year. In 2020, he was awarded the Outstanding Educational Leader Award by NHASCD for his work as a consultant. A best-selling author, Mike has written ten books about great teaching and learning. His latest book is Rekindle Your Professional Fire: Powerful Habits for Becoming a More Well-Balanced Teacher. When not working, Mike can be found hanging with his family, tending his perennial gardens, and searching for new running routes around his home in Durham, NH.

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