The FISH! philosophy saves the morning

Today was another hot, humid, very windy day.

I carried a load of notebooks to school this morning thankful that when I arrived, I would distribute the graded notebooks and return home empty handed. Then I realized that I had grabbed the wrong stack of notebooks! My poor fingers were so tired they couldn't even bend, and I had lugged 30 of the wrong notebooks 20 minutes to school and up 4 flights of stairs!

I hate life! I wanted to scream. Of course I didn't, and instead I smiled and said, "Good morning class. How is everyone today?"

I was sweating from walking up the 4 flights of stairs, and since the classrooms don't have air conditioning or even a fan, I would get no relief from the humidity and stale air of a packed classroom with closed windows.

I felt exhausted already it was only 7:31am, and I had 3 hours and 59 minutes of teaching to go.

Two girls were late today, (which I have no patience for) because they interrupt whatever I'm teaching with their embarrassed looks and lame excuses.

today I felt like a water balloon being filled up with water from a hose, and little by little I fill up, stretch out, and become so enlarged that at any second I feel like I am going to explode.

This morning was my 8th time teaching the same lesson. I felt so tired. So bored.

In these moments of frustation and exhaustion I force myself to think about the FISH! philosophy.

The FISH! philosophy was taught to me when I worked as a Counselor at a Girl Scout Camp. The philosophy teaches people how to work well together, form healthy work relationships and be good leaders and workers.

Even though I learned this 5 years ago, I still utilize the 4 practices of the FISH! philsophy.

*Play

*Make Their Day

*Choose Your Attitude

*Be Present


Since I am not a morning person, and I begin teaching at 7:30am, in order to not be a grump when I enter class, I always say before I enter class: Choose your attitude, Mandy.

So then I fake being really happy and energetic. This tactic reminds me of saying, "Fake it till you make it."

So even though I wanted to yell at my late students, yell at the students giving News of the World that their pronunciation was uninteligible, and throw the 30 wrong notebooks across the room, I didn't.

I just pretended to be happy and energetic, and I made jokes and took lots of deep breaths,

and everything turned out okay.


Soon, it was time for my second class of the day, with the same old lesson, same irritations, same stuffy, hot classroom, but by then I was calm enough to sail through class--and onto a delicious lunch of rice and three different kinds of vegetable dishes.

thank goodness this week is over.


Only one more to go.