“I’m losing my sparkle and the only way to get it back is to return to my star family.”

~Charlie’s Colorforms City

The boy was restless and a bit on the wild side. He chose to take his money and run. He left his family behind and went out into the world. He lived it up, spending his money foolishly. After some time, he found himself in trouble. His money was gone and a famine hit. He hired himself out to a citizen of where he was living. His job was to feed the pigs and so he did. However, he was given nothing. He was starving.

This young boy came to his senses and made the decision to return home. He knew his father’s workers back home were treated better than he was being treated. His plan was to ask for his family’s forgiveness, tell them he is unworthy of being called their son because of what he had done, and would beg to become one of his father’s workers. He underestimated the love of his family.

When his father saw the boy walking down the road toward home, he became filled with compassion for his son. The father ran to him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. The father cried out with thankfulness this son of mine was lost and is now found.

The boy in that story lost his sparkle. He realized the only way to get it back was to return to his family.

Teachers…you may have that boy (and girl) in your classroom this fall. Children who may be restless and a little on the wild side. Children who may choose to do some foolish things. Children who may begin to feel unworthy for unknown reasons. When those kids, your students, come to their senses (and they will eventually), how will you show compassion?

You and your classroom of children become a family over the nine months you are together. Most days, you spend more time with those kids than their parents are able to. If you have students who have lost their sparkle, how will you help them find it again? If you lose YOUR sparkle, how will you get it back?

As the new school year begins, our best advice for you is to build a positive relationship with all of your students. Smile, greet them at the door every morning, call them by name, eat lunch with them, listen to their stories, treat them with unconditional regard, give them a handshake, high five or hug when then leave at the end of the day, attend their activities outside of school, make your lessons so awesome that they can’t wait to return the next day to see what you will do this time. And remember…those restless, wild, foolish students are sometimes the hardest to love, but they are also the ones who need it the most.

How will you find balance between your professional life and your personal life so you do not lose your sparkle? Here are a few ways to take care of you: Exercise, eat right, drink lots of water, get some sleep, breathe deeply, play (volleyball, pickle ball, board games, whatever floats your boat 😊), visit with family and friends, take a social media sabbatical, journal, volunteer. Find what makes you sparkle.

We wish you the best school year ever!! Sparkle on!!

Stay Calm & Sparkle On!
Profs Dr. Wendy. & Dr. V.