The Winter Grind

When you live in a snow state, February is a grind. The newness of snow and winter has passed. The novelty of snowmen and winter lights has faded. Instead days are simply short. Nights are long. It's cold. The wind is bad. If there is snow, it's a hassle because no one remembers how to drive and getting the kids snow gear on is a pain. Winter, this lovely festival becomes the dreary day to day. It is the grind.

In school's it is no different. The kids wander in their various states of dress. Some bundled up like Nanook of the North, which I remember watching at Downers Grove South High School in 1989, and some dressed like they are ready for Weekend at Bernie's, which I also watched in 1989. Each day we are presenting harder concepts to them because this is the work time, the productive time, the time during which growth accelerates. Each night, kids go home and hit the books. They read, do their math, watch some youtube and head to bed. The next day it's back to the grind.

This is the hard time of year. This is the difficult work. The time in the trenches. This is when the growth happens. Just like a child, where you put them to bed and they wake up a little taller. In schools, this is when we do the day to day hard work and then Spring comes and we realize they came out a little smarter. These are the hard days and the long nights. For kids and adults it can feel like a grind. In our district, between January 4th and March 24th, there are 57 days of school and 2 three-day weekends. There will be many indoor recess days, many wind-blown bitter bus stops, daily learning opportunities that challenge the very fabric of our understanding and many long nights. For now in schools, it is the grind.

As all Winters, even in Narnia, Spring truly is just around the corner. With it, renewal, sun, energy, children still not dressed for the weather, and celebrations of growth. In these tough days we cannot lose track of the power of each day. The investment that comes from the hard work. When we feel as if we are going to snap, recognize that for all of us, kids and adults, this is the grind. However, it's just a stage. This too shall pass, and the value gained from our investment of time, energy, and diligence will bring value in Spring.

Narnia, The River Melts