Easily Eclipsed

 I wasn't going to write about today's solar eclipse. Western news and social media outlets are gleefully sharing all the hubbub surrounding this astronomical event. People are travelling to certain cities to ensure they get the best view. The city of Niagara Falls will be under a state of emergency because of the immense number of visitors expected to descend for this occasion. 

In the end, I had to acquiesce. Something like this that happens so infrequently yet so spectacularly (the last one that impacted Canada was in 1979) that I couldn't ignore it. There are lots of things happening in the world that should probably have more attention paid to them. However, the "novel" can easily overshadow (dare I say, "eclipse") the "mundane".

A similar phenomenon occurs in education as well. The special events get more attention, more photos, more yearbook page space. I just went through all the photos I took from January to now to select some for my annual school scrapbook. It's more interesting and flashy to select things that are out-of-the-ordinary, such as the students skiing at Albion Hills, hosting the first Rubik's Cube Club meeting or building joysticks during Robotics Club.

This post is a reminder to me that I need to give equal time and attention to the boring but necessary tasks that are part of day-to-day teaching. I'm making a point of writing down on my to-do list these chores so that I don't ignore them. It's things like 

• evaluating the social studies classwork completed by the Grade 1s and 2s
• recording marks on my spreadsheets so I'll be ready for report card writing
• planning an assessment for the Grade 3s and 4s mid-way through to see if they understand the concepts already presented
• documenting the library recess visits so I can include the numbers in my annual report

We need special days to spice things up once in a while but it's the routine tasks that help us function. Trust me, I'd rather devote my time to something "sparkly" (like crafting my IMLRS presentations) but we need the basics done first. 

I don't have any plans to view the solar eclipse live. Toronto isn't in the direct path, and I don't want to risk injuring my eyesight. I'll peek at photos online after the fact. Students aren't in school, for safety reasons. I'll be at school, working on student class placements for next year, student recognition procedures, tidying the library, making new signage for the shelves, and choosing new books for the guided reading room. It's not solar-eclipse-level glamorous, but it's necessary for us to function smoothly. Kudos to STAO and the public libraries for sharing information or free viewing goggles so that people can safely enjoy this big moment. Use caution, everyone!