Christmas break has given me some much needed time to relax! I can’t travel over my holiday breaks because when I get down time, I need it to be real DOWN time. I wear pajamas all day, I read a lot, I drink a TON of coffee…

Now that I feel recharged, my mind is moving toward the new year and my goals in the new year. I always like to have that “one word” to help me not over-do. With this on my mind, one of the points in my preacher’s sermon on Sunday really jumped out. He was talking about how we will not (in fact, can not) always be happy… but that we can have a spirit of joy.

In his sermon, he shared an analogy with us. Happiness is like a thermometer. It changes. It moves up and down. We can (and will) at times be very comfortable or very uncomfortable!

Joy is different. If we are really joyful in what we do, even in times when happiness is lacking, we will be able to go to work and truly feel like we are where we are supposed to be. Joy is like the thermostat. It sets the comfortable temp and helps maintain your comfort zone!

I am not going to be happy every minute at work. I am a real human. My students are real humans. I will get frustrated. They will get frustrated. But if I can let joy set the climate in my classroom, I won’t dwell on the hard times. If I let joy set the climate in my classroom, I will celebrate the great things they CAN do instead of looking for ways they don’t measure up. Heck, if I can let joy set the climate in my classroom, that joy will trickle out to my home and my social interactions!

Happy new decade to you! I hope that this decade brings you much success and many wonderful memories both with your students and with your family. Travel a ton, eat delicious things, get lots of rest, and set your thermostat for a joyful new year!