Teaching Journal
Day 54, November 25, 2008

When I’m using the computer projector during class, the Internet sometimes works very slowly, causing a delay as I’m moving from one website to another. It could easily be an occasion for anxiety and frustration as I wait for the new site to appear, but I’m learning (as are the students, I think) to actually appreciate and take advantage of these few moments of waiting. We all need a little restorative silence now and then, and these scattered moments of ‘passing the time’ (even just for a few seconds) can provide it. While the screen waits for the next website, we take the time to lighten up and settle down.
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It was a soggy day. A cold, squally wind was swirling around outside as the scholars and I went about our work. The wee birds that flitted back and forth to the feeder outside looked forlorn and frigid, and every so often during a lesson a student would audibly shiver. We managed, though -- with the help of steaming cups of hot chocolate (for those who brought powder)and the relative cheeriness of the classroom. There was, I think (I hope), a feeling of quiet comfort in the room as we worked through the steps of my lessons.