Staying Fresh
As the heat bears down on me my mind fixes on an image; a fi gure reclining in a chair, dressed in cool white, one arm resting across the back of the chair while the other holds a book. A glass of ice-cold nimbu-pani sits on a low table next to the chair. There’s music playing somewhere at a comfortable distance, discreet enough not to break the calm. The books and notes are stowed away somewhere in a corner, no need to pay any heed to them right now. I can feel myself relax and smile. Summer. You hate the heat but you love the break it represents. But then, all breaks must come to an end, and so too the long summer vacation which seems all too short when one is looking at the calendar at the beginning of June! But of course it is the hectic pace of the rest of the year that makes the image – and the reality – so pleasurable.
However, the coming back does have its upside. It means many new things. A whole new set of students, for most of us, which means a whole new set of possibilities. Maybe there are new colleagues to get to know, new relationships to build. There may be a new set of books to get used to and make use of, perhaps an opportunity to do things just a little differently. The beginning of the school year is a time of hope and of energy. But it’s easy for that to disappear all too quickly and for us to get back into a routine that engulfs us, leaving us little time, space and energy for newness.
Each time that happens, fi nd an image that gives you energy and reminds you of the freshness that still exists somewhere in your mind. Take a mental break, draw it out, use it to refresh yourself for a while before coming back to the present. The quiet calm of the summer break that exists somewhere in your mind.
For Teacher Plus too, it is the beginning of a new year – one year since we turned monthly. With each issue, we try to help you bring freshness to your work with our ideas. Thanks to all our readers and contributors for supporting us through this year. And help us stay fresh with your ideas!