Fridays Are Good

Fridays are Good

I wrote this a number of years ago on a late Thursday night and I've shared it with colleagues and teachers who were / are both my mentors and my 'mentees' over the years. Here is to all of you who continue to be my mentor.

I love Fridays. I love being able to stay up a little later with my kids to watch movies, go to games, play games, read together, walk together, and exercise together. But in my teacher context I believe Fridays hold an enormous potential that has to be tapped. Fridays are the day we build our sense of anticipation in students that makes them want to come back after how-ever much fun they had over their weekend.

Or, as is certainly the case with many of our students, we remind them that school can be a safe haven from difficult things that happen outside of school. As much as this is for my colleagues, it is also for those teachers from my childhood who never let me dwell on the dysfunctions of my home. They kept me focused on my future and shared with me their visions for what my life could be. I am proud to say that I think they would be proud.

Fridays are good.
Fridays have to be good.
I have to send them away so that they want to come back.
I can stay up late Thursday because I know I have the weekend.

I’ll work and work and work and survive with too little sleep.
…but Fridays are good.
Fridays are my day of celebration.
Thursdays are tear-down days.

Thursdays are the days where we address mistakes, work on our faults.
I show them the nature of their actions – consequences seen and unseen
I get them to dislike what they might become.
…and on Fridays I show them what they will become.
Fridays are good.

Fridays I smile. Fridays I touch.
A high five, a “pound,” and a pat on the back.
On Fridays the pain goes away.
On Fridays we don’t think about the weekend…
…we think about our blossoming future.

Fridays are good…
…but Mondays are better…
…because Fridays are good!