High Wind (3.9.2017)

It began as a regular Wednesday
March 8,2017
Nothing special
Just the normal hustle and bustle that starts the morning
A 1st hr prep
A surprise visitor or two

What wasn't regular about this Wednesday
were the constant flicker of lights and the power surges 

that prevented me from keeping my smart board on for my early morning math lesson

I had a classroom visitor, and quickly explained to my students that I would have to go "old school" to complete the lesson:  chart paper and marker

Due to the lights dimming on and off I decided to keep the lights off permanently. 

The flickering hallway lights, plus the whirlwinds of dust seen outside my classroom window 

brought something different to the day

A constant stream of local news updates showed on my cell phone.
I made a few calls, worked to keep my students calm...then saw the lights in the hallway shut down

I felt it: I knew we had lost power

This wasn't anything I had not experienced before, 

and during moments like this your mind begins to shift into another gear

Prime Directive:  Keep the students safe

It was lunch time for my students when it happened,

so the priority was navigating through the darkened hallway to the large cafeteria

Fun for the students, of course

Both traditional & cell phone flashlights illuminated our path
We reached our destination
No student left behind

Now, there were other things that took place during this power outage,but what always stands out in situations such as this is the collaboration between staff members across grade levels,pay codes and classifications

Everyone was playing their part, small or great, to ensure the safety of the students...

and it worked for the benefit of all involved

You don't quite forget moments like yesterday, simply because it has the power to bond a staff together and provide a memory of something conquered together

I like that