Self Management and wet socks
We teach many complex things in school - from differential equations for modelling curved surfaces, to post-modern self-referential intertextuality; but sometimes the hardest thing is keeping your socks dry.
As I write from Broomlee outdoor education centre with the grade six and sevens, the conversation is about the piles of wet clothes, wet feet and lost socks strewn down the corridors and rooms as the children pack up. I write with an awareness that many parents are about to be greeted by a tired, smiling face and a rucksack full of urgent laundry.
Self management seems such an easy concept - ensure you are mentally well settled, physically comfortable and feeling optimistic. Sounds easy, right? But just as the famous military aphorism says "no plan survives contact with the enemy”, we could update that to "no plan for self management survives the first contact with rain". Managing layers of clothes, trying to get things dry before the next day, and organising storage in the room seem so easy in theory - but the reality is that these are hard learned skills as a teenager, and a vital step towards independence. All of these things must happen whilst managing your bedtime routines in a new environment, negotiating with others about how to run your dorm room and managing your own emotions. Wet socks are a pretty good indicator of how it's going for you.
It would be hard to overestimate the significance of the learning this week. The joy and triumph have been palpable, and come from the place of overcoming challenges we think might be just a little too hard for us - from a leap of faith, to a long walk, to engaging with cultural history. The first half of the week here in Broomlee was relatively sunny and dry, with rain starting midweek. When someone was heard to lament the rain, one of the instructors commented sincerely "It might not feel better at the time, but the sense of triumph is always greater when there is a little more challenge and difficulty."
I hope you have a great weekend, that your child returns home if they were on the residential trip with at least one pair of dry socks and good luck with the laundry!
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