True Artistry

According to St. Francis of Assisi, a true artist works with their hands, head, heart and soul. I like to think that I am on the path of becoming a true artist of a teacher. My hands are used for the daily tasks: typing, writing lesson plans or notes, pointing out buttons and directions on students' screens, moving tables so they are in the right position, posting seating charts, giving fist-bumps or high fives of encouragement to students. My head is used to develop those lesson plans and to think about which students I need to touch base with, who's leaving early, what's going on in the schedule today, this isn't working so how do I problem solve it, all the minutia we have to think about on a daily basis. Teachers always use our hands and head. My heart is my genuine love and appreciation for my kids. They are MY kids because they hold a special place in my heart. I love to see them grow and interact with them and each other. To laugh with them and see how their day is going. My soul I think comes from the fact that I genuinely can't think of what I would be satisfied and happy doing if I wasn't teaching. I feel like I would go insane if I had a normal business job or was stuck in a cubicle - I almost lost it this last week because I had to have my classroom in rows for testing instead of my convoluted pods/row/floor seats/chairs system I usually have. The only thing I could think of possibly doing besides teaching, is teaching other teachers or working in some sort of a technology position. My days would just be so boring without my students and their crazy but lovable antics.