Before every race, my dad always
reminds me, “You’ve gotta be sweating at the line.” Although this is not the most charming image,
he makes a good point. By this, he means
that unless you have broken a sweat in your warm-up, you aren’t ready to be at
the starting line. His infamous phrase
implies the value of both physical and mental preparation for the race
ahead. I find myself recalling my dad’s
words not only before a run, but at all the various starting lines in my life. First, there was the starting line of
acceptance to RIC, then came FSEHD, PLTs, and the first lessons I taught in
MLED 330 and SED 407. Now, creating a
Twitter handle, posting a blog, and introducing myself as a teacher candidate
in Mr. Ryan’s classroom at North Providence High School – there are starting
lines everywhere I look. Right now I’m
still cozy with my swishy sweatpants and jacket, but soon I will be jogging
around, getting my heart rate up, and stripping off those layers. Luckily I have my teammates (all of you
fellow TCs), my coaches (shout out to Coach Cook and Coach Johnson), some
supportive fans (thanks Mom, Dad, Cam, and the rest of my RIC family), and my
running buddy (Katie, we got this!).
With Mr. Ryan helping to pace us, I couldn’t feel more eager to get
going. What text is he teaching? Who are
his students? How does he motivate them and push their thinking? I know it’s
not always going to be a walk in the park, because, as my dad also says, racing
isn’t necessarily comfortable. It’s
about pushing yourself, trusting your training, listening to your coaches, working
up the hills, and recovering on the other side.
As I’ve said before, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Some miles will be better than others. It is with this distance runner mindset that
I am approaching practicum and student teaching. I’ve triple-knotted my laces and I’m ready to
go!
