Many times in life we do things because they are expected to be donewashing dishes, walking the dog, raking leaves. And then along comes a perfect day--Just Because Day! This day is celebrated annually on August 26th and what wonderful coincidence in timing this year’s holiday has bestowed on the world!
Tell someone their shirt is a great color on them, knock on someone’s door and tell them how lovely their lawn is, take a day to go walking through your neighborhood, visit the zoo, send someone flowers--in other words, do something Just Because!
In reality, it is very difficult for some people to do things “just because”--we think that there must always be a reason to be doing something. And most of the time, there is a reason to be doing whatever it is that needs to be done. However, great educators know the beauty of sometimes doing something “Just Because”! A great educator related a story to me from her first week of teaching in a new school district. She is teaching fourth grade language arts, and since it is elementary school there is recess unless it rains! A perfect Just Because moment when one of her students saw a jump rope in the recess box and asked what it was. She replied “a jump rope” and this student didn’t know that jump ropes didn’t “come with a handle” since she had never jumped rope with a group. So this professional educator seized a perfect moment to connect with her new students and show them a simple way to have a group moment. Before they had even turned rope 6 jumps, the rest of the class was lined up to jump and all the students participated. They enjoyed it so much, they asked the next day to jump rope again and counted for everyone in Spanish and English, laughing joyfully--just because!
The Forney Education Foundation understands, too, the importance of Just Because moments--hear the “Why” and it is easy to support FEF “Just Because”. Please go to www.forneyisdfoundation.org and see how easy it is to support the Forney Education Foundation “Just Because”!
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