Today I’m grateful for my muffin-making village.

11.9.2023

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Today my kindergarten class made muffins. We’re in the midst of a Nursery Rhyme unit and today was “Do You Know the Muffin Man?” day. We read the poem, sang the song, made a ‘rhymes with man’ list, and then made individual microwave mug muffins to cap it all off.

At the end of the school day, I sat in my empty classroom reflecting on the day. The cinnamon smell was still lingering, and a few leftover supplies were sitting on my back table, but all other evidence of the kindergarten muffin factory that had been operating at full tilt just hours before, was gone. I was tired, but very content. It had been a good day.

Here’s the thing, though. The reason it had been a good day had very little to do with me. I may have been the one wearing the silly chef’s hat and apron, but today was only successful because of the dozen or so other people who contributed to the experience.

All the ingredients for the muffins were sent in by the parents in my classroom. I also had a great group of parents who came in and volunteered. They helped the kids crack eggs and measure and pour and mix. Having a supportive parent community is a true gift, and I’m so incredibly grateful for them.

But my gratitude certainly doesn’t stop there.

I’m grateful for the colleagues who lent me their microwaves, including the art teacher and librarian who barely even gave me the chance to explain why I needed them before generously unplugging their appliances and handing them to me.

I’m grateful for the student teacher next door, who jumped in to help when I had a parent volunteer cancel at the last minute. I’m grateful for my teammate and friend, Katy, who not only lent me her student teacher, her microwave, and an extra stack of cups, but who also came running to help prep blueberries during lunch when I barged frantically into her classroom saying “I could use a hand!”

I’m grateful for Miss Candice, Kindergarten aide extraordinaire, who switched her schedule around and took a late lunch in order to help with the muffin fun. She was the true MVP here - handing out ingredients, wiping up spills, collecting dirty dishes, all while taking pictures and making sure everyone was on track and having fun.

I’m grateful for the 5th grade teacher who had seen me lugging a microwave down to the Kindergarten hallway earlier in the day, had asked me what we were doing, and who stopped in during her lunch break to visit and check and see if we needed anything.

I’m grateful for our maintenance guy who came to our aid quickly when we blew a fuse (despite our best efforts to spread the microwaves out on various walls).

And, I’m extremely grateful for my friend and former teammate, Allison, whose idea this whole thing was. She ran the OG Muffin Man Bakeshop in her classroom several years ago, and generously shared her idea, the recipe, and a ton of logistical tips. Allison has a true gift for turning ordinary lessons into magical experiences and my students and I have benefitted time and time again from her creativity and her generosity in sharing. I’ve borrowed/stolen a tremendous amount of her ideas over the past several years.

So while I sat in my classroom at the end of the day, content and relieved, it was with a huge sense of gratitude for the village of support that contributed to a smooth day. It occurred to me, though, that while it’s easier to see the support when there’s a tangible outcome or an event like there was today, this web of support didn’t just magically appear today. Truth be told, this school community village of mine, including colleagues both past and present, is there for me every day. They contribute to my students, to my classroom, and to me – in big ways and in small, subtle, often-unnoticed ways. All the time. And for this, I’m both ridiculously blessed and so incredibly grateful.