Adjusting to Change

From pothos to mint

Last night, the house plants were moved inside from the deck. Here in Minnesota, when the temperature drops below 40 degrees at night, we take the more sensitive plants indoors and cover the outside ones with sheets to protect them from frost. It prolongs the color and life of flowers and bushes and we can enjoy the greenery a little longer. The months of white snow and dark skies are beautiful but the winter feels long after a while. I think that is why we have so many houseplants, to give us cheer in the long winter months!

I work in an elementary school with special education students. We have been doing the hybrid model for about a month and a half. The children are thriving and drooping like different houseplants in new and changing conditions. This year, school looks and feels different than ever before and in some ways that is a good thing and in others, it is not ideal growing conditions.

Some children are like my pathos and they can adapt to change and even grow in conditions that are not ideal. They are able to function when they are frustrated and work through difficulties. I have five pothos cuttings that are doing well being moved from the deck to inside and some are even growing new leaves.

A few children are like my more sensitive houseplants that do not like to be moved and have more needs to grow. They need to be in the same light cycle everyday, like children who do best when the schedule is the same everyday. The hybrid schedule at my school is different everyday because some days, my students are with me all day, one day they are at home, and then two days they are with their teacher. That is a lot going on and some students are a little withered and droopy and would need more stable conditions to thrive.

From what I observe, one in ten children absolutely are not able to grow in these conditions. They are like my mint plant, wonderful and able to grow and thrive in an outside, full sun and water environment. Inside, with little natural light, or a simulated light, my mint became yellow and soft. It is OK my mint cannot grow inside and I can accept I love mint but can’t give it the right conditions. Some of my students I see are not doing well in distance learning and I can see how they would do much better in a more active learning environment.

I can see the same is happening with my co-workers, some are able to adapt and adjust to the work, some are struggling to deal with the change and frustrations, and some are not able to do the work for this online model.

I am like my pothos and I am able to adapt and even grow in changing conditions. Take some time to reflect, have you been able to adapt and grow? If not, think about yourself as a houseplant and give yourself a little extra love this weekend, the right type of love for you to grow.

Love,

Eliza Crane

Photo credit to Jeff Kraker