Sense of urgency?

Feeling a sense of urgency seems, to me, to contradict everything I advocate for as a preschool teacher and mother. In a culture that constantly tells our children to RUSHRUSHRUSH, early childhood teachers and advocates often have to remind families and the broader community that childhood is not a race to some eventual finish line. "Slow down," we say. "Appreciate the moments. Take time to notice and wonder." So how do I reconcile what I know to be true for children with my own break-neck pace when it comes to all of the behind-the-scenes goodness of teaching?

Knowing I am on the cusp of restarting my master's program, I feel an overwhelming sense of urgency. I know this endeavor will take several years and I currently feel like I just can't get started fast enough. Coupled with my excitement and anticipation for pursuing my degree, I have a desire to get started on the next school term. I teach preschool in a year-round lab setting and I often find myself feeling guilty as the hot weeks of summer stretch on. Sure, feeling excited to start a new school year is not crime, but what about the kids who still remain in my class this summer?

I'm really pushing myself to grow as an early childhood educator, particularly in regard to being a more reflective practitioner. What I have learned about myself so far is that being more reflective rarely means being more comfortable. In reality, being more reflective often means being rather uncomfortable as I consider some of my own complacency and think about ways to push myself further as a teacher and advocate. This recent feeling of urgency has certainly given me pause, forcing me to address my discomfort and think about why I feel this way - and, more importantly, what it means for me as a teacher.

I don't really have an answer here; I'm not sure that having one is necessary, or even possible. Rather, this questioning of myself is encouraging me to think about I can offer my students, and my own daughter, by slowing down, breathing deeply, and taking the time to notice and wonder.