There are some birds I see year-round in my yard. Chickadees. Cardinals. Blue Jays.
There are others, migratory birds, that I might see only briefly, if I’m watching carefully, as they pass over en route to their summer or winter homes. This spring I saw a group of Redpolls for the first time, on their transit to the great northern Boreal forests, near the arctic circle.
There are aspects of the school year, too, that are more like year-round birds, and there are aspects that you only see when they pass quickly by. Some of those you might miss, if you’re not paying attention.
Some of the migratory things of the school year:
First rehearsals and saying “hello.”
Last rehearsals and saying “goodbye.
The first big group laugh of the year.
The rehearsal where you get nothing done because everyone is sick or exhausted.
The rehearsals during finals week, when everyone is distracted.
The first, awkward moments on stage together.
The last, confident notes a particular group sings together.
There are so many good and bad migratory moments in a year. It makes the year richer when they don’t pass unnoticed; when you take a moment to observe the moment and react. It might even mean changing the plan for the day (I recall leading guided meditations in particularly stressed migratory moments).