Jacob took advantage of Esau’s hunger to get for himself Esau’s birthright. It wasn’t really Esau’s hunger that did him in though. Esau was famished, but he wasn’t starving. There had to have been other food available for preparation. I think Esau was over-dramatic. This is my opinion, mind you. Ugh! I’m starving! I’m gonna die!
How often do your students add unnecessary drama to situations in the band room? Or exaggerate their feelings, opinions, responsibilities? Most often, it’s teenagers being teenagers. But sometimes, they struggle to reframe their situations, struggle to breathe, relax and more clearly interpret what may be happening such that they can move forward without the drama.
Do not be like Jacob! Do not take advantage of your students. Instead, calmly help them to see that whatever is happening is not as dire as it may seem. Help them refocus and plan. They may not acknowledge it, but they will be grateful and there will be less drama in the band room.
Do not be like Esau! Students are not the only people who can be overly dramatic. If you find yourself in a challenging situation, thoughts scattered, responsibilities piling up, you may be tempted to throw away something important just to find immediate relief amidst a hectic situation.
Are the details of an event you are hosting/planning starting to overwhelm you? Is it tempting to cancel the event? Take a moment. Think about the benefits of the event before throwing it all out. It may be that you should cancel it. But try to find a quiet, calm time and space to think rationally about the event’s benefits. And ask for help. Esau could have asked his mother for help. He could have taken a breath and realized that he wasn’t starving and made a plan to get himself fed. And beware of ‘Jacobs’ in your administration, who may feed your drama to get something from you, rather than help you see you are doing well.