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The Detroit Lions' coach talked about three ways to face adversity. At 0-15, soon to be a record-setting 0-16 if my Packers have anything to say about it, he ought to know.

The coach suggested that most people react in one of these ways:

1. Remain oblivious

2. Crumble

3. Embrace it

This philosophy applies to public school teaching as well.

1. I worked with a principal who remained oblivious to adversity. When faced with challenges, she would spout her buzzwords of "differentiate" and "test scores" without ever answering the questions we raised. She thought she understood, but she was clueless. Simply clueless.

2. It's easy to crumble as my workload grows and the pay doesn't, while public support continues to fade. I may react initially with a feeling of failure and hopelessness, but eventually...

3. I work with a group of teachers and paraprofessionals who embrace challenges. The pressure wears on us daily, but we hold each other up and look for ways to meet the challenges.

With a week off between Christmas and the New Year (my equivalent of a Bye week), I can rest and get myself psyched for going back to school. I brought home a little work, but not a lot. I decided to be realistic and not overload my schoolbag. I'll feel more productive if I complete the small stacks of paper in the bag rather than just make a dent in a larger pile.

Minor injuries? In teaching, that's more likely to be illness. I had my flu shot, and so did Amigo. It's the season for keeping hand sanitizer on my desk and encouraging kiddos to wash their hands frequently. And if this preventive maintenance doesn't work, there's always the red substitute folder beside my desk.