We'll...not just any teacher, this teacher--me!
So, I didn't intend to write a blog post today. Then I read this great post from one of my favorite education writers, Jon Harper. In his post, Jon talks about self care and how important it is for educators. He goes on to share that while he enjoys his work, it doesn't feed his soul the way it used to. He got me thinking. I'm lucky that my teaching does feed my soul, but that may be because I do many other things to fill my cup. Some are education related, but most aren't. This mix of self-care and professional collaborations and development has worked well to fill my cup and feed my soul. As my youngest child moved across the country to her first full time job and pursue her music career, I find myself seeking out new friends and deepening relationships with old friends. Sure, my children will always fill my soul, but not as routinely as they used to. New interests, hobbies, and more date nights with my hubby (yippee!) are filling more of my evenings and weekends lately. Being intentional about self-care has become so much more important this year in the midst of a global pandemic. The demands heaped on teachers grew exponentially, while some of the joys of teaching were diminished. Not being in the classroom with all of our students made everything harder and stole some of the fun of teaching and learning. The feeling of always being "ON" didn't work well for me, so I set some boundaries. That helped, but wasn't enough. The next step was adding in self-care. Self-care started with adding more yoga and meditation and walks outside. All of those habits have stuck because they work for me. I also decided to join my neighborhood book club. Getting lost in a book is one of my favorite activities, and it was made better through community. I also decided that I'm worth splurging on simple things like my favorite jasmine green tea, so I can make a cup whenever I want it. Now that these changes have taken hold, I'm enjoying life more. There's more to look forward to outside of work. My creative spark is back and I'm starting a new writing project. Give some thought to how you can find more in life outside the classroom this year. Perhaps you start something new this summer. Or maybe you pick a few things you love doing on Summer Break and find a way to keep them going during the school year.
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AuthorHoping to reach others living and learning in the world of education. Archives
September 2018
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