This week Lynn, all the way from California, has asked us to think about what we’re doing at this time of year to take care of ourselves and our students now that we’re settled into the school routine, but in some need of a hiatus.
Truthfully, while I often *think* about rejuvenation and replenishment, it’s more often than not about others, which leaves my tank hovering around the orange empty line. I typically get between 4 and 5 hours of sleep each night, and carry a bulging basket of papers back and forth between home and school, without fully committing to the grading and unit-planning that needs to be done. I go on cleaning frenzies around my house and maintain the new-found and much-appreciated sense of order for a couple of weeks before the piles and dust bunnies begin to slowly reappear.
However, there’s something different about this year. I feel like I’m doing more than ever before – whether we’re talking personally or professionally. I think the big difference is that I’ve really begun to unite these two realms – both digitally and physically. I’ve noticed that sharing with my students and really modeling how they can celebrate their uniqueness as people can also build a foundation for their learning. It’s also helped me stay motivated to do my work.
With all that background, here’s my sentence:
Taking joy in the minor successes and cutting myself some slack for the major disasters keeps me in the sweet spot where the flow of motivation isn’t blocked by the dam of exhaustion!
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for your comments this week at my blog. I like the theme you’re using here. I’m adding you to my RSS feed – maybe we can strike up a collaboration! (If I can ever figure out the antispam word here!!)
Lynn