The first few days back in school have been great. Well, mostly. My students have largely behaved and it has been great reconnecting with colleagues. But I am already drained.
I thrive on reading, adventure, and some talking. My summer had the first two in spades, and the latter was in my Goldilocks zone. Now that school has begun, it’s my talking and interacting that is in spades. The others are necessarily reduced. This is not a bad thing in and of itself because teaching involves talking and all work gives less time for reading and adventures than no work.
But I do need to adjust my out of work schedule in order to stay healthy. I am an introvert and I like the quiet. I am a teacher and I like teaching students. Both are true. If I ignore the first, the second suffers. I have also found that if I ignore the first, my relationships (in all spheres) suffer. This is because if I do not intentionally spend time alone I become tense and short tempered.
So, I will get my quiet time. Not just for me, but for my family, my friends, and my students.
I’ll take some time to write and blog for reflection and learning. I’ll take some time to relax and read. I’ll take some time to go on little excursions. That way I can give some (quality, mentally present) time to my family. That way I can give some quality (mentally present) time to my friends. That way I can give some (quality, mentally present) time to my students.
That’s what I do to breathe. What do you do?
