Saturday, August 17, 2013

Two weeks down

As of yesterday, I have ten days of teaching under my belt, but it feels like I've been at the school much longer.I started my school year back in July for new hire training, then spent a week setting up my classroom and then had a week of pre-planning. So, in essence, I've been at school for a month.

My first week went by in a blur. I was learning about the littles - their likes, dislikes, and personalities. I would come home every day, ready to pass out (and many nights, did). However, while I'm in the building, I'm full of energy and ready to go! In the words of Gene Wilder, "I hope it lasts."


Still, working with littles (in any capacity) can be a little overstimulating. I think this somewhat phases out when you're working with middle and high school students, but working with elementary school students is definitely a hands on experience.

It is important to decompress/unwind/re-center in order to give your all to your students (and to your family) without losing your mind  while maintaining your mental health. There are many ways to do this - some healthy and some not-so-healthy. As I was going through my Friday, it dawned on me that the best way for me to re-center myself was to create a personal oasis in my home. Life throws some major curve balls; my home is my castle and the one place where I can really relax. (T-shirts and yoga pants, anyone?)

So, as soon as I got home Friday afternoon, I went to my bedroom and started de-cluttering. (It wasn't too bad, but there were a few things on my dresser that either needed to be hung up or put into the laundry hamper). Then, I went to the kitchen and cleaned off my long kitchen counter (an enevitable catch-all). Next, I went to the den/study and started cleaning off my desk.

"Are we expecting company and you forgot to tell me?" the Man Beast asked as he watched me sprint through the house.

"No," I tell him. "The visual clutter is just driving me crazy. Aren't you bothered by it?"

No answer.

Interesting conversation considering it is he who is usually de-cluttering the house when it gets to be too much for him. In our 17 year history together, I've usually been the one that isn't bothered so much by clutter. But as I get older, and perhaps in light of my new career, I find the need to cut down on clutter. I'm not really sure what's going on, but I do know it felt very relaxing to crawl into my bed last night and not have to look around at visual clutter.

 Control is a myth. I know this. We aren't really in control in anything (except our response to things we can't control).  Still, in the every day chaos that is an educator's life, a home oasis is pretty effective.

Until next time,
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