Managing Professional Responsibilities

As this first school year marched forward, it became obvious to me and those around me that I needed to find some balance between work and home life. I was doing my best to manage my personal growth at school by collaborating with my grade-level team. I was creating Google Slide Classrooms for all of us to use, attending meetings, performing adjunct duties, etc. But I was noticing that I was staying at school far too long and, in some cases, stressing myself out. While I cannot say that my time was not well spent, it was, but I needed to take better care of me. I created a chart to monitor my weekly activities to ensure that I would not burn out. I listened to a fabulous podcast by Angela Watson called "Truth for Teachers". One of the most important things that she said about self-care was that "There is no direct correlation between the number of hours you work and your effectiveness as a teacher." Uhh...eye-opener. I have since made walking away from the 12 hour work day a priority. And you know what? The students haven't suffered one bit. I am able to maintain a positive attitude at work and face the daily challenges of teaching effectively. I am truly happier and more contented with my work day. Although I still need to make a copy of that one thing... (CTSP 6.6)