I've come to think of my classroom as a bit of a black hole when it comes to time. I can look at the clock, get to work on something, and an hour is suddenly gone when I happen to glance at the clock again.
Time slips away so magically like that mostly when I'm there trying to improve the classroom in some way/shape/form or get some plans done.
When the kiddos are there, sometimes 10 minutes can feel like an hour. Quite often, though, time slips away quickly and quickly (much like the way I try to convince them to get in line).
But I'm coming to realize this effect is slowed a little by working on things outside of the classroom's walls.
Slowed, not stopped.
Because even sitting here at my desk in the apartment it's gotten to be far past bedtime...yet it was 10 last I was aware of the time.
This clashes with all of the talk people give of making sure one is properly rested to tackle what challenges comes with a day in the classroom. Or that "stress management" is a reality more than a TV show in the background while something else is getting done or ignoring a few dishes in the sink for the sake of a few minutes to contact someone at home so they know I'm still breathing out here.
Then again, I'm well aware that the start of a school year means the end of feeling rested and truly relaxed as a teacher knows it until summer rolls around again. Long weekends are just an excuse to get some procrastinated housework or errands done; long breaks are for traveling to see family.
The number of hours in the day somehow is never enough. Somehow things get done, lessons get taught with everything being there, and I make it through the day still standing, but I wish more days afforded the opportunity to sit back and relish the successes, contemplate solutions to the failures, and to recognize the progress we're making...and a nap.
I love teaching...but I don't love so many shades of "tired."
Or the rascally clock.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Bonus Blog!
I haven't been one that's been too great about branching out in the blogging world, but I have a few fellow blogger friends that are. One of them is a friend from back in the good ol' college days, and I love reading her blog. Emily is witty, honest, and gets you thinking. Check out her blog HERE! :)
Recently Emily nominated me for a blogging award!
Thanks, Emily! This may just be the kick in the butt I need to blog regularly again!
Well, this award has a few rules that go along with it...
1.Nominate up to 15 fellow bloggers who are relatively new to blogging.
2. Let your nominated bloggers know that they have been nominated for this award.
3. Share seven random facts about yourself.
4. Thanks the blogger who nominated you in a blog post linking them back to their blog.
5. Add the Versatile Blogger picture to your post.
Alright, two of those steps are now complete. I'll save the nominating part for later...but here are 7 random facts about me.
1. If I weren't a teacher, I would still want to work with kids. I love their energy, optimism, creativity, and imaginations at work. I also love how playful and silly they are. Never a dull moment with kids!
2. I love, love, love watching football. My two favorite teams to watch are Da Bears and the Huskers. Sometimes I get really into it though and talk back to the TV...oops?
3. I really like to crochet. It takes me forever to get any and all projects done, but it's relaxing. It's something I taught myself how to do so that I could sit still long enough to watch some TV or movies in college. I call it one of my "old lady tendencies."
4. I really like to travel! I especially like getting to go to new places, and I love flying in planes to get to those places. In the past year I've gotten to go to California and Florida, and both were brand new places for me. I also got to head up to Minneapolis on a road trip for an annual Best Friend Appreciation trip, and it was a blast. :)
5. My absolute favorite season is fall. I love the smells, the colors, the flavors (so many spiced things!), and the weather. You get to wear cozy clothes, snuggle up with blankets, and drink warm things, but it's not so cold that you are freezing all the time.
6. I'm a sucker for home improvement shows. When I'm at Tim's, we pretty much have DIY Network on all the time. If we do change the channel, it's usually to HGTV for House Hunters or Love It or List It. They are just fun to watch, and it's fun to imagine what kinds of projects are possible to take on someday.
7. If I could, I would walk around in bare or sock feet ALL the time. But that'd be silly...and cold. :)
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Recently Emily nominated me for a blogging award!
Well, this award has a few rules that go along with it...
1.Nominate up to 15 fellow bloggers who are relatively new to blogging.
2. Let your nominated bloggers know that they have been nominated for this award.
3. Share seven random facts about yourself.
4. Thanks the blogger who nominated you in a blog post linking them back to their blog.
5. Add the Versatile Blogger picture to your post.
Alright, two of those steps are now complete. I'll save the nominating part for later...but here are 7 random facts about me.
1. If I weren't a teacher, I would still want to work with kids. I love their energy, optimism, creativity, and imaginations at work. I also love how playful and silly they are. Never a dull moment with kids!
2. I love, love, love watching football. My two favorite teams to watch are Da Bears and the Huskers. Sometimes I get really into it though and talk back to the TV...oops?
3. I really like to crochet. It takes me forever to get any and all projects done, but it's relaxing. It's something I taught myself how to do so that I could sit still long enough to watch some TV or movies in college. I call it one of my "old lady tendencies."
4. I really like to travel! I especially like getting to go to new places, and I love flying in planes to get to those places. In the past year I've gotten to go to California and Florida, and both were brand new places for me. I also got to head up to Minneapolis on a road trip for an annual Best Friend Appreciation trip, and it was a blast. :)
5. My absolute favorite season is fall. I love the smells, the colors, the flavors (so many spiced things!), and the weather. You get to wear cozy clothes, snuggle up with blankets, and drink warm things, but it's not so cold that you are freezing all the time.
6. I'm a sucker for home improvement shows. When I'm at Tim's, we pretty much have DIY Network on all the time. If we do change the channel, it's usually to HGTV for House Hunters or Love It or List It. They are just fun to watch, and it's fun to imagine what kinds of projects are possible to take on someday.
7. If I could, I would walk around in bare or sock feet ALL the time. But that'd be silly...and cold. :)
Holding Back
We all get stuck in ruts sometimes. It can creep up on us so easily -- that's the problem. You have a routine you are comfortable in before something shifts. It can be as simple as a change in schedule or being caught up in other things. Whatever the reason, that one change can make it easy enough to come up with excuses not to go back to that routine. Suddenly you find yourself missing that old routine, but you aren't sure how to make it happen again.
That's how it's been with blogging for me. Well, writing at all, really.
Part of it is the frustration of one of those phases where nothing was quite coming together the way I had hoped when I would approach the keyboard. I have a number of posts I started but abandoned because they seemed awful. That frustration branched into the idea that nobody would be interested in what I was writing about anyway. That, my fellow writers, is where we really get ourselves into trouble if we let ourselves buy into that mentality.
The second you start letting what others think affect your writing is the exact moment when the joy of writing seems to have faded. Sure, sometimes we write for others, but we mostly write for the sake of expression. Holding those words in becomes a burden when enough of them have built up inside. Writers NEED to ooze words. It's our very nature.
Don't let yourself hold back. Whether you blog, journal, or whatever, just let those words pour out.
Those of you who don't write can heed these words, too. Do what you are passionate about; don't let anyone, including yourself, stop you. Holding out on our passions and talents, friends, is just a matter of excuses. Take some time to plan when you will connect with your passion again.
That's how it's been with blogging for me. Well, writing at all, really.
Part of it is the frustration of one of those phases where nothing was quite coming together the way I had hoped when I would approach the keyboard. I have a number of posts I started but abandoned because they seemed awful. That frustration branched into the idea that nobody would be interested in what I was writing about anyway. That, my fellow writers, is where we really get ourselves into trouble if we let ourselves buy into that mentality.
The second you start letting what others think affect your writing is the exact moment when the joy of writing seems to have faded. Sure, sometimes we write for others, but we mostly write for the sake of expression. Holding those words in becomes a burden when enough of them have built up inside. Writers NEED to ooze words. It's our very nature.
Don't let yourself hold back. Whether you blog, journal, or whatever, just let those words pour out.
Those of you who don't write can heed these words, too. Do what you are passionate about; don't let anyone, including yourself, stop you. Holding out on our passions and talents, friends, is just a matter of excuses. Take some time to plan when you will connect with your passion again.
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