Today has been a long day and I left school on a bit of a low. I was observed today which went well and my kids did me proud. I took a risk and decided to do a lesson based on Drama which is not your usual go to topic when being watched but I feel I have enough control on the kids to do it and they were fine. I know there were a few parts which if I were to do again I would tweak but overall fine. You may be wondering why I felt so down? Well it seemed to be a day where I felt a bit wore down by lots of little things which inevitably mounted to a massive feeling of stress.
This lesson made me feel extremely nervous beforehand. I teach everyday and have been observed on many occasions but today just seems to have got to me more than usual. My school at the moment is feeling slightly negative and I think the stresses of everyday routine their is starting to get to me. As much as I love my job I feel like it is starting to make me miserable. The whole aura in the school just feels very off.
I brought work home tonight and by the time I'd been home for 5 minutes and had a catch up with Miss Faux Fur I decided I needed to have a night off. When you feel yourself on a bit of a downward spiral, it is really hard to take a moment and say... I need a break but I did tonight. I've ate my tea at a normal hour, had a nap and I am planning an earlier night than usual. Hopefully this can help pull me back from feeling so miserable and stressed. Teaching- I love it but sometimes it just knows how to kick me when I'm down!
I am going to leave you with a little snippet from one of my little ones today;
"Miss, I feel taller when I stand up on my feet."
Child genius or what?!
Good for you for giving youself a break! I wish I did this more often! I am sure the worn out feeling will pass, everyone goes through it.
ReplyDeleteThanks- I'm hoping a few nights catch up will sort me up. You're right though, sometimes it's hard to make yourself actually stop.
ReplyDeleteOk, this is long but I received this via email the other day and wanted to share it with all teachers out there. Maybe you've seen it before.
ReplyDeleteA Profound Answer
The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.
One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"
Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I make a C+ feel like the Order of Canada.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.
You want to know what I make? (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)
I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them to write and then I make them write.. Keyboarding isn't everything.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.
I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.
I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life. (Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)
Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. You want to know what I make? I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make Mr. CEO?
His jaw dropped, he went silent.
Teaching is...the profession that makes all other professions possible!
The end of the school year is almost in sight...if you look real hard! I was a teacher for 17 years before I changed careers in 1991. I feel your pain. (although I taught high school students) Now I'm retired and glad to be out of the rat race.
ReplyDeleteAww poor thing :( I'm sorry you had such a bad day...sometimes it is just all too overwhelming. Can't you transfer schools after the summer? If you are so unhappy at that particular school, maybe it would be a big improvement if you transferred? I hope you enjoyed your night off - sometimes it is all we need, and you should make it your mission to do that for yourself at least once a week! Feel better hun! Good spirits your way :)
ReplyDelete@Sandbox- Thank you so much for that!! It really made me smile and realise why what I do is importnat. You sometimes forget which is the sad thing when you're consumed with tiredness and stress.
ReplyDelete@Eva- I am counting down to my Easter hols: 2 weeks and 2 days!Woo! 17 years is a long time! It's good to know you've found something else you enjoy doing :-)
@Reb- Thanks! I napped until it was time to go to bed haha!!! Then I went to sleep at like 10- must've been tired. I am looking at other places, I don't know if I just had a bad day. I feel a bit more positive and driven now. I think you sometimes have to hit the very bottom in order to head back up. Saying that I didn't have any time fo dinner today so I doubt I will stay positive for long haha!! Hope you're well!
You are welcome. What you do is SOOO important and I for one am grateful for teacher's who cared enough to keep pushing me, challenging my laziness, and striving to show me my potential that they saw but I couldn't. Teachers face a whole lot of challenges and deserve a lot more recognition from parents, kids, and administrators alike! Our future is in their hands!
ReplyDelete@Sandbox- I am so happy to hear that you had teachers who cared throughout your school time :-)
ReplyDelete