It’s 3:35 on friday afternoon of week two of practicum. I’m going to be out of the building by four today (a first for the practicum)! And to top it off, yesterday I was actually able to go home without doing any prep (minus an after at school) and relax by playing some basketball with friends.
I have to admit, I was exhausted this week. It was only a four day week, but I was stressed, tired, confused about what to do, had a two day headache that never seemed to want to disappear. I definitely had not adjusted to the pace of the school and the endless responsibilities and energy consumers. And I still haven’t adjusted. But I am starting to see it might be possible. Balance is key.
I’ve been told this for years, “Make sure you take care of yourself. It’s not worth your health. Balance your work and rest. Make sure you relax too…” and I could go on. But it’s true. The parents who said it. The teachers. The faculty at UBC. They were right (though they make it seem a lot simpler than it really is). But balance is key.
Having a moment to myself yesterday where I didn’t think about school afforded my brain a much needed break. It’s only been two weeks, so I can only imagine how a teacher feels at the end of the year. You definitely can’t take care of 120 students every day if you don’t take care of yourself first.
So, if you’re out there, and you’re stressing like me – take a break. Go for a run, have a drink with a friend, take the day off and hit the slopes. We need the rest. Teaching needs to be spontaneous and creative and flexible, and those are hard things to be when you’re brain is overworked and sleep deprived.
Good luck resting everyone, enjoy the weekend.
That’s where I’m headed now.
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