So here I am about to wrap week #4, and as you all know the exhaustion level is high. To complicate matters, my father passed away the first week of school. I waited to travel to be with my family until after curriculum night. So I wrote 3 days of sub plans and my back to school night presentation simultaneously!
As you can tell by my neglected blog, there hasn't been much time for anything else! I've been snapping some pictures and making mental notes of ideas I hope to blog about when I get my head above water.
For now I want to share with you a few things that have helped me start off on the right foot. If you are just starting in the classroom or returning after a long leave like I am, I have 3 key pieces of advice that I hope will help you as much as they have helped me.
1. Find a helpful colleague. Seek out someone who seems to know the ins and outs of your school and is willing to answer questions. You don't have to have to figure everything out on your own! I'm one of those types who thinks I can do it all and figure it out without help, but I realized this year that there are good people who like helping. Guess what? Not only do I save time, I also save energy which I'm finding is in short supply these days.
2. Set a schedule and stick to it as much as possible. This is hard. There is always more work to be done. I strongly suggested you not only plan your work schedule, but plan your free time, family time and social time. I find that if I've told myself I'm having dinner with friends, going for a run or grading papers at a set time I'm am more likely to stick to it and follow through. I hope I can keep this up. I really hope to try to find some work-life balance!
3. Get comfortable shoes and clothes! Seriously I am not kidding! I do not have any energy to waste on being uncomfortable or having my feet hurt.
Did I have a heart attack on the purchase price of my comfortable shoes? You bet I did! Do I wear the same 2 pairs of shoes everyday? Sure do! Do my feet look a little more granny than I would like? Yes, indeed. Do NOT care. Zappos is my friend and should be yours too. Try Danskos or Naots. Order a few styles. Send back the ones you don't like. The shipping is free! Your feet will thank me!
Well, that's all the time I have for now. Hoping I can get myself into a better routine and find the time to share more of what's happening in my new classroom! Thanks for stopping by!
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