Lesson Planning. Unit Planning. Curriculum Review. Going Green Initiative. Differentiation for HS, SL, and HL students in my IB Biology class, Internal Assessments, Staff Meetings, Science Dept. Meetings, Managing the research expedition to South Africa, Juggling parent emails, helping students with missing work, Lab Planning, Lab Preparing, Lab cleanup, developing IMYC curriculum with rubrics and assessment, Standards based Grading focus group --- oh, and grading. Actually, this isn’t even a comprehensive list.
Last semester I found myself powering up my computer right after dinner and working through the evening and night until at least midnight. Then I was at the school at 7 a.m. the next day. My job had officially consumed me. I had given up my life. As a teacher, that is the easiest thing to let happen, as the demands are endless. Of course, this is probably true of any job.
Well, I decided this was no longer in the best interest of my family, my students, or me. I mean, who wants a tired, burned out wife, mother or teacher? And I was headed down that path. So, this January I turned over a new leaf. I have committed myself to my life. How have I kept this resolution? Well, I started this blog for one and am committed to writing each night. I do not work at home until I have had dinner with my family and played a game with my youngest son. I make sure to have a one on one discussion with both of my teenagers each day. I started Dutch lessons again on Tuesday afternoons after school. This Friday begins a regular after school practice session with our staff choir which I have decided to join. I am so much happier. I love my life again. And, I am STILL getting all those things done in the first paragraph. I was just reviewing my schedule for this week and realized I signed up to make Chinese dumplings in celebration of he Chinese New Year last week. I am really looking forward to that! I am so glad I have little perks in life to keep my work as a teacher balanced.