And we are back!
As I think about
going back to school and the busyness that it entails, I dream about a time
when school will be less stressful, where a teacher could leave the classroom
feeling ready for the next day, and how those goals might be accomplished.
For the first
several years of my teaching, I could never seem to get a handle on the
workload. The prep. The grading.
The copies. The paperwork. The lesson creation. The parent contact. The discipline. The tutoring.
The stress.
Then, I realized
I was lacking balance. I was going to
burn out. So, I put some systems in
place to help me find that balance.
With this I mind,
I would like to share with you how I was able to find a more balanced teaching
load and encourage you in some of these same steps.
Each month we
will be focusing on one task or challenge if you will. The goal being that over the period of the
month, it becomes a habit that you continue.
At the end of the year, there will be 12 potential new
habits that will help you to find balance.
Who is with
me? I will remind you throughout the
month at the midway point and the wrap up the month with a way to celebrate the
progress we have made. Mine might be a
bit different, now that my role has changed, but I think you get the idea.
September:
5 Things Everyday
John Maxwell, an
incredible writer on leadership and business, coined the term the Rule of
5. The basic idea is that there is a
series of 5 things that we do everyday that are critical to our success.
“Its better to do
the right thing everyday, rather than the right thing some days.” –John
Maxwell
Intentionality
and consistency.
He speaks about
it here.
I want us to be
challenged this month to purposefully choose 5 things that we will do daily
that are integral to our success in the classroom.
My Rule of 5:
1. build relationships: husband, son,
friends, bloggers, teachers
2. learn something new: listen to a podcast, read a book/article,
watch a youtube video
3. spend time with God: prayer, read the
Bible, memorizing scripture
4. create: ideas, write, things for the
classroom
5. smile: choose joy
Spend time today
thinking about what 5 things can do daily that are integral to your
success.
Will you be joining me on the 12-month
journey to a more balanced teaching load? Be sure to share your
Rule of 5 in the comments below and help others brainstorm.
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