Last week was the first full week of school. It was good, but on Friday night I took a nap after work. I woke up around the time I go to bed. So I went back to sleep until 8 a.m. on Saturday. Still tiring even though it was good.
Getting back into work mode after two months off is tough. Getting up (too) early. Being around 150-ish students on a daily basis. Taking care of their academic, emotional, mental, and physiological needs. Trying to establish a learning environment where the students actually have a chance to learn. Getting to know new colleagues while catching up with the old. Not to mention the teaching itself.
Whew! No wonder there is a thing as “teacher tired.”
Too, I didn’t get my paycheck Friday, which is sure to increase the tired factor caused by stress. To be clear, this would be my first paycheck after two months off from work. A mess-up in Payroll is to thank for that… Oh, well…
And, of course, I’m trying to roll physical health into all of this. Which means I’m getting up earlier than I absolutely have to on the days I ride to work (4:45 a.m. for those curious). Those have been minimal thus far. Just one day last week, and two days the week before. I’m planning on expanding that to at least Monday, Wednesday, Friday; so I don’t feel obligated to ride every day and I have rest days in between. When I ride, it makes for a really long day…
I’ve also continued my evening Sadhana: a combination of journaling, asana, and meditation. Thirty-one days strong as of now. But it takes time and thoughtfulness to do that as well. It means that I can’t work too late in the evening. Ultimately I want to get to where I’m not working much at all. While I love teaching, I have other passions too, and my emotional and mental health suffers if I don’t feed those things.
So I guess my personal theme this school year is balance. Balancing physical, spiritual, and vocational needs. I think it’s been my theme before, but I feel like I’m getting better at it. The first of the school year just takes some acclimating.