It’s been a while since I posted an article, created a worksheet or did anything even resembling work. Why?
I needed a reboot. I love my work, the creativity of it, the relationships with my students that it brings, BUT, in order to enjoy it all and to be able to create, invent and teach and to be all enthusiastic about it – I need, from time to time – a complete cleansing.
In my case, it means not to work at all and to completely forget that I am a teacher. Not for a weekend, not for a week or even a month. I am lucky that I can relax for 7 weeks.
I read all those mystery novels I’d been putting aside for months, went hiking, rafting, walked around my city, enjoyed coffee in my favorite cafes, went on a couple of day trips with my friend, traveled a bit: Greece, France, Italy. In those countries I explored the seaside, the medieval little villages, galleries, I sampled their delicious food and wines. I had a great time and I didn’t work.
I never work in summer, I don’t think about work in summer and I don’t talk about work in summer. It is me time and in the end of my little sabbatical, I can’t wait to go back to work!
It is essential for teachers and any other helping professions to find ways how to relax, recharge mentally and physically. You can’t do this job properly unless you learn how to let go. Burnout is a real threat and I believe that only a happy teacher can be an inspirational teacher.
Long break such as I’ve just had is not always an option and finding personal time during the school year is as important as good lesson planning. I will write more about how to find that time and how to use that time to recharge in my next article.
Photo by Leio McLaren on Unsplash.