First semester really wore me out this year, and I think I was teetering on the edge of some serious burn out.  Even over break I found myself questioning my career in education and whether or not this was the right path for me.  (The usual doubts: can I keep up the stamina to deal with the daily drama, am I actually teaching them anything at all, is it worth it, etc., etc.)

 But when I came back on Tuesday, all those doubts evaporated the second I saw them.  Ah yes, looks like I am doomed to teach.

Resolutions are trite, I know, but they’re really helping me be a better (more patient!) teacher. 

1. Get Organized.  Our faculty had professional development the day before the students got back, and I used the extra time that day to go through all my desk drawers and filing cabinets.  I am now alphabetized, color-coded, and everything has its logical place.  Of course, I searched for my curriculum map for ten minutes today and still haven’t found it, but that’s beside the point.  The mental relief organization has brought me is worth the adjustment.
2. Eat Lunch in my Room, Alone, with my Door Closed.  Not to suggest that some of the other teachers might be negative and bringing me down, but the “me-time” is huge for mental space and feeling more centered in the middle of the day.
3. Answer Every Question, Accept Every Answer.  Even if I’ve said it ten thousand times, I’m just taking a breath and saying it again.  And whatever idea they have or answer they give, I’m searching like a miner for some tiny grain of truth…then we can go from there and the student won’t be embarrassed.
4. Confer with the Students.  I’ve avoided serious student conferences (anything beyond over the shoulder) because of management concerns.  Today, however, they proved they could handle it.  I set the expectations high, and they (or most) rose to meet them so that I was able to quietly confer with individual students about their writing.
5. Do It Now.  Whatever it is, I’m trying my best not to procrastinate; and that’s a definite challenge for someone who’s lived by the maxim: “Why do it now when you can do it later?” since college.

Hopefully, with these new goals in mind, I won’t get nearly as stressed out as I did last semester.  The way I see it, this really is the only way I’ll be able to continue teaching: if I resolve to do what I need to do to be happy.