Unlike most "first day" of school experiences, today was a rather anticlimactic first day for me. And when I think about how completely chaotic and unnerving the last 6 months of 2020 have been...I'm quite content with this pleasant, low key day!
When my work day ended, I started to write down some Monday Motivation tips for myself and for some teacher friends who follow me on facebook, then I realized this list might also be helpful for others embarking on an on-line or hybrid school experience this year. So whether you're a teacher, a student, a parent who is now doubling as an at-home tutor or full-on homeschool teacher, or a school counselor or secretary or administrator who is trying to administer things remotely, I hope you find some encouragement (and dare I say, Monday Motivation) in this list!
- It’s easier to focus on the complaints than it is to find the blessings. (The sleepy complaint about having to wake up early vs the gratitude for earning a paycheck again! The anxiety of not knowing what the school year will look like vs the comfort of working with dedicated coworkers and leaders who will help us all make it through. The sadness of school not being “what it should be” vs the willingness to envision something better than what it was.) So don’t settle for your own negative attitude!
- This fall will bring a different set of challenges than what the super-surprising spring threw at us; so take a deep breath...maybe a deep breath several times a day as needed...and leave that sense of panic behind when creating your new class. We have a second chance to create something new and better this time around! Let yourself start fresh!
- That said, remember the valuable lessons we were all forced to recognize in spring, and be sure to plan with those in mind! (See https://amandamirandabutnotmandy.blogspot.com/2020/07/we-all-have-lot-to-learn-about.html if you want a list of considerations.)
- Prioritize your own health more than you did last time...Maybe a more consistent sleep schedule; maybe stricter boundaries of when you’ll start and end your work day; maybe an actual (non-working) lunch break; maybe occasional Zoom meetings on a walk around the block instead of in a chair for 8 hours; maybe a stretch break between each class session; maybe double your usual amount of water each day...or half your usual amount of quarantine wine...Lol. Definitely not judging or speaking from experience there. 😘
- Find ways to replace some of the fun, funny, impromptu or uplifting moments of working in your building! Not just by checking on your students or posting cartoons in your canvas class, but by doing the same with your coworkers and administrators! Relationships are quite possibly the best part of working in education, and I think we all ended up missing each other way too much as we tried not to drown in all the chaos last spring!
Bonus motivation: Start each day with a goal-oriented to-do list, and finish each day revising it so you're ready to check things off the next day. Especially when working from home, it’s really easy to open the computer and start responding to emails or doing whichever project draws your attention first, but I suspect that I wasn’t the only one who sometimes lacked efficiency last spring as I sprinted sporadically down those attention-getting rabbit trails. (Oh yeah, and texting and social media are NOT on the to-do list, so stay away! Haha. Guess that means I’ll check back with you all again tomorrow evening!)
Comments