Thankfully, I’ve nearly mastered the art of telling others no. In the name of not overcommitting myself, I politely respond with, No I can’t make the baby shower. Sorry, let’s raincheck on happy hour. Or, unfortunately, planning a field trip right now is just too much.
Saying no to myself, though...that’s another story. Like most jobs that serve others, a teacher’s work is never done. Slacking and procrastination directly impacts our students, and teacher-guilt can be so real that we don’t know when to stop.
Years ago, I encountered a principal who refused to open the school building on weekends. Lesson plan deadlines ran Thursdays by 5, and weekend emails from leadership were non-existent. Forcing teachers to enjoy their weekends, proved to be a mandate that made sense and paid off.
Nowadays, weekend building hours are a given, and dare they close shop for our “days of rest,” someone is begging for the key.
Kids present in the building or not, we are still in our physical work environment. The brain knows this.
Guilty of the constant-wheel-turning work brain, myself, I know it’s hard to shut down. Spending Sundays in the copy room and Saturday mornings grading and planning in coffeeshops can become unhealthy, though. Before you know it, it’s counterproductive and some of us begin to resent our over-demanding careers.
The question is, are you really that much more effective working seven-days a week?
Learning time-saving tips from friends throughout my career, many say that maximizing prep-time can be the golden ticket to work-free weekends. Tips such as, Saying no to leaders when they spontaneously ask to meet during your prep, with, “I’m available, but I was planning on giving students feedback from their morning writing, so they can revise this afternoon.”
Another borrowed prep-time tip, is listening to headphones to stay focused and avoiding extensive vent sessions you could save for later.
Don’t get me wrong, isolating yourself in the name of being more efficient is a fine line. Your people are your people, and love and support from your colleagues is necessary for survival. You do however, have to make a choice sometimes. Chill and chat now or chill and chat tonight, outside of the workplace, with family, friends, or just you and a hot bath.
Education is an emotional field. Our hearts and heads can be taken through the ringer on the day to day, so time to reset should be mandatory.
Maybe happy hours and baby showers get back to feeling less like commitments and more like a necessary boost for the soul. Well, baby showers, I don't know...
Power to the teacher!
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