Protect the Asset!
Over the years, I have seen many teachers become overwhelmed, burned out, transfer, quit, and complain as a result of the daily pressures and demands of teaching middle school students. You have to deal with the hormonal teenager behavioral fluctuations, countless meetings you feel serve no purpose, observations, parent conferences, among other responsibilities. You feel the need to want to balance all of these pressures and do so perfectly, every day. You can't!
I have to admit that I was burning out in my first year or two as well. I would worked late hours to plan, grade papers, call parents, etc. because the days just didn't seem long enough. Also, I often stayed up late at home to do much of the same. However, as the years progressed I began to take heed from some veteran colleagues whom encouraged me stop such self-destructive practices - as they too had gone through such a phase. They would say things like, "What you can't do today, you can finish tomorrow!" Basically, they wanted me to take care of myself.
Furthermore, if only I had read Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. This is a very introspective read that will capture some aspect of your life that may be causing you stress or imbalance. If you are experiencing any of the aforementioned stresses, this book can help to change things for you. One thing I took from it is the responsibility that one has to "Protect the Asset" - YOURSELF. Specifically, it details the importance taking care of yourself above all else, or your contribution to the world around you (including yourself) will yield very ineffective and unsatisfying results. If you have not read Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, I suggest you do - you will begin to reap the benefits of learning to "Protect the Asset".
I have to admit that I was burning out in my first year or two as well. I would worked late hours to plan, grade papers, call parents, etc. because the days just didn't seem long enough. Also, I often stayed up late at home to do much of the same. However, as the years progressed I began to take heed from some veteran colleagues whom encouraged me stop such self-destructive practices - as they too had gone through such a phase. They would say things like, "What you can't do today, you can finish tomorrow!" Basically, they wanted me to take care of myself.
Furthermore, if only I had read Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. This is a very introspective read that will capture some aspect of your life that may be causing you stress or imbalance. If you are experiencing any of the aforementioned stresses, this book can help to change things for you. One thing I took from it is the responsibility that one has to "Protect the Asset" - YOURSELF. Specifically, it details the importance taking care of yourself above all else, or your contribution to the world around you (including yourself) will yield very ineffective and unsatisfying results. If you have not read Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, I suggest you do - you will begin to reap the benefits of learning to "Protect the Asset".
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