Work Weekend
I have this crazy habit of bringing home my work laptop and ridiculously heavy teacher editions of the ELA textbooks for multiple grade levels many nights of the week and even on weekends.
Just in case I get motivated to get some work done.
This is a new phenomenon for me. Typically, when I brought work stuff home, I did work stuff. I would venture to say I did work stuff most nights of the week. As a teacher and ESE case manager, there were always papers to grade, lessons to plan, emails to answer, IEP's to write. If I didn't work at home, I would have never been able to keep up on it all. As a district coach, there were always trainings to plan, data reports to analyze, emails to answer, resources to build.
I am willingly, happily back in that world, but something in me has shifted. It may be a consequence of my time alone: first as a part-time reading teacher where, yes, I worked at home but was more cognizant of how much time I spent off the clock, mostly because the academic manager (and my friend) reminded me frequently that I didn't need to put in full-time hours for part-time pay; then, on my sabbatical from all things work in Orlando, partly because I was being super picky in my job search, and (I suspect) mostly because I knew in my heart we wouldn't be there long. I learned to be self-sufficient, with limited social opportunities and a spouse who put in ridiculously long hours--12 to 15 hours a day. I went on hikes at the local state parks. I hit up museums. I tried new restaurants, went to movies, wrote every single day, read more books than I have in a while. I rarely had anyone making demands on my time. It was my own to do with as I pleased. I'm not going to lie: I got lonely at times. But, I also learned to appreciate that alone time--the flexibility, the freedom.
Plus, my brain is fried some (most) days. I simply don't have the brain power to do one more minute of work. I have worked at home since I've been back, but it's now more the exception than the rule and is typically fueled by hard deadlines and the pressure of having to present to a room full of adult or adolescent learners and not wanting to look like an idiot. And while at first I felt guilty about not working off the clock, I am learning that I don't have to.
One of my team members calls me the task master, the one who reminds everyone that we are getting off task and "encouraging" the group to get back on track when we fall down a rabbit hole. In other words, I'm bossy. And sometimes, I'm sure my encouragement comes across a little harsh, but I have to process things one at a time, another new fun shift I will blame on age.
This weekend, I am dog sitting and staying at my daughter's for the weekend, so I won't have the distractions of cleaning my own house, doing laundry, etc. I decided this is perfect for a working weekend, so I lugged home a bag with the heavy teacher's editions and my laptop. And, this time, I will use them--but I'm going to go have a little me time first.
Just in case I get motivated to get some work done.
This is a new phenomenon for me. Typically, when I brought work stuff home, I did work stuff. I would venture to say I did work stuff most nights of the week. As a teacher and ESE case manager, there were always papers to grade, lessons to plan, emails to answer, IEP's to write. If I didn't work at home, I would have never been able to keep up on it all. As a district coach, there were always trainings to plan, data reports to analyze, emails to answer, resources to build.
I am willingly, happily back in that world, but something in me has shifted. It may be a consequence of my time alone: first as a part-time reading teacher where, yes, I worked at home but was more cognizant of how much time I spent off the clock, mostly because the academic manager (and my friend) reminded me frequently that I didn't need to put in full-time hours for part-time pay; then, on my sabbatical from all things work in Orlando, partly because I was being super picky in my job search, and (I suspect) mostly because I knew in my heart we wouldn't be there long. I learned to be self-sufficient, with limited social opportunities and a spouse who put in ridiculously long hours--12 to 15 hours a day. I went on hikes at the local state parks. I hit up museums. I tried new restaurants, went to movies, wrote every single day, read more books than I have in a while. I rarely had anyone making demands on my time. It was my own to do with as I pleased. I'm not going to lie: I got lonely at times. But, I also learned to appreciate that alone time--the flexibility, the freedom.
Plus, my brain is fried some (most) days. I simply don't have the brain power to do one more minute of work. I have worked at home since I've been back, but it's now more the exception than the rule and is typically fueled by hard deadlines and the pressure of having to present to a room full of adult or adolescent learners and not wanting to look like an idiot. And while at first I felt guilty about not working off the clock, I am learning that I don't have to.
One of my team members calls me the task master, the one who reminds everyone that we are getting off task and "encouraging" the group to get back on track when we fall down a rabbit hole. In other words, I'm bossy. And sometimes, I'm sure my encouragement comes across a little harsh, but I have to process things one at a time, another new fun shift I will blame on age.
This weekend, I am dog sitting and staying at my daughter's for the weekend, so I won't have the distractions of cleaning my own house, doing laundry, etc. I decided this is perfect for a working weekend, so I lugged home a bag with the heavy teacher's editions and my laptop. And, this time, I will use them--but I'm going to go have a little me time first.
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