Focus for 2014

My focus for 2014 is to find balance and letting go of stuff I don’t need.

Yesterday I put in a huge effort getting work done lesson planning for the term ahead, working from 8am through the morning, resuming after a midday break and then returning after an afternoon break and dinner to work some more in the evening.  This has been my routine for the past eighteen months and it is not healthy.

 It helps that I am enjoying learning about France’s history, but if I am honest with myself, the morning was the most productive time and the remainder was not smart work at all.

 So after I take this time for myself, today I will spend the cooler part of the day working (in the morning), when I am most productive and then in the afternoon will do things that enrich and nurture myself.

 Perhaps this is letting go of past ridiculous expectations of myself, thinking that I need to be some wonderful teacher, fully prepared for all lesson, with perfect ideas for resources and a brilliant assessment framework…creating no space for imagination and feedback.  I will admit, I am starting to let go of last year, as I wiped off my whiteboard this morning, retaining only four little jobs that I would like to complete – the rest is gone, creating space (in my head and my workspace) to focus on what is important and looking ahead.