Today was not a particularly hard day, but I also don’t remember the last time I had an “easy day”. Is there such thing when you’re a teacher?

Wednesdays we start school 90 minutes later so we have “collab time” or time to be “professionally developed”. I am completely guilty of being the person sitting in the back making snarky comments under my breath, rolling my eyes, questioning the relevance and wondering why I can’t just be in my classroom prepping?!

Today was my freakin turn to be the one up front leading our “collab”. Collab is in quotes because it’s a complete BS term.  Sure, opinions are gathered, even notes are collected, but when all the crap boils to the top, we’re stuck doing whatever admin deems important no matter what our input is. Today I got stuck leading because I am so “knowledgeable” and so “helpful”!! I can’t think of a better way to encourage me to mind my own business and not help my colleagues then make me lead our collaborative meetings. So instead of spending my last few nights prepping for my students and dealing with my own classroom needs, I was stuck prepping for this meeting. AND I HATED BEING THE ONE IN FRONT!! I don’t want to be the one everyone is rolling their eyes at or making snarky comments about. Fellow teachers being held captive are WAY WORSE then any student (okay maybe not any student, but a lot of them).

So this afternoon I played hooky from responsibility and took a loooooong bath, read a book and drank a glass of wine (before 5 o’clock). Yes, I have lesson plans that need planning; I have assessment reports to write, parent emails to answer, IEP goals to review, and data to analyze. BUT self care cannot necessarily wait until we have time or wait until the weekend. It’s only Wednesday. Saturday seems soooooooo far away.  I rinsed the guilt I should feel down the drain with my cold bath water.

Remember, fill your virtual wine glass. Your students need you to be full, refreshed, happy and ready to support them. You cannot care for them they way the need, if you don’t care for yourself they way you deserve. Now I am off for a second glass of wine tonight!!!!