Letting Go... It's Tough

I admit it, I'm a little bit of a control freak... Ok, a lot perhaps.  I like my class to be organised, I like to feel like it looks pretty and colourful.  It's something I can control.  And let's face it, there's a lot that we can't control about teaching in today's education scene.

I've been thinking about this for the past few days, how much time I spend on making my classroom look wonderful.  How much time I spend cutting and laminating, cutting again and then arranging on my wall.  I like the process, it's somehow monotonous, soothing.  But it takes time.  And it's never ending.  How much worth do I place in the 'prettiness' of my classroom, how much evidence do I think it holds for me as a 'good' teacher.  Lots it turns out.  Misplaced worth I feel after my days of pondering.

I am a good teacher.  I know that.  My students feel loved and valued.  They know I'm there for them.  That's what is important.  Not how straight my borders are or whether my lettering matches the colour scheme of the display.

In today's fast paced, crazy-busy world something has to give.  And it has to be the something that isn't as important as the rest.  Perhaps the laminating and cutting needs to take a back seat if I'm to get on top of the real stuff this year.  Don't get me wrong, there'll still be laminating and displays but if my cutting isn't perfect or my writing is a little messier than usual I will try my best not to completely re-do the whole jolly thing.  There's just not enough time, and I have more important things to be doing. 

Time, More Please

Time, that precious commodity we all crave more of.  I had another whole post that I planned to write tonight but just now as I looked down at the growing to-do-list for school on my screen I was struck by the fact that no matter how many things I tick off in any given day more keep piling up.  So far my list has 23 things on it.  And that's not including teaching full-time and any planning (or my 28 minutes of writing each night or the fact that I have goal setting meetings at school until 8pm for the following two nights!).  It's Tuesday night already and I had planned to clear my list by Friday.  Somehow I don't think this is going to be possible.  Sigh.

Time is defined as the 'point or period at which things occur'.  But time is very relative.  There is actual time and real time.  There are always 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day.  You get the picture.  That's actual time and it doesn't ever change or vary.  Real time is different.   Depending on what you are doing time can either whiz by ridiculously fast or drag by so incredibly slowly.  An hour sitting in the dentist's chair passes like an age, while sitting in an armchair for an hour having coffee with a friend speeds by.

Part of the reason I am struggling is because I'm a perfectionist who likes to keep things ticking along, jobs completed and the list checked off neatly.  Being a perfectionist usually means that the jobs are done well, to a high standard but it also means that I like to do them myself and that takes time.  My time.  So I am going to have to come up with some sort of plan of attack.  I have been thinking of a few ways to make sure that the most important things get done this week.  And so that I keep my sanity.

So here's what I am going to do:

• Prioritise the non-negotiables for each day and for the week - narrow the 23 things down to a manageable number.  Surely those 23 things aren't all absolutely necessary to get completed this week!
• Schedule time to not be disturbed - and use this time to really work to get things done.  This is always a hard thing to do but it is going to be imperative to my list-crossing-off this week.
• Avoid distractions such as social media, TV while working - I will use my time wisely.
• Make sure I take time to relax and unwind too, I know I will be far more efficient and happy if I build this into my day.
• Delegate things that someone else could easily do - this one is important and I have lots of amazing people who would gladly help if they know I need it.  Most of them would be horrified if they read this and realised that I hadn't asked for help.

So there's my sanity-saving, Friday-finishing solution.  Now I've just got to stick to it.  Not turn it into a 'do what I say not what I do' type scenario.  

And with that I have finished my 28 minutes of writing for #28daysofwriting.  In actual time it was 28 minutes on the clock, in real time it was far, far less!

How do you make sure you don't get snowed under with work-related things?  Any advice or helpful hints gratefully accepted!

Coffee Time

I walked up town the other day to get lunch.  It's a small town.  There are a ridiculous number of cafes for the number of people that live here but it's on the main road, tourists are everywhere.  And the coffee is to die for.  I am rather spoilt, I know that.

Our school receptionist walked in after me and sat down at table outside.  She seemed preoccupied.  Didn't appear to notice me there.  I waited for my order to be ready and touched her shoulder as I walked past her.  Said she could have sat with me if she wanted company.  She looked up and sheepishly said 'I just needed a break'.  She seemed embarrassed, like she was confessing to something she shouldn't be doing.  She said she had been planning to take her order back to school but then changed her mind.  She needed a break.  I get that completely.

A school is pure madness a lot of the time.  Rooms filled to the brim with little voices chattering away incessantly, meeting after meeting, talking to colleagues, communicating with parents.  Even the photocopier is noisy.  The phone never stops ringing.  There is often little time to gather one's thoughts.  To think in a quiet space.  To breathe, just breathe.  To have a break.

I've found working in a little town amazing.  It's got the rural feel with some urban conveniences.  Coffee is one.  Possibly my most favourite one (who am I kidding, of course it is).  Stepping out of school for a few minutes and walking up the street to get a cup of coffee or grabbing lunch is pure bliss.  I don't even feel guilty for it.  I need it.  We all need it - a break.  Take it in any form you can, a walk around the far end of the field.  Sit in the quiet library or between the dusty shelves of the resource room.  Play an instrument.  Or lock your classroom doors, turn the air con on and just breathe for a few moments.  I've done all of the above.

In this busy, busy world we all need to take a break sometimes.  The reward is feeling more centred, relaxed, like you recharge just enough to get through the next hour (or six - sometimes the only time to snatch that break is first thing in the morning!).  It's important.  Do it.

As a side note for those readers who understand why my blog is named Half Cold Coffee - no I do not usually finish the cup before it gets cold, yes it sits there half finished for a while, and I'll let you in on a little secret... add a half shot of caramel and then once it's cold it tastes like a caramel/coffee milkshake.  You're welcome :-)