Take care of yourself
This seems to be a good place to share how you all plan to take care of yourselves during your practicum. There will be lots of work, but in order to be successful it is essential that you take care of yourself. What kind of support systems do you have or will you arrange? What things will you let slide (that are healthy to let slide...)? What will you do for fun?
posted by Leanna at 3:59 PM
7 Comments:
Well despite my proud protestations to many of my colleagues I am not going to work (unlike right now, since as I am typing I am procrastinating getting ready for work). Also I am going to sit down with my friends and family in December and January and explain what my expectations are for myself for practicum and the best way to be supportive (this is wishful thinking but I am going to try). Otherwise I don't think they will understand how much work it takes and how hard it is going to be. I think I have to make plans with myself to do something even something small for me every day. Ex. Take a walk, read a non-school book, have a chat with someone, or play with my dog at least for half an hour or I might lose my mind. I think I will be a better teacher if I remember that I am a person and not a lesson planning robot and I think it will help my students see me that way too. I also find these activities are good incentive and will help keep up my motivation when everything gets a little overwhelming.
4:09 PM
I am kind of looking forward to maybe only working 14 hours days as was brought out by the student teacher Jason. For the past 6 years I have been getting up at 4:45 am and didn't get to bed until about 1:00am. I raised 3 kids and looked after a wife. During this time I held a part time job, I tutored high school and middle school kids and worked as a marker for a first year professor of Physics. My way of relaxing was to read a book (usually science based) or to do Sudoku. We don't T.V. "way out here in the outpost of Sooke" (or at least where I live) so if I just wanted to let my brain rest I would go down to the beach.
10:14 PM
That was supposed to read we don't have T.V.
10:17 PM
Alan, I am hoping to take some of your drive into my practicum and possibly your ability to get up early and not need a nap by noon. I am very happy that I have some support throughout my practicum from my family and friends and I really hope that I can maintain the friendships I've gained so far in PDP as mutual support as well as people to bounce ideas, fears, and plans off of. You can all feel free to keep in touch as I will be in that "far outpost of Aldergrove" and would be happy to hear from anybody. ( and yes I do realize that is 5 months away but its a heads up!)
10:26 PM
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12:54 PM
Another important philosophy to me is the old-fashioned "day at a time" technique. It sounds cliched and maybe even trite - but I find when I'm getting really stressed/overworked I don't even do a day at a time - I break up the day into manageable time units, as in "Ok, I'm getting stressed about assignments for tomorrow and it's 8am - I haven't even started class, and I can't work on the assignment now! So, what do I have to get done in the next 2 hrs? OK, I can manage that." And then when I get past those two hours, I focus on the next two. It helps me alleviate the stress of upcoming events, but it also keeps me on-task and not paralyzed (which is often synonymous with procrastination) by fear or anxiety. Someone (I think Anna?) mentioned little rewards when tasks are accomplished - I do the same. Sometimes, getting through reading can only be accomplished by knowing there's a glass of wine waiting at the end of it!
10:03 PM
One of the things that I am most apprehensive about, is attempting to continue working 30-35 hours per week at my current job, while going to school full-time and later during practicum.
Certainly the most important thing is the practicum, but we all need to have sufficient funds to live while we do it. When I start thinking about volunteeering and planning and marking and socializing and working and having time for what matters in my personal life,I wonder if there is anything that can be done to lesson the emotional load. Even with the way classes are going this summer, the prospect of September course-work, is pretty daunting!
Saying this, I know it will be just fine...right???
4:22 PM
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