Do Not Disturb


I finally did it. I turned off my email notifications from the hours of 5 pm - 8 pm on weeknights and all weekend. I've never been one to put up good boundaries when it comes to separating my personal and school obligations, but I knew that I needed to do it.  I also didn't work on schoolwork at all this past weekend! That is a HUGE accomplishment for me. 

Last week was another rough week of even less participation and more failing grades. I was frustrated with my students and just this whole situation we are in right now.  Everyone is!  I explained to all of my classes all of the things that I'm doing to help them succeed but feel that they are not doing their part. Time will tell if that makes any change in some of their work habits. 

I've also been working on finding other ways to find my joy again through this weird year. I've got a game plan of the reading extension activities that I want to put together for teachers working with thematic units! I'm really excited to be able to incorporate some of the social justice themes that I usually talk about in upper levels. Teaching lower level classes with a pretty set curriculum makes that more challenging, so I'll just live vicariously though upper level teachers!

Two words: Home. Edit. If you haven't watched the Netflix series Get Organized, then you are missing out. I'm a huge fan of storage bins and color coding and all the things related to organizing! This show inspired me to really tackle some clutter in my house. I haven't had much time, but I want to make more time to do this. My classroom is SUPER organized, but when it comes to my house...let's just say not so much.  I'm just never home long enough to do much or I'm so exhausted that the thought of pulling out all of my clothes from a dresser seems daunting. I've done what the girls at the Home Edit suggest: start small. I've been taking single drawers and editing down what I don't need and organizing what I want to keep. It's been really therapeutic actually, and I've only done the bathroom drawers!

What's the purpose of this post? To remind you that it is okay to say no. It is okay to turn off school for a while. It is okay to put on do not disturb for a little peace of mind. 

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