The first and last weeks of my school year are what I dread most. I love my job and appreciate the need for tons of paperwork and data. However, being in a school full of children and not teaching makes me nutty. I get crabby. I am short tempered. I even mope.
I've spent the last week reviewing and organizing data, creating reports, and filling files. Well...that is what I am supposed to be doing. What I am actually doing is spending an hour on paperwork then sneaking out to watch softball games or stopping by classrooms to chat with my students. I even invited three third grade boys to come hang out in my room this afternoon. It was the best part of my day.
My co-workers are so supportive. They never blink an eye when I pop in their rooms and they share their students with me without question. These moments remind me why the paperwork is important. I used to try to tough it out and keep my nose in the reports, but I need those moments. I need to be reminded that the reports are about people; the kids that I love. I think next fall I will even schedule myself time to spend in classrooms to keep myself focused.
Tomorrow is another day of reports and meetings. It is also awards day for the kids. I wonder which I will spend more time on.
I love that you're connecting the WHY of what is so often a tedious and annoying part of many jobs, but especially important in ours. Not to mention you're identifying your core values and knowing what you need to be more productive. It's a funny thing we do, like in running, you think if you just "keep at it" and "tough it out" you'll get the job done quicker, more painfully too, but it's done. When, and if, we choose to take these breaks, we think we're being unproductive, or lazy, or whatever and we beat ourselves up, but what so often happens is that by taking these little breaks, we refresh, refocus, and re-energize which translates into we're more productive when we're back on task. So go ahead and treat yourself, our kids deserve it.
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