Good morning Sally. You get a lot done in your alone time! Your post really captures the tension between satisfaction of being useful to others and useful to yourself and your own agenda. I would like to hear a little more about your alone time that is not work-related :) What do you do just for you?
1. March 19th I am going to TCRWP Saturday Reunions (and have attended every Oct and March Reunion since I discovered TCRWP in 2009), not because it is work-related (which one could say it is) but because I love learning from really bright people and that day, a plethora of smart people are gathered and they just happen to be speaking about best practices in literacy.
2. This Sunday I am meeting a colleague for brunch and we will talk about our work and I do this for me because it gives me positive energy.
3. All summer long, I drove to meet 3 other ladies (one of them is the author of the comment above!) at a Starbucks and we wrote and shared and I enjoyed working on my writing life in the company of others who enjoy writing, too. I did this for me and not because I am a teacher of writing workshop.
4. I participate in twitter chats related to literacy because I get energy from the ideas of other bright educators.
5. I blog (and often it is about my work) but I blog because it is fun and I figure things out as I write.
6. I read the latest literacy-related resources, not just because of my job, but because I get lots of energy from planning the best for those students who I am teaching.
7. I read LOTS of children's literature because I have fun discussing books with young kids (which is one of the perks of my job!).
As I started this list, I wondered how long it would become. I'm going to stop at Lucky #7
To be honest, I do spend LOTS of my time doing what others see as work-related things. But I am OK with this because I don't think of my work as just a paycheck. I don't think of my work as something I only do from 9-5pm. I am a teacher and it is my career. I enjoy it and want to keep doing things to make me better at it. And yes, at times it exhausts me. But I can't think of rewarding work that wouldn't exhaust me. So I am glad this is how I choose to spend my time - some of it alone, some in the company of bright, literacy-minded people - doing these seven things just for me.
So I am glad this is how I choose to spend my time - some of it alone, some in the company of bright, literacy-minded people - doing these seven things just for me.
ReplyDeleteI think many of us are here and doing the same things for the same reasons. It's wonderful to belong to a like-minded community - and how you describe them is perfect!
I find such a tension between what I do just for me and what I do for work because there is so much crossover. One thing I do just for me is read books published for grownups--can't really use them at work, don't really recommend them to students.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful way to articulate and celebrate your teaching and learning life! I have had to make a shift this year from my focus on my student's writing to my own reading and writing. I never thought about how this could inform my teaching more positively. It has given me the energy I needed to sustain me.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful way to articulate and celebrate your teaching and learning life! I have had to make a shift this year from my focus on my student's writing to my own reading and writing. I never thought about how this could inform my teaching more positively. It has given me the energy I needed to sustain me.
ReplyDeleteWhat you do for you sound eerily similar to what I do for me (minus the TCWRP-a bit too far for me). I am glad I am not the only one who mixes "my time" with my professional growth. I think that is what truly makes us professionals. I also love learning and reading and sharing and writing. I enjoyed your post!
ReplyDeleteIt's not just our profession but also our passion. This passion fuels our days and motivates our choices. I am right beside you in thought. Love this!
ReplyDeletePassion is the word!! Thanks for naming it for me!
DeleteIt's not just our profession but also our passion. This passion fuels our days and motivates our choices. I am right beside you in thought. Love this!
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to know there are others out there who share the same passion for living and breathing our work. Since leaving the classroom, I feel as if a part of me is missing. I'm trying, through Twitter and things like this, to reignite that passion - and all you lovely people help!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! You passionate dedication is admirable and relatable (for me). Teaching can be a life's work, I think. Growing professionally in this work can be deeply personal and rewarding. It's time well spent getting to know self and self as teacher. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteHow many teachers look to you, Sally, as an inspiration and resource for their own learning? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou are TOO kind. Thanks for your comment!
DeleteHow many teachers look to you, Sally, as an inspiration and resource for their own learning? Thank you.
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