To be perfectly honest, I was a back to school geek. I loved decorating my classroom, buying new school supplies and creating an inviting atmosphere for my new students. What I didn’t love was the time it took to do all of these things. The lesson planning, seating chart making, and meetings left me less than thrilled. Tweaking old unit plans to suit new state mandates demanded focused attention I often didn’t want to give. It seemed like there was never, ever enough time to do everything even though I’d begin a month before the official start of the new school year.
In hindsight, I realized that I’d beat myself up for not wanting to do these things, which of course made doing them even harder. You can have a smoother transition back to work if you follow these three easy steps.
Step 1: It’s okay to mourn the end of summer
Sometimes just admitting it’s hard as hell to go back can really make it a smidge bit easier. I loved sleeping longer, not having a set schedule, doing what I wanted when I wanted, and most importantly going to the bathroom when I first felt the urge to do so.
So in that vein, it’s okay to bitch and moan about going back to work. I give you permission to do so. It’s a huge transition to exchange your carefree days for a 60 hour work week. It often felt like going from zero to 125 mile per hour in 0.5 seconds. Am I right?
Step 2: Be kind to yourself
It’s almost like bribing your inner two year old to stop screaming with the promise of a special treat or their favorite toy. You get to celebrate the beginning of another school year by doing something extremely kind for yourself.
It’s kind of like putting on your own oxygen mask before you put one on your students. You get to set the tone of loving yourself before your brand new students enter your classroom. Some years I’d treat myself to something kind of big at the start of the new school year. I love shopping so I’d meander around my favorite malls in search of a few new outfits that were cute and comfy. Another important requirement was that I had to absolutely positively adore them. If I didn’t they’d be left at the store. I wanted to feel beautiful and stylish. Clothes can really make you feel better and give you something to look forward to on those rainy Monday mornings when all you want to do is sleep. Having cute clothes may seem egocentric but it made a world of difference for me.
Sometimes I’d schedule a hot stone massage after the first full work of school or I’d do a spa day during the long Labor Day weekend since we always started school a week or two before then.
Step 3: Tap into your WHY
Why did you become a teacher?
Why do you continue to teach?
Hopefully, your answer goes a lot deeper than the paycheck. If so I’ve got the perfect new class for you here.
Once you figure it out make a note on your phone or in your planning book. The goal is to have it readily accessible when your mood starts to sour and you constantly wish you could walk the heck out of the door and never come back. Knowing why is a game changer and resets your control button so that you can calmly and patiently persist in a profession that easily zaps all your energy and willpower to survive.
Once you know it’s okay to mourn your summer freedom you get to do something special to celebrate the dawning of a new school year and then you get to tap into the power of why which makes it all worthwhile.
Here’s wishing you a tranquil transition back to work. Remember, you get to choose if you go back kicking and screaming or calm and collected. I’ve done both and the latter is far better.
