It is crunch time, the time between Thanksgiving Break and Christmas Break. This year, that is a stretch of three weeks. Many teachers returned not well-rested from Thanksgiving Break. I know I was yawning all day today. Why I’m up at 10:22 PM way past my teacher bedtime writing this is beyond me. Hopefully, you won’t come across any sleepy educator typos.
The truth is this is the hardest part of the second semester. This time is typically filled with benchmark assessments, projects, essays, school programs, class parties, and maybe even one more fundraiser. My advice is to take it one day at a time.
This morning Dr. Monica F. Cox tweeted, ” The Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday is difficult for a lot of people. What are you going to do to make your week great? #question” I retweeted with this response, ” I’m going to have a warm beverage (herbal tea or hot chocolate). Next, I’ll write my to-do list for just today. Last, I’ll try to follow the list.” That is my plan every single day until freedom at 4 PM on Friday, December 20th.
If I think too much about the big picture, I will get overwhelmed. Today, I feel good. I hope to keep the momentum going tomorrow. So, educators, what is your plan?
Sleep deprivation didn’t show in the article at all (smile). I’m glad you addressed this yearly rush which made me think about the “crunch time” that every working person goes through between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Most companies end the year with employee evaluations, stats and numbers, and the list goes on. The whole benchmark of how much can we squeeze in before year end to make our goals normally makes everyone feel pressured. Taking time off for many is out of the question because retail stores stay open for that last minute sale. What happened to stores being closed on Sundays and by 6pm on Saturday so people could spend time with family? Why is it that many people do not enjoy Holidays any more?Aunt Sue