I'm feeling worried. It's only November and I have to admit I am feeling BURNT OUT. I feel like I've got so many things to worry about (remember those "non-negotiables"?) that I'm not really good at any one of them. It's not hard to see why so many young teachers leave the profession after just a few years. It's not the kiddos or the curriculum... it's all of the extra STUFF demanded of me.
I'm sure you could tell me this is "normal" and to hang in there... so please do! I don't know what else I'd so with myself other than teach... but I'm not so sure I'm a good teacher sometimes.
Now that that's out of my system!
I am grateful that my students and I are really connecting this year. I enjoy being with them more than most of the adults at my school! I have some great activities planned next week around a Thanksgiving theme that I know they will love.
Here's what I plan to do for graphing. We've made several class graphs as a whole group... now it's time for us to create and interpret our own!
We'll start with a cut-and-paste graph of Thanksgiving foods.
Then we'll taste cranberry and apple juice and graph our class data!
Then I'll make sweet potato fries and mashed potatoes the night before so we can graph our favorites the next day!
*update* I fixed the "classed" typo... Thanks, Mrs. I for catching it!
Annnnd I'm TOTALLY making mashed potatoes in a crock pot at school Wednesday... it's so much more fun to cook WITH them! :)
My kiddos are sure to love these activities! Here's to one more week then a well-timed break from it all.
6 comments:
You can do it! All teachers-no matter how long they have been teaching-have times of the year when they feel burnt out. I am feeling it right now too-there is so much I want to do but I am exhausted! You are doing the best you can for your kids and each year you will get a little better. This year I have been focusing so much on implementing math stations that I feel like my science and social studies have really suffered-but oh well-that will give me something to work on next year! I love your graphs. I might have to try the juice taste testing next week. I also always make butter with my kinders right before Thanksgiving (fill a jar half full with cream and let the kids pass it around and shake it a lot!). Good luck getting through the holidays-kindergarten gets so much better in January (I think they are SO much more independent the second half of the year!).
~Meredith
Keen on Kindergarten
It's completely normal...and you have a right to feel that way! We all do at various points during the year/our career. Hang in there!
Jennifer
First Grade Blue SKies
I love your graphs - thanks for sharing! And yes, it is normal to feel this way! Think about how far you've come! I feel for you - it seems like my to-do-list gets longer each day. Try to list everything you "must" do, everything you'd "like" to do and then decided what you "can" do! See if you can find a little wiggle room in there somewhere :) We are almost to Christmas break - make sure you take time to recharge then. When you come back in January you will be rested, the kids will have matured over the break (it is amazing what a difference those few weeks make somehow!) and you can tackle it all again. In the meantime, pat yourself on the back for being a teacher who cares - your students are in better hands with you than with someone who didn't care as much!
Jennifer @ Herding Kats In Kindergarten
It just shows you care. ALL teachers around the world (I am in Scotland) feel this way at some point EVERY year. It will all come together so just plod on through it and soon the not so good stuff will be over for another wee while and you can get back to focusing on the important (and fun) aspects of the job.
Claire
http://misstoffeesclass.blogspot.com
Oh My Goodness... Yes it is perfectly ok to feel the way you do! I am a veteran teacher and I feel this way all the time! However, remember all the great things you do and even if there are children not where you need them to be... something happens after Christmas--- it all comes together for those babes. Put your focus on all those beautiful faces that greet you everyday and know you do make a difference!
I totally know how you feel! Hang in there. Maybe this will put a spring in your step for a moment. I'm awarding you the Liebster Blog Award! Come check out what it's about.
Pam
Rayos de Kinder
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