Shortly after posting about my struggle to return to work after maternity leave I found myself awake around my little man's favorite time to eat (and be awake!)...3 am. I was having my own little pitty party as I'm still pretty sleep deprived and totally overwhelmed with the looming "return date." While he eats I typically find myself skimming the internet, reading blogs or "creeping" on Facebook. However, this time Facebook presented me with something more than just a bunch of random pictures and status updates about how cold it is here in Minnesota.
The first thing to pop up on my news feed was this article: "What Students Remember Most About Teachers."
As I got to the end of the article I was encompassed by emotions and, for the first time since my son was born in December, found myself rejuvenated by the idea of returning to work. I have 25 students there waiting for me to remind them just how special they are and, starting Tuesday, that's exactly what I intend to do.
Hi Natalie,
ReplyDeleteI also read that post on Facebook. It made me think about how I need to SLOW DOWN!! I am constantly pushing and pushing to accomplish maybe too much in class. There are not many times that I feel relaxed and allow my students time to relax. We are moving so quickly! I wonder how my kids at school feel! They must feel like we are on a constant ride. When I think back to my days in elementary school, I think about the loving teachers that I experienced. I think about the friendships and the community of kids that I was surrounded with. I don't think of a teachers and the curriculum they covered!
I will be thinking of you as you head back to school! I loved going back after having my boys. Life was a bit more tiresome and stressful, but the routine and structure felt so good. I feel that teaching allows you to have a great mix of work and family time.