Back to Work

Today is my last day off before I start the spring semester at my community college.  Students aren’t due until next week, so this week is full of meetings and planning.  I usually don’t dislike meetings; I really like to see my colleagues and catch up. I typically do like to plan.
I like to think about the previous semester and figure out how I can do things better this time.  I like to look over my teaching philosophy and journal about my overarching goals for the semester.
I even like planning the nitty gritty of the first week.  I typically have it all planned out in terms of what goals I have, what activities we’ll do, I even write out exactly what we’ll do and how many minutes I think each part of activity will take. I can’t seem to get beyond the first week of planning specifics, though, before the first week of class since I haven’t yet met my actual students.
Anyway, this first week is typically good for easing into the semester as well. I get into a routine and start to move my focus from home to school, but there’s still enough time to hang out with the dogs and clean the parts of the house that I had intended to clean as soon as the last semester let out.
My goals for this week are to make effort to connect with my higher power in some way each day, to take notice of healthy foods I’d like to eat, and to step out of my office or to make a phone call to a friend if I feel a little lonely planning by myself in my office all week.
Hopefully I’ll cultivate much peace, out and in. I wish that for you too!
~Jaye