When was the last time that you:
- Went out and saw a movie during the week?
- Took an entire evening off without staying late for a meeting or working once you’d put the kids to bed?
- Binge read a book in an evening?
- Spontaneously just went out for a meal?
- Went to see a play or a comedy gig?
- Lit a fire and cuddled up with your significant other for the night?
Whatever it is that floats your boat, I bet it’s been a while?
Why?
Because we, as teachers are often made to feel that we aren’t doing enough, that education is a sailboat on the ocean with a good wind but we need to jump out of the boat and push it harder, faster to get to our destination more quickly, more efficiently.
Education is not this sailboat with a good wind. Education is all about people, working with people, imparting knowledge, skills, manners, character through our interactions, day in, day out.
Education does not require us to jump overboard to make the boat go faster, legs kicking desperately below water. It’s this attitude that prevents us getting out and living during term time. It’s this attitude that makes us live for the holidays, as though term time were just a waiting room for our actual lives.
Let’s take a small step today.
Let’s get out and do something. Let’s get out and put work to one side.
One day won’t make any difference to the boat, it’s a sailboat with a good wind! One day off, doing the things we love, will make all the difference to us, to our families.
Get to it, guilt-free!
