So, after perusing my time logs for the last three weeks that I tracked my time (01/22, 01/29, 02/05), I made three observations.
Observation #1: My work weeks are not created equal. And, neither is my personal time.
Week 3: School – Due to the two ice days the previous week, Monday changed from a professional development day with no students to a regular day of school. Tom from Kagan came to observe my teaching structure on Tuesday. I had a school-related meeting after school on both Monday and Wednesday.
Week 3: Personal – I took the day off of work on Tuesday to accompany Son #1 to the VA Hospital in New Orleans which lasted until about 11:15, so I was home before 12:30. This allowed me to complete some personal tasks and errands before picking Andrew up from school. Except for Wednesday afternoon, I picked Andrew up from either school or tennis practice every afternoon this week. Son #1 picked Andrew up for me on Wednesday afternoon because of my meeting, and the three of us met at La Caretta for dinner. Grocery shopping on Friday evening.
Week 4: School – This was Catholic Schools Week. Mass schedule (shorter classes) on both Monday (CSW Mass) and Tuesday (CSW Faculty Breakfast). Open House on Tuesday evening. Andrew got a ride home on Tuesday afternoon, so I stayed at school to work before Open House.
Week 4: Personal – I had a doctor’s appointment on Monday which led to picking up a prescription in Mandeville that was followed by a 6:00pm meeting with Andrew at STA. Wednesday was another doctor’s appointment for me that was followed by me picking Andrew up from tennis practice. On Thursday, my mother-in-law was checked into the hospital, so Andrew and I visited with her after school. On Friday, Andrew had tennis practice, then a dermatology appointment. Grocery shopping on Friday evening.
Week 5: School – ACT Aspire administered on Monday and Tuesday which meant shorter class periods. NJHS meeting after school on Monday and a staff development meeting on Wednesday afternoon (missed because of my doctor’s appointment).
Week 5: Personal – Since I bought a new car, Andrew was able to start driving himself to school and tennis practice. Tuesday was the only day I had to drive him to and from school. I had another doctor’s appointment on Wednesday afternoon. Grocery shopping on Friday evening.
Lesson #1: Planning is the key to not losing my mind both professionally and personally. Thankfully, I am a planner by nature. The stress comes in when juggling too many commitments on one day. Hopefully, buying the new car will lessen my load personally since Andrew can get to his practices and appointments on his own. In addition to planning, acceptance is needed with my school schedule. I have no control over the schedule; however, I have control over my content.
Observation #2: Despite working seven days a week on schoolwork during Weeks 3 and 4 and five days during Week 5, I worked less than 50 hours each week (Week 3 – 41hrs 42 min; Week 4 – 49 hours 13 min; Week 5 – 43 hours 27 min). Lesson #2: Based on my time logs, having school-related meetings, leaving after school to either pick Andrew up from school/tennis practice, or having to go to a doctor’s appointment seems to determine how much schoolwork gets done after the bell rings at the end of the day. Also, I’m pretty much done once the sun goes down. I feel like I work all the time, and I attribute this to working on the weekends. Of course, I only have 35 students this year and more time off during the school day. This cuts down significantly on the amount of time spent on grading papers. Since Andrew can now drive, I think I will be able to work more after school and less on the weekends. Fingers crossed!
Observation #3: Interruptions are apparently a norm in both my professional and personal life. Intellectually, I was aware of the interruptions; however, until I studied my time logs, I had no idea how many there were and how they impacted my day both at work and at home. Weather, illness (developed another abscess and MIL had a mini-stroke ), my children, husband, co-workers, students, friends, acquaintances, procrastination, the phone, and the list goes on and on. Lesson #3: While interruptions can slow you down and sometimes hinder progress, they are also good reminders to take care of yourself, socialize with the people you love, and recharge. Interruptions are part of life. You can either be amenable or frustrated. Depending on what is going on in my life, I experience both feelings. For me, planning helps alleviate some of the stress attached to interruptions. Of course, interruptions probably contribute to me having to complete schoolwork on the weekends.
So, there you have it, dear reader. I gleaned a plethora of information about myself just from keeping track of my time. Since I was on vacation, I took this past week off from tracking my time; however, I will start tracking it again tomorrow. I’m interested to see what these next three weeks will reveal about how I am spending my time, especially with Andrew driving his own vehicle. And, I’m curious to learn how the time change will affect how I spend my time in the coming months.
Have an absolutely delightful week working on whatever it is that makes you happy. Remember to remain positive even in the midst of interruptions. Happiness!
“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own,’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life — the life God is sending one day by day.” ~ C.S. Lewis, The Collected Works of C.S. Lewis
It is the first day of Spring, dear reader. What an absolutely gorgeous day! I wish I could have spent the day outside in a hammock reading a book; however, I do not own a hammock, and I spent a good portion of the day working on school stuff. I did sneak a couple of chapters of a zombie book in between reading journals and creating a quiz.
I finally dusted in my bedroom, cleaned off surfaces, threw away Andrew’s binder that had been residing under my nightstand for the last two years, and made a plan to sort through the scrapbooking magazines my BFF gave me years ago. I felt like I was on an archaeological dig to find my bedroom. And, I had fun and my grumpiness faded completely away.
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On my front porch relaxing in a rocking chair, I embraced the new day by watching the sun peeking through the trees while squirrels scampered across the lawn and birds hopped about looking for breakfast; listening to the chattering of the birds; smelling the fresh air; feeling the coolness of the morning air, and tasting the smooth richness of coffee. All five of my senses were fully engaged at that moment in full communion with the new day. Bliss! At that moment, fully PRESENT, I felt bliss. And, a sense of gratitude washed over me for the opportunity to appreciate the stillness, the beauty, and the absence of time. No place to be right away or a strict schedule to follow is my idea of the perfect way to start a new day.
It is FREEZING this morning! Instead, I am sitting comfortably with Tooty (aka Comet, my dog) near the fireplace enjoying a warm fire courtesy of my hubby. Merci, beaucoup!
What an absolutely gorgeous day! The sun is out, the temperature is cool, and the air is crisp. I took my little dog out to do his business before starting my business of writing and soon found myself sitting on my front porch basking in the sunshine and watching the birds and squirrels. I closed my eyes, listened, and felt peace. It only lasted a few minutes. However, it inspired me to write outside today. Thus, I am now writing this post outside on the deck in the backyard while enjoying a cup of hot green tea with honey. It is cooler than I expected since I am more in the shade than in the sun; however, it feels wonderful, and I am PRESENT. Nature has that effect.
The Kat Files 