A Return to Routine and the Restoration of Sanity

Do not get me wrong, I LOVE my summers off.  I love the fact that I can sleep in (even though I rarely did).  I love the fact that I can stay in PJs for as long as I want.  I love the fact that I can drink my morning coffee out of a real mug, on the couch, spending as much time in the Word or just reading a good book as I want. 

But as much as I love all of that, I tend to flounder when there is no set routine.  And so, when school starts it feels eerily similar to a News Years holiday.  Resolutions are made.  Closets are cleaned out.  And the comfort of a new and yet familiar routine starts to take shape.

This year, the start of my year was the smoothest yet.  Four years in, I am mostly comfortable with my content, though I have changed it around and added new things here in there.  I no longer feel the insecurity of the new teacher mentality (most days).  And this year, I am finding more time and peace in my days.  For one thing, I have the greatest schedule this year.  I teach two classes and then have team planning, two more and then lunch, one more, and then I end my day with my planning period.  I wasn't sure how I was going to like it, but I LOVE it.  I love ending my day on such a peaceful note and I'm finding that I am motivated enough to get the room ready for the next day and get started on some kind of grading.

Another new thing about this year is that I have cut my cheerleading coaching in half.  Patrick and I made the decision for me to sit out of competition coaching this year.  Though I loved it, the amount of time spent after school in practice would put me behind on grading so much so that last year it took me almost until Christmas to really get back on the ball.  And, um, apparently, I was not such a nice person to be around in September or October?  My sweet husband comfronted me on this in a very loving way.  The truth is, I was spending my days merely getting by and I was completely exhausted by the evening.  So this new found time after school to jump start on grading and planning for the next day is making me feel so on my game.  I know I am better for it. 

The days are falling into a good routine.  I'm blessed to have a job that I enjoy so much.  I have time to spend with my husband each day.  I'm finding time to fix dinner pretty regularly, keep our house in a relatively manageable state, and I don't have to wait until November to work out.  Life is pretty good at the moment.