I get it…it’s hard. It’s hard to separate something that is such a big part of you and your personality. But you DO NOT need to take school stuff home. Especially on the weekends…what was that? Yes..not on the weekends.

Of course, there are some extreme circumstances where you’ve been out or you feel super behind and if it’ll make you feel better to take that stuff home and work on it, then sure! But…you need to set a boundary. As teachers, we spend a lot of our time at home thinking about our students, we don’t also have to do lots of extra work for our job at home. There has to be a separation. You have to spend time with your family, you have to spend time taking care of things at home and ESPECIALLY taking care of you and relaxing. 

My first two years, I took so much work home. I was split between buildings and it was so hard to keep up with everything; lesson planning, grading, testing out projects, etc. Something eventually clicked…I’m the teacher, unless something has a deadline I don’t HAVE to take it home or have it done immediately. It’ll get done when it gets done.

Now, does this work for everyone? Of course not, but when mental health is such a big focus for our country and specifically teachers, you have to take care of you first. Like we’ve said before, you can’t pour from an empty cup. And if you don’t make an effort to take care of you first, you’ll eventually burn out or break.

In a profession that is so hard to leave work at work, you have to physically leave the work at work that you can. It takes a lot of work and a lot of effort, but it IS possible. 

Now say it with me…”I will not take stuff home from school to work on. I will not take stuff home from school to work on.”

I’m going to practice what I preach and ignore that handful of papers I brought home and work on them tomorrow when I get back to work! See?! I do it too.

Keep blending,

Hayley