What Will Pull Me Through

As I previously posted, I was very sad to see the end of this week. Most teachers, outside the city, wouldn't even think of the last week as anything particularly special. Most teachers inside the city live for a week like last week... a week of No School!

I had a most amazing time being off work. I think I was in heaven. I realized though, as I come down off my happy high, I will begin to slump into a low... a sad, depressing low. Hopefully, as the children come back to school this next week, they'll be calm and almost zombie-ish from having no set sleep schedule over the last week. The calm will help ease me back into the school mode, as I'm sure I'll seem a zombie right along with them.

January and the first part of February seemed to zoom right past because I did a good job of setting up something to look forward to that helped pull me right through. Now, I am beginning to build myself up again with something to look forward to...

1. Spring Break... It's not until April... about 6 and a half weeks away. But it does last for a week and a couple days. I have no particular plans, but who needs them when you live in NYC.

2. The end of the school year... The end of June. 124 days, counting weekends and all. (all according to the countdown I started last month!)

3. A mental health day in March. I think I might need one. 6 weeks without one day off... not sure I'll actually survive it (sounds pathetic compared to people who work the normal 9 to 5... but I'd trade them to work in an office over my school anytime!). I've been planning to take one anyway... I'll have to start looking at the schedule and set a day for the middle of March, maybe at the 3 week mark. (How sad am I? I never took or thought about mental health days before... This year, I've had to.)

4. Field trips. We have a few scheduled between now and Spring Break and a few scheduled after Spring Break. I haven't posted about my happy thoughts that come when I think of field trips (post to come soon), but I must say, they make my teaching in NYC worth it (Almost, I think!)

There are 4 things to pull me through. I think I'll try to add a few small things in each week (that one T.V. show we watch every week, later mornings on Friday so I can get a wonderful coffee drink, special get-togethers or trips...)

Anybody else have things they must think about to survive the job? I've always had them, but never used them as such a crutch... such a lifeline.