October 15-Avoiding Addictions
Posted by Greg on October 19, 2007
October 10-17, 2007
I’m back!! The new and improved ‘Sticks’ has returned to the wonderful world of edublogging.I want to start this weeks post by apologizing to anyone who has found me stepping on their toes over the last month; it has never been my intention to offend or criticize my peers and/or instructors….I am, after 17 years, finally free of a pack-a-day habit and I have no doubt offended some in the process of quitting…if this is you, I am sorry.
The last week has been a good one! Following a short week, I had a wonderful weekend with my family and have managed to climb the foothills ofHomework
Mountain. Wednesday’s class opened my eyes to the potential benefits of home education/home schooling and Friday’s class began to address some key areas of succeeding as a teacher. While I am still catching up on some lost sleep and was not 100% with it last week, I feel that I learned a fair amount. My musings this week have centered around teacher survival. What is required to become an effective teacher? What am I getting or missing in this portion of my education and how will it assist or hinder me? How can I avoid chemical dependencies when I have heard how stressful being a teacher is? Am I getting the required education…is it for me…will I survive…??? It seams that my education contains more question than answers some days, and my mind has been full of them this week … especially considering I feel like I have missed much of the last month due to lack of sleep and detoxification. Since quitting my chemical addiction has been at the leading edge of many thoughts lately, I would like to address this in my musings.………………………………………….Teaching can be stressful! Every teacher I have spoken to, every instructor that has stood before my class, every professional I have bumped into have all talked about the stress level of teaching. While I appreciate their desire to present the realities, I have heard enough of the negatives! You guys are going to drive me to drinking! OK, while I won’t resort to that, with a lack of positives in ones life, it is easy to fall down that dangerous spiral. Addiction starts when one turns to a chemical to counteract the physical. While I agree that there is a time for prescription medications to help in acute circumstances, turning to cigarettes, alcohol and other chemicals is a disastrous move. Stress is real and I have no doubt in my mind that teaching carries a heap of it. For this reason I think that it is vitally important that we as up-and-coming teachers learn how to control the anxiety level before it beats us. Here’s a few suggestion in no particular order.
Number 1- – Look for the positives! I have begun asking teachers who focus on the negative aspects of teaching to tell me the positives. The question catches them off guard… “…Yah…um…it’s the best job around and I wouldn’t trade it for the world…” It seams that most people start with the bad news and assume you are already well acquainted with the positives… …fair enough, but being human, I would like to hear some good news now and then.
Number 2 – - Don’t neglect yourself! Nutrition and exercise are vitally important to reduce the amount of stress that we feel. Vitamins C and B are promoted as an award winning combination stress reducer. A good workout at the gym, on the rocks or trails, or even walking around the block counteracts many of the negatives this world throws our way. Spiritual beliefs and spending time meditating are also proven at reducing anxieties.
Number 3 – - Don’t stuff it! Find a good friend and vent! Of course, anonymity of students is vital.
Number 4 – - Find a hobby and make sure you get enough sleep. We all have deadlines, but we are more efficient when we learn to set boundaries and take a little time for ourselves.
While these are only a few suggestions, and in no particular order, it is important to realize that we are humans and we have limits. For me, I have a quiet time that expect my family to honor and I also appreciate regular exercise. While it does take time out of the day to make some of these things happen, we are more productive when we have taken a few minutes for ourselves.
The most important thing to remember for avoiding addictions is simple; DON’T DO IT. Subscribing to the attitude of just once or just for a while is the start of a vicious spiral that is hard to break. You are worth more than that and we need you here…sober and ready to teach our children. If all else fails, talk to your doctor…there is no shame in admitting when you need some help getting through something.
