work/life balance
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My Current Obsessions
At the end of the year I love to share my favorite things from the previous year as ideas for potential teacher gifts, the only problem with that is that a year is a long time and I have a hard time remembering all of the things that I love. I thought I’d share just a few of the things that I am currently obsessed with so that you could get hooked too! (All links are affiliates) It’s common knowledge that I have an deep love for Papermate Flair pens, but now I’m adding these Papermate InkJoy pens to my collection. Someone left one in my training last week and…
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Under the weather
I’m pretty sure that it is the weather this week, but I have been in a nasty funk. This never-ending migraine and consuming desire to crawl back in bed have really put a damper on my holiday-loving attitude. When I’m not feeling well (but not quite sick enough to stay home), I’ve found that it generally best to let my students in on the fact that I’m a little under the weather. Preschoolers are just beginning to understand empathy – there are plenty of adult issues that they just can’t comprehend, but they know how awful if is to feel sick. When my students know that I’m a little under…
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Strategies for getting excited about work again
I love my job. I tell people this all the time because it really is the truth – but that doesn’t mean that I always want to be at work. There are definitely days when I’m irritated, days when I would love to stay in bed and hibernate, and days when I feel completely unproductive. This is normal, we all feel this way occasionally, but if you’re like me you can’t always take a vacation just because you want one. When I’m feeling like I need some new energy, when I really need to re-focus and find that excitement again, there are a couple of strategies that always work for…
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Friday Freebie – Inspirational Ideas
Happy Friday! These first few weeks of the year often seem the longest, I’m hoping this week’s posts will life your spirits and inspire a little positivity! Today’s freebie is an Encouragemnt List that includes wonderful ideas for self-care and embracing joy. Download your copy from Add On To Learning and go plan the activities that you’d like to accomplish!
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Take care of yourself!
If I learned only one thing in 2017, it was the importance of taking care of yourself. In this field, so much of our time and attention are demanded. We must be present at all times and consistently observing and recording, all while preparing for what will come next. We have to do this with a smile on our face, while dealing with difficult behaviors and unrealistic expectations. It’s exhausting and it can really take a toll on you. I firmly believe that you can’t care for anyone else until you have cared for yourself. Unfortunately, it can feel selfish to tell others no in order to do something nice…
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Strategies for balancing work and personal life
I just typed that title and started laughing – who am I to write about balancing my work and personal life?! I definitely don’t have it all figured out. I spend more nights typing this little blog than I care to admit – and that’s on top of working a full time job, so I feel you! Honestly, I think we’re all just doing the best that we can. I know that might not sound helpful if you’re really looking for some strategies, but my mantra over the last six months has been “Give yourself some credit.” Seriously, I bet there are a ton of things that you’re doing really…
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Friday Freebie – Cleaning Checklist
Happy Friday! I hope that you’ve been able to enjoy some summer weather and summer activities! I usually share freebie for the classroom, but this one was too good to pass up! My posts this week have been all about cleaning at school, but when you can come home to a clean house it can ease a lot of stress! This huge cleaning checklist is from Printable Crush, and it is amazing. If you’re anything like me cleaning will be worth it if you get to cross something off the checklist! Go download your copy and have a wonderful weekend!
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Procrastination
I know that I usually write about preschool – some kind of activity, or assessment, or curriculum, or something at least slightly related to teaching so this one is a little bit of a stretch, but let’s get real for a minute. It’s usually pretty easy for me to sit down and write a blog post. I enjoy it, and I love the topics that I write about – but this week I can’t seem to get out anything that I want to share. I had a bunch of posts about seeds planned, but I must not be very excited about them. This is probably because I’m a terrible gardener,…
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Finding Balance
I really needed this long weekend. I mean I REALLY needed it. This weekend I was able to take the time to find myself again. Though I didn’t go on a trip or do anything exceptionally spectacular, I did get to do some of my favorite things. I wandered the fabric store, spent tons of time with my family, read a book, ate lots of ice cream, laid out in the sun, roasted marshmallows with my favorite people, and slept in! It has been far too long since I’ve made time for these things that mean so much to me. Over the last six months I have completely given myself…