What’s up 2016?

It would be fair to say at the end of 2015 I needed a holiday like I have seldom needed a holiday before. I was shattered. Bone crushingly exhausted. I didn’t mark thank goodness and basically spent a week on the couch doing not much of anything. Slowly it felt like I came to life, going for some walks, catching up with friends, doing the Christmas thing. All to soon for me, January is here.

I had Hands on at Otago last week which really deserves a post in itself. An AMAZING week with stellar young people, diverse challenges and some really cool Sciencey stuff. It kicks starts my year into a sort of manic craziness.

As I prepare for my first day back tomorrow (I don’t have a class till next Thursday…. but department meetings, helping with new staff orientation etc….) I am struggling to remain even remotely calm about the year ahead. I have a lot on, both within school and out of it. Mr 3 and Mr35, ERO, NAPP, a new role at school, a mixed level Chem class, buying and selling houses, Hands on at Otago, MIEE, surface stuff, #scichatNZ, conferences, hopefully an educamp or two are all the immediate things that spring to mind. Which are completely manageable…… I just have to be organised and make time.

Above all, I want to avoid being busy.

At the end of last year, I was so busy doing little things I really did lose site of the bigger picture. I got busy helping other people all the time instead of doing the best job I could. I got stretched in all sorts of directions – which I think it really difficult for teachers to manage as we do want to help everyone.

So rather than being busy, I want to be purposeful.

I want the time I spend doing things to mean something. For me, my family, my students or colleagues, or for someone. I’m going to go on a rampage against meaningless tick boxes tasks (within allowances I guess, I still need to do my job….sadly much of my job feels like ticking boxes at times) and make sure my lessons are purposeful.

I’m also going to keep being brave. I’m getting braver – this is the year I think to really challenge myself into backing myself and standing my ground a bit more. I have developed a ‘ask for forgiveness’ model that has worked pretty well for me, but I need to get better at being more explicit about what I am doing.