Goodbye, Winter Break

Until next year, Winter Break! You will be missed.  

Are you like me and not heading back into the classroom until tomorrow (January 10th)? Or have you already been back a week? We were in school all the way until December 22nd and there was even Professional Development on December 23rd! This break was well deserved, but I know there are many teachers out there that did not get this long of a break, and for you I hope your coffee has been strong and your patience stronger. 

My winter break has been amazing. It was restful yet productive. Exciting with just the right amount of laziness needed. I successfully avoided anything and everything work related until Saturday, which was so so good for me. If you avoided work during break thats great! If you didn't and you felt like you needed to work during the break, that's great too. 

Coming off of a break and getting back into the swing of things is challenging for me. I struggle with anxiety, (which is not something I'm used to openly talking about, especially on the internet) and the end of a break really amps up the anxiety for me. My first year of teaching, the "Sunday Scaries" were habitual and intense. (For those of you not familiar with the term "Sunday Scaries" it basically is that feeling of panic/sadness/worry/anxiety you get on a Sunday before going back to work or school on Monday.) This year the "Sunday Scaries" have been manageable, but I've made some changes in my life to get there. (More on that next week!) I'll be honest though, they are hitting hard tonight and it feels very discouraging. 

Whether my students feel anxious about going back to school tomorrow or not, there will be a definite disruption to their routine. If you're a teacher or a parent then you know, kids thrive on routine. We will definitely be easing our way back into school, because if I need it then chances are they need that too. I have no FREEBIE to share just yet, simply because I have no expectation for what tomorrow will bring. I have a few ideas that I will test out and come back and insert here, but they may flop--who knows! Regardless of how long you've been back in school I hope you have a wonderful week!