The closer I get to graduation, the more I wonder and worry how I am going to be able to find a good balance in my life when I start teaching. This semester has been especially hard to keep my head afloat between classes, work, family, friends and relationships. Teachers in South Dakota often have to have a second job to maintain a reasonable income. I want to stay in South Dakota to teach but I don't know how I will be able to keep a healthy balance between school, work, and life.
Something that we have talked a lot about in various classes is how to maintain a healthy balance. One of the things that have been suggested is to have a day where you disconnect completely from work and/or school. My question is, how do you disconnect when there is always something that needs to be done or someone who needs to talk to you. I have a hard time disconnecting with taking seven classes and working two jobs. When I'm not working I'm doing homework and when I'm not doing homework I'm working, I make time to spend with friends and family.
I am so worried about burning myself out when I start teaching that I don't know what I'm going to do. I've seen my teachers in high school burn themselves out by trying to take on the world. I don't think college is necessarily helping my concerns of burning myself out. The last three months have been long and stressful for me personally and I hope that my first year of teaching isn't like this. If it is, I'm gonna need the summer vacation to relax and destress.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm very very excited to teach. It's been a lifelong dream of mine and the closer I get to it, the more excited I get. But it doesn't mean I'm not scared and nervous for it. I hope that I can find a good balance when I start teaching. I don't want to burn myself out, but I want to be a good teacher and be involved with my students and their education.
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