Opinion
Education Opinion

The First Monday After Break

By Elena Aguilar — January 04, 2016 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

This first Monday-after-winter-break can be hard for some of us who work in schools. I’ve noticed that folks show up with the greatest breadth of emotions on this first day back--ranging from optimistic and energized, to depressed and hopeless--and sometimes all of these at once.

This is due, I think, to a combination of things: Winter break (time off, time with family) can stir up a whole lot of feelings for many of us--feelings which we may, or may not, have the time and capacity to explore. It’s also enough time off of work for us to reflect on what we’re doing--and whether we really want to be doing it. Maybe we’ve thought about last year, next year, where we want to be in our lives in five years--and sometimes those places are not where we are now.

And then once all this up-stiring has happened, we’re catapulted back into it all--and for most working in schools, our jobs are overwhelming. So we spring back into action (and into working with dozens or hundreds of children who also arrive on this first Monday back with their own soup bowls of emotions) and the feelings cling and make themselves known in sometimes not such productive ways.

So today, just pay attention to feelings. To your own (how are you feeling as you head into school today?) and to those of others. It’s a day to be a little extra gentle and kind with each other, for even if you’re feeling excited about this year, there are bound to be other emotions in the mix.

Me? Yes, a mix of emotions today. I’m back at work this morning - I have a 9:00am coaching session with a leader I love working with. But this means I won’t be spending the day with my sweet son (who I’ve been with every day for 2 1/2 weeks - which has been wonderful) and I won’t be reading a novel today, and I will very soon need to get out of bed and get moving on the day. A mix of emotions.

How are you feeling?

The opinions expressed in The Art of Coaching Teachers are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.