Teaching and Sabbaticals--How and Why
Today I felt a little lost–unused to having a whole day with no obligation to go away or meet someone else’s deadline. I didn’t get much of anything done. Obviously, this is not how I hope each day of my Sabbatical goes. I’m going to have to get into the groove again of planning my days at home, rather than simply fitting into the form of each school day’s demands.
Tonight I put together two large bouquets of flowers for an event my parents are helping organize tomorrow–a gathering for Offender-Victim Ministries volunteers.
Today was the first Farmer’s Market day of the season, and I was not there. I feel a twinge of loss every time I think about my decision not to go to market with flowers this year, but gathering and putting together those two bouquets reminded me how time consuming it is to grow, gather, transport, arrange, and sell flowers. I know it’s the right choice to be skipping that this year.
My sister Linda suggested that I tell my reading audience what I said in my last-day-of-school speech about my sabbatical–specifically why teaching has worked for me for six years, and why it’s time now to take a break.
On why it has worked–
1. Hiromi has always been very much in favor of my teaching. He helps in many practical ways to make it possible. For example, he does all the grocery shopping and always takes charge of the dishwashing. He’s very good at kitchen cleanup after supper.
2. All my boys do their own laundry, and they know their way around in the kitchen.
3. I hire housecleaning help four hours a week.
4. Because I have never been a full time teacher I have some flexibility on arrival time.
On why it’s time to take a break–
1. It’s a transition time for our family. I didn’t elaborate on all this, but Shane is getting married in August. Depending on what all else happens within the next year and a half, our household may have shrunk enough for us to fit back into the little house we own on Trail West Road. So a move is a possibility.
2. There’s a limit to how long a homemaker can get by with taking shortcuts. I think I’ve found that limit. Too many things that are lost will stay lost until I plow through the boxes that are hiding them. (I didn’t say all this.)
3. I hope to further my education and renew my vision. This plan is still very sketchy. Reading pertinent books and articles is perhaps the easiest thing to do, and the thing I am most likely to accomplish. I’ve already begun reading a book I ordered before it was published, titled: Childhood and Nature: Design Principles for Educators. This is an example of the kind of thing I hope to learn more about–how to visualize and make systemic changes to the way school happens. I’m open to suggestions for what to read or do along the lines of the classes I’m teaching–Writing, Anabaptist history, home environment, nutrition, and child development.
This really is one of those times when being an anomaly is an inconvenience. No script for a homemaker/high school teacher doing a Sabbatical is available, to my knowledge. I want it to be restful but invigorating, open-ended but focused. And I want all those things to balance themselves automatically without my having to obsess over them. That’s not asking for too much, is it?
Tonight I put together two large bouquets of flowers for an event my parents are helping organize tomorrow–a gathering for Offender-Victim Ministries volunteers.
Today was the first Farmer’s Market day of the season, and I was not there. I feel a twinge of loss every time I think about my decision not to go to market with flowers this year, but gathering and putting together those two bouquets reminded me how time consuming it is to grow, gather, transport, arrange, and sell flowers. I know it’s the right choice to be skipping that this year.
My sister Linda suggested that I tell my reading audience what I said in my last-day-of-school speech about my sabbatical–specifically why teaching has worked for me for six years, and why it’s time now to take a break.
On why it has worked–
1. Hiromi has always been very much in favor of my teaching. He helps in many practical ways to make it possible. For example, he does all the grocery shopping and always takes charge of the dishwashing. He’s very good at kitchen cleanup after supper.
2. All my boys do their own laundry, and they know their way around in the kitchen.
3. I hire housecleaning help four hours a week.
4. Because I have never been a full time teacher I have some flexibility on arrival time.
On why it’s time to take a break–
1. It’s a transition time for our family. I didn’t elaborate on all this, but Shane is getting married in August. Depending on what all else happens within the next year and a half, our household may have shrunk enough for us to fit back into the little house we own on Trail West Road. So a move is a possibility.
2. There’s a limit to how long a homemaker can get by with taking shortcuts. I think I’ve found that limit. Too many things that are lost will stay lost until I plow through the boxes that are hiding them. (I didn’t say all this.)
3. I hope to further my education and renew my vision. This plan is still very sketchy. Reading pertinent books and articles is perhaps the easiest thing to do, and the thing I am most likely to accomplish. I’ve already begun reading a book I ordered before it was published, titled: Childhood and Nature: Design Principles for Educators. This is an example of the kind of thing I hope to learn more about–how to visualize and make systemic changes to the way school happens. I’m open to suggestions for what to read or do along the lines of the classes I’m teaching–Writing, Anabaptist history, home environment, nutrition, and child development.
This really is one of those times when being an anomaly is an inconvenience. No script for a homemaker/high school teacher doing a Sabbatical is available, to my knowledge. I want it to be restful but invigorating, open-ended but focused. And I want all those things to balance themselves automatically without my having to obsess over them. That’s not asking for too much, is it?
posted by Mrs. I at
10:55 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home