Hibernation: Day One

Too tired to be tired. Unfortunately I'm absolutely knackered. 12 weeks is toooooooooooo long for a term, let alone first term. Though at least the terms get shorter now. 10, 9, and then 8 weeks.

A mentor told me a few years ago the importance of hibernating as a beginning teacher. We all put so much time and energy into our teaching and our students soak it up. It gets to the point we're so damn tired theres nothing left for ourselves let alone our friends and whanau. So Hibernation began today. It's taken just over 3 years of full time teaching for my family to understand how tired I am by the end of the term. For once my Nan actually said, we'll be there Saturday for Easter. You can have Friday.

And thats a real blessing right there. Only now am I thinking of the horrendous mess I will have to clean up before they turn up tomorrow to avoid an early morning argument.

The fact that we don't often give ourselves the time of day, let alone a full sleep cycle shows how dedicated we are as teachers. I for one adore sleep. If I could make money off sleeping I'd be the CEO.

Alas. I love teaching. Well I do when I'm not tired. A student asked me the other day, when I was absolutely knackered, down hearted and had had the worst day ever, why I liked teaching. It was the same stuff I would usually say but it felt like a lie... that I was repeating it because I was so down and damn tired that the words had no meaning to me.

And that's why these PLN's we create for ourselves are so important. If we're not getting the required amount of sleep, then we end up teaching and interacting on emergency reserves. When those reserves are depleted so much that it takes more than a two week holiday to charge back up, the small communities we create around us help sustain the tired selves we become until we're ready for school once more... though we'll never be truly ready except at Christmas holiday time!

What I'm saying is that I'm thankful for the excitement, inspiration and love you guys share with me on a daily basis whether I see you at school, read your comments, get a buzz that you've retweeted what I've said or that you're discussing with other tweeters f2f about what I've said and then linked me into the convo. It all means so much.

Reckon if I was a real bear I'd be a grizzly. Or a polar bear... though don't reckon I could deal with the freezing cold.. much rather catch fish from a river in Canada.

Random ramblings of a self professed teacher in need of sleep.

Ma te wa whanau. Until I see you again.