Are we there already?

The school year 2021-2022 begins in a couple weeks and now that the end of summer break is in sight, show me your level of readiness with a gif.

My school has already started with professional development trainings. I was asked to give a presentation on Adobe Spark, a program I relied on heavily last year for my elementary students. I think it went very well. But, jumping back into the fray…still feels like it came sooner than I thought.

As I have shared on this blog, last year wasn’t all bad. But, last year was exhausting, nonetheless. We all spent the majority of the year indoors, at home…safe. But that gave us all front row seats to the crazy in our government, the pain in our communities, and for some, the trauma in our families. To have been surrounded by the comforts of home so much, who was really all that comfortable? For teachers, I can’t wait to see the number of those with back problems from being seated all day, teaching online courses.

It was exhausting. And now, teachers are returning in what may be an even more uncertain year given the rise of variants. Well, some teachers, that is…

As it turns out, many teachers have left the profession due to the stressors of the pandemic (coupled, of course, with the regular rigors of teaching). Many found careers that paid more, and possibly had better terms for safety during the pandemic, and they just didn’t see the logic in returning. I don’t judge. But there are plenty that do.

To set the record straight, in my opinion, the majority of teachers come to the profession to make a difference. It’s our culture that sets it up for them to need additional or alternative employment for the cost of living, many times with student loan debt, while working in a challenging field (in which the ethical, educational, and eligibility requirements far outpace the average salaries).

As for me…I’m definitely grateful to still have a job with all that transpired. I still believe in teaching and I’m not immune to more pay either (both can simultaneously exist). But, I’m also just as grateful for the occasional distraction from teaching. I began this blog as a distraction from the pandemic and it has been great for that. I am sure I can use it for transitioning back to school. Now, I even have a small shop to tend, which is pretty cool too.

These guys above will be making an appearance there soon!

I truly am blessed.

Even more than that, my one goal for the summer was simply to find the right medications for my child and I feel like we may have finally done that. It’s such a relief to finally see some light at this juncture of that tunnel!

So, while I didn’t get a fantasy summer to end all summers after my first pandemic year ever, I did make some notable gains to make easing back into the school year for this teacher…well, a little easier.

Besides that, there are always things I can do on the job to keep me going. I believe for any working mother, the tendency is to be nocturnal creators. 🙋🏾‍♀️ But staying in touch with your creativity can also involve finding ways to incorporate it in your job, during work hours. Case in point..

Remember this? I decided I would go ahead and use it as a bulletin board for my classroom.

My former bulletin boards stayed up way too long with the pandemic. So, I’m trying to get this hung up as soon as possible. I’m not even using a grid or a projector for this. But, I think it should be fine given the size of the bulletin board. I also believe this is the first time I’ve painted my letters too!

This is the washable poster paint/tempera paint we use in the art room. I like to use the materials I give the students from time to time just to see how they handle and to show them some possibilities with their student-grade supplies (especially since some of them have accused me in the past of making great work because of the artist-grade materials I own). There are definitely some limitations to coverage with this paint and it’s good to know before assigning a project expecting it. But it still has some possibilities to exploit like vibrancy.

So my project is doing triple duty with keeping me creative, covering my bulletin board, and giving me some research into the state and usability of the materials in my classroom.

And it all helps me take care of me in the transition.

You may think it’s because I’m an art teacher so that makes it easier…In some ways, yes. But, there were many years I wasn’t a teacher and taking care of me looked less like painting and more like…

doodling on a post-it note during a phone call,
lettering in my planner during a meeting,
knitting during a meeting,
designing a useful flyer for a program, or
spinning yarn on a drop spindle (yup) while in line to buy lunch at a restaurant (still do this, sometimes).

It all counts as “me” time and it’s very much needed to cope with the constant bombardment of all the things-to-do of life.

And, at this point in time, we may need to do more of it than we ever have.

As my husband recently advised me, I’ve got to start adjusting my expectations to the times we are currently living in now. This past year was a hot mess, to say the least. It may not be entirely logical to assume after this particular summer that any of us should feel as refreshed as former years going back into the school year. It’s just a very new normal for everyone across the board.

So, what have we learned, class?…

Tips for moms for the back to school transition in 2021

Make yourself a priority.
Use bits of time during your work day where you are working while simultaneously creating.
Don’t belittle whatever creative act you get to do. It all counts.
Look for unexpected places to engage in creativity, if necessary.
Recognize that this is the new normal. Allow yourself to mourn the old normal, feel that shift, and little-by-little, keep making through it.

What are you doing to take care of you while making the transition back into another school year?