First Things First

"Teaching can consume every waking moment of everyday if you let it. The trick is not letting it."

My old youth minister told me this after he switched careers from teaching our youth group to teaching the 2nd grade. It has been popping up in my mind here recently.

At the beginning of this year I would eat, breath and sleep school. As soon as I would get home I would sit down and make my PowerPoint presentations, grade papers and think of creative ways to talk about the subject matter. It was not uncommon for me to stay up until midnight and then get up at 5 am the next day. I barely worked out and reading anything besides a science book was out of the question. My spiritual life suffered as well. I got things done, but I was stressed and unhappy.

I have come to realize if I want to be a good teacher, I have to take care of myself first. If I don't do this, then really what am I teaching my students besides hurry up and graduate so you can be stressed out and miserable.

Now in my last trimester of the school year, I am doing a better job at keeping the first things first in my life. Oddly enough since I am not making school my number one, I am becoming a better teacher. Funny how life works that way.