After reading this week’s suggested writing prompt, I first thought “oh no – I don’t want to analyze my dreams,” but – alas – rather than the subconscious expressions of stress coming to me in sleep, the question asks about goals and wishes for improvement. Maybe one wish should be for positive dreams. But enough silliness.
What’s my dream (at least for work)? I want to be the best teacher I can be and to get to know my students as well as professionally possible. I want to make a difference in the lives of my students that lasts well beyond the time they spend in my classroom. And I think I do that. I appreciate the comments I get personally, on Facebook with the few students I’ve allowed to “friend me” after they were in my class, and on Rate My Professor (see previous post).
But there is always room for improvement. What I feel is lacking right now is the ability and time to innovate and renew my classes and the way I present content. Some of my loss of time and energy is a year of hellish health problems that stole half of last Spring and all of summer from any emotional/energy recuperation but there are also all the stresses and demands of District, Campus and Department issues and my committee commitments. I feel like too much of me is taking care of things outside of the classroom – and the classroom is why I do this job. So my dream is to get back to “being me” health- and energy-wise but also to figure out a better way to manage time so that I’m back to development and my own learning and growth rather than putting out continual fires and just keeping my head above water. The burn out point looms and I want to reroute the train before I reach it.
I know this is more of a personal than professional post, but I thought there might be some broad agreement and/or someone might have suggestions of how they deal with similar emotions/situation. Anyone? And on that note, I hope you’re having a good week (anyway). 🙂