my giant notebook of maternity lesson plans
I feel so weird because one of my goals for this year was to blog more. I still reflect all the time – formally in writing and just in my head – but as far as working in this space – it just hasn’t happened this year. I’ve mainly been getting ready to welcome my daughter into the world. She is due in mid December and I have had a very different teaching experience. This semester I started the school year at 5 months pregnant and am now teaching my last few weeks at 9 months – and needless to say it’s been quite an experience. Here are just a few of the things I’ve been thinking about as the semester has gone by and a few things that are on my mind as I know I will be heading back to work a short six weeks after our little girl arrives.
#1 – Energy is different. I am a very energetic teacher – sometimes the kids look at me like “Is this woman for real?” But energy had gone down hill since the beginning of school. For most of the semester I was pretty good – but it’s just lately that I really haven’t been able to be myself. It’s weird. I mean I want to get up and run around the classroom and wave my arms and be my crazy self – but I just can’t. I still am communicating my enthusiasm – just not in quite the wild way I used to. The good news is that even though I know I’ll be sleep deprived and a whole different kind of exhausted later after the baby, I know I’ll be able to move around and not have to deal with the physical tiredness of pregnancy.
#2 – I’ve been relying on my “old faithful” lesson plans. I used to work on new lessons a lot outside of school hours, but I find that that time has been taken up afters school by my need to rest and get stuff ready for baby. I just haven’t created as much new content as usual. Again, this frustrates me because it’s now have I have taught/been for the last six years of my career, but it’s what I’ve had to do to make things easy on myself. I tried more new stuff at the beginning and did create some new lit circle stuff for my AP class (and honestly – every day has been new in there because it’s my first time teaching it) but not as much as I would have liked. I think I will get back to this next semester some and definitely next school year. But I just have to remind myself that my lessons are good whether they’re the last year’s plans or not. I feel that the kids have still gotten good instruction – just not the latest and greatest.
#3 – I must balance time and my roles differently. This idea is more one that’s started to creep in and I know will be important after the baby comes. I fell off the face of the earth as far as my blog and twitter…it was ok – I mean I didn’t feel guilty – but a part of me did miss it. I recently hopped back on Twitter and have liked the info I’ve gotten. I marvel at some of the Twitter Mom/Teachers that I follow – I hope that I can balance like them once I add this new role to my list of roles. I think I can do it, though. I must put my role as mom and wife first for now and do my best as teacher. As Jim Burke says about the Teacher’s Daybook roles- these roles change everyday. Sometimes I will need to put school first. Other times school will take a way back seat to the needs of my family. I might need to put husband before kids one day. I might need to put myself at the top of my list. I think that being aware of the different roles you play is the most important step. Knowing that you are many things to many people helps. Knowing that it’s ok to balance these different is good. I have done better this year about accepting that I cannot do everything as perfectly as I want, but I still do my best.
#4 – I’ll be a new kind of teacher soon. Thinking about becoming and parent and teaching has helped me get really excited about the fact that I will be another kind of teacher – a teacher to my sweet little girl. I am so excited about being a good teacher to her and helping her learn about her world and the people in it. My love for literature will be a big part of her education here at home. I’ve been teaching Hamlet and Heart of Darkness, but I’m super pumped about The Very Hungry Caterpillar! I know my baby will be welcomed into a literacy rich home and I just can’t wait to share stories with her, and take her to the library, and help her learn how to read.
Well the adventure begins soon. I’m almost done with my maternity lesson plans. I’ve gone way too crazy getting them all together. But that’s just me – I can’t help it. I figure if the sub doesn’t use something, that’ll just be good for me because I use it when I get back. Planning to be out for six weeks has given me insight into how my classroom works (as I’ve had to articulate this to the sub and explain how my classroom “works”). It’s also helped me with long term planning. I think what I’ve learned and done with long term planning will help me next semester. It’s made me see that I can actually really sketch a good 6 week plan. I know it’ll change, but there’s tons of comfort knowing that you’re prepared – and even more when you are over-prepared. I hope to be back in the next weeks and then next year when I’m back in the classroom. Good to reflect on what’s been going on this semester though.
Tags: balance, goals, lesson planning, reflection, roles
Jenny, i really admire your dedication and constant concern for your teaching. Here in ireland teachers get 26 weeks maternty Leave!! So dont feel guilty about putting you and your little girl first when She arrives . Us teachers for the most part Work way above our pay packet and We are doing our best. Thats what We need to remind ourselves! By the way Am teaching Hamlet too , my favourite shakespearean tragedy
Just found your site through a search for a way to introduce Macbeth. I know from experience that being a mom is just going to make you a better teacher. You’ll begin to view your class from a parent’s perspective, and you might actually see connections between your daughter’s picture books and what you’re doing in class. (My best friend shares a Dr. Seus book with her class when they read Romanticism–I think that’s right.) Sometimes I feel that I’m not being the best mom because of what I have to do for my classroom, and other times it’s just the opposite. But don’t ever, EVER, feel bad about being with your family. They are far too precious, and they grow up too fast.
Thanks so much for the kind words! I am totally with you. I know it will be a new balancing act, and I will do my best by my family and my students. I know one thing, I will be rushing home earlier than I used to so I can be with my sweet little girl.