I've cried nearly every night for the past two weeks...most of the time for no reason whatsoever. The other night I drank a bottle of wine...yes, a whole bottle...to de-stress. I'm just over-whelmed with all that's going on. I've got some really needy kids, special ed. issues, and departmental issues to boot.
Thus, I took a mental health day today. I had a conference yesterday and am off today, and I feel a little guilty. I had something for my kids to do, but still. I'm just a control freak and hate leaving my room to someone else.
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ahhh teachers are the champions for guilt aren't we?
I hope you're okay. I know things can be stressful and horrible in the teaching world. I totally understand the drinking a whole bottle to de-stress thing. But perhaps you need to ask for help (an aide?) or for something to be done about the issues. The classroom is overwhelming at the best of times!
It WILL be ok. I have had quite a year so far as well. The paperwork and meetings are simply overwhelming and a difficult group of kids on top of that will drive you over the edge.
There is NOTHING wrong with a mental health day. I took one last week. Thankfully I'm off for a week for Thanksgiving....take some time for yourself over the break.
Sometimes I find making a list of what needs to be done and then highlighting THREE that MUST be done that day helps. I also don't take anything home unless it must be done and then it is only ONE thing per night.
BTW....there's a great little merlot called Yellow Tail. It's great for those mental health evenings.:)
Mental health days are definitely okay--please, please don't feel as if you shouldn't be able to recharge away from the front-line! Teaching is exhausting, mentally and physically, and the mental health day can really save you and help you survive.
Good luck, hang in there, think relaxing thoughts!
I hope the MHD helped a little. You're not alone.
Just wanted you to know that even teachers with a few years under their belt sometimes need a MHD. As I always say, you can't be a good teacher if you're too tired or stressed out to do your job. Hence, the importance of the mental health day! Kudos to you for knowing yourself well enough to know that you needed one.
I was glad to be sick with the flu a couple of weeks ago so I could miss three days of school! Please be kind to yourself over Thanksgiving break. Get away from everything "teacherly." Do not grade papers, do not make lesson plans, do not even think about your classroom. You'll be a better teacher for it.
I generally plan a few mental health days during the year, usually when there's a looooooong stretch with no break. I figure they call them "personal" days for a reason, and I don't feel guilty one bit about needing one occasionally. You shouldn't either.
I've been really lucky this year, but I've been through your struggle as well. Please don't judge all kids by this year's bunch.
Thes kinds of things are cyclical. Bless you for keeping up the fight.
Mental health days are the best. I use them when I really need them ... I try not to take advantage not because I don't want to upset admin but because even in that one day that I'm gone it feels like so much time has passed and that I'm out of the loop with my classroom. That and the fact that I don't trust supply teachers to teach my class the way I would.
m, yes, I feel guilty if I don't do my grading. I feel guilty if I don't go to school. gah!! The frusterating thing isn't so much the classroom, but all the junk outside it...the politics.
elementary, I started my four days for Thanksgiving off yesterday. I've started to use the highlighting method. I usually make a list. It's usually a mile long...and overwhelming. The highlighting the important things helps.
Thanks to everyone else for the support. It's been a long year already.
AT, you've said that you work a lot with lower track kids. I have one basic class this year, and if I had more than that, I think I'd be taking a few mental health WEEKS!
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