Listening to Yourself

May 6, 2025 – Rest and Re-Starting

Admittedly, this is how it feels. See image. Isn’t she cute? Anyway, I’m not sure why I do this, but I have stints of working really hard followed by stints of severe rest, and the slow haul to get back to a steady work flow. I did this all of the time when I worked in K-12. The breaks are needed. Teaching can take a lot from you and sometimes you can’t even meet your own expectations. We have limitations. I do have a friend who works FOREVER at a capacity that I am unable to attain (or would strive for), but I am getting back at things and it feels good to sit down and map out the spring/summer term to get as much writing, research, and productivity done before the fall term begins. I’ve designed it this way. It’s my first term at the university without teaching a course. In our collective agreement, faculty members can have one term off from teaching, but in the teacher education program that goes year round and being teaching faculty with 8 courses per year, it’s reasonable to spread out your courses over 12-months. Now I have 10% for research, 10% doing projects for the school of education, I am teaching 6 courses now, of which I am teaching 2 courses in the fall, 4 courses in the winter, and no courses in the spring/summer. Honestly, it feels great.

I am hoping to renew my contract. I wished I was a driven as some folks I know. But, with rest and restoration, I am learning what’s important to me and what I LOVE doing. I love teaching. I love learning. I love writing reflectively. I love connection and community. I am involved in a few things that offer all of that to me so I hope I can continue doing what I am doing for the next three years. I have been reassured, but signing a contract would be nice. Now that I feel that I am back into “work mode” I feel that I need to take a moment to strategize my next steps for this spring/summer term to get the most out of the term. I have the CSSE Congress 2025 in Toronto and presenting on May 31, June 1, and June 2. I have 4 presentations. One I am co-presenting with members of a research team, another I am presenting with former students (who will be attending online), another I am co-presenting with a friend of mine, and another that I am presenting on my own. Preparing for the conference is my first course of action as well as completing a few papers that need addressing as well. After that, I have a book review and a couple conference proceedings to submit. There is a chapter I am also co-authoring with a colleague that’s due in June and there are other projects on the go. I am very excited about this term. Onwards and upwards.