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About this Blog

What is the purpose of this blog? Excellent question. Let me tell you.

I began my career as an educator when I was 19. I taught students in middle school, most of whom were only about 5 years younger than I at the time. I was so shy that I didn't speak in my classroom for over a month. I literally hung back and watched the lead teacher.

At times, I sit baffled at the journey that brought me to this destination, specifically this blog. I am
a person who needs to move. I teach high school partly because being in one classroom all day
would be a nightmare for me.

I commute roughly 40 minutes both ways (that would be 80 minutes) because the drive allows me
time to decompress. As an undergraduate, I learned that I need a commute. Without the commute,
I struggle being pleasant when I arrive home. The only regret I have about the commute-less time with the Dynamic Duo-Jax and Gray.


Through the years, I learned what I need to do in order to be able to function in a world that is not
a classroom. A dear friend of mine, when I started the program, gave a speech, and he said, "Teachers
are naturally caretakers, but they don't always take care of themselves. Learn what you need to do
to have a life you love, not just work you do."

I took that advice to heart. I listen to my body. When I need to, I go to the gym. That time is a non-                   
negotiable for me. Anyone who knows me well can spot within a hot minute when I haven't been.
My dearest friends shake me and say, "Get there."

My hope with this blog is to share with all my teacher friends ways to take care of themselves. It doesn't need to be at the gym. You find your happy place. It can be the movies, the ball park, playing with the kids, or the dogs. Ultimately, I want to help you find your way to take care of yourself so that you can be the best Teacher/Mom/Dad/Daughter/Aunt/Human on the planet.

So, my first suggestion is get active. Get out there. Have fun, and enjoy life. And finally, don't forget to breathe. I look forward to starting this journey with you and would love to know any suggestions
you have about self-care in the field of education. What are your thoughts?

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Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 20, 2019 at 7:57 AM

    I really love the idea behind your blog! I find that as the years wear on, I leave more and more work AT WORK. I think this would be a great topic to get into with new teachers, particularly, because I think we all remember what those first few years were like and how we felt we were just trying to survive. But hey, I STILL feel like that sometimes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. D.N. PaceMarch 23, 2019 at 10:11 AM

      Thank you so much! I find myself to be a bit of a workaholic if I am not careful. I love what I do and experimenting with new lessons. That being said, I am on Spring Break this week. For the first time (I think ever), I actually left school at 3:05 with every last bit of grading done, my lessons uploaded to both Google Classroom and our site. Did I mention I re-arranged my room? No way that would have happened as a first year teacher.

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