So, this week was not my best, by far. I am currently an EA in a high school and Friday was both the middle of our finals, but also a full moon. Luckily I made it out alive, but I was barely dragging my exhausted, beaten, and battered body across the finish line. Free time was not a thing, and when it was the dreaded doom scroll sucked me in. Because my ability to sit and read this week was minimal, or at least much less than I wanted, I wanted to research tools I could use to help my concentration skills and be mindful of my inability to motivate myself, as well as my crippling phone addiction. I was able to find the YouTube video below. I just honestly am so frustrated I don’t feel like I will ever be that person who loves reading books as much as I like buying them. But, there will always be ups and downs, as well as big fat failure weeks when you learn anything, I just happened to have one immediately after beginning, but nevertheless, we persevere. I will leave this post with that, ultimately a great deal shorter than my other posts, but the only learning we did this week was learning to navigate my first brush of “teacher stress”, and hey! We made it though!
Hey Cheyenne! I feel like I could join you on this journey to love reading. I don’t love to read but wish I did. It can be difficult to fit it into our busy schedules when it’s more tempting to scroll through social media on our phones during our spare time. Are you reading physical books or tried digital books on a tablet, iPad or kindle? In the past I have found that I enjoyed reading better on a digital device than a physical book. Not sure why I liked it more but I found it easier to read when I had some spare time. Good luck on your journey! I look forward to hearing more.
Hi Megan! It is truly such a struggle! I love love love collecting physical books, but I have listened to audiobooks before. I have thought about buying a kindle many times, but it’s an expensive waste if I end up not loving it! Do you use your phone as an eReader? I know lots of people do but I think it would end up starting with good intentions but end in more doom scrolling. Thank you for your reply and insight!
I completely understand how you feel! I am an EA as well, and most evenings, I get sucked into the endless scrolling on social media. It has gotten so bad that a week ago, I told myself I needed to make a change, and I finally deleted TikTok. Last year, I set a goal of reading 20 books and fell in love with reading all over again, but this year, I have yet to pick up a single book. It’s funny how hobbies often ebb and flow with interest. I look forward to reading more of your posts and learning to fall back in love with reading.
Thank you for your reply! EAing right now is exhausting. Everywhere is understaffed and every member of a school are all doing more than what they need and all are feeling it in the evenings. I just feel brain dead and maybe body dead too most nights. I did the same with Facebook recently. Since news isn’t on it anymore, all I get is videos of people playing with slime or subway surfers or making ridiculous crafts and recipes that are overall probably a mistake to create, let alone film and upload you making it. I just would zone out and scroll and I could feel it rotting my brain. Consistency is key but consistency is also something I never am, so I wouldn’t be shocked if my journey takes longer than this project, just like you. Its all part of the journey! I hope.
Hi Cheyenne,
As a grade 1 teacher, I can certainly relate to your “barely made it out alive” comment. I’ve been struggling with motivation to continue with my learning project. Though it is enjoyable, sometimes an afternoon nap is more warranted than working on my project.
Thanks for such a relatable post!
Lauren.
Hi Lauren,
I am glad others can relate. I struggle so much without routine as well as struggle with exhaustion after working in the current conditions that Saskatchewan classrooms find themselves in. Grade one is a beast of it’s own, I am in high school and I love that I don’t need to wipe noses or sing, ever.
Best of luck!
Cheyenne