I don’t know how people do it all day, every day, for years.
No, I’m not talking about sex (I know how people do that, and I’m still routinely disgusted by the whole affair… see what I did there?). I’m talking about education. To be more precise, I’m talking about teaching.
I love my job. I get up at 5:30 every morning to feed and walk my dog, and I leave my house by 7. At 7:50, school starts, and so begins the rush. I leave work at 4, get home by 4:45, take a half-hour break (or a two hour nap, depending on how crazy the little goobers were), feed and walk my dog, and then work until I go to bed at 11. Sometimes I work out. Most of the time I just get really excited about lesson plans, or I make worksheets, or I stare at the wall for fifteen minutes while trying desperately to remember my name.
I am Whitney, and my work consumes me. It’s on my mind all day, every day, and I can’t get enough of it. It’s the best relationship I’ve ever had, but it’s also the worst one because it doesn’t give me massages, flowers, or puppies (or enough money. Yeah, I went there).
I write. A lot. But translating that to the internet is increasingly difficult. I write during my kids’ silent Do Now time (the first 8 minutes of class), and usually put notes in my phone as I pass out before bed. The time it takes for me to sit down and type a blog out usually just sounds too exhausting. Lazy Whitney is lazy.
In February when I started this blog, it was my baby. Now, I’m married to its step-mom (because apparently I’m gay-married to an intangible idea of “job”… because that’s totally possible) and I neglect it in order to appease my demanding wife.
Yeah, that metaphor totally works.
Anyway, what I’m saying is: I love this blog. I love writing for it. I love writing for you. But my damn job takes up all of my time, and I feel wracked with guilt for ignoring this baby here. So I’m going to try and be better. I’m going to try and post at least once every two weeks. Hopefully more. I would like my work-life balance to figure itself out, but I would even more like my work-writing balance to tip over in favor of my words.
Because I miss you guys. I want your step-mom to go visit her parents for a while, so I can hang out with you and throw the football around a bit. And then we can have a real blogger-reader bonding session where we bitch about how tyrannical your step-mother is. Deal?
Highest Form of Whit 
I can relate! I own a small business, but I love reading your posts, so when you can write a little something, I’ll certainly be reading!
And hang in there with all the work you’re having to do. I know I’ve heard that teaching can burn you out, so make sure you’re re-charging your batteries.
Thank you so much!
Teaching can burn you out. I tend to sleep all weekend, and then cry myself to sleep every night during the week. Just kidding. Kind of.
Welcome to the world of full time employment. Hang in there – not because it gets better (it might, I suppose) but because the kids need you (I guess LOL).
+1 at the post above Whit’s. Ya gotta recharge…don’t run out!!! Aunt R
Reblogged this on All About E and commented:
in someway, i can relate to this.
Thank you so much for the reblog!
I’m friends with people who are first year teachers and I hear about their stress on Facebook. I’m studying to be a teacher myself, and I am aware that I’m in this sort of dream mode about teaching right now- where I can’t wait to teach and have students and everything will be great,..ha! I hope I don’t get to the stage where I do things to just to survive. Reading about teaching experiences prepare me for what’s out there that way I don’t get discouraged or overwhelmed. Great post, and good luck teaching!
I know how you feel! I’m a newly qualified teacher and I have all these amazing ideas for a blog but I can’t commit until I know I can see it through! Keep up the good work!
I am a teacher who taught for 20 years, who is now pursuing a ministry while writing because I never could get it all in! Hang in there-there is life after teaching and I have felt your pain!! Don’t lose your sense of humor- you’ll need it!
Based on my student teaching experience, teaching is TWO full time jobs with the pay of one job. I ended up working in libraries for the first decade out of college and now in an insurance claims department. Its not that I didn’t like teaching. I did. I didn’t like the fact that you have NO life outside of work because it takes up all your free time as well as 9 hours at school.