Power through with...rest

<p>I know what many (most?) of you are being asked to do right now is NOT reasonable or sustainable.<br />  <br /> <strong>And because you could never have enough time and energy to do <em>everything</em> that kids need right now, the solution could never be for you to just work harder.</strong><br /> <br /> We are still in a pandemic. This is not a “normal” school year. Regardless of how much districts want to pretend we can hold to the exact same expectations as last year, we cannot.<br /> <br /> <em>Of course </em>you’re distracted and panicky and overwhelmed and unfocused at times. <em>Of course</em> your students are the same way. <br /> <br /> <strong>We can’t be expected to accomplish what we normally accomplish because our world is not functioning as it normally does.</strong><br /> <br /> Rather than trying to keep our frantic pace and be productive like nothing has changed…<br /> <br /> What if we allow ourselves space to explore different approaches, and give ourselves permission to have adjustment periods for continually changing routines?<br /> <br /> What if we choose time for disconnecting from the outside world, and prioritize reconnecting with ourselves?<br /> <br /> What if we stop pushing ourselves and our kids 24/7 to keep trying to accomplish more, and instead have some time to just be together for a while? <br /> <br /> What if we stop worrying about getting ahead for a moment, and read and play games and cook and take naps and go for walks and have conversations and just … be?<br /> <br /> We need physical rest. We need mental rest. We need emotional rest. <br /> <br /> None of this is easy in a culture that determines our worth by how hard we work, how much we produce, and how much money we earn. We’ve been conditioned to feel guilty for taking a break or “doing nothing” or “wasting time.” <br /> <br /> But that approach is part of the old paradigm which has to fall away and be replaced with a way of working, teaching, and learning that is humanized and centered on wellbeing rather than ac