First, let me say if you feel you are nearing burnout in your current situation, read Art of Possibilities by Ben and Ros Zander. Now that I have that plug in, let's examine Rule #6 from chapters 5-8. Rule #6 is don't take yourself so seriously (edited for my own tastes). I think a true sign of burnout is that you have believe that everything that you don't like is wrong. That is not the case. What you consider to be an emergency isn't to everyone, so chill out and relax. This is saying a great deal from me since my wife went through thyroid cancer three years ago and being diagnosed with Parkinson's this summer, everything has been super serious for me. Until my wife tells my dad that she will get a purple scooter in a couple of years to race his red one in the mall. Enjoy life and those in it.The picture above is a snapshot of my family except my parents. The person that has me in the headlock in the backrow is my new son-in-law. I pray that he continues to feel he can clown around me the rest of our lives. Sometimes in the classroom, students are battling things far greater then memorizing Shakespeare. Placing food on the table for a baby is more important than understanding Hamlet that you will forget in 3 months. However, too many teachers make their work to be a life or death situation. Don't take yourself too seriously and enjoy those around you for the ride.
It's great that you can manage not to take yourself so seriously with all that you and your family has been through. I myself am a cancer survivor and even before I knew about Rule number 6 I am convinced that that's why I managed to recover from it in the manner in which I did. If only we could get others around us to abide by Rule #6. Right now i'm in a situation where I need to remember rule number 6 because I have a Christmas concert coming up and it's scheduled for the same day as the last day of our MAC class.
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Glenn,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your wife really knows how to apply “Rule #6”! My mom had Parkinson’s as well and also saw the wisdom in that rule to keep herself moving forward…she lived a long life and took her growing impairments in stride. I also agree with your application of the “Rule #6” in the classroom. I know some teachers that take student absences or missing homework personally. They need to not take themselves so seriously. In our community college setting, our students may be working to make their rent, be single parents or be coping with a learning disability.
While we’d like all our students to perform well and meet deadlines, as you said, it isn’t life or death.
Glenn,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that The Art of Possibility is a must-read for any teacher, or person in general, that’s starting to feel burnt out by the day-to-day grind of daily life. Just taking a different viewpoint on the situations that life presents, as you illustrate, puts a completely different spin on the world we construct around ourselves.
What a wonderful and meaningful reflection on rule #6. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences. How do we remain passionate about what we do, the subject that may mean so much to us, without losing sight to the bigger picture? That's a thing I strive to keep in balance.
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