Socrates Says Take Care Of Yourself. It's For The Kids.

I know you’re dreaming of wasting away in Margaritaville next week. Or at least sleeping in, past 7am. Or at least getting to use the bathroom when you want to. Or 

We’re almost there, my friends! You GOT this! 

I swear that February is the toughest month in which we teach. Despite being a short month, it somehow goes on for-e-ver. There is no spring break, no major state or district testing, no holidays, no big parties. The kids are sick of each other, the adults are sick of the kids, everyone is sick of everyone else -- and everyone is just plain old SICK!

But it’s March. Third quarter is blessedly almost over. Spring Break is within our reach. . A whole week to refuel, relax, rest, and make ourselves whole again. 

Y’all know I’m a big fan of goal setting. Big goals, small goals, micro-goals. They’re all good for us. 

I know most of you --and those of you that I know ALL want to be good role models for your kids. It’s why you push yourselves to be the best “you” that you can be. 

I know you MEAN to take good care of yourself. But those papers aren’t going to grade themselves! 

So I have one question before spring break. 

How can you be a good role model for your students’ self-care  if you don’t take good care of yourself?

Yup. 

In order to teach your students to take good care of themselves whether they are 

• The nervous kid who is too anxious and and stressed about grades, social issues, or whatever
• The kid who stays up all night playing video games and can’t stay awake in class
• The kid who uses too many unhealthy substances
• The kids who is in every club, team, band, and organization and who can’t keep up with it all
• The kid who over or under exercises, eats too much or too little. 

Famously, Socrates used to ask his students regularly if they were taking care of themselves. And during his historic trial (in which he was accused of corrupting the youth of Athens), he came back at his accusers and said “You preoccupy yourselves without shame in acquiring wealth and reputation and honors'' but do not take care of yourselves. How dare you try to run this city-state when you aren’t insightful and don’t have basic self care?

In ancient Greece, to take care of yourself, meant to pursue beauty, truth, wisdom, and self-mastery. 

I know we are all overworked and underpaid. I know we are all tired and there’s not much anyone is going to do about it in the next couple days before Spring Break. 

But I’d like you to think about this: if you don’t do it for yourself, “do it for the kids”. Take care of yourself to teach your students how to take care of themselves. 

• Eat lunch daily. 
• Exercise. 
• Get rest. 
• Don’t stay up all night grading papers. 
• Keep your stress level down.
• Turn off the news sometimes. 
• Turn off social media sometimes
• Say “no” to some commitments. 

It's not sustainable to run at top speed all the time without food, water, bathroom breaks, sleep, social lives, and while being sick. 

Doesn’t that sound ridiculous when I put it like that? But there's a good chunk of you all reading this 5th period that haven't eaten, drank water, gone to the bathroom, had a decent night's sleep, seen your friends/family recently and are feeling sick. ALL THE THINGS. 

I see you. I know you’re there. 

So, use spring break to rest and relax. And then, when you come back, work on taking care of yourself, and doing it intentionally for yourself and to teach your kids what more healthy adulting looks like. 

You got this. Hang in there.

Enjoy those margaritas and think of Socrates over Spring Break! 

If you need coaching through ways to make the teaching part less time consuming, I’m glad to try to talk it out! Email me! newmantr@psb.org