Welcome to ‘Diary of a Teacher’. Here, you’ll learn what it’s really like being a teacher - but through a very delibrate lens of positivity. I approach this newsletter through my 3Gs - growth, giggles and gratitude - to rip up the online negativity around teaching and show the world how fortunate we are to be educators.
This is the latest instalment of my ‘Weekend Wisdoms’. It’s a relatively new feature so I’d love to know what you think.
Educational strategies, life lessons, reasons to be grateful or a little laugh - there’s something here for everyone.
Click ‘subscribe’ below to make sure you catch everything I write. It’s free!
Image generated using Midjourney
Life has been hard lately
My partner’s father isn’t well and things escalated a couple of weeks ago.
I’ve recently found work frustrating and have felt my attempts to keep myself organised - something I struggle with and work hard on - have been dismantled by others.
I’m also living in the same flat that my partner and I have been in for nearly four years and feel we’ve long since outgrown our home.
Plus, while I have a job that’s getting me to where I want, she currently doesn’t, having not long since finished her degree.
And, for all the dreams that we have, we’re in a bit of a transition phase. We have our trainers firmly on but can do little more than crawl along the racetrack of life, the next bend so far away it’s almost beyond the horizon and out of sight.
But, just when it felt like we needed it most, she sent me this on Instagram:
I wrote a couple of weeks back about ‘what would future you tell you now to give you inspiration?’ I have since forgotten to act on that myself but here is a timely reminder. You can read this now - click below 👇
Lesson learnt
So, what is happening in my life right now that I’ll one day miss?
It didn’t take long to think of a few:
We live close to a nice little walk to a local park, one we’ve done hundreds of times, and have an expert grasp of the bird and wildlife available to us. We even have a favourite spot to lay down some bird seed and attract birds like this jay - our favourite
We live a stone’s throw from a local caff that makes us a sandwich of our own creation - fried egg, thick-cut bacon and (I’m not exaggerating) the best hash brown we’ve ever had.
Even closer is my gym. I can leave the door at 5.59am and be there on time for a 6am session. Phenomenal place.
There’s a starling that perches upon a chimney outside our bedroom window and whistles through the morning when we get up. Makes us both smile ear to ear when we hear it.
As much as we’ve outgrown our flat, our landlord has been amazing from day one. This is extremely rare. Landlords are usually dreadful.
It didn’t take long to think of all this.
So, if you’re in a transition phase like us, think: what about this current existence will I one day miss? Take a moment to savour it.
Now, I’m off for a bird walk and a hash brown.
Are you in a transitional phase? Comment below and tell me what you still have to be grateful for in the moment - I wonder whether others find this mindset helpful and would love to hear from you.
Thank you for reading Diary of a Teacher. This post is public so feel free to share it. The more people I reach, the better practice I have for my writing.
I love this! Feel like I'm in a transition period myself, but I'm currently working on being actively grateful of the present and truly immerse myself in it, whether it consistents of good moments or bad. This process makes me feel like I'm living for life and myself and not waiting for the future. Thanks for the awesome post!
Savour the present! I enjoyed the poem it captures the essence of enjoying the present. I am positive your partner will find something suitable in due time. Seasons will change from time to time. I am grateful for good health and my family at the moment. Thanks Jack.