Things I Really Miss Right Now
I don't have much of a life right now while I'm student teaching, if that wasn't already apparent by the lack of posts beyond the weekly recaps of teaching. I couldn't even do an "End of the Week Roundup" post if I wanted to since it would literally just recap what I'm already recapping. Anyway, there are a few things that I absolutely miss right now and makes student teaching stretch out a little longer than I'd like it to.
1. Having a life in general
So while I'm teaching, I'm still working a minimum of 10 hours a week at my regular job. While that may not sound like a lot, couple that with the fact that I never know quite when I'm leaving school each day and it makes for a really tough schedule. Most days I don't leave the school until around 5 and I still have to go home and prep for something with school, meaning I'm working well into the evening on school stuff. To make up for the time, I work every Saturday at my regular job 7-3 and then go into work for an hour two nights a week to make up the rest of the time. Sundays are spent doing school work too. That leaves no time for anything else. Literally.
2. My friends
Since I'm so busy/tired, it's impossible to make any time to hang out with friends let alone text them to see how they're doing/hold a normal adult conversation with them. I really miss all my friends, so much so I've been avoiding most social media since seeing them makes me feel "homesick" for them.
3. Sewing
I haven't stepped foot into my sewing room since the end of August and I really miss the hum of my sewing machine. The one plus side of teaching right now is that I have a creativity outlet so I'm not going insane needing to release my creative energies.
4. Spending money
That's right, I'll admit it. I like to spend money. Who doesn't? I'm not saying it's a great thing, I'm just saying that I like being able to buy a new shirt if I want to or some lipstick I want to try. But when you're living off your savings, spending money on anything that isn't a necessity is not an option. Sometimes I'll log on to my Amazon wish list and just look at all the pretty things I want to buy.
5. Me time at lunch
Lunch time at my regular job was something I really relished. Whether it was going to Panera, sitting in my car reading, or going for a walk, I could do pretty much whatever I wanted on my lunch break. Now, lunch break consists of either completing school work with my cooperating teacher or helping students out who are oblivious to the idea that their teacher needs to eat too.
Don't get me wrong, teaching is not all that bad. In fact, it's a good thing I can't spend money right now. It's a lesson in learning how to budget, which I've never properly learned. Plus, the connections I'm building with my students will stay with me forever, and will probably be much more satisfying than most of the "relationships" I have with people I work with. But in general, I miss a lot of the cozier aspects of my life that I had pre-teaching. Just a few more weeks and I'll have it back and I'll probably be moaning about how much I miss teaching.
