Episode 59: Classroom to Calm: Rethinking Teacher Recharge

Welcome to the final episode of season 1 of Teaching La Vida Loca! In this episode, I want you to reframe and rethink the way you talk about your "rest" this break and in future breaks from school! I am so grateful for you, and I cannot WAIT to venture into a new year and brand new season of Teaching La Vida Loca with YOU!

Here's the original post I saw on Instagram by ArtbyLittleBug
Here's the post with my big announcement!
Here's the link to register for my workshop on Story asking- Reimagined on the 7th of January!

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La Familia Loca PLC- Get on the waitlist for the next time the doors open!

Transcript

Welcome! 

Welcome to Teaching la vida loca, a podcast for World Language Teachers seeking inspiration, unapologetic authenticity, and guidance in centering joy, and facilitating language acquisition for the people who matter most our students, I'm your host, Annabelle. Most people call me la maestra loca. And I'm an educator just like you and inspiring teachers is what I do. Hello, and welcome to the final episode of season one of teaching la vida loca because at some point, if there's a season one, there must be a season two, right, and I have no idea how to determine when that should be. So, I thought New Year, New season, yay. So, this is the last podcast of 2023. And the last podcast of season one of teaching la vida loca. So, yay for that. And I am going into this episode with literally no plan of what I'm going to speak about, other than the fact that I want to reframe the way we think and talk about rest. And even if I'm just doing this for my own brain, then yay, because I need to hear it. And I've read some things recently on Instagram that I really needed to hear personally. And I thought it would be a really powerful thing, even if just a few people also need to hear them that listen to this podcast.

When you’re doing nothing…  

I've spent a lot of this last week saying, "I've done nothing". But I'm not ashamed of that. Like, I know that it's okay that I've done nothing. But do I really think it's okay that I've done nothing. Like, there's so much laundry, oh my God, there's so much laundry. I have done dishes like two times, which is a big deal because my husband does all the dishes all the time. But since I'm home, I've surprised him by doing the dishes. And he has been genuinely super excited and super surprised. Both times. I have done a little bit of laundry. But I'm we are so far behind; the house is a total mess. We celebrate Christmas in my family, and the Christmas mess is still very much there. And of course, the number one thing that Memphis is playing with right now is cardboard boxes. He's loving cardboard boxes, why do we spend any money at all? But I'm realizing that when I say I did nothing today, and it felt so good, do I really mean that it felt so good because I have this underlying guilt and this underlying, "Well, I'm finally free, I should do x, y, z". And the reality is no. It's not that I'm doing nothing. I am resting. And I read a wonderful post on Instagram by ArtbyLittleBug, and I'll share the post. And I am creating my own as a spin off inspired by ArtbyLittleBug. But the post says alternatives to saying I did nothing. You can say I rested, I listened to my body. I prioritized my needs. I watched a TV show or a movie that I love. I took a mental health day. I allowed myself to recharge, I was kind to myself, I gave myself what I needed. And this winter break, I hope that instead of saying I did nothing, if you have a day or two or five or seven, or nine or however many days you have where you're doing nothing, that you pick an alternative to saying that. Instead, say, "Today, I watched my kids play outside while I enjoyed coffee on my couch with Harry Potter on." That's totally what I did yesterday, by the way. Or today, I enjoyed sleeping in an extra hour because I don't get that luxury when I am in school. And I also enjoyed a midday nap because I don't get that luxury when I'm at school. And I talked to my plants and went on a walk with my dog. And it was such a treat. Using that language and reframing the way that you're looking at doing nothing, I think is so refreshing and so important for our mental and emotional state as we go into this new year.

Exciting news! 

So, continue to do the things that bring you joy and bring you rest for your mind your body, and your soul and know that all of the things that are waiting to be done, can continue to wait. There is no rush to do any of them. I made a very exciting announcement on Instagram recently, I am pregnant with baby loco numero dos, numero tres if you count our sweet Isla girl, but she is not mine by blood. She's just mine by choice. I'm very lucky to have my sweet stepdaughter, bonus daughter in my life. So, we're welcoming child number three into our family, the Williamson family, I couldn't be more excited. This pregnancy has been very, very different from my last, and it's been pretty challenging. That was the reason for my long break from the podcast because, frankly, I just couldn't do anything. And the fatigue was extreme. And I normally podcast when I have kid-free time, which is in the evenings, and I was going to bed for a long time at 7:30 o'clock, sometimes before I arose. And that had to be okay. And it is okay. And it's still okay. And my life is going to continue to shift and change with the addition of this lovely human. And I'm going to continue to give myself grace as things change when they need to. I got COVID the week before school, was the week before the last week of school, and I missed a whole week of school. I was bedridden, and I lost 10 pounds. It was really scary. I was super nervous because I felt the baby really early this time around, and then I stopped feeling the baby that whole week. And I lost a lot of weight. And so, it felt like a lot. But I'm also continuing to be really good about boundaries. About two years ago, I realized I can't talk to teachers about boundaries unless I'm modeling these things. I can't talk to teachers about prioritizing their mental and emotional health if I'm not prioritizing mine. So, I'm super excited for you to rest this break. I'm super excited for you to think about how you can word, "I did nothing" in a different way for yourself. And I am super, super freaking excited for season two of teaching la vida loca and all the things I have in store for you.

Join me! 

If you haven't already joined the workshop that I'm doing on the seventh of January, on story asking, reimagined and a more equitable approach to story asking, more joyful approach for you and for students, I encourage you to look that up. I will add the link in the show notes. And I just want to thank you again for being part of this podcasting journey with me. I really do enjoy creating these, and I'm ever so grateful for you and your support and you're listening. It encourages me and inspires me to keep making more. If you'd like to give me a little New Year's present and leave me a little review. You know, I wouldn't be sad about that. In fact, I might freak out and read it on the next podcast. I'm so grateful for you teacher and continue to rest this break. sending you lots of love, gratitude, and joy for your new year. Take care, and I'll see you in season two. Until then, I will not be teaching la vida loca, but I will be blissfully enjoying my couch and some of my favorite shows with my beautiful children. And this beautiful new child growing in my belly... Love you lots, bye bye.