#170 A Summer of 'Margin Savings' Instead of 'Work Savings'

Summer vacation. Up until now, I was the type who would actually switch into high gear (and have a hard time switching off) whenever a long break arrived.

'Alright, since it's a long break, I'm going to study hard and get prepared!'

Prepare for workshops.
Create materials.
Participate in online training.
Use my vacation time to attend workshops I can get to.
Read lots of educational books.
Study to earn certifications.

And above all,

'I'll build up plenty of work savings for the second semester and beyond!'

I would check future schedules, move work forward whenever possible, and prepare for lessons little by little. I worked in a way that made me feel secure by starting everything early, as if 'Always be prepared!' was my motto. But even doing this, I would end up seeing too far ahead, and 'the things I needed to do and wanted to do just kept increasing.' And then, the fatigue would pile up...

I was diligently building up 'work savings' so that my future self wouldn't be in trouble.

But this summer,

I am consciously and firmly!! stopping this.

The staff room in my brain, open 24 hours a day.

I think there are quite a few teachers who aren't very good at 'resting.' This is true during weekends and long breaks, but even more so during the school term.

I'm not at school. I haven't opened my computer. Yet, in my head,

'What should I do about those materials?'
'I should get that done for the second semester.'
'Come to think of it, that task...'

It starts suddenly, even while traveling, at a cafe, or while shopping.

The staff room in my brain, open 24 hours a day.

And what's more, even though I didn't ask for it,

'Lesson Improvement Department'
'Second Semester Preparation Department'
'School Affairs Department'

all start showing up in my head on their own (laughs). My body is on summer vacation, but my head is operating as usual. Perhaps I used to think that was 'being a diligent teacher.'

But this year,

That is how I have decided to spend my time. Therefore, my current balance of 'work savings' is zero (laughs). The reason I decided to be so decisive and commit to 'margin savings' is that I want to be someone who can continue to work sustainably in the future.

Does 'not working' alone not count as resting?

In psychology, which studies work and rest, there is a concept called

Psychological Detachment

.

Simply put, it means

Vacation research also reports that psychologically detaching from work is linked to the recovery of well-being. When I learned this, I thought, 'Ah, this might be exactly what I was missing.'

I am away from school. But in my head, I am not away from school.

The staff room in my brain was the only thing that stayed open the whole time.

That is why this year, I dared to take a complete break.

This year, 'margin savings' over 'work savings'

I like to learn. I am the type of person who loves learning about new practices, reading books, and being stimulated by training sessions.

That is precisely why, if left to my own devices,

I end up turning even my vacation time into 'time for growth.'

This year, I am daring not to do that.

I will not pack my schedule with training. I will not look for online training. I will not get ahead on work. I will not think, 'Since it is summer vacation, I have to learn something.'

Instead,

I watch movies. I read manga. I go out. I spend time with my family. I zone out. I do nothing.

This year, it is not 'work savings,' but 'margin savings.'Instead of increasing something, I am increasing the time with nothing in it and trying to spend it in a relaxed, aimless way. That is the kind of summer I am having.

The 'power to rest' is just as important as the 'power to learn'

The 'power to rest' is not the opposite of the 'power to learn', but perhaps a power necessary to keep on learning.Until now, I have admired teachers who learn a lot.

But now, I admire 'teachers with plenty of margin savings'. I don't fear time spent doing nothing.

I return to being myself, not a teacher.
And once I have rested enough, I return to school again.
I hope to be able to work in that way.

I hope to be able to work in that way.

This summer, I am putting this sign up in my mental staff room.

'Summer break. Will open again when the second term starts.'

……That said, sometimes I feel like someone is working inside (laughs). But this year, I will pretend not to see it. Including that, this is my summer of 'margin savings'.

Thank you for reading again today.

#Teacher #Educator #TeachingStaff #TeacherWorkStyle #EducatorWorkStyle #SummerBreak #PowerToRest #CreatingMargin #Wellbeing #ThinkingAboutWorkStyles