Friday, June 1, 2012

Intro-Extrovert

It's been a long week. The week actually went by quickly, but the days were very long.

I had to work hard to motivate my students to do their best on final exams. The kids would come in nervous and unsure. Eight or nine students, everyone looking at a different test, and all waiting for me to help them understand.

I'm actually an introvert. When I became a teacher, I learned to push myself and go outside of my comfort zone. I love helping my students feel successful, and confident in their skills. I'm just their cheerleader.

What I realized this evening, as I finally put my feet up, is that going against my nature, my introvert self, is exhausting.  I have adapted to our extroverted culture quite well, but going against type takes a lot of energy.

I know when I've reached my limit, though. I start to feel overwhelmed, and I crave peace and quiet.
I need to turn inward to recharge my batteries.

Yesterday, the giant burst of energy that had carried me through the week began to wane. An early bedtime helped a bit, but by the end of work today, I felt completely drained, coming undone at the seams.

It's time to honor the introvert side and go inward to renew and recharge.

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