TEACHING

Trading Pen for Paperwork: The Struggles of a Writer-Teacher

A teacher’s quest to reclaim her writing time

Missing my free time. Image created by author using DALLE-3.

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I’ve been getting up at 3:30 AM for the last few weeks to prepare for my day. I haven’t even had time to consider writing, even though I’ve longed to do it.

I have been inundated with schedules, paperwork, student names, and teachers asking me questions I can’t yet answer. My anxiety and fear of failure are suffocating me.

When will I have time to read all these reports about my students? I don’t know them, I don’t know anyone. I’m trying to get to know people, but I am so overloaded that I can’t remember anyone’s name.

Even people I’ve known for years came up to me yesterday to say hi at a special education meeting, and I could not remember their names for the life of me. It would concern me that I’m losing my mind, but I also know that I’m lacking sleep and nutrition at this point.

I am too old for this job! The entire special education team at my school is half my age! I feel like a rickety old dinosaur.

It is true.